The Police Online Assessment Centre (OAC), Explained
The OAC does not test your knowledge of the law. It tests how you think, communicate and make decisions, against the Competency and Values Framework.
Last reviewed 1 October 2026
Short answer
Last reviewed 1 October 2026OAC stands for Online Assessment Centre. It is the online assessment stage for police constable applicants in England and Wales, run by the College of Policing, which officially calls it the online assessment process. You complete three exercises on the Tazio platform: a competency-based interview, a written exercise and a briefing exercise, each assessed against the Competency and Values Framework. No policing or legal knowledge is needed. It comes after the sift and before the face-to-face interview with your force.
Source: College of Policing online assessment process candidate guide (updated July 2026). Forces set your window and deadline.
Try one out loud. Answer a practice question free and get a scored result in about a minute. No account. Answer a question free
OAC, online assessment, online assessment centre: what the names mean
People search for this stage under several names. Here is how they map to what the College of Policing publishes.
| Term | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| OAC / Online Assessment Centre | The name candidates and forces commonly use for the stage with the interview, written and briefing exercises. |
| Online assessment process | The College of Policing's official name for the same stage. |
| National sift | A different, earlier stage: a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire. It is not the OAC. Some College pages still mention an in-force sift alternative, but since 17 March 2026 the Police Regulations 2003 name the national sift test, so check with your force. |
| Tazio | The platform you take the OAC on. |
Not sat the sift yet? See our national sift guide.
Where the OAC fits
Since March 2026 every force in England and Wales must use the same four stages for police constables.
National application form
Online sifting tests
Online assessment (the OAC)
You are here
Face-to-face interview with your force
Source: College of Policing, 17 March 2026. Checks such as vetting and the fitness test are run by your force, and the order varies, so ask your force. The OAC is therefore not the final stage. See the in-person interview.
The three exercises at a glance
You get one email with your link to a candidate dashboard. You can do the exercises in any order, but once you press start on one you cannot restart it, and all three must be finished.
| Exercise | What you do | Timings (approximate) | Values and competencies assessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competency-based interview | Five questions about how you have dealt with situations in the past, using examples from work or personal life. A recorded assessor reads each question and prompts appear on screen. | 60 seconds thinking time (not recorded), then 300 seconds to record, per question. About 40 minutes. | Courage, public service, respect and empathy, we take ownership, we are innovative and open-minded. |
| Written exercise | You act as a police constable and complete an urgent written task for your line manager, using four items of information. | About 10 minutes to read the instructions and about 40 minutes to write, with a 120-minute limit. | Respect and empathy, we analyse critically, we support and inspire, we collaborate. |
| Briefing exercise | You act as a police constable dealing with issues in a developing scenario, giving spoken answers to 12 questions in three parts of four, using preparation materials. | About 10 minutes reading (untimed, not assessed), then about 50 minutes: 60 seconds thinking and 180 seconds answering per question. About 60 minutes in total. | Public service, we are emotionally aware, we take ownership, we are innovative and open-minded. |
Timings vary if you have a timing-related reasonable adjustment. Source: College candidate guide. The competency framework for initial recruitment is set at level 1.
Competency-based interview
You record answers by webcam to five questions. Each question comes with on-screen prompts, and the College suggests the STAR method: a short Situation and Task, then the Action (the main part: what you did, how and why), then the Result and what you learned. It may help to give one example per question in detail rather than several thinly.
A worked shape (illustrative, not a real question)
- Situation and Task: "A customer became aggressive at my till and I needed to calm it before it affected others."
- Action (main part): "I lowered my voice, asked what the issue was and offered options."
- Result: "He calmed down and we resolved it. I learned to ask before assuming."
A common weakness (our advice)
Saying "we decided" when you are describing your own decision makes it hard for an assessor to see what you did. Say "I suggested" or "I decided", and be specific.
Written exercise
The College does not prescribe a report layout. What it does say is specific and worth reading twice.
- Use only the information provided. Do not add or invent information.
- Answer each question in the same response box. If time runs out, whatever is typed is submitted.
- Spelling and grammar are not assessed.
- Type your answer on the platform. Pasting from another application is not accepted and may result in an automatic fail.
- You can make notes in the answer box but must delete anything you do not want assessed, because all text in the box is marked.
- Once you press continue you cannot return to your answer.
Our tips (not College rules)
Read all four items first, answer exactly what the task asks, prioritise the most serious risks, and give a reason for each recommendation ("in order to...").
Briefing exercise
You read preparation materials (about 10 minutes, untimed and not assessed), then answer 12 spoken questions across three parts. Parts two and three give you new information. For each question you get 60 seconds of thinking time and 180 seconds to answer. The College encourages you to consider the issues raised and how the police can build positive relationships, to stay specific, and to use only the information provided.
A simple structure some candidates use (our suggestion)
What is the issue, so what is the impact or risk, and now what will you do. It is not an official framework.
Who marks it, and what counts as a pass?
- Assessors are a mixture of police officers, police staff and community members, specifically trained and continually monitored. A quality assurance team checks their performance.
- They know only your name and email address and not whether you have applied before. They assess solely what you do in the exercises.
- The pass mark is not published. You must meet the national standard set by the College of Policing. The current guide (July 2026) says your feedback report gives an overall score for each exercise. An older 2022 College FAQ said forces could raise the standard and that the report explains the pass marks; the current guide does not repeat either point, so ask your force. The College does not publish a pass rate, so treat pass-rate figures elsewhere with caution.
- Results come from your force's timeline, by email from police.assessments@notifications.service.gov.uk. Check your junk folder.
Sources: candidate guide and College candidate FAQs. More in how the OAC is marked.
Rules that catch people out
| Rule | What the College says |
|---|---|
| No prepared notes | You cannot bring notes or scripts. Evidence they were prepared beforehand may result in an automatic fail. You can make notes on the platform during the exercises. |
| Complete it alone | No additional support. No second device (phone, tablet, laptop, second monitor, smart speaker, smartwatch) within sight, within reach or active, other than the one you are using. |
| No restarts | Once you press start on an exercise it counts as your attempt. Do not close, refresh or go back, and do not open the exercise on multiple devices. |
| Code of Ethics | Acting against the Code, behaving inappropriately to others or seeking an unfair advantage can lead to an automatic fail after independent review. An automatic fail cannot be appealed. |
| Equipment | A laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile with speakers, microphone and camera. A laptop, desktop or tablet is recommended, especially for the written exercise. You take an ID photo before you start. |
| Deadline | 11.59pm on the date in your force's email. Open each exercise only when you are ready and have time to finish it. |
| Adjustments | If you may be disadvantaged (for example by a disability, injury or pregnancy), contact your force before you start about a reasonable adjustment. |
Source: College candidate guide.
If it does not go well
- Resit: from three months after the start of your assessment window, at most twice in 12 months, redoing all exercises.
- One force at a time: you can apply to several forces but may only sit the assessments with one at a time. A pass can sometimes be transferred, at the discretion of the new force.
- Appeals: concerns about a procedural issue or extenuating circumstances go in writing to your force's recruitment department within 24 hours of taking the assessment, with evidence. You cannot appeal after you receive your result, and an automatic fail cannot be appealed.
- Severe misconduct: severely inappropriate language or behaviour during the assessment means you cannot resit that stage for at least two years (College pre-employment guidance).
See what happens if you fail the OAC and common OAC mistakes. Passed? Read what happens after the OAC. Need extra time or worried about your device? See technical requirements and reasonable adjustments. Short on time? Try our 2-week and 4-week preparation plans.
Prepare in the right order
Start with the free tools, including a free scored answer, then add paid practice only if you want the full critique of your own answers. Preparation improves readiness, not the outcome.
The readiness check and STAR checker look at structure. The free scored answer gives a score, a pass or refer verdict and your main gap; the paid pass adds the full critique and a model answer. None of them predicts your result.
Common Questions
What does OAC stand for in the police?
What is the police Online Assessment Centre (OAC)?
How long does the police OAC take?
Can I use notes in the police OAC?
Who marks the OAC and how is it scored?
When do I get my OAC results?
Can I retake the police OAC if I fail?
Do I need to know the law or have police experience for the OAC?
What happens if my internet fails during the OAC?
What should I wear for the online assessment?
Interview and assessment centre updates
New interview practice questions and model answers, by email
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Sources used on this page
- Online assessment process candidate guide (College of Policing, updated July 2026): exercises, timings, competencies, rules, results, resits and appeals.
- Sift and online assessment process (College of Policing): overview and platform walkthrough.
- Police constable recruitment regulations change (College of Policing, 17 March 2026): the four stages.
- Candidate FAQs v2.2 (College of Policing): pass mark, feedback, clothing.
- Police constable pre-employment guidance (College of Policing, April 2024): previous applications.
Independent guidance, not affiliated with the College of Policing or any force. Your force decides your windows, deadlines and results timeline. Where we say "our advice" or "our tips", that is our judgement, not official guidance.
More OAC guides
Also preparing for vetting? See the Vetting Hub. Fitness test: Fitness Hub.