Police OAC Hub
Independent, plain-English guidance to help you understand and prepare for the online assessment stage of police recruitment.
Short answer
Last reviewed 1 October 2026OAC stands for Online Assessment Centre. It is the College of Policing's online assessment process for police constable applicants in England and Wales, taken on the Tazio platform after the sift. It has three exercises: a competency-based interview (5 questions, about 40 minutes), a written exercise (about 40 minutes, two-hour limit) and a briefing exercise (12 questions, about 60 minutes). Assessors mark you against the Competency and Values Framework, and you do not need policing or legal knowledge.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. National application form | You apply to your force. |
| 2. Online sift | National sift: a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire. (Some College pages still mention a force sift alternative; the regulations now name the national sift, so check with your force.) National sift guide |
| 3. OAC (online assessment) | Interview, written and briefing exercises. Your force gives the results timeline; the result arrives by automated email. What happens after the OAC |
| 4. Face-to-face interview | With your force, to the national standard. Then fitness, medical and vetting checks. In-person interview guide |
Names you may see: OAC and Online Assessment Centre are what candidates and forces commonly say; online assessment process is the College's official name. The national sift is a separate, earlier stage. Since 17 March 2026 all four stages are a legal requirement for new constables (Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10). Resits are allowed from three months after your window opened, twice in 12 months. Looking for a login? There isn't one: your personal link to the Tazio platform arrives by email on the first day of your assessment window.
Sources: College candidate guide (updated July 2026), College of Policing, 17 March 2026. Full detail: the OAC explained.
OAC hub: what it is and what to do if it will not load
This page is PolicePay's independent guide hub. It is not the assessment platform and you cannot sit or log in to the OAC here. We could not find any official College of Policing system called "OAC hub" (checked 1 October 2026). The College calls the stage the online assessment process, and you take it on an assessment platform called Tazio, through your own candidate dashboard.
- There is no username or password. On the day your assessment window opens you receive an email with a personal link to your candidate dashboard; everything is accessed from that link. Allow the full day for it to arrive.
- No invitation by 5pm on the day? Check your junk folder, then contact your recruiting force or recruit@college.police.uk. Add support@tazio.co.uk to your safe senders list.
- Dashboard or exercise will not load? Use the latest or long-term-support version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Apple Safari, install any waiting updates, use a stable connection (Ethernet if Wi-Fi is weak), and do not open more than one exercise link at a time or across devices.
- Problem during an exercise? Do not finish the exercise. Click 'technical support' at the bottom of the platform to reach the College's assessment support page (chat or request), available 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, with a response expected within 15 minutes; a chatbot covers other hours. You can also email recruit@college.police.uk with your recruiting force and full name. If a technical issue affected you, you may be offered a retake by email from police.assessments@notifications.service.gov.uk.
- Do not close, refresh or press back during an exercise: the College says you will lose your response.
Source: College of Policing online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) and the College's online assessment walkthrough video transcript, read 1 October 2026. We could not open the support page itself (it blocks automated access), so the hours above are as the College's guide states them. More detail: technical requirements and adjustments.
The Police Online Assessment Centre (OAC) is the College of Policing's online assessment stage for police constable applicants. It comes after the sift and before the face-to-face interview with your force. This hub brings together independent, plain-English guidance to help you understand how the assessment works, what assessors are looking for, and how to prepare calmly and realistically.
Inside, you’ll find a complete breakdown of the interview, written exercise and briefing exercise, a transparent explanation of how marking works, and a detailed look at the most common reasons capable candidates struggle. All content is designed to inform rather than sell, focusing on preparation, clarity and evidence rather than guesswork.
Are You Ready?
Identify preparation gaps and see what to focus on next.
Trust Statement
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"Independent guidance. Preparation improves readiness, not outcomes."
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"Not affiliated with the College of Policing or any force."
Police OAC Competency Interview
Complete breakdown of the interview stage. Learn the winning structure for STAR answers and how to avoid common mistakes.
Read GuidePolice OAC Written Exercise
An urgent written task for your line manager, using four items of information. What the College says and how to approach it.
Read GuidePolice OAC Briefing Exercise
12 spoken questions in three parts, with 60 seconds to think and 3 minutes to answer each. How to prioritise and brief calmly.
Read GuideHow the Police OAC Is Marked
What the College says each exercise assesses, and what it does not publish, such as the marking scheme.
Read Marking GuideCommon OAC Mistakes
Why capable candidates fail. A non-judgemental look at the most common preparation gaps and how to fix them.
Read Mistakes GuideWhat Happens If You Fail?
A calm, factual look at next steps. Why it happens, how to process it, and how to decide what to do next.
Read GuidePlanning your time? Use the 2-week and 4-week OAC preparation plans, check the technical requirements and reasonable adjustments, learn the CVF competencies and values and see whether your entry route changes the assessment. Passed the OAC? Read what happens after the OAC and what the in-person interview involves, see what happens if you fail it, or practise your written report with the free-to-try written exercise trainer. For worked practice material, see the briefing exercise examples and the written exercise examples.
Sources for this hub
Exercise details, timings, notes rules, resits and appeals come from the College of Policing's online assessment process candidate guide and overview page; the four-stage process from the College's March 2026 announcement. Your force decides your window, deadline and results timeline.
Common Questions
What does OAC stand for in the police?
What is the Police Online Assessment Centre?
Is the OAC the final stage of police recruitment?
How long does the OAC take?
Can I use notes in the OAC?
Do you need police experience to pass the OAC?
Can I retake the OAC if I fail?
Where should I start preparing for the OAC?
Which preparation option do I need?
Start with the free steps below. If you later want feedback on your own recorded answers, here is what each paid option covers.
Free tools
FreeNo time limit
- OAC readiness check and STAR answer checker
- Situational judgement practice for the national sift
- Vetting evidence builder: a free overview with a risk read and a one-line tip for each area you flag
- Mock interview practice mode: example questions, timer and STAR structure, plus up to 5 free AI evaluations a day (a score and short summary; the full STAR critique and model answer are part of the paid pass)
Best for: Everyone, as a first step. Enough to follow the OAC preparation plan.
Open the free practice mode30-day feedback pass
£24.9930 days · one-time payment
- AI feedback on your own answers against the CVF
- STAR structure analysis and missing-behaviour detection
- Improved-answer guidance
Best for: A short, focused run-up to one assessment that is coming up soon.
See the 30-day pass90-day feedback pass
£39.9990 days · one-time payment
- The same feedback as the 30-day pass, for 90 days
- Covers the gaps between sift, OAC and force interview
Best for: A whole application, when your stages are weeks or months apart.
See the 90-day pass6-month OAC and interview toolkit
£69.99180 days · one-time payment
- The same feedback engine, with OAC video mode, in-person panel mode and the written exercise trainer
- One payment for 180 days. Two 90-day passes would cost £79.98 for the same time
Best for: A long wait, a reapplication, or stages that may run past three months.
See the 6-month toolkitVetting readiness report
£19.9930 days · one-time payment
- Builds on the free overview: detailed guidance for every area you flagged
- A draft disclosure paragraph and a prioritised preparation plan
Best for: If you have something to disclose (finances, family, past conduct) and want it organised before you complete the vetting forms. It does not replace being honest and complete on the forms.
Start the free overviewComplete prep bundle
£79.99180 days · one-time payment
- The 6-month toolkit above
- The AI vetting readiness assessment, with its access extended to 180 days
Best for: If you want interview practice and a vetting readiness report together. The bundle page shows how pricing works if you already own one part.
Compare on the bundle pageThese are independent practice tools, not official assessments, and they cannot predict or guarantee any recruitment outcome. Paid options carry a 14-day refund policy.
Not sure where to start?
A simple order is the readiness check, then the OAC overview, then each exercise in detail.
Also preparing for the fitness test? See the Fitness Hub.
Interview and assessment centre updates
New interview practice questions and model answers, by email
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Looking for the bigger picture?
See how your salary evolves after the OAC and through your first three years of service.