Police Online Assessment
Centre Interview
Questions UK
A UK guide to the police Online Assessment Centre interview: what the College of Policing says it involves, practice questions, video interview preparation, CVF behaviours, STAR answer structure, common mistakes and how to practise before the real OAC.
New to the OAC? Start with our full process overview first.
Trust Notice
PolicePay is an independent explanatory resource. The facts on this page come from the College of Policing online assessment candidate guide and its Competency and Values Framework (CVF), listed under Sources at the foot of the page. The practice questions, pacing suggestions and answer examples are PolicePay advice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or official guidance from the College of Policing, Home Office, or any UK police force.
What questions are asked in the police Online Assessment Centre?
The police OAC interview has five competency-based questions about how you have handled situations in the past, using examples from work or personal life. You get 60 seconds of thinking time and up to 300 seconds to record each answer, and you are assessed against the Competency and Values Framework (Level 1 for initial recruitment). The College of Policing suggests STAR. The questions further down this page are practice questions written by PolicePay, not real OAC questions.
A strong police OAC answer should:
- Answer the exact question asked
- Use a real life example
- Follow the STAR method
- Focus on "I" not "we"
- Link clearly to a CVF value
- Include a clear result
- Show personal reflection
- Stay within the time limit
Try one out loud. Answer a practice question free and get a scored result in about a minute. No account. Answer a question free
Guide Directory
What Is the Police Online Assessment Centre?
The police Online Assessment Centre, often shortened to OAC, is stage three of the four-stage recruitment process that all forces in England and Wales must now use for police constables (national application form, online sifting tests, online assessment, face-to-face interview with your force). It has three exercises: a competency-based interview (five questions), a written exercise and a briefing exercise (12 questions). The situational judgement test belongs to the earlier national sift, not the OAC. For the full picture see the OAC explained guide.
Key Realities:
- The exercises are set nationally by the College of Policing. Your force sets your assessment window and deadline. No pass mark is published.
- You are assessed against the Competency and Values Framework, not on knowledge of the law or policing.
- You do not need prior knowledge of policing, the law or police procedures.
- The interview asks how you have dealt with situations before, using examples from work or personal life.
- Prepared notes or scripts are not allowed. You can make notes on the platform during the exercises.
The OAC is not testing whether you can sound like a police officer. It is testing whether you can show the values, judgement and communication expected of someone suitable to become one.
What the Police OAC Interview Assesses
According to the College of Policing candidate guide, the OAC interview exercise assesses courage, public service and respect and empathy (three CVF values) and the competencies we take ownership and we are innovative and open-minded. The table below is our practical translation of those themes into what to show in an answer. It is not the College marking scheme.
| Assessment Area | What It Means | What to Show (our advice) |
|---|---|---|
| Respect and Empathy | Treating everyone with dignity and understanding perspectives. | Active listening and adapting to vulnerable people. |
| Courage | Doing the right thing even when it is difficult. | Challenging poor behaviour and admitting mistakes. |
| Public Service | Putting the needs of the community and victims first. | Professionalism and a clear problem-solving focus. |
| Communication | Giving information clearly and checking understanding. | Concise, clear delivery and non-verbal awareness. |
| Responsibility | Taking ownership of tasks and their outcomes. | Clear "I" language and following through to a result. |
| Problem-solving | Identifying issues and acting to resolve them. | Evidence of thought, judgement and positive results. |
| Reflection | Evaluating your own performance and learning. | Honest appraisal of what could be improved next time. |
| Timing | Managing the timed response window (60 seconds thinking, up to 300 seconds answering). | Completing the STAR story before the cutoff. |
In our view, a weak answer is usually weak because the example is vague, too long, not personal enough, or does not clearly show the behaviour being assessed, rather than because the example itself was poor.
The Police OAC
Question Bank
These are practice questions written by PolicePay around the CVF values. They are illustrative and are not real OAC questions: the College does not publish the live question set, so real wording will differ.
General OAC Questions
Foundational competency questions focusing on general suitability.
Tell us about a time you helped someone who needed support.
Tell us about a time you dealt with a difficult person.
Tell us about a time you worked under pressure.
Tell us about a time you made a difficult decision.
Tell us about a time you challenged inappropriate behaviour.
Tell us about a time you took responsibility for solving a problem.
Tell us about a time you adapted your communication style.
Tell us about a time you acted fairly.
Tell us about a time you learned from feedback.
Tell us about a time you put others first.
Category: Respect and Empathy
Focus on listening, understanding and treating people with dignity.
Tell us about a time you supported someone from a different background.
Tell us about a time you listened carefully before making a decision.
Tell us about a time you helped someone who was vulnerable.
Tell us about a time you adapted how you communicated.
Tell us about a time you treated someone with dignity in a difficult situation.
Tell us about a time you resolved a misunderstanding.
Tell us about a time you recognised someone else’s perspective.
Tell us about a time you challenged your own assumptions.
Category: Courage
Focus on doing the right thing and challenging behaviour.
Tell us about a time you challenged behaviour you felt was wrong.
Tell us about a time you spoke up even though it was uncomfortable.
Tell us about a time you admitted a mistake.
Tell us about a time you made a difficult but fair decision.
Tell us about a time you escalated a concern.
Tell us about a time you dealt with conflict.
Tell us about a time you took responsibility when something went wrong.
Tell us about a time you had to be honest with someone.
Category: Public Service
Focus on professionalism and community impact.
Tell us about a time you put the needs of others first.
Tell us about a time you improved a service or process.
Tell us about a time you went beyond what was expected.
Tell us about a time you helped a customer, colleague or community.
Tell us about a time you remained professional under pressure.
Tell us about a time you solved a problem that affected others.
Tell us about a time you acted in the public interest.
Tell us about a time you took pride in doing something properly.
Reading OAC questions helps.
Practising a timed answer wins.
Reading OAC questions helps, but practising a timed answer is what reveals whether your STAR structure, CVF evidence and delivery are strong enough.
How to Answer On Camera
In the OAC interview you get 60 seconds of thinking time that is not recorded, then up to 300 seconds to record your answer, and a recorded assessor reads the question. This creates pressure even when the question itself is simple.
Tactical Video Tips:
- Look at the camera, not around the room
- Speak clearly and calmly
- Do not read a script
- Use STAR as a mental structure
- Keep the Situation brief
- Finish with Result and learning
- Stop when the answer is complete
- Practise with a timer
There is no live assessor in the OAC interview, so nobody can ask you to clarify or expand. If you spend too long on the background story, you may run out of time before you have shown what you did.
| Video Interview Issue | Why it Hurts the Answer | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Over-explaining the background | Wastes time needed for personal action evidence. | Cap the Situation to 30 seconds max. |
| Looking away constantly | Can look like reading from notes, which are not allowed. | Treat the camera lens as the assessor's eyes. |
| Speaking too quickly | Hard for an assessor to follow your reasoning. | Use deliberate pauses between STAR sections. |
| Sounding memorised | Can sound unnatural. Prepared notes or scripts are not allowed and may risk an automatic fail. | Know your examples well. Do not bring or read a script. Notes you make on the platform during the exercise are allowed. |
| Running out of time | Can cut off the Result and reflection. | Practise with a timer so you know roughly how long your answer runs. |
| Using "we" too much | Assessors are marking you, so they need to see what you did. | Strictly use "I decided", "I noticed", "I said". |
Answer Structure: The STAR Method
The College of Policing suggests the STAR method for the OAC interview, and it also helps you use a fixed time window well.
Suggested Pacing for a 3-Minute Answer (our advice):
20 - 30 Secs
20 - 30 Secs
90 - 120 Secs
30 - 40 Secs
The Action section should usually be the longest part. This is where you show what you personally did. The official limit is up to 300 seconds per interview question, so three minutes leaves you a safety margin. This pacing is our suggestion, not a College rule.
| STAR Section | What to Include | What to Avoid | Useful Phrases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Situation | Context, role and the initial problem. | Irrelevant history or long intros. | "I was working at..." |
| Task | Your specific goal or responsibility. | The team's goal only. | "I was responsible for..." |
| Action | Specific decisions, words and logic. | "We did this" or vague "I helped". | "I noticed...", "I decided..." |
| Result | Outcome, impact and your learning. | No ending or "it just got better". | "The result was...", "I learned..." |
Illustrative Example:
Weak vs Strong
Practice question: Tell us about a time you helped someone who was vulnerable.
Both answers are invented by PolicePay to show structure. They are not real candidate answers and were not scored.
"I was at work and someone was upset, so we helped them and made sure they were okay. We spoke to them for a bit and they felt better after a while."
Why this fails:
- - Too vague / generic
- - Uses "we" constantly
- - No clear personal action
- - No clear result
"I noticed the person was becoming increasingly distressed and was struggling to explain what they needed. I moved the conversation to a quieter area, used simple questions, gave them time to speak and checked my understanding before offering options. I then contacted the appropriate support service and stayed with them until they felt calmer."
Why this wins:
- - Shows Respect and Empathy
- - High personal "I" ownership
- - Clear communication choices
- - Professional judgement shown
Want to know if your own OAC answer is strong enough?
Practise it in the simulator and unlock CVF-style feedback.
Get CVF Feedback →OAC vs In-Person Interview
| Area | OAC / Online Assessment Centre | In-Person Interview |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Interview and briefing exercises are recorded; the written exercise is typed. No live assessor. | Stage four, run by your force. Format and panel size are set by the force, so check your invitation. |
| Timing | Fixed on-screen timings (interview: 60 seconds thinking, up to 300 seconds answering). | Set by your force. |
| Follow-up questions | None. A recorded assessor reads the question. | Possible. A live interviewer may ask follow-up questions. |
| Delivery Style | Speaking to a camera, structured. | Conversation with a live interviewer. |
| How to Practise | Recording yourself and using a timer (our advice). | Practising with a friend who can ask follow-up questions (our advice). See the in-person interview guide. |
If your answer is vague in an in-person interview, an interviewer may ask a follow-up. In a recorded OAC answer nobody can, so make your answer stand on its own.
Choosing the Right Examples
You do not need police experience or knowledge of the law. The College says the interview uses examples from work or personal life, so good examples can come from normal life, work or study if they show the right behaviour.
| Example Source | Best CVF Value to Show | Example Situation | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail / Customer Service | Public Service | De-escalating a frustrated customer. | Focusing too much on company policy. |
| Care Work | Respect and Empathy | Supporting a patient with complex needs. | Breaching confidentiality in the story. |
| Security | Courage | Intervening in a physical confrontation. | Sounding too aggressive or "bouncery". |
| Volunteering | Public Service | Organising a community project. | Lacking a specific, measurable result. |
| University / College | Ownership | Managing a group project disagreement. | Focusing on "we" instead of "I". |
| Sport / Team Activity | Courage | Sticking to a decision under pressure. | Being too "competitive" or aggressive. |
Common Police OAC Mistakes
Preparing a script. Prepared notes or scripts are not allowed and evidence of them may risk an automatic fail.
Not answering the specific question asked.
Using 'we' instead of taking personal ownership with 'I'.
Spending most of the answer on the 'Situation' background.
Giving no measurable or specific result to the story.
Failing to make the CVF value or competency being assessed obvious.
Sounding robotic or not looking at the camera.
Rushing the Action phase because you noticed the timer too late.
Choosing an example that is too complicated to explain in the time you have.
Giving a hypothetical 'I would' answer instead of a real 'I did' example.
Trying to sound like an experienced police officer using jargon.
Failing to show reflection or what you learned from the situation.
In our view the best answers are not the most dramatic. They are the clearest, most structured and easiest to assess.
7-Day OAC Preparation Plan
Understand CVF Values & OAC Format
Read the College of Policing OAC candidate guide, the CVF and your force's email about your assessment window.
Choose Six Key Examples
Two for Respect, two for Courage, two for Public Service/Ownership.
Build STAR Bullet Points
Draft a clear Situation, Task, Action and Result for every example.
Practise Out Loud
Talk through your answers without reading. Focus on flow and confidence.
Time Every Answer
Aim for a steady three-minute answer, comfortably inside the 300-second limit.
Record & Review
Record yourself on camera. Review clarity, pace and ownership language.
Full Mock OAC Session
Do a final timed run using a simulator to get feedback.
Practise Before
The Real OAC
Once you start an OAC exercise you cannot restart it, so you only get one attempt. Reading question lists is useful, but it does not tell you whether your own answer is structured, timed and clear enough.
Timed Practice
Practise with a 3-minute timer. The real OAC interview allows up to 300 seconds per answer.
CVF Analysis
Get feedback on which values your answer evidences.
Ownership Check
Flags 'we' versus 'I' language so your own actions are clear.
Full CVF Feedback Pass: £24.99 for 30 days or £39.99 for 90 days
Interview and assessment centre updates
New interview practice questions and model answers, by email
Leave your email and we will tell you when we publish new free interview practice questions and model answers, and when the assessment centre or interview format changes. Occasional emails, written by hand. Unsubscribe any time.
Sent by a person when there is news, not on a schedule. Unsubscribe any time. See our privacy policy.
OAC Interview
Questions FAQ
What questions are asked in the police Online Assessment Centre?
The OAC interview exercise has five competency-based questions about how you have dealt with situations in the past, using examples from work or personal life. You are assessed against the Competency and Values Framework, whose three values are courage, respect and empathy, and public service. The College of Policing suggests the STAR method for structuring answers. The practice questions on this page are written by PolicePay and are not real OAC questions.
How do I pass the police Online Assessment Centre?
Prepare real examples, understand the CVF values, structure answers using STAR, practise out loud, time your answers and focus on what you personally did. No pass mark or pass rate is published: you must meet the national standard set by the College of Policing, and your feedback report gives an overall score for each exercise.
What is a police OAC interview?
The OAC interview is one of the three exercises in the Online Assessment Centre, alongside a written exercise and a briefing exercise. You answer five competency-based questions by webcam. For each question you get 60 seconds of thinking time that is not recorded, then up to 300 seconds to record your answer. A recorded assessor reads each question, so there is no live interviewer. The face-to-face interview with your force is a separate, later stage.
Are police OAC questions the same as in-person interview questions?
They can be similar because both are assessed against CVF behaviours. The main difference is delivery. OAC interview answers are recorded against a timer with no follow-up questions, while the in-person interview is run by your force and may allow follow-up questions. Check your force invitation for how it runs its interview.
How long should a police OAC answer be?
In the OAC interview exercise you get 60 seconds of thinking time and then up to 300 seconds to record each answer. In the briefing exercise each question has 60 seconds of thinking time and 180 seconds to answer. Our practice timer uses three minutes, which leaves margin under the 300-second limit; that pacing is our suggestion, not a College rule. Keep the Situation and Task brief, spend most time on Action and end with Result and reflection.
Can I use non-police examples in the OAC?
Yes. The College of Policing says you do not need prior knowledge of policing or the law, and the interview asks for examples from work or personal life. Examples from work, education, volunteering, sport, caring responsibilities or community situations can work if they show clear personal action and relevant values.
What is the STAR method for police OAC answers?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result, and the College of Policing suggests it for the OAC interview. It helps you explain what happened, what your responsibility was, what you personally did and what changed as a result.
What is the biggest mistake in police OAC answers?
In our view the most common mistake is giving vague answers that describe what 'we' did rather than what 'I' did. Assessors are marking you, so make your own behaviour, decisions and reflection clear.
Are police video interview questions difficult?
The questions ask about situations from your own life, but the timed, recorded format can feel pressured, and you cannot restart an exercise once you have started it. Practising structured answers out loud is our advice for getting used to speaking to a camera.
Is this guide official police recruitment guidance?
No. PolicePay is an independent resource. The factual points come from the College of Policing online assessment candidate guide and Competency and Values Framework, and the advice and practice questions are ours. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the College of Policing, Home Office or any police force.
Interview Questions & Answers
Deep dive into general recruitment questions.
5 min readMock Interview Simulator
Practise with timed feedback.
5 min readOAC Explained
Stage-by-stage guide from the College of Policing candidate guide.
5 min readPCEP Explained
The non-degree entry route.
5 min readVetting Hub
Understand the security check process.
5 min readFitness Hub
Master the 5.4 bleep test.
5 min readStarting Salary
What you'll earn from day one.
5 min readLast reviewed 30 September 2026
Sources for the factual points on this page: College of Policing online assessment candidate guide (updated July 2026) · College of Policing, police constable recruitment regulations change (17 March 2026) · College of Policing Competency and Values Framework · College of Policing online assessment candidate FAQs v2.2. Coaching tips, pacing suggestions and sample answers are PolicePay advice and are not official.
Methodology & Independence Notice
This guide is based on the College of Policing online assessment candidate guide and Competency and Values Framework (CVF). PolicePay is independent and is not affiliated with the College of Policing, Home Office or any police force. Your force sets your assessment window, deadline and results timeline. This content does not constitute legal advice or official recruitment guidance.