BTP
Video Assessment
The British Transport Police video assessment is an observation-based written exercise: you watch a short video clip, then write factual information about what you saw. It is a stage most police applicants never meet and few guides cover. This page explains exactly what BTP publishes, gives a method for observing and recalling a scene, shows the difference between fact and assumption and includes an original practice exercise with a model account and a marking checklist.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · Great Britain unless stated
An observation-based written assessment that all BTP applicants complete. In BTP's words, it involves watching a short video clip and providing factual information based on what you observe. BTP says it tests your ability to observe and interpret information plus written communication skills and judgement. It comes after the online tests and before the assessment centre on BTP's role page. BTP does not publish its length, timing, number of questions or scoring.
BTP's description of the video assessment comes from its role page and application guidance, read on 23 October 2026. BTP does not publish its clips, questions, timing or marking. The method, the written practice scene, the recall questions, the model account and the checklist below are original PolicePay practice material. None of it is BTP's.
The BTP Video Assessment at a Glance
| Point | What BTP says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| BTP's names | "Video Assessment" or "video-based assessment"; an "observation-based written assessment" | Role page, application guidance |
| Who takes it | "All applicants will be required to complete an observation-based written assessment." | Role page |
| What you do | "This involves watching a short video clip and providing factual information based on what you observe." | Role page |
| What it tests | Your ability "to observe and interpret information" plus "written communication skills and judgement" | Application guidance |
| Where it sits | Stage 3 on the role page: after the online maths and English tests and before the assessment centre | Role page |
| Length, timing, questions, scoring | Not published | None |
What BTP Says About the Video Assessment
BTP's role page describes the stage in two sentences:
"All applicants will be required to complete an observation-based written assessment. This involves watching a short video clip and providing factual information based on what you observe."
BTP's application guidance adds that it tests "your ability to observe and interpret information" plus "written communication skills and judgement". That is the whole of what BTP publishes. Three words carry most of the weight:
- Observation-based: what you notice while watching is the raw material.
- Written: your answer is written, so spelling, grammar and clarity matter.
- Factual: BTP asks for what you observe, not what you think it means.
Where It Sits in the BTP Process
On BTP's role page, the video assessment is stage 3:
BTP's Inner London advert (posted 14 September 2026) lists a different order: "Online application; Situational Judgement Test; Online Assessment Centre; Final interview" and then fitness, medical and vetting. It does not name the video assessment and BTP does not say what its online assessment centre contains. BTP does not say which list applies to every 2026/27 campaign, so follow your invitation.
What Is and Is Not Published
| Point | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| That all applicants complete it | Published | Role page |
| That it involves a short video clip and factual information about what you observe | Published | Role page |
| That it is written | Published ("observation-based written assessment") | Role page |
| The skills it tests | Published | Application guidance |
| How long the clip is or whether you can watch it twice | Not published | None |
| Whether you answer set questions or write a free account | Not published | None |
| Time limit and word limit | Not published | None |
| Whether you take it at home or at a venue | Not published | None |
| How it is scored and the pass mark | Not published | None |
If a website tells you the BTP clip lasts a set number of minutes or that there are a fixed number of questions, ask where it came from. BTP's own pages and recruitment pack do not say.
How It Works Step by Step
This follows BTP's published description only. Where BTP gives no detail, the step says so.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Invitation | If you pass the earlier stages, BTP invites you to the video assessment. Read every instruction it gives you: it is the only official guide to the format. |
| 2. Watch the clip | BTP says you watch "a short video clip". It does not say how long it is or whether you can replay it, so watch as if you will see it once. |
| 3. Provide factual information | BTP says you provide "factual information based on what you observe" in writing. It does not say whether this is a set of questions or a free account. |
| 4. Next stage | If you pass, BTP's role page lists the in-person assessment centre next. |
BTP vs the National Written Exercise
Home Office forces use the College of Policing's online assessment centre, which includes a written exercise. BTP's recruitment pack says BTP "moved away from the national recruitment process (NPIA) and the SEARCH Assessment centre, favouring a robust selection process that is bespoke to BTP". The two written tasks are built differently:
| BTP video assessment | College of Policing written exercise | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | BTP, as part of what it calls "a bespoke assessment process" | The College of Policing, used by Home Office forces |
| Source material | A short video clip you watch | Written information you read |
| What you produce | Factual information about what you observed, in writing | A written response to the information |
| Main skill | Observing and recalling accurately, then writing clearly | Analysing information and writing clearly |
| Scores transfer? | No: BTP says scores from other forces "are not transferable" | Not applicable to BTP |
Writing practice for the national exercise still helps with clarity, but it will not train observation and recall. See our OAC written exercise guide if you are applying to a Home Office force as well.
The Skills BTP Names
BTP names four things the stage tests. The middle and right columns are our reading of what each looks like in practice, not BTP's marking.
| BTP's words | Tends to show as | Tends to go wrong as |
|---|---|---|
| "to observe" | Noticing people, places, objects and actions as they happen, including small details | Missing who did what, or the order things happened in |
| "interpret information" | Making sense of what you saw: what matters, what the sequence was, what is uncertain | Treating every detail as equally important; drawing conclusions the clip does not support |
| "written communication skills" | Clear, accurate, well-ordered writing with correct spelling and grammar | Long, muddled sentences; slang; spelling errors |
| "judgement" | Choosing what is relevant, saying what you could not see, keeping fact and opinion apart | Guessing, padding, or presenting assumptions as fact |
Fact vs Assumption
BTP asks for "factual information based on what you observe". The commonest way to lose that is to write a conclusion as if you had seen it. Original examples, based on the practice scene below:
| Assumption | Factual version | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "A thief stole her bag." | "I saw a man pick up a small brown bag from the top of a suitcase and put it in his backpack." | "Thief" and "stole" are conclusions. You saw an action; you did not see who owned the bag. |
| "He looked guilty and ran off." | "He walked quickly towards the exit marked Taxis. When the staff member shouted, he started running." | "Looked guilty" is opinion. Describe what he did. |
| "The woman was his victim." | "The woman in the red coat turned round and said, 'My bag!'" | Record what she said, in her words. |
| "He was a young man." | "He looked to be in his twenties." | Age is an estimate. Say so. |
| "It happened at about quarter to six." | "The departures board showed 17:42." | If you saw a clock, use it and say where you saw it. |
| "He was probably heading for a car." | "I did not see where he went after he passed the exit." | Say what you did not see rather than guessing. |
A simple test: could someone who watched the same clip disagree with your sentence? If they could, it is probably an interpretation. Interpreting is part of the task (deciding what matters and in what order), but present it as what you saw and heard, not as a verdict.
An Observation and Recall Method: the 5 Ps
BTP does not prescribe a method. This memory aid is ours. Run through it while you watch and use it again as the outline for your written answer.
| P | What to notice |
|---|---|
| People | Who was there? Head to toe: sex, estimated age, height and build, hair, clothing (top to bottom, with colours), footwear, anything carried, distinguishing features. |
| Place | Where was it? Signs, platform numbers, clocks, exits, shops, lighting, weather if outside. |
| Props | Objects and vehicles: bags, bottles, phones, bicycles, anything picked up, dropped or handed over. |
| Play-by-play | What happened, in order. Who did what first, then next. Direction of travel. |
| Phrases | Exact words you heard, in quotation marks, with who said them. |
While You Watch
- First seconds: fix the place and the time (look for clocks, boards and signs).
- As people appear: describe each one to yourself head to toe in a few words.
- When something happens: note who did it, to what and which way they went.
- When someone speaks: try to hold the exact words.
- If notes are allowed: BTP does not say. If they are, jot single words, not sentences, so you keep watching.
Writing a Factual Account
Whether BTP asks set questions or for a full account, the same writing habits help:
| Habit | Example |
|---|---|
| Write in the first person and past tense | "I saw...", "The man walked..." |
| Keep to the order things happened | Use time words: first, then, after that, when. |
| One action per sentence | Short sentences are clearer and easier to check. |
| Describe, do not label | "A man in a grey hooded top", not "the suspect". |
| Quote exact words | Put what people said inside quotation marks. |
| Say what you are unsure of | "I think the bag was brown" is better than a confident guess. |
| Check spelling and grammar | BTP says the stage tests written communication skills. |
| Weak | Stronger | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "There was a dodgy-looking bloke hanging about." | "A man in a grey hooded top was standing by the coffee kiosk." | Slang and opinion replaced by a plain description and a location. |
| "Then loads of stuff happened really fast and he legged it." | "The staff member shouted. The man started running towards the Taxis exit." | Each action in its own sentence, in order. |
| "The woman was obviously really upset." | "The woman turned round and shouted, 'My bag!'" | Show what she did and said; let the reader judge. |
| "I think it was around teatime." | "The departures board showed 17:42." | Use a time you saw if there is one. |
A good order for a free account: time and place first, then the people as they appear, then what happened in sequence, then what you did not see. Our online tests guide has spelling, grammar and punctuation practice.
Practice Exercise 1: The Station Concourse
Original PolicePay practice, not BTP's clip or questions. You cannot watch a video here, so this is a written description of a short scene. Ask a friend to read it aloud once at normal speed while you listen with your eyes closed and picture it, or read it once yourself in 60 seconds. Then cover it and answer the questions without looking back.
A large station concourse. The departures board above the ticket gates shows 17:42. A woman in a long red coat, with shoulder-length blonde hair, pulls a black wheeled suitcase towards platform 6. A small brown handbag sits on top of the suitcase. She stops under the board, lets go of the suitcase handle and looks up at the departures. A man walks behind her from the direction of the coffee kiosk. He looks to be in his twenties, is slim, about average height and wears a grey hooded top with the hood down, dark jeans and white trainers. He has a black backpack over one shoulder. Without stopping, he lifts the brown handbag from the suitcase, pushes it into his backpack and walks quickly towards the exit marked Taxis. A member of station staff in an orange high-visibility vest, standing by the ticket gates, shouts, "Hey, stop!" The man starts running. A blue water bottle falls from the side pocket of his backpack and rolls across the floor. The woman turns round, looks at her suitcase and shouts, "My bag!" The staff member speaks into a radio and walks quickly towards the Taxis exit. The man runs through the exit and out of sight.
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What time did the departures board show? | 17:42 |
| 2 | Which platform was the woman heading towards? | Platform 6 |
| 3 | Describe the woman. | Long red coat, shoulder-length blonde hair, pulling a black wheeled suitcase |
| 4 | Describe the man, head to toe. | In his twenties (estimate), slim, about average height, grey hooded top with the hood down, dark jeans, white trainers, black backpack over one shoulder |
| 5 | Where did the man come from? | The direction of the coffee kiosk |
| 6 | What did he take and where did he put it? | A small brown handbag from the top of the suitcase, into his backpack |
| 7 | What exactly did the staff member shout? | "Hey, stop!" |
| 8 | What fell from the backpack? | A blue water bottle, from the side pocket |
| 9 | What exactly did the woman say? | "My bag!" |
| 10 | What did the staff member do after shouting? | Spoke into a radio and walked quickly towards the Taxis exit |
| 11 | Which way did the man leave? | Through the exit marked Taxis, out of sight |
| 12 | What did you not see? | Where the man went after the exit; whether the bag was the woman's (implied by her words, not seen); the man's face in detail |
Scoring yourself: one point per correct answer for questions 1 to 11, with half a point for a partly right description. Question 12 is about judgement: you score it by naming at least two things you could not see. This is our practice scoring, not BTP's.
Model Factual Account
Now write a full account of the scene in 10 minutes. Then compare it with this model. It is one good way to write it, not the only one and not BTP's marking.
I was watching the main concourse of a station. The departures board above the ticket gates showed 17:42.
A woman was pulling a black wheeled suitcase towards platform 6. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and wore a long red coat. A small brown handbag was on top of the suitcase. She stopped under the departures board, let go of the suitcase handle and looked up at the board.
A man walked behind her from the direction of the coffee kiosk. He looked to be in his twenties. He was slim and about average height. He wore a grey hooded top with the hood down, dark jeans and white trainers. He had a black backpack over one shoulder.
Without stopping, the man lifted the brown handbag from the top of the suitcase and pushed it into his backpack. He then walked quickly towards the exit marked Taxis.
A member of station staff in an orange high-visibility vest was standing by the ticket gates. The staff member shouted, "Hey, stop!" The man started running. A blue water bottle fell from the side pocket of his backpack and rolled across the floor.
The woman turned round, looked at her suitcase and shouted, "My bag!" The staff member spoke into a radio and walked quickly towards the Taxis exit. The man ran through the Taxis exit and I lost sight of him.
I did not see where the man went after the exit. I did not see his face clearly enough to describe it further. The water bottle was still on the floor when the scene ended.
Wait: the last sentence of the model says the bottle was still on the floor when the scene ended. The scene never says that. Did you notice? It is an easy assumption to slip in. Cross it out: the scene only says the bottle fell and rolled across the floor. Checking your own account for sentences like this is exactly the judgement BTP names.
Marking Checklist
Mark your account against this checklist, or ask a friend to. It is a PolicePay self-check, not BTP's marking scheme.
| Area | Did I... |
|---|---|
| Time and place | Did I give the time (and where I saw it) and the location, including the platform and exit names? |
| People | Did I describe each person head to toe with colours? Did I label estimates as estimates? |
| Objects | Did I note every object picked up, carried or dropped: the handbag, the suitcase, the backpack, the water bottle? |
| Sequence | Are the actions in the order they happened, with nothing missing in the middle? |
| Words spoken | Did I quote exact words and say who said them? |
| Fact, not assumption | Did I avoid words like thief, stole, guilty, victim and suspect? |
| What I did not see | Did I say where my view ended or what I am unsure of? |
| Relevance | Did I leave out padding and keep to what matters? |
| Writing | Short sentences, past tense, first person, correct spelling and grammar? |
Practice Exercise 2: On the Train
A second, shorter original scene for another day. Same rules: hear it or read it once, cover it, then answer from memory. It has more people and more spoken words, which is where recall usually slips.
Inside a train carriage in daylight. The display above the doors reads "Next stop: Hillford". An older man with grey hair and glasses sits by the window holding a wooden walking stick. A teenager in a green school blazer stands by the doors wearing white headphones. A woman in a navy suit stands in the aisle talking on her phone. A man in a black leather jacket and a red cap sits opposite the older man. The train brakes sharply. The walking stick slips from the older man's hand into the aisle and hits the man in the red cap on the ankle. The man in the red cap says loudly, "Watch where you're putting that." The teenager picks up the stick and hands it back to the older man, who says, "Thank you, love." The woman ends her call and asks the older man, "Are you all right?" He nods.
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What did the display above the doors read? | "Next stop: Hillford" |
| 2 | Describe the older man and what he was holding. | Grey hair, glasses, sitting by the window, holding a wooden walking stick |
| 3 | What was the teenager wearing? | A green school blazer and white headphones |
| 4 | What happened to the walking stick? | It slipped from the older man's hand into the aisle when the train braked and hit the man in the red cap on the ankle |
| 5 | What exactly did the man in the red cap say? | "Watch where you're putting that." |
| 6 | Who gave the stick back? | The teenager |
| 7 | What did the older man say and to whom? | "Thank you, love." to the teenager |
| 8 | What did you not see or hear? | Why the train braked; who the woman was speaking to on the phone; whether the man in the red cap was hurt |
Notice question 4: the stick hit the man in the red cap, but the scene does not say he was hurt. Writing "he was hit and injured" would be an assumption.
Daily Observation Drills
Observation improves with practice. These short drills use everyday life. Be discreet when describing real people and never film or photograph anyone for practice.
| Drill | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Muted TV scene | Watch 30 seconds of a TV drama with the sound off. Write down everything you saw. Watch again and check. | 5 minutes |
| Person description | On a bus or in a café, glance at one person for five seconds, look away and describe them head to toe. Do not stare. | 2 minutes |
| Room recall | Walk into a room, look for ten seconds, walk out and list ten objects with their colours and positions. | 3 minutes |
| Overheard words | Practise writing down a short sentence you hear on the radio word for word. | 2 minutes |
| Rewrite assumptions | Take a news report and underline every conclusion. Rewrite one paragraph as pure observation. | 10 minutes |
| Timed account | Read the practice scene above for 60 seconds, cover it and write a full account in 10 minutes. Mark it with the checklist. | 15 minutes |
The BTP Selection Pack includes more video observation exercises with a marking checklist, alongside SJT scenarios, presentation practice and an interview bank. It is our original practice material, built only from what BTP publishes, not BTP's exercise.
A Two-Week Plan
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Learn the 5 Ps. Do the muted TV drill twice a day, checking against a second viewing. |
| Days 3 to 4 | Practise fact vs assumption: rewrite the table above from memory, then rewrite a news report as observation only. |
| Days 5 to 7 | Do the practice exercise on this page under time. Mark it with the checklist. Note what you missed. |
| Week 2 | Daily person-description and room-recall drills. Write one timed account a day from a short muted clip. |
| Week 2 | Check your writing: spelling, short sentences, past tense. Our online tests page has a spelling and grammar set. |
| Before the assessment | Read BTP's instructions in full. Plan to give the clip your whole attention: no phone, no distractions. |
Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why it costs you |
|---|---|
| Writing conclusions | BTP asks for "factual information based on what you observe". Labels like thief or victim are not observations. |
| Losing the sequence | Muddled order makes an account hard to follow. Keep events in order. |
| Vague descriptions | "A man in dark clothes" helps no one. Head to toe, with colours. |
| Guessing to fill gaps | Say what you did not see. A wrong detail stated confidently is worse than an honest gap. |
| Paraphrasing what people said | Quote exact words where you can. |
| Ignoring the writing | BTP names written communication skills. Spelling, grammar and clarity count. |
| Writing too much | Judgement includes choosing what matters. Padding hides the important facts. |
| Watching passively | Use the 5 Ps actively while you watch: who, where, what objects, what order, what words. |
After the Video Assessment
If you pass, the next stage on BTP's role page is the in-person assessment centre: a 10-minute presentation followed by an interview, then the 5.4 bleep test, biometric vetting and uniform fitting. BTP gives at least two weeks' notice.
If you are unsuccessful, BTP's current adverts give a three-month reapplication period after an unsuccessful application, testing or interview; older BTP pages say six months. BTP's FAQs say feedback is only given to candidates who attended an interview.
What We Could Not Verify
- Clip length and replays. BTP does not publish how long the clip is or whether you can watch it again.
- Answer format. Not published: set questions, a free account or both.
- Time and word limits. Not published.
- Where you take it. BTP does not say whether it is at home or at a venue.
- Scoring and pass mark. Not published.
- Whether it still runs in this form. The Inner London advert lists an online assessment centre and does not name the video assessment; BTP does not say what the online centre contains.
- Pass rates. BTP does not publish applicant pass rates at any stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BTP video assessment?
BTP describes it as an observation-based written assessment that all applicants complete. It involves watching a short video clip and providing factual information based on what you observe. BTP says it tests your ability to observe and interpret information plus written communication skills and judgement.
How long is the BTP video assessment?
BTP does not publish the length of the clip, the time allowed, the number of questions or how it is scored. Read the instructions BTP sends you, which are the only official guide to the format.
Is the BTP video assessment a written exercise?
Yes. BTP calls it an observation-based written assessment. You watch a short clip, then provide factual information about what you saw in writing. It is different from the College of Policing written exercise, which is based on information you read.
Can I watch the BTP video clip more than once?
BTP does not say. Prepare as if you will see it once and give it your full attention from the first second.
Do I take the BTP video assessment at home?
BTP's pages do not say whether it is taken at home or at a venue. It comes after the online maths and English tests and before the in-person assessment centre in BTP's role page order. Follow the instructions in your invitation.
What does factual information mean in the BTP video assessment?
Describing what you actually saw and heard rather than what you concluded. For example, a man picked up a brown bag and put it in his backpack is factual; a thief stole her bag is an assumption. Exact words spoken, descriptions, times and the order of events are all factual information.
How do I prepare for the BTP video assessment?
Practise watching short clips with the sound off and writing down everything you saw, then check against a second viewing. Use a structure such as people, place, objects, sequence and words spoken. Keep fact and assumption apart and practise writing clear, short sentences.
Does spelling matter in the BTP video assessment?
BTP says the stage tests written communication skills as well as observation, so clear writing with correct spelling and grammar should be treated as part of the task.
Do PCSOs and Special Constables take the BTP video assessment?
Yes. BTP's PCSO and Specials pages describe the same shape of process, including the video assessment before the assessment centre.
Is the practice exercise on this page BTP's?
No. The scene, the questions, the model account and the checklist are original PolicePay practice. BTP does not publish its clips, questions or marking.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 23 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.
- BTP careers: Police Officer (Full Time) : Video Assessment as stage 3; observation-based written assessment; watching a short video clip and providing factual information based on what you observe (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Application Guidance : the stage tests the ability to observe and interpret information plus written communication skills and judgement (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP Recruitment Information Pack (PDF, 9 Oct 2025, attached to advert 1720) : BTP's bespoke selection process (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 1736: Police Officer, Inner London : stage list (online assessment centre, final interview), which does not name the video assessment (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Police Community Support Officers : PCSO process includes the video assessment (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Specials and Volunteers : Specials process includes the video assessment (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: FAQs : feedback only for candidates who attended an interview; older six-month reapplication wording (accessed 23 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
More for BTP applicants and officers
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with British Transport Police, the British Transport Police Authority, the BTP Force Superannuation Fund, Railpen or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions and scenarios are original PolicePay material, not BTP's own. BTP runs its own selection process and changes it. Its own pages sometimes disagree, so check the live advert and BTP's careers site before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 23 October 2026.