Rejected? When
You Can Reapply
An unsuccessful police application is common and rarely the end of the road. What the national rules say about waiting periods, resits, feedback and appeals at each stage, the few things reapplying cannot fix, and how to use the time before you try again.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 1 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Usually, yes. The College of Policing says you can normally reapply three months after your rejection letter unless the force says otherwise, and resit the national sift or online assessment from three months later, no more than twice in 12 months. Two exceptions: severe inappropriate behaviour at assessment means at least a two-year wait, and automatic disqualification for certain offences cannot be cured by reapplying.
This page covers police constable applications in England and Wales. It brings the rules for every stage together; where we have a detailed guide to one stage, we link to it rather than repeat it. Forces apply the national rules with some local discretion, and your rejection letter or email is the first thing to check. Nothing here is a judgement about your own application.
If the online assessment was the stage that stopped you, our free OAC readiness check takes a couple of minutes and points to the gaps in your interview, written and briefing preparation. To see when a second attempt could realistically lead to a start date, the recruitment timeline planner maps the stages using your own force's figures; there is no national timescale.
The first few days after a rejection: step by step
- Find the stage. Your letter or email should say which stage you did not pass: eligibility, the national sift, the online assessment process, the force interview, medical, fitness, references or vetting. The rules differ by stage.
- Check for deadlines. An online assessment appeal had to reach the force within 24 hours of taking the assessment, so that window is usually closed by the time results arrive. A vetting decision should tell you about your right of appeal; read it straight away.
- Read or request feedback. The sift and the online assessment process both produce a personalised feedback report. For other stages, ask the force.
- Note the dates. Write down the date of the rejection letter, the date you completed the sift, or the start date of your online assessment window. The waiting periods run from these.
- Ask the force about its own rule. The College's three-month guide is a default; forces can set their own.
- Decide whether to try another force. You can apply elsewhere, but you can only sit the assessments with one force at a time.
- Make a development plan. The College says the three-month gap exists to give people time to develop. Use the feedback to decide what to work on.
If the rejection has knocked your confidence, that is a normal reaction to a long, demanding process. The College says the gap is designed so that a later success comes from development rather than familiarity with the tests, which is a reason to treat it as preparation time rather than lost time.
The general rule: three months, and force discretion
The College of Policing pre-employment guidance (April 2024) sets the default for anyone whose application is unsuccessful:
- previous applicants can reapply three months after receiving their letter of rejection from a police force, unless the force they are continuing with tells them otherwise;
- for the national sift and online assessment process, the three-month period is there "to give people time to develop before reapplying", so that future success comes from development rather than familiarity with the assessments;
- forces can make decisions locally on this to meet their recruitment needs;
- from the College's perspective you can reapply, or apply to a new force, at any time after an unsuccessful application, but you would not be able to sit the online assessment process within three months of your last attempt, unless your recruiting force says otherwise;
- you may sit the national sift and online assessment process with only one force at a time, and a maximum of twice in a 12-month period;
- if you display severe inappropriate language or behaviour during the assessment elements, you cannot resit that stage for at least two years.
The College's current candidate guides, updated in 2026, set the resit timing more precisely for the two online stages: three months from the date you completed the national sift, and three months from the start date of your online assessment window. Because the guidance lets forces decide locally, the answer for you is in your letter or from the force's recruitment team. Some forces set a longer wait after particular stages; we have not checked every force.
When the clock starts: the waiting periods at a glance
The waiting periods do not all run from the same date. Getting the start date right avoids booking a resit the system will not accept.
| Rule | Length | Runs from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reapplying after a rejection | Three months, unless the force says otherwise | The date you receive the rejection letter | Pre-employment guidance (2024) |
| Resitting the national sift | Three months | The date you completed the sift | National sift guidance (June 2026) |
| Resitting the online assessment process | Three months | The start date of your assessment window | Online assessments guide (July 2026) |
| Maximum attempts | Twice in a 12-month period, for the sift and for the online assessment process | Not specified in the guides | Both College guides |
| Severe inappropriate language or behaviour | At least two years before resitting that stage | The assessment concerned | Pre-employment guidance (2024) |
| Vetting clearance validity | Six months before appointment; reapply if the start date slips beyond it | The date clearance was granted | Vetting Regulations regs 4B, 4C |
A candidate completes the national sift on 10 March and is told they did not meet the standard. Under the College sift guidance, the earliest they could resit is 10 June. Another candidate's online assessment window opens on 1 May; they do not meet the standard. The earliest resit is from 1 August, three months after the window opened, not three months after the result. In both cases the force can set a different rule, so the candidate checks with the force before applying again.
The guides do not say how the 12-month period for the two-attempt limit is counted, for example from the first attempt or over any rolling 12 months. If you are planning a third attempt, ask the force or recruit@college.police.uk before you apply.
Stage by stage: appeals, waiting periods and feedback
This table summarises what the national rules say for each stage. "Force decides" means we found no national rule, so the force's own process applies.
| Stage | Can you appeal? | When can you try again? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility and application form | No national route; ask the force which criterion you did not meet | Three months after the rejection letter by default; sooner is pointless unless the reason has changed | Reg 10; pre-employment guidance |
| National sift | Written appeal to the force on extenuating circumstances or procedural grounds only; not on the result alone | From three months after the date you completed it; twice in 12 months | National sift guidance (June 2026) |
| Online assessment process | Written appeal to the force within 24 hours of taking it, extenuating or procedural only; automatic fails cannot be appealed | From three months after the start of your assessment window; twice in 12 months; all exercises again | Online assessments guide (July 2026) |
| In-person force interview | Force decides | Three-month default unless the force says otherwise | Pre-employment guidance |
| Medical | No national appeal route found; ask about a review and offer more evidence | Force decides; the standards recommend deferral rather than rejection for some conditions | HOC 59/2004 |
| Fitness test | Force decides | Number of attempts and any wait set by the force | College fitness standards; force pages |
| References | Force decides | Three-month default | Pre-employment guidance |
| Vetting | Yes, by law since 13 July 2026: written reasons and appeal on three grounds | Three-month default; the reason for the refusal decides whether a new application could succeed | Vetting Regulations regs 4F, 4G |
| After an offer (clearance lapsed or revoked) | Revocation can be appealed under reg 4G | If appointment slips more than six months after clearance, you must reapply for clearance | Vetting Regulations regs 4C, 4E, 4G |
Feedback differs by stage too:
| Stage | What you are told | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National sift | Whether you met the national standard, plus a personalised feedback report with your score | National sift guidance |
| Online assessment process | Your outcome and a feedback report with your overall score for each exercise | Online assessments guide |
| Force interview | Set by the force; one force publishes a three-week feedback commitment | Devon and Cornwall Police guide |
| Medical, fitness, references | Set by the force; ask for the reasons | No national rule found |
| Vetting | Detailed written reasons for a refusal, conditions or revocation, except information withheld on listed grounds; results of checks on relatives and associates are not disclosed | Vetting Regulations reg 4F; pre-employment guidance |
Rejected at eligibility or on the application form
Since 17 March 2026 the national application form exists to confirm that you are eligible for appointment under regulation 10 of the Police Regulations 2003, and the national recruitment site says the force runs its own eligibility check once you submit. A rejection at this stage usually means a criterion was not met, either a national one or a local one the force adds. Ask the force which criterion it was, because that decides whether reapplying makes sense:
- Fixable with time or action: reaching 17, gaining a level 3 qualification or the experience your force accepts, completing three years' UK residency, obtaining indefinite leave to remain, satisfying a county court judgment, or meeting a local driving licence rule.
- Depends on the detail: a conviction or caution outside the automatic list, which is a matter for vetting rather than a fixed bar.
- Not fixable by reapplying: conduct that attracts automatic disqualification under regulation 10(2A). See what reapplying cannot change.
If the form was rejected because it was incomplete or you missed a deadline, that is a process problem rather than an eligibility one. Our application form guide covers what to gather and check before submitting next time, and the entry requirements guide sets out every criterion.
Unsuccessful at the national sift
The national sift is a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire, completed online within a seven-day window. The College of Policing national sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) says:
- Results: you are told by email whether you met the national standard, with a personalised feedback report giving your score and describing what distinguishes better-performing candidates. The sift is scored automatically, and your combined score is compared with a group of applicants to policing roles and shown as a percentile.
- Resit: from three months after the date you completed the assessment, no more than twice in a 12-month period, completing both exercises again.
- Appeals: raise any issue during the assessment with your recruiting force immediately; if it is not resolved, make a written appeal with evidence to the force. Appeals are about extenuating circumstances or procedural concerns, are only considered if you did not meet the standard, and "you cannot appeal based on an unsuccessful result alone".
- Extenuating circumstances mean serious events such as illness, accident, injury, or the death or serious illness of a family member, not lack of preparation or a heavy workload. If you know beforehand, ask the force to let you take the sift later.
The sift guidance we read does not state a deadline for appeals, unlike the online assessment guide; ask your force. The BSQ in particular asks how you genuinely behave at work, and the College's advice is that honesty is the key. Our national sift hub explains both exercises, and how the sift is scored explains the percentile result.
Unsuccessful at the online assessment process (OAC)
The online assessment process has three exercises: a competency-based interview, a written exercise and a briefing exercise. The College online assessments candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) says:
- Results and feedback: an email with your outcome and a personalised feedback report giving your overall score for each exercise and describing what distinguishes better-performing candidates.
- Resit: from three months after the start date of your assessment window, limited to twice in a 12-month period, completing all exercises again.
- Appeals: a written appeal with evidence to the force recruiting department within 24 hours of taking the assessment, on extenuating circumstances or procedural concerns. Appeals received later are not considered, so you cannot appeal after receiving your result.
- Automatic fail: if the quality assurance team finds sufficient evidence of, for example, prepared notes or scripts or outside help, you fail regardless of your scores, and that cannot be appealed.
- Adjustments: the College's adjustments guide says you cannot appeal on the grounds of the adjustments offered once you are unsuccessful; disagreements must be raised as a review with your force before the assessment.
If you had already passed the online assessment with one force and were unsuccessful later, another force may accept that pass at its discretion. The full detail, including how to read your feedback report, is in what happens if you fail the police OAC.
Unsuccessful at the in-person force interview
Since 17 March 2026 regulation 10(1)(eb)(iv) requires every constable candidate (other than transferees) to pass an in-person interview with the force that meets the College's national standard. The format, questions and feedback arrangements are the force's. We found no College rule specific to interview resits, so the three-month default in the pre-employment guidance applies unless your force says otherwise.
Feedback is worth asking for. As one force's example, Devon and Cornwall Police's interview preparation guide says it commits to giving unsuccessful force interview candidates feedback within three weeks, from a member of the panel. Other forces set their own approach. Because the force interview tests the same Competency and Values Framework as the online assessment, the feedback report from your online assessment may also show which areas to work on.
See what happens if you fail the police interview for more, and practise with the free mock interview.
Medical and fitness decisions
Medical. Regulation 10(1)(d) requires a doctor approved by the local policing body to certify that you are fit for the duties. Home Office Circular 59/2004, still the published national medical standard, says candidates must not be excluded automatically on the basis of a medical condition or disability, each case must be assessed individually on its merits, and a medical rejection must be justified by the aspects of the job you could not do even with reasonable adjustments. The attached standards recommend deferral rather than rejection for some conditions, for example a recent hypoglycaemic episode, or a seizure within the past 18 months.
We found no national appeal route for recruitment medical decisions. Practical steps are to ask the force for the reasons, ask whether its occupational health process includes a review or second opinion, and offer further evidence from your GP or specialist about how your condition is managed. If the decision was a deferral, ask when you could reapply. See joining with a medical condition and mental health and neurodiversity.
Fitness. The College of Policing says completing the 15m multi-stage fitness test to level 5.4 is a requirement for recruitment. How many attempts you get, the gap between them and what happens after a final fail are set by each force. Our guide to failing the fitness test covers retakes, and the fitness pass predictor helps you judge where you are before the next attempt.
Vetting refusals, and problems after an offer
Since 13 July 2026 Part 1A of the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, inserted by SI 2026/653, gives police officer candidates statutory rights:
- Written reasons (reg 4F). If the force declines clearance, grants it with conditions, adds or varies a condition, or revokes it, it must give you detailed reasons in writing. It may withhold information on grounds listed in regulation 8(2), such as national security, the prevention or detection of crime, protecting an informant or witness, or the public interest.
- Appeal (reg 4G). You may appeal to a "vetting appeal decision maker" nominated by the force who was not involved in the decision. The only grounds are that the decision was unreasonable; that there is evidence which could not reasonably have been considered and could have materially affected it; or that procedural or other unfairness could have materially affected it. The force must uphold the appeal decision.
- Timing (regs 4B, 4C). You can only apply for vetting clearance after completing the four recruitment stages, and clearance must have been granted within the six months before your appointment. If your start date is postponed so that more than six months pass after clearance, you must reapply for clearance.
- Revocation (reg 4E). If the force decides you are no longer suitable after clearance is granted, for example because of a change in your circumstances, it must revoke clearance; that decision also carries reasons and an appeal.
The regulations do not set a deadline for appealing; your decision letter or the force's procedure should. The College guidance adds that the results of checks on relatives and associates are not disclosed to applicants, which can limit what the reasons tell you.
Whether reapplying later could succeed depends on the reason. A refusal for an outstanding county court judgment or a recent bankruptcy is different from one for an offence on the automatic list. The detail is in what happens if you fail vetting and how to appeal a police vetting decision.
What reapplying cannot change
A few outcomes are not cured by waiting three months and trying again:
- Automatic disqualification. Since 13 July 2026 regulation 10(1)(ha) and (2A) bar appointment of any candidate (other than a transferring officer) who has a conviction for which a court imposed a custodial sentence, is or has been subject to sex offender notification, has a conviction or caution for a listed offence in Schedule 3A or a conviction for attempting or conspiring to commit one, or has a conviction or caution for an offence involving domestic abuse. The regulation contains no time limit, and it applies in every force in England and Wales. See can I join the police with a criminal record.
- The two-year bar. The College guidance says severe inappropriate language or behaviour during the assessment elements means you cannot resit that stage for at least two years.
- Non-disclosure. The College guidance says that if an offence, caution or outstanding charge is found but was not declared, vetting is declined and the application discontinued. A new application would need to be fully honest and consistent with what you declared before.
- The national recruitment site's mandatory rejections also include being on the police barred list.
If you reapply, answer every question about previous applications, assessments, convictions, cautions and police contact fully and consistently with what you said before. Never leave out a past rejection or a matter you declared last time. An undeclared matter found at vetting ends an application under the College guidance.
Using the gap before you reapply
The College describes the three-month wait as time to develop. Ways people use it, none of which guarantees a different outcome:
- Work through your feedback report. For the sift and online assessment, the report shows your scores and what better-performing candidates did differently. Our STAR answer checker and CVF guide help with the competencies and values.
- Build real examples. The competency-based interview and the force interview ask how you have dealt with situations in the past. Work, caring, volunteering and community roles all produce examples.
- Volunteer. The national recruitment site says forces offer volunteer roles, from special constable to call handling. It says specials can apply to become paid constables in the usual way and that their experience will be valued. Service as a special constable or PCSO, for a period the chief officer specifies, is also on the Home Office list of experience a force can accept instead of a level 3 qualification for the apprenticeship and entry programme routes. See special constables and PCSO to police officer.
- Fix the fixable. A qualification, a credit file problem, a fitness level, or the evidence a doctor or occupational health asked for.
- Ask about adjustments. If a condition affected your performance and you did not ask for adjustments, raise it on the next application. See adjustments and neurodiversity.
Becoming a special or a PCSO is a commitment in its own right, with its own recruitment and vetting, and should not be treated as a shortcut. We do not publish success rates for repeat applicants because none is published by the College.
Myths about rejection and reapplying
- "If you fail, you have to wait six months." The College's default is three months, and forces can set their own. A six-month wait is still quoted in places, and the national recruitment site's eligibility checker asks about assessment centres in the last six months, but the College's current guides say three months. The six-month rule in the 2026 regulations is about how long vetting clearance lasts before appointment, not about reapplying.
- "You can only apply to the police twice in your life." The "twice" limit is on the sift and the online assessment process within 12 months. We found no lifetime limit on applications.
- "Apply to another force straight away and resit next week." You can apply elsewhere, but you cannot sit the online assessment process again within three months of your last attempt unless your force says otherwise, and only with one force at a time.
- "I can appeal my OAC score." Appeals must be made within 24 hours of taking the assessment, on extenuating circumstances or procedural concerns; you cannot appeal after receiving your result.
- "Vetting decisions are final and secret." Since 13 July 2026 candidates get detailed written reasons, subject to listed exceptions, and a right of appeal.
- "Waiting long enough clears any record." Automatic disqualification under regulation 10(2A) has no time limit.
- "A failed application is on a national blacklist." We found no national register of unsuccessful applicants. The police barred list, kept by the College of Policing under the Police Act 1996, is a separate list of former officers and staff dismissed from policing, or found that they would have been. Forces keep their own vetting records.
What to ask, and who to contact
Questions to put to the force after an unsuccessful application:
- At which stage was I unsuccessful, and what was the reason?
- Can I have feedback, and in what form?
- Is there an appeal or review route for this stage, and what is the deadline?
- When can I reapply to you, and when can I resit the sift or online assessment?
- Will you accept my online assessment pass, if I have one, on a new application?
- If my vetting was refused: what are the detailed reasons, and how do I appeal?
- If my medical was deferred: when can I be reassessed, and what evidence do you need?
Who to contact:
- The force recruitment team for feedback, waiting periods and appeals at the assessment and interview stages.
- The force vetting unit for vetting reasons and appeals.
- The force's occupational health provider, through recruitment, for medical decisions.
- recruit@college.police.uk for questions about the national sift or online assessment that the force cannot answer.
- A solicitor if you need advice on a conviction, caution or a vetting appeal.
What we could not verify
- Each force's waiting periods. The College's three-month default can be varied locally, and we have not checked all 43 forces.
- A deadline for national sift appeals. The online assessment guide says 24 hours; the sift guidance we read gives no time limit.
- A national appeal route for medical decisions. We found none; forces and their occupational health providers set their own processes.
- The deadline for vetting appeals. The regulations do not set one in the provisions we read; check your decision letter.
- How the 12-month period is counted for the two-attempt limit on the sift and online assessment process. The guides do not say.
- How long an online assessment pass stays valid for a new application. The College guide does not state a period.
- How forces record and use previous unsuccessful applications. We found no national rule beyond the two-year bar and the vetting rules.
- The national in-force interview standard. The College's adjustments guide refers to an in-force interview candidate preparation guide, but we could not find a public copy.
- The sift wording. The College online assessment guide still mentions an in-force sift as an alternative to the national sift, while the regulation now requires the national sift test; ask your force which applies.
This page is general information, not advice about your application. Your rejection letter, the force's instructions and the regulation text on legislation.gov.uk take priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
My police application was rejected. What should I do now?
Read the letter or email to see which stage you were unsuccessful at and whether it mentions feedback, an appeal or a wait before reapplying. Then ask the force for feedback, check any appeal deadline, and note the date: the College of Policing says you can normally reapply three months after the rejection letter unless the force tells you otherwise.
How long before I can reapply to the police?
The College of Policing pre-employment guidance says previous applicants can reapply three months after receiving their letter of rejection, unless the force they are continuing with says otherwise. Forces can decide locally. Separate College rules govern when you can resit the national sift and the online assessment process.
Can I reapply to the police after failing?
Usually, yes. Failing an assessment, the interview or the fitness test does not stop you applying again. The main exceptions are conduct that automatically disqualifies you under regulation 10(2A) of the Police Regulations 2003, and severe inappropriate language or behaviour during assessment, which the College says bars a resit of that stage for at least two years.
How many times can you apply to the police?
We found no lifetime limit on the number of applications. The limits are on the assessments: the College says you may attempt the national sift, and the online assessment process, no more than twice in a 12-month period, and with only one force at a time.
I failed the police sift. When can I reapply?
The College of Policing national sift guidance (updated 1 June 2026) says you may resit from three months after the date you completed the sift, no more than twice in 12 months, and you must complete both the situational judgement test and the behavioural styles questionnaire again.
When can I resit the police online assessment (OAC)?
The College online assessments candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) says you may resit from three months after the start date of your assessment window, no more than twice in a 12-month period, and you must complete all the exercises again.
Do you get feedback if your police application is unsuccessful?
For the national sift and online assessment process, yes: the College says you receive a personalised feedback report with your score. For the force interview and later stages, feedback is up to each force. One force, Devon and Cornwall Police, says it commits to giving unsuccessful interview candidates feedback within three weeks.
Can I appeal a failed police assessment?
Only on limited grounds. For the online assessment process, a written appeal about extenuating circumstances or procedural concerns must reach the force within 24 hours of taking the assessment. The national sift guidance says you cannot appeal on an unsuccessful result alone. An automatic fail cannot be appealed.
Can I apply to a different police force after being rejected?
Yes. The College says that, from its perspective, you can reapply or apply to a new force at any time after an unsuccessful application, but you cannot sit the online assessment process again within three months of your last attempt unless your force says otherwise. You may only sit the assessments with one force at a time.
Can I appeal if I fail police vetting?
Yes. Since 13 July 2026 the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 require the force to give candidates detailed written reasons for refusing, conditioning or revoking clearance, and allow an appeal to someone not involved in the decision on three grounds: unreasonable decision, new evidence, or unfairness. The appeal decision binds the force.
Can I appeal a police medical rejection?
We found no national appeal route for police recruitment medical decisions. Home Office standards say candidates must not be excluded automatically because of a condition and each case is assessed individually. Ask the force for its reasons and whether it has a review process, and offer further specialist evidence.
Does a previous unsuccessful application count against you?
We found no national rule saying it does, apart from the two-year bar for severe inappropriate behaviour at assessment and automatic disqualification for certain offences. Forms may ask about previous applications and assessment attempts, so answer accurately; inconsistent answers raise questions of their own.
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 including paragraph (2A), latest revised text — the four legal recruitment stages, automatic disqualification, vetting clearance as a condition of appointment (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653), regulation 15 — new Part 1A of the Vetting Regulations from 13 July 2026: six-month clearance and reapplying (4B, 4C), suitability (4D), revocation (4E), written reasons (4F), appeals (4G) (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/502), regulation 8 — the grounds on which a vetting authority may withhold information from its reasons (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) — the national application form, sift, online assessment process and force interview became legal stages on 17 March 2026 (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police constable pre-employment guidance (April 2024) — reapplying three months after a rejection letter, force discretion, one force at a time, twice in 12 months, two-year bar, relatives' checks not disclosed (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) — resit timing, feedback report, 24-hour appeals, extenuating circumstances, automatic fail, transferring a pass (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) — sift resit timing, feedback report with score and percentile comparison, appeals, extenuating circumstances (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Sift and online assessment process (updated 21 July 2026) — result and feedback report after the sift and after the online assessment process (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations guide for online assessments candidates (updated 25 August 2026) — reviews of adjustment decisions before the assessment; no appeal on the grounds of adjustments afterwards (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 59/2004: National recruitment standards, medical standards for police recruitment — no automatic exclusion for a condition, individual assessment, rejection to be justified; deferral recommended for some conditions in the attached standards (accessed 1 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Job-related fitness standards — completing the 15m multi-stage fitness test to level 5.4 is a requirement for recruitment (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 002/2024, Annex BA (amendments): policing qualifications and experience — special constable, PCSO and police employment service among the experience a chief officer may accept (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police (national recruitment site): Am I eligible to apply? (previous applications) — apply to more than one force; online assessment with one force; twice in 12 months; transfer at force discretion (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police: Common questions — special constables can apply to be paid constables in the usual way; volunteering opportunities (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Joining the Police: What's involved in the vetting process? — mandatory rejections and the matters most likely to lead to clearance being declined (accessed 1 October 2026)
- Devon and Cornwall Police: Force interviews, Competency and Values Framework preparation guide (2024) — one force's example: feedback to unsuccessful interview candidates within three weeks (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.