How Long Should
OAC Answers Be?
The real limits for every part of the police online assessment process, how to use five minutes well, what to do if you finish early and a free timer that runs the actual 60-second and five-minute timings while you practise out loud.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
In the interview you get 60 seconds to think and up to five minutes to answer each question; in the briefing exercise up to 60 seconds and three minutes. There is no minimum and no word limit. Use enough of the time to explain what you did, why and what happened: for most people that means well over two minutes in the interview.
This page covers the College of Policing online assessment process for police constable candidates in England and Wales. The timings come from the College's candidate guide updated on 21 July 2026 and its reasonable adjustments guide updated on 25 August 2026. Suggestions about how to split your time are ours and are labelled as such.
Free pacing timer: practise the real timings
Choose the question type, read the practice question, then speak your answer out loud while the timer runs. The interview mode shows our suggested STAR bands as you go. If your browser supports it, you can switch on a live word count to find your own speaking pace.
Free pacing timer
Practise the real OAC timings out loud
Practice question 1 of 5 (original, not a College question)
Tell us about a time you challenged something you believed was wrong, even though it was uncomfortable to do so.
The timer is free and needs no account. Nothing is recorded or saved. When you are comfortable with the timing, try a whole interview of five questions in the free full timed OAC mock.
Every official timing in the online assessment
| Part | Thinking time | Answer time | Whole exercise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice question (before each spoken exercise) | One minute | One minute | Not scored |
| Competency-based interview (5 questions) | 60 seconds, not recorded | Up to 5 minutes (300 seconds) | About 40 minutes |
| Briefing exercise (12 questions) | Up to 60 seconds | Up to 3 minutes (180 seconds) | About 60 minutes, including about 10 minutes of untimed preparation |
| Written exercise | About 10 minutes to read the instructions | About 40 minutes expected | 2-hour limit; the text in the box is submitted when time runs out |
You can skip the thinking time on any spoken question and start answering straight away. You can also submit an answer before the time is up. If you use the full answer time, the College's walkthrough says the recording stops automatically and you continue to the next question. Once you start an exercise you cannot restart it.
Should you use all five minutes?
There is no rule that you must and no published rule that longer answers score more. The College's guide asks you to "express yourself clearly and concisely" and to "be specific", reminding you that you have limited time. At the same time it calls the action "the main part" of a STAR answer and asks what you did, how you did it, why you did it that way and what skills you used. Answering all four of those for one real example takes time.
In practice, think about it this way:
- Under about two minutes is usually a sign that something is missing: often the reasons behind your actions, or what you learned.
- Three to four and a half minutes is a comfortable range for a detailed answer with time to finish properly.
- Right up to five minutes is fine if every part is relevant, but you risk being cut off before the result.
These ranges are our suggestion from the structure of a STAR answer and the five-minute limit. They are not College guidance. A tight three-minute answer that covers everything beats a five-minute answer that repeats itself.
When the five minutes run out the recording stops. If you spent four minutes on background, your result and what you learned never reach the assessor. Get to the result with at least 45 seconds to spare.
How many words is that? Finding your own pace
The College gives timings, not word counts and word counts depend on how fast you speak. As a working estimate (ours, not the College's), a steady speaking pace is often somewhere around 130 words a minute. On that estimate:
| Speaking time | Roughly, at 130 words a minute |
|---|---|
| 1 minute (practice question) | about 130 words |
| 2 minutes | about 260 words |
| 3 minutes (briefing answer limit) | about 390 words |
| 4 minutes | about 520 words |
| 5 minutes (interview answer limit) | about 650 words |
Your own pace may be slower or faster, especially when you are nervous. The pacing timer can count your words as you speak in Chrome, Edge and Safari, using your browser's own speech service, so you can see your real pace. Treat the number as a guide: what matters is whether the content is there.
If you write answers out to plan them, remember a written plan reads faster than it speaks. Something that looks short on paper can take three minutes to say with pauses. Writing full answers to memorise is not a good idea: the College says prepared scripts may result in automatic failure.
A suggested STAR time split for five minutes
The College suggests the STAR method and says the action is the main part. Here is how we would split five minutes. The pacing timer shows the same bands.
| Part | Time | What to cover |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | 0:00 to 0:40 | Where you were, what was happening, who was involved. Just enough context. |
| Task | 0:40 to 1:10 | What you had to achieve and why it mattered. |
| Action | 1:10 to 4:00 | What you did, step by step, how you did it and why. Say "I", not "we". |
| Result | 4:00 to 5:00 | What happened, how you know and what you learned or would do differently. |
For a future-focused question ("How would you..."), which the College's July 2026 guide says may come up, swap the situation and task for a quick summary of the challenge, spend most of the time on what you would do and why, then back it with a short real example of when you did something similar.
Try one out loud. Answer a practice question free and get a scored result in about a minute. No account. Practise in the free police mock interview
Using the 60 seconds of thinking time
Sixty seconds is short. Nothing you say is recorded and you can make notes because you have now seen the question. A quick routine:
- 0 to 15 seconds: read the question and every prompt (scroll if there are more). Underline the key words in your head: "challenged", "different from your own", "went wrong".
- 15 to 35 seconds: pick your example. Choose one you can describe in detail, as the College suggests, rather than several.
- 35 to 55 seconds: jot three to five words for your main actions and one for the result.
- 55 to 60 seconds: take a breath. Start with a clear first sentence.
If you know your example straight away, skip the rest of the thinking time. Waiting does not help if you are ready and some people find the countdown makes them more nervous.
The same example, short and full
Here is one illustrative example for "Tell us about a time you had to deal with someone whose needs were very different from your own", first as a 60-second answer, then as the outline of a full answer.
About 60 seconds
"At the library where I work, a deaf customer came in to renew his books and got frustrated with my colleague. I stepped in, wrote things down for him and sorted out his renewal. He was happy and thanked me. I learned to be patient."
What is missing: why he was frustrated, how you found out what he needed, what you changed and why and evidence of the result.
About four minutes (outline)
- What was happening: the queue, the colleague speaking faster and louder, the customer leaving.
- Noticing he was lip-reading and that facing away from him made it worse.
- Asking him, in writing, how he preferred to communicate; moving to the quiet desk.
- Explaining the renewal limit honestly and finding the option that worked for him.
- Afterwards, suggesting a notepad at the desk and a short note to colleagues.
- Result: he came back, asked for the same desk and the notepad stayed.
- Learning: ask people how they want to communicate rather than guessing.
The longer version is not padded. Every extra minute adds evidence: listening, adapting to someone's needs, honesty about limits and a lasting change. That is what fills five minutes well.
How long should briefing exercise answers be?
Each of the 12 briefing questions gives you up to 60 seconds to think and up to three minutes to answer. Twelve answers in a row is tiring, so pacing matters as much as length. Our suggested split for three minutes:
- First 40 seconds: your first step and why. Answer the question that was asked.
- Next 90 seconds: how you would do it and with whom.
- Last 50 seconds: risks, how you would keep people informed and how you would know it had worked.
Briefing questions are narrower than interview questions, so an answer that is complete at two minutes is common. Do not stretch it. Practise a full scenario in the free briefing exercise simulator.
How long should the written exercise be?
The College does not publish a word limit for the written exercise. What it does say: the exercise should take about 40 minutes, the limit is two hours so you do not have to rush, you should answer each question in the same box and you should use only the four items of information. Spelling and grammar are not assessed.
Practical guidance on length:
- Write enough to answer every numbered question fully. A missed question cannot be credited.
- Use short headings or the question numbers so your line manager can find each answer.
- Refer to the items you are relying on ("Item C shows...") rather than restating them in full.
- Point out conflicts or gaps between the items and say what you would check.
- Delete any notes you made in the box before you submit.
Do not use the two hours as a target. If you finish a careful response in 45 minutes, read it through once and submit. If time runs out, the July 2026 guide says the text in the box is submitted as it stands.
Timings with an extra time adjustment
The College's reasonable adjustments guide sets out how extra time works. The extra goes on thinking time; answer times stay at five minutes for the interview and three minutes for the briefing exercise.
| Extra time | Thinking time per spoken question | Answer time |
|---|---|---|
| None | 60 seconds | 5 min interview, 3 min briefing |
| 15% | 69 seconds | Unchanged |
| 25% | 75 seconds | Unchanged |
| 30% | 78 seconds | Unchanged |
| 33% | 80 seconds | Unchanged |
| 40% | 84 seconds | Unchanged |
| 50% | 90 seconds | Unchanged |
The written exercise keeps its two-hour limit for everyone; the guide gives longer approximate completion times with extra time (from about 46 minutes with 15% to about 60 minutes with 50%). Adjustments are agreed through your force before the assessment.
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Force interviews are timed differently
Since 17 March 2026 every constable candidate other than a transferee must also pass an in-person interview with the force. That interview is run by the force, not on Tazio and forces set their own format: the number of questions, whether there is a time limit per answer and whether the panel asks follow-up questions. The five-minute OAC limit does not carry over.
Two habits do carry over: answer the question asked and give specific evidence of what you did and why. Our guide to which forces have a final interview collects what forces publish about theirs.
How to practise timing without becoming scripted
- Find your natural length. Answer three questions with the pacing timer and note how long each took.
- Fix the shortest part. If answers end early, add the "why" behind each action. If you get cut off, shorten the situation.
- Use different questions. Practise the skill, not one answer. Repeating the same answer turns it into a script.
- Listen back. Record yourself (the full mock keeps recordings on your device) and check the result made it in.
- Do one full interview of five. Stamina matters: the fifth answer is often the weakest.
When you want feedback on the content as well as the timing, the full mock's paid papers include AI feedback in 2024 CVF language:
Diagnose your timing in one table
After a few timed answers with the pacing timer, find your pattern:
| What happens | Likely cause | Fix to practise |
|---|---|---|
| Finish under two minutes | Actions listed without reasons; no learning | Say "because" after every action; end with one change you made |
| Cut off before the result | Long situation and background | Situation in three sentences; reach the result by 4:00 |
| Long pauses mid-answer | No plan from thinking time | Jot three action words in the 60 seconds |
| Repeating the same point | Filling time | Submit when complete; length is not the goal |
| Briefing answers run to 3:00 every time | Answering more than the question | Lead with the first step; keep follow-up to 30 seconds |
| Fifth answer much weaker | Stamina | Practise full five-question runs, not single questions |
A timed answer, annotated
An illustrative outline for "Tell us about a time you challenged something you believed was wrong", with the time each part takes at a steady pace:
- 0:00 to 0:35, situation. Working weekends at a garden centre, a supervisor told new staff to skip the safety check on the forklift area to save time.
- 0:35 to 1:00, task. I was not in charge, but someone could be hurt and the new staff did not feel able to say so.
- 1:00 to 3:50, action. I spoke to the supervisor privately, explained the risk and why the check mattered; when he said it was fine, I told him I would still do the check myself and did; I then raised it with the duty manager the same day, with the time and what had been said, because it was a safety issue.
- 3:50 to 4:40, result and learning. The manager reinstated the check and reminded all supervisors. I learned to raise safety concerns early and calmly and to go to the next level when the first conversation does not work.
Finishing at about 4:40 leaves a safety margin before the five-minute cut-off. This is a structure, not a script: the College does not allow prepared scripts.
Myths about OAC answer length
"Strong answers are 150 to 250 words." That is about one to two minutes of speech. The real interview limit is five minutes; short answers usually leave out the detail assessors need.
"Longer always scores more." No published rule says so. Relevant, specific evidence is what counts.
"You have to use the thinking time." You can skip it when you are ready.
"Extra time means longer answers." With an adjustment, thinking time goes up; answer times stay the same.
"The written exercise has a 500-word limit." The College publishes no word limit.
What we could not verify
- Whether answer length affects scores. The College publishes no marking scheme.
- A typical speaking pace. The 130 words a minute figure on this page is our working estimate; use the timer to measure your own.
- Force interview timings. These vary by force and change between campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should my OAC interview answers be?
You have up to five minutes (300 seconds) to answer each of the five interview questions, after 60 seconds of thinking time. There is no minimum. Most strong answers use a good part of the time because describing what you did and why takes detail, but a complete answer that finishes early is fine.
Do I have to talk for the full five minutes in the OAC?
No. You can submit an answer early and the College's guidance encourages you to be clear, concise and specific. If the recording reaches five minutes it stops automatically, so the risk of using all the time is being cut off before your result, not being penalised for length.
How many words is a five-minute OAC answer?
It depends on how fast you speak. At around 130 words a minute, a working estimate rather than a College figure, five minutes is roughly 650 words. Time yourself with the pacing timer on this page to find your own pace, then judge the content rather than the word count.
How long is the thinking time in the OAC?
Sixty seconds per question in the interview and up to 60 seconds in the briefing exercise. Nothing you say during thinking time is recorded and you can skip it. With an approved extra time adjustment it is longer, for example 69 seconds with 15% extra time and 90 seconds with 50%.
How long are briefing exercise answers?
Up to three minutes (180 seconds) for each of the 12 questions, after up to 60 seconds of thinking time. The whole exercise takes about an hour including about 10 minutes of untimed preparation.
Is there a word limit in the OAC written exercise?
The College does not publish one. It says the exercise should take about 40 minutes, with a two-hour limit and that whatever is in the box when time runs out is submitted. Answer every question fully and clearly; length is not the goal.
Is 90 seconds long enough for an OAC answer?
Usually not, for the interview. Ninety seconds leaves little room to explain what you did, why you did it and what happened. Some older advice suggests answers of 150 to 250 words, but the real limit is five minutes, so you have room to give the detail assessors need.
What should I do if I finish my OAC answer early?
Check silently whether you said why you took each action and what you learned. If you did, submit. If not, add it. Avoid filling time by repeating yourself: the assessor can only credit relevant evidence, not length.
What happens if I go over five minutes in the OAC?
The recording stops at five minutes and you move to the next question. Anything you had not said yet is lost, which is why a result and what you learned should come before the last 30 seconds.
How do I split five minutes using STAR?
Our suggestion: about 40 seconds on the situation, 30 seconds on the task, roughly three minutes on your actions and reasons and the last minute on the result and what you learned. The College calls the action 'the main part' of a STAR answer. The split is a guide, not a rule.
Are force interview answers the same length as the OAC?
Not necessarily. The in-person force interview is run by each force, which sets its own format and timing. Some give a fixed time per question and some do not. Check your force's interview guidance.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) : 60 + 300 seconds per interview question, 60 + 180 seconds per briefing question, written 40 minutes with a 2-hour limit and time-out submission, STAR with action as the main part, be concise and specific (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Sift and online assessment process (Tazio walkthrough) : practice question with a one-minute answer, skip thinking time, submit early, recording stops at the time limit (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations guide for online assessments candidates (updated 25 August 2026) : thinking time and approximate exercise times with 15% to 50% extra time; answer times unchanged (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework : the areas each answer should evidence (accessed 21 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Recruitment standards, assessment formats and vetting decisions are set by the College of Policing and each force and change from time to time: check the force you are applying to before relying on anything here. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.