MOD Police
Training
Every new Ministry of Defence Police constable is trained as an armed counter terrorism officer. This guide walks through the residential course at Southwick Park, the firearms course, the apprenticeship, probation and the shorter routes for officers joining from other forces. Written from the MDP's own training pages, read on 23 October 2026.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · MOD Police (UK-wide)
New Recruits start on full pay at the Defence School of Policing and Security, Southwick Park, Hampshire, for a 12-week residential course (law, police duties, MOD policies, safety training, scenarios, fitness, drill and driving). Then comes a 9-week Initial Firearms Course at a regional hub: 21 weeks in all, plus 2 weeks of Scots law for officers in Scotland. In England and Wales you are on the Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship for 2 years, ending in an External End Point Assessment. Probation lasts the whole 2 years. Officers joining from other forces usually train for 10 weeks.
MOD Police training at a glance
| What the MDP says | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Defence School of Policing and Security (DSPS), Southwick Park, Hampshire | MDP New Recruit training page |
| Residential? | Yes. Travel, food and accommodation are provided throughout initial training | MDP New Recruit training page |
| Length (England and Wales) | 12-week residential course, then the 9-week firearms course: 21 weeks in total | MDP New Recruit training page |
| Length (Scotland) | As above plus a 2-week Scots law module (see the Scotland section for a wording conflict) | MDP process and training pages |
| Firearms | 9-week Initial Firearms Course at a regional hub or training centre, to the College of Policing curriculum | MDP firearms training page |
| Qualification (England and Wales) | Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship, 2 years, ending in an External End Point Assessment | MDP New Recruit training page |
| Probation | The whole 2-year programme (New Recruits); the remainder of 12 months (NEOF) | MDP New Recruit and NEOF process pages |
| Pay | Full salary from day one: £30,643 at point 2 | MDP process page and pay page |
| Cost to you | None: all training costs are covered by the MDP | MDP New Recruit process page |
Every operational MDP officer is trained as an Authorised Firearms Officer Counter Terrorism (AFO CT). There is no unarmed constable route, so firearms training is part of everyone's first 21 weeks. Service leavers and veterans join through the same New Recruit route and the MDP does not describe a shortened course for them.
Week by week: from day one to the end of probation
| When | What happens | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day one | Report to the training school as an MOD employee on full salary. | Offer accepted; vetting and medical complete. |
| Weeks 1 to 12 | Residential course at DSPS, Southwick Park: law, police duties, MOD policies, PPST, scenarios, fitness, drill, driving skills. Written exams and practical assessments. Ends in a pass-out parade. | Pass the exams and scenario assessments. |
| Weeks 13 to 21 | 9-week Initial Firearms Course at a regional hub or training centre, taught by National Firearms Instructors. | Qualify as an Authorised Firearms Officer. |
| After week 21 | Station-based induction for the rest of your training. | Build evidence on duty at your station. |
| End of year 2 | England and Wales: External End Point Assessment. Scotland: exams and an operational module assessed debrief. | Pass to complete the programme and probation. |
The MDP does not publish intake dates or how often courses start. You are offered a position as places become available, so your start date depends on vacancies and on vetting for your posting.
Before day one: what has to be done first
You cannot start training until the earlier stages are complete. From the MDP's New Recruit process page:
- Interviews passed: the competency based interview on Microsoft Teams (or a College of Policing online assessment pass from the last 12 months in its place) and the suitability interview at RAF Wyton.
- Medical and fitness: the pre-employment medical (which includes drug and alcohol testing) and the PES-JRFT.
- Vetting: Security Check (SC) clearance and police vetting. Developed Vetting for DV posts is processed after your station allocation is confirmed and SC is granted.
- Offer: a position as places become available, subject to final reference checks.
The full process is in our MOD Police recruitment guide.
Southwick Park: the Defence School of Policing and Security
The MDP's training page names the Defence School of Policing and Security (DSPS) at Southwick Park, Hampshire. The MDP's Southwick Park vacancy page calls it the Defence School of Policing, Security and Guarding. It is not an MDP-only site: it also trains the Royal Navy Police, the Royal Military Police and the RAF Police.
- Residential: you live on site for the 12-week course.
- Costs: the MDP says all travel, food and accommodation are provided throughout initial training.
- Ends with: a pass-out parade.
Twelve weeks away followed by a firearms course that may also be residential is a long stretch for anyone with caring responsibilities. The MDP's suitability interview asks about your awareness of how the role may affect your personal life, so plan it before you get there.
What you learn on the residential course
| Topic | What it covers |
|---|---|
| MDP-specific training | How the MDP works and its role on the defence estate |
| Criminal and traffic law | The law you enforce |
| General police duties | Core policing tasks |
| MOD policies | MOD policies that apply to MDP officers |
| VAWG awareness | Violence against women and girls |
| Personal and Public Safety Training (PPST) | Keeping yourself and the public safe |
| Scenario exercises | Practical assessed situations |
| Fitness assessments | Checks on your fitness during the course |
| Drill | Parade and pass-out preparation |
| Basic driving skills | Driving as part of the job |
The MDP says you are assessed through written exams and practical scenario assessments. It does not publish pass marks or how many attempts you get. Because the course includes fitness assessments, arrive already able to pass the PES-JRFT in its 20 kg vest, not just scraping through. See the MOD Police fitness test.
The 9-week Initial Firearms Course
- Length: 9 weeks, after the 12-week residential course.
- Where: one of the MDP's regional hubs or training centres. The MDP does not list them.
- Who teaches it: National Firearms Instructors.
- To what standard: the College of Policing National Police Firearms Training Curriculum.
- What it includes: classroom theory, tactical scenarios and live-fire range work.
- Living arrangements: if you are not within commuting distance of the hub you may stay in residential accommodation.
The MDP lists no firearms aptitude or weapons handling test at New Recruit recruitment. This course is where you learn. For how Initial Firearms Courses work in Home Office forces, see firearms officer selection and the Initial Firearms Course.
Scotland: the Scots law module and a wording conflict
MDP officers posted in Scotland (for example HMNB Clyde and RNAD Coulport) need Scots law. The MDP says they take the 12-week residential course plus a 2-week Scots law module, within a 2-year MDP programme that ends in internal knowledge checks and practical assessments: "exams and an operational module assessed debrief".
The MDP's own pages disagree. The New Recruit process page describes 21 weeks of initial and firearms training plus a 2-week Scots law course, which is 23 weeks in all. The training page lists "21 weeks total" under Scotland. We cannot tell which is current. Expect 21 weeks plus a 2-week Scots law course and confirm with the MDP when you receive your joining instructions.
Officers in Scotland are not enrolled on the Level 4 apprenticeship. Their two years end in the MDP's own internal assessments instead of an external End Point Assessment.
The Level 4 apprenticeship and the End Point Assessment
New Recruits in England and Wales are enrolled on the Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship, a 2-year programme. It is not the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and there is no degree holder or degree route at the MDP.
| Part | What the MDP says |
|---|---|
| Name | Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship |
| Length | 2 years |
| Who it is for | New Recruits in England and Wales (not Scotland) |
| How it ends | An External End Point Assessment run by an external agency |
| What the EPA covers | Knowledge checks, a professional discussion and a practical evaluation |
| Entry requirement | Level 2 English and maths; no Certificate of Knowledge in Policing needed |
| Training provider | Not stated on the pages we read |
The MDP does not name the external agency that runs the EPA or the training provider for the apprenticeship on the pages we read. The CNC, which uses the same apprenticeship, says its EPA is run by Skills for Justice, but that is the CNC's arrangement and may not be the MDP's.
What this means for you
- You do not need a degree or to study for one. You do need Level 2 English and maths certificates to apply.
- The two years are assessed and the EPA includes a professional discussion. Keeping notes on your work on duty from the start is sensible preparation.
- The qualification is a Non-Home Office apprenticeship. If you later move to a Home Office force, ask that force how it treats it.
Probation
| Route | Probation | Ends with |
|---|---|---|
| New Recruit (England and Wales) | Throughout the 2-year programme | The External End Point Assessment |
| New Recruit (Scotland) | Throughout the 2-year programme | Exams and an operational module assessed debrief |
| NEOF (from another force) | The remainder of a 12-month probationary period | Not described |
Specialist posts in the MDP generally go to officers who have completed probation, so specialist units such as the Tactical Firearms Unit or Marine Units are usually a later step for New Recruits. The exception is the New Recruit TFU role, which the MDP advertises directly.
Training for officers joining from other forces (NEOF)
Serving and recent officers who join through the New Entrant from Other Forces route take a shorter course. You do not need to be firearms qualified to apply.
| Your situation | Training | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Serving or recent officer, not AFO qualified (standard NEOF) | 5-day residential conversion course at DSPS, then the 9-week Initial Firearms Course | 10 weeks |
| Already a qualified AFO | 5-day conversion course, then firearms training set by National Firearms Instructors | Not published (depends on the NFIs' assessment) |
| Gap in service with PPST lapsed more than 24 months | 8-day PPST new starter course, 2-day conversion, 4 weeks at your duty station, then the 9-week firearms course if needed | 15 weeks |
| Non-firearms roles | 5-day conversion course only | 5 days |
The 9-week firearms course is the same course New Recruits take. Probation is the remainder of 12 months. For eligibility, the NEOF suitability interview and pay, read transferring to the MOD Police: the NEOF route.
Tactical Firearms Unit and Marine Unit training
Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU)
- Fitness: the 15m multi-stage fitness test to level 10.5 is required before employment, on both the New Recruit and NEOF TFU routes.
- New Recruit TFU: before the TFU Initial Course the MDP says you may do further firearms training, a specialist tactical suitability assessment, the level 10.5 test and range packages. These happen after you join, not at recruitment.
- NEOF TFU: the advert describes 10 weeks of specialist training.
- Base: AWE Group, Berkshire.
Marine Units
- Before an offer: the MDP Marine Unit swimming test and a marine medical.
- Training: Waterborne AFO CT officers follow an RYA-accredited two-year pathway, from 3rd Crew to Launch Coxswain and RHIB Coxswain.
- Where: the Clyde, Portsmouth and Devonport Marine Units.
After training: refreshers and annual tests
Qualifying is the start. The MDP lists ongoing requirements for armed officers:
- Annual firearms training: tactical refresher training, first aid updates and national qualification shoots.
- Annual fitness: fitness is assessed every year through the job-related fitness test. The MDP does not publish the current annual standard for serving officers.
- Annual hearing test: audiometry every year for all firearms officers throughout their career.
- Vetting: since 18 May 2026 every MDP officer must hold and maintain vetting clearance and report changes in circumstances.
Pay and costs during training
- Salary: full pay from day one as an MOD employee. New Recruits start on point 2, £30,643 a year, about £2,554 a month before tax and pension (our arithmetic).
- Training costs: "All training costs are fully covered by the MDP."
- Living costs on the course: travel, food and accommodation provided throughout initial training.
- Pension: you join the Civil Service alpha scheme from the start. See MOD Police pension.
Site allowances such as the South East Allowance depend on where you are based. The MDP does not say how they apply while you are at Southwick Park as a trainee, so do not count on one until you are posted. See MOD Police pay scales.
MOD Police vs CNC training
| MOD Police | Civil Nuclear Constabulary | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential initial course | 12 weeks at Southwick Park, Hampshire | 19-week Initial Foundation Programme (IFP): induction in Oxfordshire, then delivery centres in Oxfordshire, Surrey (firearms only), Cumbria and Caithness |
| Firearms | 9-week Initial Firearms Course after the residential course (21 weeks in all) | Inside the 19-week IFP; recruits must qualify with each CNC weapon |
| Apprenticeship (England) | Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship; External EPA by an external agency | Same apprenticeship, which the CNC says it delivers; EPA by Skills for Justice |
| Scotland | 2-year MDP programme plus a 2-week Scots law module | Same programme without the formal apprenticeship |
| Probation | 2 years (New Recruits); remainder of 12 months (NEOF) | 2 years (new recruits); six months (transferees) |
| Transferee training | 5-day conversion plus 9-week firearms course (10 weeks) for most NEOF | 4-week or 19-week IFP depending on firearms qualifications |
| Pay in training | Full salary from day one | Full starting salary from day one, with no reductions |
The two forces train for similar armed roles but organise it differently: the MDP separates a residential policing course from a firearms course, while the CNC runs both inside one 19-week programme. Read CNC training and the EPA.
How to prepare for MOD Police training
General PolicePay advice, not endorsed by the MDP and no guarantee of any result.
- Get fit with weight on. The PES-JRFT is done in a 20 kg vest and the course includes fitness assessments.
- Sort home life for 21 weeks or more of residential and possibly residential firearms training.
- Build a study habit. The course has written exams on criminal and traffic law and police duties.
- Keep your licence clean. You need a full UK manual licence and basic driving skills are on the course.
- Do not move house early. If you need Developed Vetting for your posting and do not get it, you are offered another site with no relocation expenses.
- Keep evidence from day one for the End Point Assessment if you are in England or Wales.
Common mistakes about MDP training
- Expecting the PCDA or a degree. The MDP uses the Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship in England and Wales and its own programme in Scotland.
- Saying the course is 21 weeks in Scotland without checking. The MDP's pages disagree on whether the Scots law module adds 2 weeks.
- Thinking you need firearms experience. No firearms test is listed at New Recruit recruitment; the 9-week course teaches you.
- Assuming transferees skip firearms training. Most NEOF officers take the 9-week course too; only qualified AFOs follow a route set by the instructors.
- Treating qualification as the finish line. Annual firearms refreshers, an annual fitness test and annual hearing tests continue for your whole career.
- Quoting intake dates. The MDP does not publish them; any date you see online is not from the MDP's current pages.
What the MDP does not publish about training
- Intake dates and how often courses start.
- Where the regional firearms hubs are.
- Who provides the apprenticeship and which external agency runs the End Point Assessment.
- Pass marks and resit rules for the course exams and firearms qualification.
- Whether Scotland is 21 or 23 weeks (the MDP's pages disagree).
- The current annual fitness standard for serving officers and what happens after a fail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is MOD Police training?
21 weeks of initial training for New Recruits in England and Wales: a 12-week residential course at the Defence School of Policing and Security, Southwick Park, then a 9-week Initial Firearms Course. Officers in Scotland also take a 2-week Scots law module. The whole programme, with probation, lasts two years.
Where is MOD Police training?
The residential course is at the Defence School of Policing and Security (DSPS), Southwick Park, Hampshire. The firearms course is at one of the MDP's regional hubs or training centres. The MDP does not list where the hubs are.
Is MOD Police training residential?
Yes. The 12-week course is residential and the MDP says all travel, food and accommodation are provided throughout initial training. For the firearms course, if you are not within commuting distance of the hub you may stay in residential accommodation.
Do you get paid during MOD Police training?
Yes, from day one. The MDP says you start at the training school on full salary as an MOD employee. New Recruits start on point 2, £30,643 a year, which is about £2,554 a month before tax and pension (our arithmetic). All training costs are covered by the MDP.
Is MOD Police training a degree?
No. New Recruits in England and Wales are enrolled on the Level 4 Non-Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship, a 2-year programme that ends in an External End Point Assessment. It is not the PCDA and there is no degree route. You do not need the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing before you join.
What happens in the MOD Police End Point Assessment?
The MDP says an external agency runs it at the end of the 2-year programme and that it covers knowledge checks, a professional discussion and a practical evaluation. Officers in Scotland are assessed internally instead, through exams and an operational module assessed debrief.
How long is MOD Police probation?
New Recruits are on probation throughout the 2-year programme. Officers joining through the NEOF route from another force complete the remainder of a 12-month probationary period.
How long is MOD Police training for transferees?
Most NEOF officers who are not firearms qualified take a 5-day residential conversion course at DSPS and the 9-week firearms course: 10 weeks in all. Qualified AFOs take the conversion course plus firearms training set by National Firearms Instructors. Non-firearms roles need only the 5-day course.
What firearms training do MOD Police officers do?
A 9-week Initial Firearms Course delivered by National Firearms Instructors to the College of Policing National Police Firearms Training Curriculum: classroom theory, tactical scenarios and live-fire range work. After qualifying you do annual tactical refresher training, first aid updates and national qualification shoots.
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.
- MDP: New Recruit training : DSPS Southwick Park; 12-week residential course; 9-week firearms course; 21 weeks total; travel, food and accommodation; curriculum; Level 4 apprenticeship and External EPA; Scotland programme (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: New Recruit recruitment process : full salary from day one; all training costs covered; 21 weeks of initial and firearms training and a 2-week Scots law course; probation throughout the two-year programme (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: Firearms training : 9-week Initial Firearms Course at regional hubs or training centres; National Firearms Instructors; College of Policing curriculum; annual refreshers (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: UK Security Vetting : SC for all entrants; DV after station allocation (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: NEOF training : 5-day conversion; 10 weeks; qualified AFO route; 15-week route after a gap; non-firearms roles (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: NEOF recruitment process : NEOF probation: remainder of a 12-month period (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: Southwick Park vacancies : Defence School of Policing, Security and Guarding; also trains the Royal Navy Police, Royal Military Police and RAF Police (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: New Recruit entry criteria : no requirement for the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: Fitness : PES-JRFT; annual JRFT for serving officers; MSFT 10.5 for TFU (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: Medical : annual audiometry for all firearms officers (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: New Recruit PC Tactical Firearms Unit AFO CT : further firearms training, a specialist tactical suitability assessment, MSFT 10.5 and range packages before the TFU Initial Course (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: NEOF PC Tactical Firearms Unit AFO CT : 10-week specialist training (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: Marine Units : RYA-accredited two-year pathway for Waterborne AFO CT (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MDP: Military personnel : service leavers apply as New Recruits (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Ministry of Defence Police (Vetting) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/428) : from 18 May 2026 officers must hold and maintain vetting clearance and report changes (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Police officers : 19-week residential IFP; pay from day one (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC: An overview of apprenticeships in the CNC (Feb 2026) : delivery centres; apprenticeship delivered by the CNC; EPA by Skills for Justice; Scotland follows the programme without the apprenticeship (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Police officer transferees : 4-week or 19-week IFP; six-month probation (accessed 23 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Free tools for MOD Police and CNC applicants
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the Ministry of Defence Police, the Ministry of Defence, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, the Defence Police Federation, the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, the College of Policing or any other force. It does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Every fact here comes from the force's own pages, GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk or the other sources listed, read on the date shown. Each force sets and changes its own process and pay: check its current pages and your own invitation before relying on anything here. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not questions used by either force. Details are as checked on 23 October 2026.