Online assessment 2026

Tazio Police
Assessment

Tazio is the platform for the College of Policing online assessment process. How the invitation and dashboard work, what each exercise looks like on screen, the devices and browsers the College supports, what to do when something goes wrong and a free check of your camera, microphone and browser.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated

Short answer: how does the Tazio police assessment work?

On the day your window opens, an email from Tazio links you to a candidate dashboard: no username or password. You accept the declaration, then complete the interview, written and briefing exercises in any order, each started once and finished in one go, by 11.59pm on your deadline. Use an updated Chrome, Edge or Safari and add support@tazio.co.uk to your safe senders.

For police constable candidates in England and Wales invited to the College of Policing online assessment process. PolicePay is independent and has no connection with Tazio or the College; this page is drawn from the College's candidate guide (21 July 2026), its Tazio walkthrough video and its reasonable adjustments guide (25 August 2026). For anything about your own assessment, your force and Tazio support are the people to ask.

What Tazio is and what it is not

The College of Policing's candidate guide says you complete your online assessments on the platform Tazio. It hosts the three exercises of the online assessment process: the competency-based interview, the written exercise and the briefing exercise. Forces decide your dates; the College designs the exercises and quality assures the marking.

It is not the national sift. The sift (situational judgement test and behavioural styles questionnaire) comes first, with a separate invitation. The College's sift guidance names Talogy as the sift's technical support, with different contact details.
It is not your force's application portal. Your application, references and pre-employment checks run through your force.
It does not test your technical skill. The College says the online assessments will not assess your technical skills.

Logging in: no username or password

The College's guide is clear that there is no account to create:

On the date your online assessment opens, you receive an email with a link to your candidate dashboard.
You open the link. You do not need a username or password: everything is accessed from the link.
Before you see the dashboard, you accept the privacy policy and candidate declaration by moving a toggle.
The dashboard opens with the guidance, a top tips video and the three exercises.

Keep the email safe and do not forward it: the link is your access. If you are asked for a code or password, you may be looking at the wrong email or the national sift; the sift has its own access-code issue, covered on our sift technical problems page.

Dates, times and deadlines

When	What happens	What to do
Before the window	Your force tells you when the invitation will come and your deadline.	Add support@tazio.co.uk and police.assessments@notifications.service.gov.uk to your safe senders.
Window opens	The invitation email can arrive at any time that day.	Check your inbox and junk folder through the day.
5pm on that day	If there is still no email, it may be lost.	Contact your force or recruit@college.police.uk.
During the window	Complete the three exercises in any order.	Only start an exercise when you have time to finish it.
11.59pm on the deadline	The window closes.	Leave a safety margin: the briefing exercise alone takes about an hour.

If something serious comes up before you start, such as illness or a family emergency, the College says you can ask your force to complete the assessment later or for an extension. Do not sit the assessment and hope to appeal: extenuating circumstances known beforehand are not grounds for appeal afterwards.

Devices, operating systems and browsers

Requirement	What the College says (July 2026)
Device	Laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile device with speakers, a microphone and a camera. Laptop, desktop or tablet recommended where possible.
Operating system	Apple macOS and iOS, Microsoft Windows, Google Android or common Linux distributions. Install waiting updates first.
Browser	Latest and long-term support versions of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari. Outdated browsers may not work.
Connection	Stable Wi-Fi able to stream video; use an Ethernet cable if the connection is weak or you are unsure.
Power and notifications	Devices fully charged or plugged in; do not disturb mode on.

Firefox is not on the College's July 2026 list for the online assessment process, so switch to Chrome, Edge or Safari for Tazio even if you use Firefox day to day. (The College's adjustments guide does recommend the NVDA screen reader with Firefox for the national sift, which is a different system.) The set-up check above tells you which browser you are using.

The dashboard and the rules that apply to every exercise

Any order. The College's walkthrough says you can do the exercises in any order.
No restart. Once you click "start assessment" and confirm, the exercise begins and counts as your attempt.
Finish all three. The process is complete only when all three show 100%.
Do not close, refresh or press back during an exercise: the College says you will lose your response.
One link at a time. Opening several exercise links at once, or on different devices, can cause unsuccessful submission.
Breaks between exercises are fine. The adjustments guide says you can take self-facilitated breaks between exercises, but once started an exercise must be finished within its time.
Confirmation. After each exercise a notification appears, the dashboard shows 100% and a confirmation email arrives.

The competency-based interview on Tazio

Select the exercise, click "start assessment" and confirm in the pop-up.
Read the pre-exercise instructions and click "continue".
Allow camera and microphone access, press "start recording" to test, play it back and continue.
Take an identification picture and click "save picture".
Watch a short preparation video.
Record a practice answer: one minute of thinking time, then one minute to answer. It is not assessed.
Answer five questions. Each appears on the left with on-screen prompts (scroll to see them all) and a video of an assessor reading it on the right.
For each, a timer in the top right counts down 60 seconds of thinking time. "Skip thinking time" starts the recording early.
You have five minutes to answer. "Submit answer" ends it early; at five minutes the recording stops and you click "continue".
After the fifth question, "save and close" returns you to the dashboard.

Your camera view shows on screen; select "blur" if seeing yourself is distracting. You can make notes once you have seen a question, but not notes prepared before the assessment. Practise the timings with the free full mock interview.

The briefing exercise on Tazio

Start the exercise, read the instructions, then set up and test your camera and microphone.
Take an identification photo and watch the preparation video.
Record a practice answer (one minute to think, one minute to answer).
Read the preparation material on screen. You have as much time as you need; the College suggests about 10 minutes.
Answer 12 questions in three parts of four. Each is read by a recorded assessor, then you get one minute of thinking time and three minutes to answer.
Before parts two and three, new information is shown.
After the twelfth answer, "save and close" returns you to the dashboard.

The exercise takes about an hour once started. Try the free briefing exercise simulator to get used to twelve answers in a row.

The written exercise on Tazio

Open the exercise from the dashboard and read the instructions. Use a laptop, desktop or tablet if you can.
Click "continue": the timer starts immediately and shows in the top right.
The screen splits: the task on the left and the four items of information on the right.
Scroll to the answer box at the bottom and type your full response, answering every question in the one box.
Click "continue", confirm "yes" to submit, then "save and close".

You have two hours; about 40 minutes is expected. If time runs out, the text in the box is submitted. Copying and pasting your response from another application will not be accepted and may mean automatic failure, so type directly into the box. If you dictate with Dragon, the adjustments guide says to dictate directly into the platform's response box, not into the Dragon software.

Interview and assessment centre updates

New interview practice questions and model answers, by email

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Recite Me and assistive software

Every candidate can use the Recite Me accessibility toolbar on Tazio, with or without a reasonable adjustment: select "accessibility" at the bottom of the page. The adjustments guide lists its features, including:

text-to-speech with play, rewind and skip;
font changes, larger or smaller text and focused text;
colour themes for background and text;
a reading ruler, screen mask and magnifier;
a page structure view of the headings.

Test the features from the dashboard before you start an exercise. The College also lists software it has tested with the platform: NVDA, Narrator, JAWS, Windows Magnifier, Apple Zoom, Android TalkBack, iOS VoiceOver and Dragon. Text-to-speech and speech-to-text are not needed for the spoken exercises, because questions are read aloud and you answer verbally.

Extra time is a reasonable adjustment agreed through your force before the assessment. See the technical requirements and reasonable adjustments guide for the timings.

The second device rule

The College says you must not use a second device to assist you. A second device is any electronic item capable of displaying, generating or transmitting information, including:

mobile phones and tablets;
laptops and secondary monitors;
smart speakers and smartwatches;
similar digital tools.

Other than the device you are using, no electronic devices should be in sight, in reach or active. Put your phone in another room, take off a smartwatch and switch off smart speakers. You must also complete each exercise on your own; outside help may mean automatic failure.

Common problems and what to do

Problem	What to do
No invitation email	Allow the full day. Check junk. After 5pm, contact your force or recruit@college.police.uk.
Camera or microphone blocked	Allow access in your browser's site settings and your device's privacy settings, then reload the dashboard before starting an exercise.
Problem during an exercise	Do not finish the exercise. Click "technical support" at the bottom of the screen straight away.
Weak connection	Move closer to the router or use an Ethernet cable before you start. Ask others in the house not to stream video.
Interrupted by someone	Take a moment and carry on. If it badly affected you, email recruit@college.police.uk.
Not sure an exercise submitted	Check the dashboard shows 100% and look for the confirmation email.
Issue not fixed by the deadline	The College says it will still be dealt with. Keep a note of what happened and when.

Technical support and retakes

The "technical support" button at the bottom of the platform opens the College of Policing assessment support page, where you can chat with the technical team or submit a request. Support runs from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and the College says to expect a response within 15 minutes; a chatbot is available at other times. You can also email recruit@college.police.uk with your force and full name if technical issues affected your assessment.

Sometimes a problem happens without you noticing. The College says you may then be granted a retake, sometimes of the affected questions and it will email you. That is another reason to add police.assessments@notifications.service.gov.uk to your safe senders.

Practise first, then open Tazio

Tazio's practice question is only one minute long. If you want to get used to the full exercises before your window, the free interview in our timed mock and the free briefing simulator run the real timings.

Planning your window: a worked example

An invented example of spreading the three exercises across a window, using only the College's rules:

When	Plan	Why
The week before	Run the set-up check on the device to be used; add both safe senders; book quiet slots.	Problems found early can be fixed before the invitation arrives.
Window opens	Check the inbox and junk through the day; chase after 5pm if nothing arrives.	The College says to allow the full day for the invitation.
Day 2, morning	Written exercise (about 50 minutes including instructions; 2-hour limit).	Longest reading load; done while fresh.
Day 2, afternoon	Interview (about 40 minutes).	A break between exercises is allowed.
Day 3, a weekday	Briefing exercise (about 60 minutes).	Support is available 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday if something goes wrong.
After each	Check the dashboard shows 100% and the confirmation email arrived.	Confirms submission.

The order is our illustration; the College lets you choose any order. Finish well before 11.59pm on your deadline.

Setting up your room

A quiet room where you will not be interrupted; tell others in the house when you will be recording.
Light in front of you, not behind, so the camera can see your face for the identification photo and recordings.
Camera at roughly eye level; sit so your face fills a good part of the frame.
No phone, smartwatch, tablet, second monitor or smart speaker in sight, in reach or switched on.
Pen and paper for notes made after you see a question; nothing written beforehand.
Water within reach; the briefing exercise is about an hour.

If you are interrupted, the College says to take a moment and carry on and to contact recruit@college.police.uk if it heavily affected your performance.

Mistakes people make on the platform

Clicking "start assessment" to have a look. It starts the exercise and counts as your attempt.
Refreshing when a video is slow. The College says you will lose your response; contact support instead.
Finishing an exercise despite a fault. The College says not to; report it first.
Typing the written response elsewhere and pasting it in. It may mean automatic failure.
Opening two exercises at once, or the same one on two devices.
Leaving the briefing to 10pm on the deadline day. It takes about an hour once started.

Myths about Tazio

"You need a Tazio account and password." Access is from the link in your invitation email.

"You can pause an exercise and come back." Breaks are between exercises; once started, finish the exercise in its time.

"Firefox is fine." The College's July 2026 list is Chrome, Edge and Safari.

"Blurring your camera blurs the video assessors see." The adjustments guide says your submitted video is not blurred.

"The practice question is scored." It is for checking your set-up and timing only.

What we could not verify

Who owns or runs Tazio commercially. The College's guidance names the platform but we did not find more in its pages, so we say nothing further.
Whether the invitation link expires before your deadline or can be reused after a drop-out. Ask Tazio support if your link stops working.
Exact minimum browser versions. The College says latest or long-term support versions.
How the ID photo is stored or for how long. Ask your force or the College.

Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tazio in police recruitment?

Tazio is the online platform the College of Policing uses for the online assessment process: the competency-based interview, the written exercise and the briefing exercise. You complete all three on Tazio from a link in your invitation email.

How do I log in to Tazio for the police assessment?

There is no username or password. On the day your assessment window opens you receive an email with a link to your candidate dashboard and you access everything from that link. Add support@tazio.co.uk to your safe senders so the email is not filtered.

I have not received my Tazio invitation email. What should I do?

The College says to allow the full day for the invitation to arrive. If you have not received it by 5pm on the day specified, check your junk folder, then contact your recruiting force or recruit@college.police.uk.

Which browsers work with Tazio?

The College's July 2026 guide lists the latest and long-term support versions of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Apple Safari, on macOS, iOS, Windows, Android or common Linux distributions. Update your browser and device before you start.

Can I do the police online assessment on my phone?

Yes. The College says you can use a laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile device with a camera, microphone and speakers, but it recommends a laptop, desktop or tablet where possible, especially for the written exercise.

Can I restart an exercise on Tazio?

No. Once you select 'start assessment' for an exercise it begins and you cannot restart it; that counts as your attempt. Only open an exercise when you have enough uninterrupted time to finish it.

What happens if my internet drops during the Tazio assessment?

Contact technical support straight away using the button at the bottom of the platform and do not finish the exercise while the problem continues. The College says you may be granted a retake if a technical issue affected your assessment.

How do I contact Tazio technical support?

Click 'technical support' at the bottom of the platform. It opens the College of Policing assessment support page, where you can chat or submit a request, from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, with a response expected within 15 minutes. A chatbot covers other hours.

What is the deadline for the Tazio assessment?

11.59pm on the date given in the email from your recruiting force. You must complete all three exercises by then. Check the date as soon as your force sends it.

Does Tazio take a photo of me?

Yes. Before the spoken exercises you set up your camera and take an identification picture, which the College's walkthrough says forces use to confirm your identity. You can blur your own view of the camera while answering; the submitted video is not blurred.

Is the national sift on Tazio too?

The College's sift guidance does not say the sift uses Tazio. It names Talogy as the sift's technical support, with a separate email address and support hours. The two stages also arrive as separate invitations.

Evidence

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) : Tazio, invitation email and 5pm rule, safe senders, no restart, second devices, equipment, operating systems, browsers, technical support hours and response time, retakes, 11.59pm deadline, Recite Me (accessed 21 October 2026)
College of Policing: Sift and online assessment process (Tazio walkthrough video transcript) : declaration toggle, dashboard, exercises in any order, camera and microphone test, ID picture, practice question, skip thinking time, blur, split-screen written exercise, 100% progress, confirmation emails (accessed 21 October 2026)
College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations guide for online assessments candidates (updated 25 August 2026) : Recite Me features, tested software (NVDA, Narrator, JAWS, Windows Magnifier, Apple Zoom, TalkBack, VoiceOver, Dragon), dictating into the response box, blurred view, breaks between exercises (accessed 21 October 2026)
College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (May 2026 PDF; page updated 1 June 2026) : the sift's own technical support by Talogy (accessed 21 October 2026)

Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

Technical requirements and adjustments → The full requirements and extra time tables. Full timed OAC mock → Practise the exercises before you open Tazio. Sift technical problems → Access codes, time-outs and Talogy support. How long should answers be? → Timings and the free pacing timer. The OAC explained → What the online assessment process involves. OAC hub → Every guide to the online assessment process.

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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.