Police Interview Preparation
7-Day and 14-Day Plans
A practical, day-by-day way to prepare for a police recruitment interview in England and Wales: the College of Policing's online assessment (OAC) interview and the in-person interview with your force. It covers what to read first, how to build real examples, when to practise out loud and how to tell whether you are improving.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 20 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Read the official guidance for your interview, choose six to eight real examples that show the 2024 CVF values (courage, respect and empathy, public service), learn four memory hooks for each rather than a script and practise out loud with STAR every day, fixing one gap at a time. One to two weeks of short daily practice is plenty for most people. No plan guarantees a result.
First, which interview are you preparing for?
Since 17 March 2026, constable candidates in England and Wales (other than transferees) must pass the national sift, the College of Policing's online assessment and an in-person interview with the force. The two interviews test the same framework but work differently and your plan should reflect that.
| OAC interview | In-person force interview | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | The College of Policing, for every force in England and Wales | Your force |
| Format | Five recorded questions, no live interviewer | A live panel; forces that publish their format describe two or three people |
| Timing | 60 seconds to think, then up to 5 minutes per answer; about 40 minutes in total | Set by the force: Dorset says up to 40 minutes, Derbyshire about 45 |
| Notes | No notes or scripts prepared beforehand (risk of automatic fail); notes made after you see each question are allowed | Set by the force: Devon and Cornwall gives 10 minutes with the questions and lets you take those notes in |
| Follow-up questions | None | Often |
| What it assesses | Courage, public service, respect and empathy, we take ownership, we are innovative and open-minded (competencies at level 1) | CVF-based questions set by the force; may include motivation and scenario questions |
If you are preparing for the whole online assessment, including the written and briefing exercises, use the OAC preparation plan instead; this page is about the interview. PCSO, special constable and police staff interviews follow the force pattern.
Try one out loud. Answer a practice question free and get a scored result in about a minute. No account. Practise in the free police mock interview
Rules your preparation must respect
- No prepared notes or scripts in the OAC. The College says using notes or scripts prepared beforehand may lead to an automatic fail. Notes you make after seeing each question are allowed. So practise until you need no notes.
- Real examples only. Honesty is part of what is assessed and invented examples fall apart under follow-up questions.
- Use the 2024 framework. Older material lists integrity, impartiality and transparency as values. The current values are courage; respect and empathy; public service.
- Do not share or record assessment content. The College's live questions are confidential. Any practice questions you use, including ours, are not the real ones.
- Ask early about adjustments. If you need a reasonable adjustment, ask your force before the assessment. See OAC tech and adjustments.
Before day 1: what you need
- Your interview date and for the OAC your assessment window.
- The College's candidate guide (OAC) or your force's interview guide and invitation (force interview).
- A notebook for examples and scores.
- A phone timer and somewhere you can talk out loud.
- The free police mock interview for scored practice (up to 5 free scored answers a day) and the free STAR answer checker for written drafts.
The 14-day police interview preparation plan
About 30 to 60 minutes a day. This is our suggested plan, not an official one. Move days around to fit your life; keep the order (examples first, then out-loud practice, then full runs).
| Day | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Read the official guidance: the College's candidate guide (OAC) or your force's interview guide and invitation. Note the timings and the notes rules. | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Day 2 | Read the three values and two interview competencies in plain English. List ten real situations from your life. | 45 minutes |
| Day 3 | Choose your six to eight best examples. For each, write four memory hooks (one per STAR part) and the hardest moment. | 1 hour |
| Day 4 | First scored answer: answer one question per value out loud in the mock interview. Write down each score and main gap. | 30 minutes |
| Day 5 | Fix the main gap in your weakest answer. Answer the same question again. | 30 minutes |
| Day 6 | Ownership and innovation examples: practise a mistake you owned and something you improved. | 30 minutes |
| Day 7 | Rest day or light review of your memory hooks only. | 10 minutes |
| Day 8 | Full-length runs: one answer of up to five minutes with your own timer, with 60 seconds of thinking first. | 30 minutes |
| Day 9 | Different wordings: answer three new questions using examples from your bank, to practise adapting. | 30 minutes |
| Day 10 | Force interview prep: rehearse your motivation answers (why policing, why this force) and read about your force. | 45 minutes |
| Day 11 | Follow-ups: ask a friend to probe one example with "why?", "what else could you have done?" and "what would you change?". | 30 minutes |
| Day 12 | Scenario questions: answer three "what would you do if" questions out loud. | 30 minutes |
| Day 13 | Mock run: five questions back to back, timed, without notes. Score each in the mock interview. | 1 hour |
| Day 14 | Light review only. Check equipment (OAC) or travel and documents (force interview). Sleep. | 20 minutes |
Say your answers out loud every practice day. Reading answers in your head feels like preparation but does not build the skill of telling an example clearly under a timer. joiningthepolice suggests recording yourself; a scored practice answer does the same job and tells you the main gap.
Want unlimited scored practice through the plan?
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The 7-day plan
About 45 to 60 minutes a day. The same steps, compressed. Skip nothing in days 1 and 2: choosing real examples is the foundation.
| Day | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Read the official guidance and timings. List ten real situations; choose your best six. | 1 hour |
| Day 2 | Memory hooks for each example. First scored answer for each value in the mock interview. | 1 hour |
| Day 3 | Fix the main gap in your two weakest answers and answer again. Practise one ownership example. | 45 minutes |
| Day 4 | Full-length timed runs (60 seconds to think, up to 5 minutes to answer) for two examples. Try new wordings. | 45 minutes |
| Day 5 | Force interview: motivation answers and force research. Have someone ask follow-ups on one example. | 45 minutes |
| Day 6 | Mock run: five questions back to back, timed, without notes. | 1 hour |
| Day 7 | Light review, equipment or travel check, early night. | 20 minutes |
If you only have 48 hours
- Hour 1: read the official guidance for your interview: timings, notes rules, what is assessed.
- Hour 2: choose five real examples: one each for courage, respect and empathy, public service, a mistake you owned and something you improved.
- Hours 3 and 4: answer one question per example out loud, get a practice score for each and fix the biggest gap in each.
- Day 2: one timed mock run of five answers without notes, then rest. For a force interview, add your "why policing, why this force" answer.
Do not try to learn everything. Five well-chosen, well-practised examples beat twenty half-remembered ones.
How to tell whether you are improving
- Same question, higher practice score after fixing the main gap is the clearest sign.
- More of your time on the action. Time your situation and task: together they should be well under a minute.
- Fewer "we"s. Listen back to a recording and count them.
- A real learning point at the end of every answer.
- You can answer a new wording with an example from your bank without freezing.
The practice score is our AI's judgement against the published framework, not the official marking. The College does not publish its scoring scale or pass mark: see how the police OAC is marked.
The day before and on the day
- Check your device, browser, camera, microphone and connection against the College's requirements.
- Book a quiet room for about an hour; tell people not to disturb you.
- Put away anything you prepared. Have blank paper for notes you make after each question.
- Know your assessment window and deadline.
- Re-read your invitation: time, place, length, any preparation time and what to bring.
- Plan travel with time to spare. See what to wear and bring.
- Review your motivation answer and one fact about the force's area.
- Expect follow-ups: what panels ask next.
What not to spend time on
- Learning police law or procedure. Constable recruitment does not expect it.
- Collecting lists of "real questions". The live questions are confidential and lists online are guesses or out of date.
- Memorising model answers. They are someone else's example and scripts are banned in the OAC.
- Fitting in CVF buzzwords. Devon and Cornwall's guide says buzzwords do not score.
- Dozens of new questions a day. Re-answering one question better teaches more.
Interview and assessment centre updates
New interview practice questions and model answers, by email
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What we could not verify
- How long successful candidates prepare. Nobody publishes it; the plans here are our suggestion.
- Every force's interview format. We cite Derbyshire, Devon and Cornwall and Dorset; check your own force.
- Any link between practice scores and real results. None is published.
PolicePay is independent of the College of Policing, the Home Office and every police force. Sources were read on 20 October 2026. Your force's instructions take priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I prepare for a police interview?
There is no official preparation period. Our suggestion is one to two weeks of short daily practice: long enough to choose real examples, rehearse them out loud and fix the gaps a practice score shows. If you have less time, focus on choosing examples and saying them aloud.
How do I prepare for the police OAC interview?
Read the College of Policing's candidate guide, learn the timings (60 seconds to think, up to five minutes per answer, five questions), choose real examples that show courage, respect and empathy, public service, ownership and openness to new ideas and practise saying them aloud with STAR. Do not prepare notes or scripts to use in the assessment: the College says that can lead to an automatic fail.
How do I prepare for the in-person force interview?
Read your force's interview guide and invitation for the length, format and notes rules. Prepare CVF examples as for the OAC, plus answers about why you want to join and why this force and practise follow-up questions, because a live panel can probe your answers. Some forces also ask scenario questions.
Should I memorise my answers?
No. Memorise the examples and four memory hooks for each, not the words. Scripted answers sound flat, break down when a question is worded differently and prepared notes or scripts are banned in the online assessment.
Is the mock interview score a good measure of progress?
It is a useful practice signal: if the same question scores higher after you fix your main gap, your answer has probably improved. It is not the official marking, which the College does not publish, so do not treat any score as a prediction.
Can I prepare for a police interview with no work experience?
Yes. The College says examples from work and personal life are acceptable and no policing knowledge is needed. School, college, sport, volunteering, caring and family life all count.
What should I do the day before?
Light review of your memory hooks only, then check the practical side: for the OAC, your device, connection, quiet room and assessment window; for a force interview, the time, place, travel, documents and what to wear. Then rest.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 20 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- College of Policing: Online assessment process candidate guide (updated 21 July 2026) : five questions; 60 seconds thinking and 300 seconds answering; areas assessed; STAR; notes rules and automatic fail; work and personal life examples; no policing knowledge needed (accessed 20 October 2026)
- College of Policing: CVF values and competencies (first published 8 May 2024) : three values and six competencies; competencies at level 1 for constable recruitment (accessed 20 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: What does the competency-based interview (CBI) involve? : about 40 minutes; suggests recording yourself to practise (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 10, latest text : since 17 March 2026 constable candidates (other than transferees) must pass an in-person force interview (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Derbyshire Constabulary: In-force interview preparation guide (2022, PDF) : about 45 minutes; past, future and exploratory questions; follow-ups (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Devon and Cornwall Police: Force interviews, CVF preparation guide (2024, PDF) : panel of two; 10 minutes with the questions; notes can be taken in; buzzwords do not score (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Dorset Police: Police officer selection process : force interview up to 40 minutes (accessed 20 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 20 October 2026.