Police Assessment
by Entry Route
PCDA, DHEP, PCEP, pre-join degree, detective pathways, transferees, rejoiners, specials and PCSOs: what the law now requires, which parts of the assessment are identical on every route, what a force can add, and the gaps the official sources leave open.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 1 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Mostly no. Since 17 March 2026, regulation 10(1)(eb) of the Police Regulations 2003 requires every candidate for appointment as a constable, whatever the route, to pass the national application form, national sift, online assessment process and a force interview to the College of Policing's standard. Only transferees from another force are excepted. Routes differ in entry requirements, length and probation, and forces can add approved assessments, such as detective DHEP's.
The legal baseline: one process for every new constable
Until March 2026 the four-stage national process was something almost every force chose to use. It is now law. The Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154), in force from 17 March 2026, inserted a new regulation 10(1)(eb) into the Police Regulations 2003. A candidate for appointment in the rank of constable must, "unless the candidate is applying to transfer to the force from another police force", do each of the following within the time limits and to the standard set by the College of Policing:
- complete and submit the national application form, defined as the College's complete set of questions for confirming eligibility;
- pass the national sift test, the online test the College approves to decide whether a candidate meets the national standard;
- pass the online assessment process, the online exercises the College sets for a force to assess suitability;
- pass an in-person interview with the force you are applying to, which "meets the national standard".
The "national standard" is defined as the minimum standard of competencies and values set by the College that candidates must show to be suitable for appointment as a constable. Nothing in the regulation mentions the PCDA, DHEP, PCEP or any other entry route. The stages attach to the person being appointed as a constable, not to the training programme they will follow.
The College's announcement on 17 March 2026 put it simply: all forces in England and Wales "must now use a standardised four-stage recruitment process", and almost all forces were already using it before it became a legal requirement. The amending regulations extend to England and Wales only. Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland run their own recruitment processes, which this page does not cover.
Route entry requirements have a different legal basis. Regulation 10(1)(ea) requires a "selected qualification or experience" before appointment, chosen by the chief officer from a list the Home Secretary determines (regulation 10(1A)). That is why the PCDA, DHEP and PCEP have different qualification rules while sharing one assessment process.
Separately, regulation 10(1)(j) requires candidates for the fast track and direct entry inspector and superintendent programmes to pass an assessment centre approved for those programmes. Those are not constable entry routes and are outside this page.
What is the same on every constable route
If you are applying to become a regular police constable through any of the entry routes, the national stages are identical. The College's candidate guide says that for initial police recruitment, the competencies review criteria is set at level 1 of the competency and values framework (CVF). We found no College document that sets a different level, a different set of exercises or a different scoring method for any route.
| Stage | What it is | Same on every constable route? | What can vary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. National application form | The College's complete set of eligibility questions, submitted to the force. | Yes, every new constable (reg 10(1)(eb)(i)). | Force adverts may add local questions or requirements. |
| 2. National sift | Situational judgement test and behavioural styles questionnaire, at CVF level 1. | Yes, the regulation names the national sift test. | The College candidate guide still mentions an in-force sift (see below). |
| 3. Online assessment process | Competency-based interview, written exercise and briefing exercise, at CVF level 1. | Yes. No route-specific version is published. | Timing windows are agreed between the College and the force. |
| 4. Force interview | In-person interview with the force that meets the national standard. | Yes, every new constable. | Format, questions and panel are set by the force. |
| Additional approved assessments | Extra assessments a force uses for some routes. | No. Only where the force adds one. | Named example: the detective constable DHEP assessment process. |
| Pre-employment checks | Fitness, medical, eyesight, vetting clearance, references. | Yes; these are separate reg 10 requirements. | Some checks (drug testing, automatic disqualification) have their own transferee exceptions. |
In practice this means your preparation for the shared stages does not depend on your route. A DHEP graduate and a PCEP applicant without a degree sit the same situational judgement test, record answers to the same style of competency-based interview, and complete the same written and briefing exercises. Spelling and grammar are not assessed in the written exercise, and no policing or legal knowledge is needed for any of the online exercises, according to the College.
For the detail of each stage, see the national sift guide, the online assessment centre explained, how the OAC is marked and the CVF competencies and values explained.
Because the OAC is the same on every route, one honest look at your preparation covers all of them. The OAC readiness check is a free two-minute self-check that points out gaps in your preparation. It is not an official assessment and cannot predict a result.
Route by route: requirements, length and assessment
The table combines the College's April 2026 joining guide (the newest source) with its older entry routes page (updated 5 November 2024, marked S11) for details the guide leaves out. The last column is the assessment that applies to each route on the sources we read.
| Route | Entry requirement | Programme and probation | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCDA (degree apprenticeship) | Level 3 qualification (such as two A levels) or equivalent experience | 3 years; BSc (Hons) in professional policing; probation 3 years | All four national stages |
| DHEP (degree holder entry) | A degree (S11: level 6 in any subject except the licensed professional policing degree) | 2 years; graduate diploma in professional policing practice; probation 2 years | All four national stages |
| PCEP (constable entry programme) | Level 3 qualification or equivalent experience | 2 years, can be delivered entirely by the force; forces may accredit a level 5 qualification; probation 2 years | All four national stages |
| PPD holder (pre-join degree) | Degree in professional policing practice | Some forces run a two-year programme for PPD holders; others use another route. Probation not stated in the sources we read | All four national stages after the degree |
| Detective DHEP | A degree | 2 years; graduate diploma; National Investigators' Examination and PIP2 inside the programme; two-year probation | Four national stages, plus any additional approved assessment the force uses |
| Detective PCEP (detective constable entry) | Usually no degree required | Two-year probation and additional post-programme learning | Four national stages; ask the force about extras |
| Transferee (serving officer from another force) | Set by the receiving force's campaign | No new probation if you completed it in your old force (reg 12) | Excepted from the four stages; force's own transferee process |
| Rejoiner (former officer) | Completed probation as a constable and resigned or retired (reg 10B) | Rank decided by the chief officer; College guidance gives 6 or 12 months' probation | Not confirmed: see the rejoiners section |
| Special constable (volunteer) | Set by the force | Volunteer role | National sift and in-force interview (no OAC listed) |
| PCSO (police staff) | Set by each force | Level 4 learning programmes in some forces | National sift and in-force interview (College policy) |
Across all constable routes, the College's April 2026 guide lists national minimum requirements: aged 18 or over to join (you can apply from 17), competent in written and spoken English and numeracy, and a level 2 English qualification "commonly required" (such as GCSE grades 9 to 4 or A* to C, or Functional Skills level 2). It adds that forces may set additional requirements. The College also says the PCDA requires level 2 English and maths before or during the programme.
Whatever the route, the College says you are a police constable earning a salary from the day you join, and you get the same core training regardless of force or programme. Route interview guides on this site cover the motivation side of each one: PCDA, DHEP, PCEP and detective routes.
Entry requirements: two College sources, two wordings
The entry requirement is where routes genuinely differ, and the College's own pages do not say quite the same thing.
The national recruitment site, joiningthepolice.co.uk, sides with the newer wording for PCEP: you need two A levels or equivalent, or relevant experience or training that can be considered equivalent to a level 3 qualification, judged case by case by the force.
If you have no A levels but have relevant work or training, the newer College guidance allows for equivalent experience on the PCDA and PCEP. Whether your experience counts is the force's decision, so ask its recruitment team before you apply. Do not overstate qualifications or experience on the application form: everything is checked, and honesty is assessed throughout recruitment and vetting.
On qualifications at the end: the 2024 page says PCEP "does not provide an individual with a qualification", while the April 2026 guide says forces have the option to accredit it with a level 5 professional policing qualification. Ask your force which applies to its programme.
What can differ between routes and forces
The national stages are fixed. These things are not, and they are where your experience of a route can feel different:
- Additional approved assessments. The College's reasonable adjustments guide (updated 25 August 2026) and its adjustments policy (5 August 2026) both refer to "additional approved assessments", naming "the detective constable DHEP assessment process" as an example. The College does not publish the content of these assessments.
- The force interview. The regulation requires an in-person interview that meets the national standard, but each force sets the format. Derbyshire's published guide (2022) describes a panel of usually two people, CVF-based questions with follow-ups, and about 45 minutes. Devon and Cornwall's guide (2024) describes ten minutes of preparation with the questions before the interview. A force may ask why you chose its particular route.
- Which routes a force offers. The College says local forces decide which routes they offer. A force may run the PCDA and PCEP but not the DHEP, or open detective routes only at certain times.
- Local requirements. The College says forces may set additional requirements beyond the national minimums. These are in the force advert.
- Timing. Assessment windows are agreed between the College and the force, and results timelines vary by force.
- What happens after you join. Detective pathways include the National Investigators' Examination and PIP2 accreditation during the programme. These are training requirements after appointment, not part of the selection process.
For the in-person stage in more detail, see the in-person police interview guide.
Detective pathways: DHEP and PCEP variants
The College's April 2026 guide says all four main routes can be tailored for specialist careers, and that for detective careers forces typically offer a detective degree holder entry programme (for degree holders) and a detective police constable entry programme ("usually no degree required"). Both involve two-year probation periods and additional post-programme learning.
Detective trainees are still appointed as constables, so the four national stages apply. On top of those:
- the College's adjustments documents name a detective constable DHEP assessment process as an additional approved assessment, so a force running detective DHEP may use an extra assessment;
- joiningthepolice.co.uk says the detective DHEP is more intense than the standard DHEP, because you must also pass the National Investigators' Examination and meet PIP2 criteria to become an accredited detective;
- it also says some forces run "fast track" detective pathways with time in uniform first, while others start you in an investigation role.
We could not find a College description of what the detective DHEP assessment process involves, and we will not guess. The force advert or recruitment team is the only reliable source. For preparing the motivation side of a detective application, see direct entry detective interview questions, and for what PIP levels mean, PIP1 vs PIP2 explained.
Transferees: the one exception in the regulation
Serving officers moving from another police force are the only group the regulation excepts from the four stages. In the regulation's words, the stages apply "unless the candidate is applying to transfer to the force from another police force". So a serving constable moving force does not sit the national sift or OAC under this rule.
That does not mean transferees face no assessment. On the sources we read:
- the receiving force sets its own transferee process and campaign rules;
- the medical certification requirement (regulation 10(1)(d)) and the requirement to hold vetting clearance under the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (regulation 10(1)(hb)) have no transferee exception;
- a constable who transfers having completed probation in their old force is not put on probation again (regulation 12(1)(a)(i)).
A transferee is a serving officer moving force. Separately, the College lets a candidate who passed the OAC with one force ask another force to accept that pass. That is a candidate transferring an OAC result, at the receiving force's discretion, arranged force to force. It does not make the candidate a transferee or exempt them from the force interview.
The transferee process itself is covered in how to transfer between police forces and the police transfer process explained.
Rejoiners: what the College says, and what it does not
A rejoiner is a former officer who completed probation as a constable, resigned or retired, and was not a serving officer, seconded or on a career break immediately before being appointed again (regulation 10B). The College's rejoiner guidance (first published June 2023, updated 18 October 2023) says:
- the old rule that you had to rejoin within five years to keep your rank was removed; the chief officer decides whether you return at a higher, lower or the same rank;
- recruiters should evidence suitability against the CVF "at the appropriate level for the rank or role", and selection should include "a rigorous interview process" and an evaluation of your development needs;
- rejoiners who left less than a year before reappointment serve a six-month probation; those out longer, or rejoining at a different rank, serve 12 months, which the chief officer can extend;
- rejoiners are not currently required to attain the entry route qualifications that new starters must achieve during probation.
The rejoiner guidance predates regulation 10(1)(eb). The regulation's only exception is for transferees, and rejoiners are not named. We could not find any College or Home Office statement, made after 17 March 2026, on whether a rejoiner appointed as a constable must sit the national sift and online assessment process. Ask the force you want to rejoin, and get its answer in writing.
Special constables and PCSOs
The College's sift and OAC page carries a short note: if you are applying as a special constable or PCSO, "your recruitment journey may differ". Its other documents show how:
- Joining as a special. The College's special constable page says that if your application is progressed you complete a national sift and an in-force interview, assessed at CVF level 1. It does not mention the OAC. (That page still links the 2016 version of the CVF, which has since been replaced by the 2024 framework.)
- Joining as a PCSO. The College's August 2026 adjustments policy lists PCSO and special constabulary recruitment as including the national sift and an in-force interview. The College's PCSO page says eligibility is set by each force.
- Moving from special or PCSO to regular constable. The regulation's only exception is for transferees from another police force, and it does not mention specials or PCSOs. joiningthepolice.co.uk says you apply "in the usual way", that the process may vary by force, and that some forces run a dedicated route for existing specials.
If your force has a specials-to-regulars route, ask whether any stage you have already passed counts, and get the answer in writing. More on the role in special constable explained.
The sift wording: regulation versus College guide
There is a mismatch in the official wording that can confuse applicants on any route:
- the regulation (since 17 March 2026) requires candidates to "pass the national sift test";
- the College's online assessment candidate guide, updated 21 July 2026, still says "You will complete either an in-force sift or the national sift";
- joiningthepolice.co.uk still says "There are two different sifting processes", depending on the force.
On the regulation's wording, every new constable candidate (except transferees) must pass the national sift test. If a force tells you it uses its own sift, ask whether you will also sit the national sift test and how its process meets the regulation. We have not found any explanation from the College for the difference.
Step by step: find out exactly what your route involves
- Check the route's entry requirement. Use the table above, then the force advert. If you are relying on equivalent experience for the PCDA or PCEP, ask before you apply.
- Check which routes the force is running now. The College says force websites and the joiningthepolice.co.uk postcode checker have the most up-to-date information.
- Read the advert for anything extra. Look for additional approved assessments (especially on detective routes), local requirements and the assessment window.
- Confirm the sift. Ask whether you will sit the national sift test, given the wording difference above.
- Prepare once for the shared stages. The sift and OAC are the same on every route, so one preparation plan covers them. See the OAC preparation plan.
- Prepare the force interview for your route. This is where questions about why you chose the route and the force are most likely. Use the route interview guide that matches your application.
- Ask for reasonable adjustments early. Tell the force in your application; the College process covers the sift, OAC, force interview and additional approved assessments.
- Plan for pre-employment checks. Fitness, medical and vetting apply on every route. See police vetting and police fitness.
- If you change force, ask about your OAC pass. Ask the new force to request your pass from the original force. Acceptance is at its discretion.
Our route pages list forces where our last automated check found an advert for PCDA, DHEP, PCEP or detective roles. Forces whose systems we cannot read will not appear, so always confirm on the force's own site. To compare forces on pay, allowances and region once you know which ones run your route, use the free police force finder. It compares forces; it does not list which routes each one runs.
For how long the whole process takes, see how long police recruitment takes and the recruitment timeline planner.
What people get wrong about routes and assessment
Myth
"Graduates on the DHEP get a harder assessment centre."
What the sources say
The sift and OAC are the same exercises, assessed at CVF level 1, on every constable route. The only route-linked extra the College names is for detective DHEP.
Myth
"PCEP has a lighter assessment because there is no degree."
What the sources say
PCEP candidates must pass all four stages to the same national standard. The difference is in training, not selection.
Myth
"A professional policing degree lets you skip the assessment centre."
What the sources say
The College says degree holders must still apply and pass the force's assessments, fitness and vetting. The regulation has no exception for them.
Myth
"If I passed the OAC with one force, I am a transferee."
What the sources say
Transferees are serving officers. A candidate can ask a new force to accept an OAC pass, at that force's discretion, but still needs that force's interview and checks.
Myth
"Former officers can only rejoin within five years."
What the sources say
The College says the five-year rule was removed by the 2019 changes to regulation 10B. The chief officer decides the rank.
Myth
"Each route has its own pass mark."
What the sources say
No pass mark is published for any route. The regulation refers to the standard set by the College.
Myth
"Specials are fast-tracked straight in as regulars."
What the sources say
Some forces run dedicated routes for serving specials, but the regulation does not exempt specials from the four stages. Check your force's rules.
What to ask, and who to contact
- Which entry routes are you running, and when do they open?
- Does my experience count as equivalent to a level 3 qualification for the PCDA or PCEP?
- Will I sit the national sift test, or an in-force sift as well?
- Does this route have any additional approved assessment, and what does it involve?
- What format is your in-person interview, and is there preparation time?
- Can I move to a different route after passing the OAC?
- Will you accept an OAC pass from another force?
- Rejoiners: do I need to sit the national sift and OAC, and at what rank and pay point would I return?
- Specials and PCSOs: is there a dedicated route to regular constable, and does any stage I have passed count?
- Rejoiners: ask your pension administrator how rejoining affects your pension before you accept.
- The force recruitment team first, for anything about routes, eligibility or adjustments.
- If your OAC invitation has not arrived by 5pm on the first day of the window, the College says to contact your force or recruit@college.police.uk. Tell the College at the same address if you have already completed the assessments with another force.
Whatever you are told, keep it in writing. Formats and rules change, and a force's answer for its current campaign is more reliable than any general guide, including this one.
What we could not verify
- Route-specific OAC content. No College document we read describes a different version of the sift or OAC for any route. We cannot rule out force-level differences we have not seen.
- The detective DHEP assessment process. The College names it but does not publish its content, length or scoring. We do not know how many forces use it.
- Rejoiners. Whether rejoiners must sit the national sift and OAC after 17 March 2026. The College guidance dates from October 2023 and does not address it.
- Specials and PCSOs. We have not seen an official statement on how regulation 10(1)(eb) applies to special constable appointments; the College's published process for specials and PCSOs is the national sift and an in-force interview. Whether a serving special or PCSO applying to be a regular gets any credit for stages already passed is a force decision we could not confirm nationally.
- Candidates part-way through on 17 March 2026. SI 2026/154 contains no transitional provision that we could see. We do not know how forces handled applicants already in progress.
- Officers from outside England and Wales. We did not verify how the transferee exception applies to officers from Police Scotland, the PSNI or non-territorial forces. Ask the receiving force.
- PPD-holder probation and programme. The sources we read do not state the probation period for professional policing degree holders, and say forces handle them differently.
- Police Now. joiningthepolice.co.uk mentions Police Now graduate programmes, including a national detective programme. We did not verify Police Now's own selection process.
- The in-force sift. Why the College's July 2026 candidate guide still mentions an in-force sift when the regulation names the national sift test.
This page summarises the regulations and College of Policing guidance as read on 1 October 2026. It does not guarantee any result and is not official recruitment guidance. Formats and requirements vary by force: always follow the instructions from the force you are applying to.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DHEP assessment centre different from the PCDA one?
No published difference. Since 17 March 2026, regulation 10(1)(eb) of the Police Regulations 2003 requires every candidate for appointment as a constable, whatever the route, to pass the national sift, the online assessment process and a force interview to the College of Policing's standard. The College assesses initial recruitment at CVF level 1 and publishes one set of OAC exercises. A force can add approved assessments for some routes, such as detective DHEP.
What is the PCDA assessment process?
The same four stages as every other new constable: the national application form, the national sift (a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire), the online assessment process (a competency-based interview, a written exercise and a briefing exercise) and an in-person interview with the force. Pre-employment checks (fitness, medical and vetting) follow. The PCDA differs in its entry requirement, three-year length and degree, not in the national assessments.
What is the detective DHEP assessment process?
The College of Policing's reasonable adjustments guide (updated 25 August 2026) lists 'the detective constable DHEP assessment process' as an additional approved assessment that sits alongside the national sift, online assessment process and force interview. The College does not publish what it involves, and forces describe their own. Ask the force running the detective DHEP what extra assessment, if any, it uses.
Do transferees do the OAC?
No, not under the national requirement. Regulation 10(1)(eb) applies 'unless the candidate is applying to transfer to the force from another police force'. Transferees go through the receiving force's own transferee process instead. The force sets that process, so read its transferee campaign rules. The medical and vetting clearance requirements in regulation 10 still apply, with no transferee exception.
Is the PCEP assessment easier than the PCDA or DHEP?
No. PCEP candidates sit the same national sift, the same online assessment process and a force interview to the same national standard. The College's April 2026 guide lists the same entry requirement for PCEP and PCDA (a level 3 qualification or equivalent experience). What is lighter on PCEP is the study during training, because it does not lead to a degree.
Do special constables do the OAC?
Not to join as a special. The College says special constable applicants complete the national sift and an in-force interview, and its August 2026 adjustments policy lists special constabulary recruitment as the national sift and in-force interview only. A special who applies to become a regular constable is not named in the regulation's only exception (transferees), so expect the full four stages unless your force tells you otherwise.
Do PCSOs do the national sift?
The College's adjustments policy (first published 5 August 2026) lists PCSO recruitment as including the national sift and an in-force interview, not the online assessment process. The College's PCSO page says eligibility is set by each force, so check your force's PCSO advert. A PCSO applying to become a constable is a new constable candidate and the four-stage rule has no exception for them.
Do rejoiners have to do the national sift and OAC again?
We could not confirm this. The regulation's only exception is for transferees, and rejoiners are not named. The College's rejoiner guidance (last updated October 2023, before the 2026 change) says forces should run a rigorous interview and assess suitability against the CVF at the level for the rank, but it does not mention the sift or OAC. Ask the force you want to rejoin.
Can I use my OAC pass for a different force or route?
For a different force, possibly: the College says forces may accept a transferred OAC pass at their discretion, arranged force to force at your request. The College guidance does not tie a pass to an entry route, but whether a force lets you move between its routes after passing is a force decision. You may sit the OAC with only one force at a time.
Do I need A levels for PCEP or PCDA?
Not necessarily. The College's April 2026 guide lists a level 3 qualification (such as two A levels or equivalent) or equivalent experience for both routes. Its older entry routes page (updated November 2024) says entrants are 'likely to need' two A levels or an equivalent level 3 qualification. Forces judge equivalent experience case by case, so ask the force before you apply.
Do professional policing degree holders skip the assessment centre?
No. The College says pre-join degree students must apply to a force after the degree, which involves passing the recruitment assessments, fitness testing and vetting, and the regulation has no exception for degree holders. Some forces run a two-year programme for degree holders; others take them through another route.
Is there a different pass mark for each entry route?
No pass mark is published for any route. The regulation requires candidates to pass each stage to the standard set by the College of Policing, and the College's current candidate guides do not publish cut-off scores. We found nothing suggesting route-specific pass marks. Whether a force can set a higher bar than the national standard is not stated in the current guidance; ask your force.
Does the force interview differ by entry route?
The format is set by each force, as long as it meets the national standard. Published force guides describe CVF-based questions asked by a panel, plus questions about motivation and the force. A force may ask why you chose its PCDA, DHEP, PCEP or detective route. That is the main place where route-specific questions are likely to appear.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 1 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.
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 10, latest revised text (legislation.gov.uk) — reg 10(1)(eb) four stages and transferee exception; reg 10(3) definitions; reg 10(1)(ea) and (1A) selected qualification or experience; reg 10(1)(j) separate assessment centre for fast track and direct entry inspector and superintendent programmes (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) — inserted reg 10(1)(eb); made 23 February 2026, in force 17 March 2026, extends to England and Wales (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10B (member rejoining a police force) — who counts as a rejoiner; rank decided by the chief officer; probation set by Home Office determination (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 12 (probationary service) — probation for new constables; transferees who completed probation elsewhere excluded (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing news: police constable recruitment regulations change (17 March 2026) — standardised four-stage process for all forces; almost all forces already used it (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Becoming a police constable, a guide to joining the police service (ebook, April 2026) — four routes, detective pathways, route entry requirements including equivalent experience, typical application stages (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police constable entry routes (updated 5 November 2024) — programme lengths, qualifications, probation periods, PPD recruitment, older entry requirement wording (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) — CVF level 1; in-force or national sift wording; one force at a time; transferring an OAC pass between forces (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Sift and online assessment process (updated 21 July 2026) — note that special constable and PCSO applicants' recruitment journey may differ (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations guide for online assessments candidates (updated 25 August 2026) — roles covered; 'additional approved assessments (such as the detective constable DHEP assessment process)' (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy (first published 5 August 2026) — initial recruitment stages; PCSO and special constabulary recruitment listed as national sift and in-force interview; contact routes (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Joining as a special constable (first published 22 September 2022) — national sift and in-force interview for specials, CVF level 1 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Joining as a PCSO (first published 4 February 2021) — eligibility set by each force; level 4 learning programmes (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police rejoiners, guidance on changes to Police Regulations (updated 18 October 2023) — rejoiner minimum standards, CVF at the level for the rank, rigorous interview, probation, no PEQF qualification requirement, five-year limit removed (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework — the 2024 CVF used for assessment across routes (accessed 1 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: What does the sift involve? — still describes 'two different sifting processes' (in-force and national) (accessed 1 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: Detective Degree Holder Entry — National Investigators' Examination and PIP2 inside the programme; uniform-first and direct investigation pathways (accessed 1 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP) — level 3 or equivalent experience judged case by case (accessed 1 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: Special constable / volunteer entry option, and former officer entry route — some forces run dedicated routes for serving specials; former officers may return at the same or a higher rank (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Derbyshire Constabulary: In-force interview preparation guide (2022) — one force's interview format: panel, CVF questions with follow-ups, about 45 minutes (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Devon and Cornwall Police: force interview preparation guide (2024) — another force's format: ten minutes' preparation with the questions; shows formats differ (accessed 1 October 2026)
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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 1 October 2026.