The Police
Application Form
The application form is the first of the four legal recruitment stages for police constables in England and Wales. What it asks, what to gather first, how to handle gaps, convictions and money questions, and the rules on applying to more than one force.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 1 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
You apply on your chosen force's own form, which since 17 March 2026 must include the College of Policing's national questions for confirming you are eligible. Expect personal details, address and five years of employment or education history, convictions and police contact, finances and business interests, and tattoos. Some forces add values questions. Answer everything honestly and completely: anything undeclared that vetting later finds ends the application.
This page is about the form itself and the preparation before you submit it, for police constable candidates in England and Wales. For every stage after the form, see our guide to the police application process. Forms differ between forces and change over time, so the wording of your force's form always comes first. Nothing here is a judgement about your own application.
The form is the easy part to start and the hardest to rush. Our free application timing explorer lets you try illustrative timing scenarios around your notice period and savings (there is no national timescale), and the police force finder compares forces on pay, allowances and region so you can shortlist before you start a form.
What the police application form is, and what changed in March 2026
You apply to an individual force, usually through its own careers site. The College of Policing's April 2026 guide to joining says you apply directly to a local force, and the national recruitment site says you request the application form from your preferred force.
Since 17 March 2026 the form has had legal status. The Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) added regulation 10(1)(eb) to the Police Regulations 2003. A candidate for appointment as a constable, unless transferring from another force, must, within the periods of time and to the standard set by the College of Policing:
- complete and submit to a police force the national application form;
- pass the national sift test;
- pass the online assessment process; and
- pass an in-person interview with the force that meets the national standard.
Regulation 10(3) defines the national application form as a form "containing the complete set of questions as set by the College of Policing for the purposes of confirming the eligibility of a candidate for appointment". In other words, its legal job is to establish whether you meet the conditions for appointment: age, nationality and immigration status, qualifications, criminal history and the other requirements in regulation 10. The College said when the change took effect that almost all forces were already using this four-stage process before it became law.
| What | What the rules say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who must complete it | Every candidate for constable, except officers transferring from another force | Reg 10(1)(eb) |
| Who sets the questions | The College of Policing sets the complete set of eligibility questions | Reg 10(3)(aab) |
| Who you send it to | The force you are applying to, which then makes its own eligibility check | Reg 10(1)(eb)(i); national recruitment site |
| Extra force questions | Some forces add competency or values-based questions | National recruitment site |
| Duty to give information | You must give such information as may be required about your previous history or employment or any other matter relating to your appointment | Reg 10(1)(h) |
| What comes next | National sift, online assessment process, force interview; vetting can only be applied for once all four stages are complete | Reg 10(1)(eb); Vetting Regulations reg 4B(2) |
Two practical consequences follow. First, the application form is where eligibility problems should surface, so an honest, complete form avoids wasted effort at later stages. Second, because vetting clearance can only be applied for after the four stages and must be granted within the six months before you are appointed, the detailed vetting forms usually come later than the application form. Information you give on both must match.
What the form typically asks, and what to have ready
We have not seen a published copy of the 2026 national question set (see what we could not verify). The table below is built from what the national recruitment site says application forms typically ask, its recruitment process checklist, and the College of Policing guidance on what forces check. Your force's form may group things differently or ask more.
| Area | What forms typically ask | What to have ready | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal details | Full name, date of birth, address | Every name you have been known by, including your name at birth; National Insurance number; driving licence details | Application form page; candidate checklist |
| Eligibility | Questions confirming you meet the conditions for appointment | Proof of nationality or immigration status; residency dates; qualifications or the experience you rely on | Reg 10(3)(aab); reg 10(1) |
| Employment and education | History with dates, roles and reasons for leaving | At least five years of history, with an explanation for any gap over six months | College pre-employment guidance |
| Armed forces service | Service details and proof of good conduct | Service number and reason for discharge; discharge certificate or equivalent | Reg 10(1)(b); candidate checklist; College guidance |
| Convictions and police contact | Any convictions; forces and vetting also ask about cautions, investigations and fixed penalties | Dates and outcomes of every conviction, caution, fixed penalty, arrest and investigation you can recall; traffic offences other than parking | Application form page; vetting page; candidate checklist |
| Finances and business interests | Your financial situation and any business interests | Monthly income and spending, savings and borrowing, proof any CCJ is satisfied or bankruptcy discharged, details of second jobs or businesses | Application form page; candidate checklist |
| Tattoos | Any tattoos you have | Where they are and what they show; some forces ask for photographs | Application form page; eligibility checker |
| Competencies and values | Some forces add competency or values-based questions | Examples from work or life, written with the Competency and Values Framework in mind | Application form page |
The national recruitment site also notes how long the form is, and says forces want to get to know you, not only your personal information: where a form asks, it suggests emphasising your transferable skills and why you chose that force. If your force includes values questions, our guide to the Competency and Values Framework explains what the competencies and values mean. Tattoo rules are covered in our tattoos and appearance guide.
Employment and education history, and gaps over six months
Regulation 10(1)(h) requires you to give the information the force needs about your previous history or employment. The College of Policing pre-employment guidance tells forces to obtain and verify employment history, or education history where relevant, for at least the previous five years, including:
- dates of employment;
- the roles you carried out;
- your reason for leaving;
- your current employer, or school or university, as appropriate.
On gaps, the same guidance says:
- any unexplained or unsatisfactory gap of over six months should be checked with you, by phone or letter, for a satisfactory explanation, for example redundancy, looking for other work, or caring for a child or relative;
- if the explanation is satisfactory, the form is annotated and the application may proceed;
- if there are several unexplained gaps, you should be asked to explain them and the reasons recorded;
- queries about gaps or employment history should be settled before assessment.
So a gap is not a problem in itself; an unexplained one creates a query that has to be resolved. Writing a short factual explanation on the form (travelling, caring, studying, unemployed and job-seeking, illness) saves a round of correspondence. If a gap involved time abroad, it also matters for residency and vetting: the College guidance says that if you have lived abroad for more than three months within the last three years, a force is unlikely to be able to obtain enough information to grant vetting clearance, with exceptions decided case by case. See our guide to overseas travel and residency in vetting.
If you have not worked before, or have too little employment history because you were in education, the College says forces should contact your school, college or university, and verify every qualification you claim. If there is no employer to ask, forces may, with your permission, approach someone else who can provide the information. If you belong, or used to belong, to a professional body, the force should check whether you were subject to disciplinary proceedings or struck off.
Regulation 10(1)(b) requires proof of good conduct from anyone who has served in a police force, the armed forces, the civil service or as a seaman. The College guidance says a discharge certificate or a letter from a commanding officer will normally do, and that the vetting unit also requests Ministry of Defence conduct history. It notes resettlement can take up to 18 months, and that forces may want to consider this before accepting applications from service personnel with more than 12 months to go before discharge.
References: who is contacted, and when
Many applicants worry that applying will alert their current employer. The College of Policing guidance is specific about timing:
| Reference | When, according to the College guidance | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Current employer | Not normally until an offer of appointment is being considered; earlier only with your agreement | Confirm dates, position, attendance, performance and any disciplinary proceedings |
| Previous employers (five years) | Requested consistently and systematically to cover at least five years before application | Verify what you said on the form |
| Sickness or medical information from referees | Not until a conditional or unconditional offer has been made (Equality Act 2010, section 60) | Considered only after an offer |
| Previous police service | Always obtained | Proof of good conduct (reg 10(1)(b)) |
| Character references | Required by regulation 10(1)(b); the force sets the timing | Satisfactory references as to character |
The guidance adds that if a force cannot obtain five years of references, it should record the risks and mitigations. Give accurate contact details for every employer and tell the force about anything that might make a reference hard to obtain, such as a company that has closed.
Declaring convictions, cautions and police contact
This is where honesty matters most. The College of Policing says the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not apply to police officers, so forces can ask about spent convictions and cautions. The national recruitment site says you must declare:
- all convictions and cautions, including any received as a juvenile;
- any involvement in a criminal investigation, even if you were not prosecuted;
- bind-overs imposed by a court;
- motoring offences, and fixed penalties such as speeding, even where the points have expired;
- convictions from service in HM Forces, which are recorded on the Police National Computer;
- cautions, investigations or convictions linked to family members or people you know.
Since 13 July 2026 some records are an automatic legal bar to appointment under regulation 10(2A): a conviction where the court imposed a custodial sentence, sex offender notification, a conviction or caution for a listed offence, and a conviction or caution for an offence involving domestic abuse. Every other conviction or caution makes you unsuitable for vetting clearance unless particular circumstances justify it. The full rules and the list of offences are in our guide can I join the police with a criminal record.
The College guidance says that where an offence, conviction, caution or outstanding charge is identified but was not declared, "questions will be raised over openness, honesty and integrity", vetting is declined and the application is discontinued. The national recruitment site's advice is "if in doubt, declare it". If you cannot remember dates or details, say so and explain why rather than guessing or leaving a blank.
If you have an outstanding charge or summons, the College guidance says the application is put on hold until the outcome is known. Once you have applied for vetting clearance, regulation 4B(5) of the Vetting Regulations requires you to tell the vetting unit promptly about any change in your circumstances that may affect your suitability. If you are worried about something in your past, the national recruitment site suggests contacting the force vetting unit for advice before you start the application. Our free vetting impact checker helps you work out which questions to ask.
Financial questions and business interests
The national recruitment site says application forms typically ask about your financial situation and any business interests. The reason is vetting: the College guidance says credit reference checks look at your accounts, electoral roll details, bankruptcy, county court judgments, defaults, 12 months' payment history and recent credit applications, to see whether you have been, are or are likely to be in financial difficulty, or show financial irresponsibility that could make you vulnerable to inducement.
The national recruitment site says vetting clearance is most likely to be declined if:
- you have an outstanding county court judgment;
- you have been declared bankrupt and the bankruptcy has not been discharged for three years;
- your debt relief order has not been finalised for three years.
Its tips are to check your credit file before applying, make sure any CCJ is satisfied, and have up-to-date documents for any payment plan, such as an individual voluntary arrangement, to show you are keeping to it. Ordinary borrowing that you manage, such as a mortgage or a student loan, is not described as a bar. For secondary jobs or businesses, gather the details now: the candidate checklist asks you to collate them, and once you are an officer, regulation 8 of the Police Regulations 2003 requires you to give written notice of any business interest, such as a second job or a business, that has not already been disclosed. The detail is in our guide can I join the police with debt.
Applying to more than one force
You can apply to more than one force at the same time; we found no published limit on how many. What is limited is the online assessments. The College of Policing rules, from its pre-employment guidance and its current candidate guides, are:
| Rule | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Applications to several forces are allowed | You fill in a separate application for each force | Pre-employment guidance; national recruitment site |
| One force at a time for the assessments | You may sit the national sift and online assessment process with only one force at a time | Pre-employment guidance; online assessments candidate guide |
| Tell the College | You must tell recruit@college.police.uk immediately if you have already completed the assessment process with another force | Online assessments candidate guide |
| Twice in 12 months | No more than two attempts at the online assessment process, or at the national sift, in a 12-month period | Online assessments candidate guide; national sift guidance |
| Transferring a pass | Another force may accept your online assessment pass, at its discretion; ask that force to obtain it from your original force | Online assessments candidate guide |
Each force still has its own form, its own local criteria and its own interview, and forces open and close recruitment at different times. Before applying to several, check that you meet each one's local criteria (for example on driving licences) and think about which force you would want to sit the assessments with first. Our police jobs page shows which forces were recruiting when we last checked and links to their official pages. More on transferring a pass is in what happens after the OAC.
Asking for reasonable adjustments at the application stage
If you have a disability, a neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, ADHD or autism, a mental or physical health condition, or a temporary condition such as pregnancy or an injury, the application form is the place to raise it. The College of Policing reasonable adjustments guide (updated 25 August 2026) says:
- inform your chosen force in your application; it will advise you and send a request form to complete and return;
- the guide covers the national sift, the online assessment process and the in-force interview;
- you will be asked for supporting information, and the most reliable is a report by a professional specialist with clear recommendations;
- you do not need to know exactly which adjustment you need, and you are encouraged to apply even if unsure;
- only adjustments that can be replicated in the role of police constable can be provided;
- if you disagree with the outcome, ask your force for a review before your assessment, because you cannot appeal on the grounds of adjustments offered if you are later unsuccessful.
The national sift is untimed, so extra time is not offered for it; the College lists extra time options for the online assessment process. Asking about adjustments for an assessment is one of the purposes that section 60(6) of the Equality Act 2010 allows before an offer. The full health questionnaire is different: Home Office medical standards say it should only go to candidates who have been successful at assessment.
More detail is in our guides to mental health, neurodiversity and adjustments and joining with a medical condition, and in OAC technical requirements and adjustments.
Documents and details to gather before you start
The national recruitment site's recruitment process checklist lists what to have ready. Combined with the College guidance, a practical list is:
- every name you have been known by, including at birth
- National Insurance number
- driving licence details
- qualification certificates
- HM Forces service number and reason for discharge
- five years of employment or education history with dates
- explanations for any gap over six months
- five years of address history
- monthly income and spending, savings and borrowing
- proof that any CCJ is satisfied or bankruptcy discharged
- details of second jobs and business interests
- partner (with five years of their addresses), parents and partner's parents, full, half and step siblings, children over 10, co-residents
- any criminal associates
- every caution, conviction, fixed penalty, arrest, investigation and traffic offence (not parking)
The vetting items will not all be on the application form, but forms ask about convictions and finances, and your answers on both must be consistent. Gathering everything once, at the start, avoids contradictions. The national recruitment site says the most common vetting errors are an incomplete address history, missing family members (including step and half siblings), missing partner details, and undeclared police contact.
Before you press submit: a step-by-step check
- Confirm you are eligible. Check the entry requirements, and your force's local criteria, before you start. The 60-second eligibility check is a rough first pass.
- Choose your entry route. The checklist suggests choosing the route that suits you first; not every force runs every route at every intake.
- Gather your documents. Use the lists above so dates and names match across every form.
- Write out your history. Five years of employment or education, with dates, roles and reasons for leaving, and a line for each gap over six months.
- List every police contact. Convictions, cautions, fixed penalties, arrests, investigations, bind-overs, as a juvenile or adult. If you cannot recall details, say so and explain why.
- Check your credit file. Deal with any unsatisfied CCJ and have documents ready for any payment plan.
- Ask for adjustments. If a condition could disadvantage you in the assessments, say so on the form and ask for the request form.
- Answer the force's own questions. If there are values questions, give real examples in your own words.
- Read it all back. Check spellings of names, dates, and that nothing is left blank without explanation.
- Keep a copy. You will need to repeat the same facts on the vetting forms and possibly on a later application.
- Check your inbox, including junk. Assessment invitations and results come by email.
Do not hand in your notice at work because you have submitted a form. Pay starts from appointment, and recruitment takes months: the national recruitment site says in many instances around four to six months, varying by force.
Common mistakes on police application forms
- Leaving out a caution, fixed penalty or old investigation. Undeclared matters found at vetting end the application under the College guidance, regardless of how minor the original matter was.
- Unexplained gaps. A gap over six months without an explanation triggers a query that must be resolved before assessment.
- Incomplete address or family details. The national recruitment site lists these among the most common vetting errors.
- Inconsistent dates. The same job or address with different dates on different forms raises questions.
- Sitting assessments with two forces at once. The College permits only one force at a time.
- Not mentioning a condition until after an assessment. Adjustments must be agreed in advance, and you cannot appeal later on the grounds of adjustments.
- Copying answers from the internet. Forces want your own examples; the College also warns that prepared notes or scripts in the online assessment can lead to an automatic fail.
- Missing emails. Assessment links arrive by email and windows are short; the national sift window is seven days.
Myths about the police application form
- "Each force uses a completely different form." Since 17 March 2026 every force must use the College's national set of eligibility questions. Forces can still add their own questions.
- "You can only apply to one force." You can apply to several. The limit is on sitting the sift and online assessments with more than one force at a time.
- "They will ring my boss as soon as I apply." The College guidance says current employers are not normally contacted until an offer is being considered, unless you agree.
- "Spent convictions do not need to go on the form." The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to police officers, according to the College.
- "A gap in my CV will fail me." Gaps over six months are checked for a satisfactory explanation, such as caring or job-seeking. Explained gaps are not described as a bar.
- "I must give my full medical history on the form." The full medical questionnaire should only come after you succeed at assessment. You can raise adjustments at application.
- "Any debt rules you out." Managed debt is not described as a bar; outstanding CCJs, recent bankruptcy and recent debt relief orders are the main problems the national site names.
What to ask, and who to contact
Questions worth putting to the force before or while you complete the form:
- Which entry routes are you recruiting for, and when does this application window close?
- Do you add your own questions to the national form, and are any of them values or competency questions?
- Do you have local criteria, for example on driving licences, penalty points or GCSEs?
- I have a gap in my history: what evidence would help?
- I lived abroad between these dates: can you obtain enough checkable history?
- I need adjustments for the assessments: please send me the request form.
- Will you accept an online assessment pass from another force, and how recent must it be?
Who to contact:
- The force recruitment team for the form, deadlines, local criteria and adjustments.
- The force vetting unit for confidential advice about a conviction, caution, debt or overseas residency before you apply.
- recruit@college.police.uk for queries about the online assessments that your force cannot answer, and to tell the College if you have already sat the assessment process with another force.
What we could not verify
- The exact 2026 national question set. Regulation 10 says the College sets the complete set of eligibility questions, but we found no published copy of the national application form. Our description of what forms ask comes from the national recruitment site and College guidance.
- The "periods of time" for the form. Regulation 10(1)(eb) refers to periods set by the College; we found no published deadline for submitting the national form. Each force sets its own application windows.
- How long the form takes. The national recruitment site says it is long but gives no time. We do not guess one.
- Whether every force asks about tattoos and finances on the form itself rather than later at vetting. The national site says forms typically do.
- Whether the College will update its April 2024 pre-employment guidance for the 2026 regulations. Where they differ, the regulations apply.
This page is general information, not advice about your application. Your force's form and instructions, and the regulation text on legislation.gov.uk, take priority over anything here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions are on the police application form?
The national recruitment site says application forms typically ask for your personal details, any convictions, your financial situation and business interests, and any tattoos. Some forces add competency or values-based questions. Since 17 March 2026 the form must include the College of Policing's national set of questions for confirming that you are eligible to be appointed.
What is the national application form for the police?
Regulation 10(3) of the Police Regulations 2003 defines it as an application form containing the complete set of questions set by the College of Policing for confirming a candidate's eligibility for appointment. Completing and submitting it to a force became a legal requirement for constable candidates on 17 March 2026 (SI 2026/154). Officers transferring between forces are exempt.
How many police forces can I apply to at once?
We found no published limit on the number of forces. The College of Policing says you can apply to more than one force at a time, but you may only sit the national sift and online assessment process with one force at a time, and no more than twice in 12 months. Another force accepting your online assessment pass is at its discretion.
How far back does a police application go for employment history?
The College of Policing pre-employment guidance tells forces to obtain and verify employment history, or education if you were studying, for at least the previous five years, including dates, roles and reasons for leaving. Your force's form may ask for more, so follow its wording.
Do I need to explain gaps in employment on a police application?
Yes, if the form asks, and it is sensible to explain any gap anyway. The College guidance says unexplained gaps of over six months should be checked with you for a satisfactory explanation, such as redundancy, looking for work or caring for a child or relative, and that these queries should be settled before assessment.
Will the police contact my current employer?
Not normally at the application stage. The College guidance says references should not normally be taken from a current employer until an offer of appointment is being considered, unless you agree to an earlier request. Sickness or medical information should not be requested from referees until a conditional or unconditional offer has been made.
Do I have to declare spent convictions on a police application?
Yes. The College of Policing says the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not apply to police officers, so forces can ask about spent convictions and cautions. The national recruitment site says to declare all convictions and cautions, including any received as a juvenile, and any involvement in a criminal investigation.
Do I need to declare a speeding ticket on a police application?
The national recruitment site says it is better to declare a fixed penalty for speeding even if the points have expired, and its checklist lists traffic offences other than parking offences among the police contact to gather. If in doubt, include it and follow the exact wording of your force's form.
What happens if I leave something off my police application?
The College guidance says that where an offence, conviction, caution or outstanding charge is found but was not declared, questions are raised over openness, honesty and integrity, vetting is declined and the application is discontinued. The national recruitment site says failure to disclose will result in rejection.
Can I ask for reasonable adjustments on my police application?
Yes. The College of Policing says to tell your chosen force in your application if a disability, pregnancy or other condition could disadvantage you in the sift, online assessment or force interview. The force sends a request form and asks for supporting information. You do not need to know exactly which adjustment you need.
Does the police application form ask about my health?
The full health questionnaire comes later. Home Office medical standards say only candidates who are successful at assessment should be asked to complete the pre-employment medical questionnaire. Questions about adjustments for the assessments are different and are allowed earlier under section 60(6) of the Equality Act 2010.
What happens after I submit a police application form?
The national recruitment site says the force carries out its own eligibility check once you submit. If you go through, you are invited to the national sift, then the online assessment process and an in-person force interview, followed by medical, fitness, references and vetting.
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) — the national application form as a legal stage (10(1)(eb)) and its definition (10(3)(aab)); the duty to give information about previous history or employment (10(1)(h)); character references and proof of good conduct (10(1)(b)); vetting clearance (10(1)(hb)) (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) — inserted the four national stages and the definition of the national application form, in force 17 March 2026 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653), regulation 15 (new Part 1A of the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025) — vetting can only be applied for after the four recruitment stages; duty to report changes in circumstances (reg 4B); in force 13 July 2026 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Equality Act 2010, section 60 (legislation.gov.uk) — limits on health questions before an offer, and the exception for questions about adjustments for an assessment (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police constable recruitment regulations change (17 March 2026) — the four standardised stages starting with the national application form; almost all forces already used them (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police constable pre-employment guidance (April 2024) — five-year employment history, gaps over six months, references and current employers, education references, financial checks, criminal history, applying to several forces, reapplying (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) — one force at a time, twice in 12 months, transferring a pass, telling the College if you have sat with another force (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) — seven-day sift window, resit timing, sift adjustments (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations guide for online assessments candidates (updated 25 August 2026) — tell the force in your application; request form; supporting information; reviews before the assessment (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Becoming a police constable, a guide to joining the police service (April 2026) — typical stages; apply directly to a local force; forces may set additional requirements (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 59/2004: National recruitment standards, medical standards for police recruitment — the pre-employment medical questionnaire should only go to candidates successful at assessment (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police (national recruitment site): What's involved in the application form? — what forms typically ask; some forces add competency or values questions; answer with honesty (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police: Get ready to apply, and the recruitment process checklist (PDF) — force does its own eligibility check after you submit; the candidate checklist of names, NI number, licence, service number, address history, finances, family and police contact (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police: What's involved in the vetting process? — what to declare, common errors, CCJs, bankruptcy and debt relief orders, if in doubt declare it (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police: Am I eligible to apply? (previous applications answer) — apply to more than one force; online assessment with one force; twice in 12 months; transfer at force discretion (accessed 1 October 2026)
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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 1 October 2026.