Police Scotland
Application Form
A section-by-section walk through Police Scotland's two-part application form, built from the example form on its candidate portal: what each question asks, the word limits, what to have ready and a worked outline of the 800-word personal statement written for an invented applicant.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Part 1 is an eligibility assessment: screening questions on age, licence, residency, right to work, tattoos and previous applications or service, reasonable adjustments and three posting preferences. Part 2 is the main form: about you, previous applications and service, tattoos with photos, business interests, a personal statement (aim for 800 words), a values question (400 words maximum), any other information (200 words), a previous-applicant question if you applied before (200 words), 5 years of employment with reference contacts, qualifications and a declaration.
How the Police Scotland application works
You apply by creating an account on Police Scotland's candidate portal and filling in the application. Police Scotland describes the process as personal: "Our application process is different for each person... It's up to you how quickly you complete each step." The current Police Officer vacancy (ID 613) showed a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 23:55 when we checked.
Police Scotland publishes an example of the whole form on its portal, which is worth reading in full before you start. This guide follows its order. The form is in two parts:
| Part | Section | What it asks | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Eligibility screening | Age, driving licence, residency, right to work, tattoos, previous application, previous police service | Yes or no style screening |
| Part 1 | Employment monitoring | Equality monitoring questions | Optional answers |
| Part 1 | Reasonable adjustments | Any support you need at each stage; reviewed before the main form | As much detail as you can |
| Part 1 | Posting preferences | Three location preferences | Three choices |
| Part 2 | About you | Residency, right to work and other eligibility details | Factual |
| Part 2 | Previous applications and service | Earlier police applications and the stage reached; previous service as a police officer, special constable or in the military | Factual |
| Part 2 | Tattoos | Description, location and a photo of every tattoo | Photos required |
| Part 2 | Business interests | Any business interest you have or are likely to acquire | Factual |
| Part 2 | Personal statement | Why you want to join, your skills and attributes and your development journey | Aim for 800 words |
| Part 2 | Values question | Your personal values and how you practise them | Max 400 words |
| Part 2 | Any other information | Anything else you want to add | Max 200 words |
| Part 2 | Previous applicant question | What you have done since and how you used feedback (only if you applied before) | Max 200 words |
| Part 2 | Employment | Jobs for the last 5 years with reference contacts; character references if no employment history | 5 years |
| Part 2 | Qualifications | Your qualifications (no minimum is required) | Factual |
| Part 2 | Declaration | Confirming the information is accurate | Tick and submit |
The long answers are not a formality. They are your first chance to show your motivation, what you expect of the job, how you have prepared and your skills, experience and values, in your own words. Treat the statement and values answer as seriously as the PSET.
Before you start: check the hard rules
Part 1 screens you out if you do not meet a published rule, so check them before you invest an evening in the form. The main ones:
- 18 or over;
- lived in the UK for at least three years;
- if not a UK or EEA national, indefinite leave to remain or equivalent at the point of application (time-limited visas do not meet the rule);
- a manual driving licence and the DVLA's group 2 medical standards, with no more than 6 points;
- none of the listed offences, no current trust deed (or under 12 months since discharge), no sequestration or bankruptcy in the last 3 years and no defaulted accounts totalling £1,000 or more.
Our free eligibility checker runs through these in about 2 minutes. The full rules are in the eligibility requirements guide.
Part 1: the eligibility assessment
Part 1 is a set of screening questions. Police Scotland's example lists them as covering:
- Age (18 or over).
- Driving licence (manual licence held; points).
- Residency (at least three years in the UK).
- Right to work (including indefinite leave if you are not a UK or EEA national).
- Tattoos (whether you have any).
- Previous application to Police Scotland.
- Previous police service.
If you answer in a way that does not meet the criteria, you cannot continue to the main form. Police Scotland says that if you fail pre-screening you can reapply when you meet the criteria. If you answered a screening question wrongly by mistake, Police Scotland asks you to email the recruitment team so it can be corrected, rather than leaving it.
Part 1 also includes employment monitoring questions (Police Scotland says these are not visible to assessors), reasonable adjustments and your three posting preferences, covered next.
Reasonable adjustments: ask in part 1
Reasonable adjustment requests go in the eligibility assessment and are reviewed before you reach the main form, so support can be in place for the PSET, the fitness test and the assessment day. Police Scotland's adjustments page names neurodivergent conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and ADHD.
- Give as much detail as you can about the support you need at each stage.
- You do not have to disclose a disability, but you cannot get an adjustment for something you have not raised.
- If your circumstances change later, contact the recruitment team.
Police Scotland does not publish what specific adjustments (for example extra time in the PSET) are given, so describe what helps you and let the team decide.
Your three posting preferences
You give three posting location preferences in part 1. Police Scotland has 13 local policing divisions, from Greater Glasgow and Edinburgh to Highland and Islands. Police Scotland does not promise a particular posting.
Things to weigh when choosing:
- Probation lasts 2 years, most of it in response policing on shifts, so travel time to a station matters every day.
- Islands postings carry a national Islands Allowance (four rates from £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year from 1 April 2026).
- Police Scotland's rejoiner page mentions particular interest in rural and remote postings in Argyll and Highlands and Islands; we do not know whether that applies to new officers.
Part 2: the main application form
The main form opens once you pass part 1. Section by section:
About you
Information to verify your residency, right to work and other eligibility details. Answer exactly as your documents show: vetting confirms it later.
Previous applications and previous service
Any earlier applications to Police Scotland and how far you got, plus any service as a police officer, special constable or in the military. If you have applied before, the previous-applicant question appears later.
Tattoos
A description of each tattoo, where it is and photos of every one. Police Scotland says each case is considered on its own merits. A Recruitment Officer reviews them and if a tattoo does not align with policy you may be asked to have it altered before an offer. See tattoos and appearance.
Business interests
Regulation 5 requires you to notify the chief constable of any business interest you have or are likely to acquire. That includes any other employment for gain, living where a family member keeps a shop in Scotland and holding (or a family member holding) a liquor, betting and gaming or public entertainment licence in Scotland. Constables need consent to hold one.
Personal statement, values question and short answers
The heart of the form, covered in detail in the next sections.
Employment, qualifications and declaration
Your last 5 years of employment with reference contacts, your qualifications (no minimum) and a declaration that the information is accurate.
The personal statement: aim for 800 words
Police Scotland's example form asks you to aim for 800 words and to give as much information as you can. It asks you to cover three things:
- why you want to join as a police officer;
- the skills and attributes that make you suitable;
- the "development journey" that led you to apply, drawing on work (paid or voluntary), education or other experience.
A practical split for 800 words (our suggestion, not an official template):
| Section | Roughly | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Why Police Scotland, why now | 200 words | The moment or experience that started it, what you did to understand the job (events, conversations, reading about shifts and probation) and why this point in your life |
| Skills and attributes | 350 words | Three or four skills that matter in the job, each with a short real example: situation, what you did, the result |
| Development journey | 250 words | How work, volunteering, study or life has prepared you, including a setback and what you learned |
Police Scotland assesses the whole selection process against its Competency and Values Framework (CVF). Its six competencies are a useful map for choosing skills: We are emotionally aware; We take ownership; We are collaborative; We deliver, support and inspire; We analyse critically; We are innovative and open-minded. Naming the competency your example shows can help the reader, but the example is what matters.
Could another applicant have written it? If yes, replace it with something only you could say: a place, a person you helped, a number, a decision you made. Specific beats impressive.
A worked statement outline (invented applicant)
Below is an outline with example paragraphs for an invented applicant, "Jamie", who works in a supermarket and volunteers with a youth football team. It shows the structure and level of detail, not words to copy. Your statement must be about your own life: Police Scotland says applications should be in your own words.
"I first thought seriously about policing after a Saturday shift two years ago, when an elderly customer became confused and could not remember where she lived. I stayed with her, kept her calm and called the police. The officer who came spent twenty minutes talking to her before she would get in the car. What struck me was not the uniform but the patience."
"Since then I have tried to understand what the job is really like. I attended a Police Scotland recruitment event, spoke to two officers about response shifts and read about the two-year probation. I know I would work nights, weekends and public holidays, often with people on the worst day of their lives. I have talked this through with my partner and we have planned around it. I am applying now because I have the experience to offer and I am ready for the commitment."
"Staying calm with people who are upset. As a shift supervisor I deal with complaints most weeks. Last winter a customer shouted at a new colleague over a refund. I stepped in, moved the conversation away from the queue, listened without interrupting and explained what I could do. He calmed down, accepted an exchange and later apologised to my colleague. Afterwards I talked my colleague through what had happened so she felt able to handle the next one. I have learned that people usually calm down once they feel heard, which I think applies directly to policing."
Jamie would then add two or three more skills the same way (owning a problem until it is solved, working with others, thinking things through before acting), each with one short example.
"I left school with few qualifications and was not sure what I wanted. Coaching an under-12s team taught me more than I expected: turning up every week, keeping children safe, dealing with parents who disagreed with my decisions. When one boy stopped coming, I found out his family was struggling and worked with the club to waive his fees quietly. That taught me to look behind behaviour before judging it..."
Notice what the example does: real situations, what Jamie personally did, the result and what he learned. It does not claim to be perfect. It shows an understanding of the job's realities (shifts, probation) and preparation (an event, conversations).
A second outline: career changer with caring responsibilities (invented)
Not every applicant is starting out. This outline is for an invented applicant, "Morag", 41, who has worked in a council benefits office for twelve years and has two teenage children. Police Scotland publishes no upper age limit and asks no formal qualifications, so the question for Morag is how to show her experience and her readiness for shift work. Again, the text is original PolicePay writing for illustration, not words to copy.
| Section | Words | What Morag covers |
|---|---|---|
| Why Police Scotland, why now | about 200 | Years of seeing people in crisis at the benefits counter, often after contact with the police; her children now old enough for her to manage shifts; what she did to test the decision (a recruitment event, a conversation with a serving officer about response work) |
| Skills and attributes | about 350 | Three skills with examples: handling people who are angry or desperate, judging information carefully before deciding entitlement, working with other agencies on a vulnerable person's case |
| Development journey | about 250 | Moving from the counter to a senior adviser role, a mistake she made early on and the process she now follows, why the job she has now has prepared her and what she knows she still has to learn |
"I have thought about policing for years, but with young children I did not believe I could manage shifts. My children are now 15 and 17. We have talked as a family about nights, weekends and the two-year probation in response policing and agreed a plan for childcare cover between my partner and my sister. I went to a Police Scotland recruitment event to ask about this directly and spoke with an officer who joined at a similar age. I am applying now because the practical barriers have gone and the reasons have only grown."
"Judging information before I act. Every claim I assess involves checking what people tell me against records that are sometimes incomplete. Last year a claimant's account did not match his payslips. Rather than assume fraud, I asked him to talk me through it. He had a second job paid in cash and was frightened to say so. I explained what I needed and why, he brought the evidence the next day and we resolved it correctly. I have learned to keep an open mind, ask before I conclude and record my reasons."
What the two outlines share: real situations, a clear first-person action and an honest look at the practical side of the job. What differs is the evidence each applicant draws on. Use your own.
Planning your words across the form
The form has four free-text answers with stated lengths. Planning them together stops you using your best example twice and leaving another answer thin.
| Answer | Limit or guide | Best use (our suggestion) | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Aim for 800 words | Motivation, three or four skills with examples and your development journey | Repeating your CV |
| Values question | Maximum 400 words | One example for each of Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights | Reusing the statement's examples |
| Any other information | Maximum 200 words | Context that fits nowhere else: a gap, a caring plan, relevant volunteering | Padding or repeating the statement |
| Previous applicant | Maximum 200 words (only if you applied before) | Feedback received and the specific steps you took since | General statements about trying harder |
A simple method: list every example you could use on one page, then assign each to one answer. Aim for at least eight different examples across the statement and values answer. Keep the list: it becomes your interview preparation.
The values question: 400 words maximum
The exact question: "Police Scotland values are Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights. What are your personal values and how do you practice these values in your own life?" The maximum is 400 words.
Two things stand out. It asks for your values, not a definition of Police Scotland's. And it asks how you practise them, which means examples. A pattern that fits 400 words: a short opening naming your values and how they connect to Police Scotland's four, then one real example for each, then a line on how you would carry them into the job.
We have a full values question guide with a worked 400-word example and a weak versus strong comparison and a values question tool to draft your own inside the limit.
The two 200-word answers
Any other information (max 200 words)
Optional, but useful for context the rest of the form has no room for: a gap you want to explain, a caring responsibility you have planned around, relevant volunteering that did not fit the statement. Do not repeat the statement. If you have nothing useful to add, a short or empty answer is better than padding.
Previous applicants (max 200 words)
If you applied before, the form asks: "As you have made a previous application to us, please explain what you have done to prepare for this new application. Please include details of how you have used the feedback provided."
| Weak | Stronger |
|---|---|
| "I have practised more and feel ready." | Names the stage you did not pass, the feedback you were given and two or three specific things you did about it |
| "I did lots of PSET practice." | "My feedback showed I lost marks on information handling. I sat three timed full papers and worked through tables daily for six weeks." |
| Blames the process | Accepts the result and shows what changed |
More in reapplying after failing a stage.
Employment history and references
The form asks for your employment for the last 5 years, with dates and reference contacts. If you have no employment history, character references are requested instead. Employer references are one of the final-stage checks, after the assessment day.
- Account for every month. If you studied, cared for someone, travelled or were unemployed, say so rather than leaving a gap.
- Use dates you can evidence. Check old payslips or a P60 if you are unsure.
- Tell your current and previous employers that a reference request may come.
- Make sure contact details are current: a referee who cannot be found slows the final stage.
More in our references guide.
Declarations: convictions, tattoos and accuracy
You must declare criminal convictions and tattoos. Police Scotland says: "Each case will be considered on its own merits and checks will be made by the vetting unit at the pre-appointment stage." Matters on its rejection list (serious offences, drink or drug driving, more than 6 points, a current trust deed and the other finance bars) mean rejection; anything else is weighed case by case.
Vetting confirms what you wrote. An undeclared minor matter can do more damage than the matter itself, because it raises a question about honesty. If in doubt, declare it and explain briefly.
Using AI on your application
Police Scotland publishes guidance on AI for applicants. In summary:
| Police Scotland says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| AI is allowed as a support tool | Research, planning and checking your structure are fine |
| Applications "entirely AI-generated" are likely to be identified | Write the answers yourself, about your own experience |
| "we do not use AI to make selection decisions" | People read and assess your answers |
| Do not use AI tools during virtual interviews | Prepare beforehand, answer live yourself |
The interview and assessment day are spoken and live. A statement that does not sound like you will be hard to back up face to face.
Checklist: what to gather before you start
| Have this ready | Used in | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of age, residency and right to work; indefinite leave details if you are not a UK or EEA national | Part 1 and About you | Check the three-year residence rule against your own dates first |
| Your driving licence and any points with dates | Part 1 | More than 6 points means rejection |
| A clear photo of every tattoo and a one-line description of each | Part 1 and Tattoos | Good light, the whole tattoo in frame, one photo each |
| Dates of any previous police applications and how far you got | Previous applications | Find your old feedback email |
| Dates of any previous police, special constable or military service | Previous service | Include service numbers if you have them |
| Details of any second job, business, licence held by you or a family member | Business interests | Declare it; consent decisions come later |
| Employers for the last 5 years with start and end dates and contact details | Employment | Tell your referees they may be contacted |
| Character referees, if you have no employment history | Employment | Check the form for who can act as a character referee |
| Your qualifications | Qualifications | No minimum, but list them accurately |
| Drafts of the statement, values answer and any other information, written offline | Part 2 | Paste in once checked |
| Any adjustments you need, with detail for each stage | Part 1 | Raise them early so support is in place |
| Your three posting preferences | Part 1 | Think about travel and the 13 divisions |
| An honest list of any convictions or matters to declare | Declarations | Everything is confirmed in vetting |
A two-week plan for writing the form
Police Scotland says how quickly you complete each step is up to you. With the vacancy open until 31 March 2027, there is no reason to rush the long answers. A plan that works for most people (our suggestion):
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Read Police Scotland's example form end to end. Check every eligibility rule against your own dates. |
| Days 2 and 3 | Gather documents: identity, licence, status, employment dates, referee details, tattoo photos. |
| Day 4 | List every example you could use (aim for 15 or more). Tag each with a value and a CVF competency. |
| Days 5 to 7 | Draft the personal statement offline. Do not edit yet. |
| Days 8 and 9 | Draft the values answer and, if relevant, the previous-applicant answer. |
| Day 10 | Edit everything to length. Read each answer aloud. |
| Days 11 and 12 | Ask someone who knows you to read the long answers and tell you which parts do not sound like you. |
| Day 13 | Complete part 1 online, including adjustments and posting preferences. |
| Day 14 | Complete part 2, paste in your answers, run the pre-submission checklist and submit. |
Keep training for the fitness test and practising the PSET while you write: they come next.
Field by field: what to have open as you fill it in
The form can be completed over more than one sitting. Having the right documents open for each section saves errors that vetting would later pick up. Field names follow Police Scotland's example form.
| Section of the form | Have open | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility: age | Passport or birth certificate | You must be 18 or over |
| Eligibility: driving licence | Your licence and any record of points | Manual licence; more than 6 points means rejection |
| Eligibility: residency | Your own list of where you have lived and when | At least three years in the UK |
| Eligibility: right to work | Passport, biometric residence document or status evidence | Not UK or EEA: indefinite leave or equivalent at the point of application |
| Eligibility: tattoos | Your list of tattoos | Declare every one |
| Eligibility: previous application and service | Old feedback emails, service records | Dates and stage reached |
| Reasonable adjustments | Any assessment or report describing what helps you | Describe support needed at each stage |
| Posting preferences | A map of the 13 divisions and your travel times | Three realistic choices |
| About you | The same identity documents | Match names and dates exactly |
| Tattoos | One clear photo per tattoo, a description and location of each | Photos of every tattoo |
| Business interests | Details of any second job, business or licence held by you or a family member | Regulation 5 definition is wide |
| Personal statement | Your offline draft | Aim for 800 words |
| Values question | Your offline draft | Maximum 400 words |
| Any other information | Your offline draft | Maximum 200 words |
| Previous applicant question | Your old feedback and your draft | Maximum 200 words |
| Employment | Payslips, P60s or contracts for dates; referee contact details | 5 years, every month accounted for |
| Qualifications | Certificates | No minimum required; list accurately |
| Declaration | Your list of anything to declare | Everything is confirmed at vetting |
Pre-submission checklist
Before you press submit, go through this once, slowly:
- Every screening answer is true today, not true by the closing date.
- Your three posting preferences are places you could really live in or travel to for a two-year probation.
- Every tattoo is declared, described and photographed.
- Every business interest, including a second job, is declared.
- The personal statement covers why you want to join, your skills and attributes and your development journey.
- The values answer covers Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights, each with a real example, under 400 words.
- The two 200-word answers are within the limit (or the previous-applicant one is not shown because you have not applied before).
- Employment covers the full 5 years with no unexplained gaps and current contact details.
- Your referees know they may be contacted.
- Every conviction or other matter you need to declare is declared.
- The long answers are in your own words and you could talk about every example at the interview.
- Spelling and grammar checked by reading aloud. If possible, ask someone else to read it too.
- You have saved a copy of your answers for your own interview preparation.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
| Mistake | Why it hurts | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Writing the statement straight into the portal | Typos, lost work and no time to edit | Draft offline, read it aloud, then paste it in |
| Answering "why join" with "I want to help people" and nothing else | Says nothing only you could say | Name the moment or experience that led you here and what you did about it |
| Listing qualities without examples | Assessors cannot see evidence | One short real example for each skill: situation, what you did, result |
| Defining the values instead of showing them | The question asks how you practise them | Give a time you acted on each value |
| Going far over the 400 or 200-word limits | The limits are stated maxima | Edit to the limit; cut adjectives first |
| Copying and pasting from an AI tool | Police Scotland says entirely AI-generated applications are likely to be identified | Use AI for research or structure if you wish; write the words yourself |
| Leaving a gap in the 5-year employment history | References and vetting check it | Account for every month, including study, caring or unemployment |
| Not declaring a minor matter | It is all confirmed at vetting | Declare it; each case is considered on its own merits |
| Ignoring the previous-applicant question | It asks directly how you used feedback | Name the feedback and the specific steps you took since |
| Generic posting preferences without thought | You may be posted there for years of probation | Choose places you can realistically live in or travel to |
After you submit
The next stage is the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET): one handwritten paper of 49 questions in 60 minutes on numeracy, literacy and information handling. You must pass all three elements. Then the 15-metre bleep test to level 5.4, the assessment day and the final checks. Police Scotland contacts you through your candidate account at each step.
Good uses of the waiting time: practise the PSET, keep training for the fitness test and turn the examples in your statement into spoken interview answers. Plan the months with our timeline planner.
What we could not verify
- How the personal statement and values answer are scored, or whether there is a pass mark for the form.
- Whether answers far over or under the word guides are penalised.
- What specific reasonable adjustments are offered for each stage.
- How posting preferences are weighed against force needs.
- How long it takes to hear back after submitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Police Scotland application form?
It has two parts. Part 1 is an eligibility assessment with screening questions, reasonable adjustments and three posting preferences. Part 2 is the main form: about you, previous applications and service, tattoos, business interests, a personal statement (aim for 800 words), a values question (maximum 400 words), any other information (maximum 200 words), a previous-applicant question if relevant (maximum 200 words), 5 years of employment, qualifications and a declaration.
How many words is the Police Scotland personal statement?
Police Scotland's published example form says to aim for 800 words and recommends giving as much information as you can. It asks you to cover why you want to join, the skills and attributes that make you suitable and the development journey that led you to apply.
What is the Police Scotland values question?
"Police Scotland values are Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights. What are your personal values and how do you practice these values in your own life?" The maximum is 400 words.
What if I have applied to Police Scotland before?
The form asks: "As you have made a previous application to us, please explain what you have done to prepare for this new application. Please include details of how you have used the feedback provided." The maximum is 200 words.
How far back does the employment history go?
5 years. You list current and previous employment with dates and reference contacts. If you have no employment history, the form asks for character references instead.
Can I choose where I am posted?
You give three posting location preferences in part 1 of the form. Police Scotland does not promise a particular posting.
Do I have to declare tattoos on the Police Scotland form?
Yes. Tattoos are asked about in part 1 and again in the main form, where you describe each one, give its location and upload photos of every tattoo.
Can I use ChatGPT or other AI to write my application?
Police Scotland allows AI as a support tool, but says applications that are entirely AI-generated are likely to be identified and that it does not use AI to make selection decisions. Do not use AI tools during virtual interviews. The safest approach is to write every answer in your own words about your own experience.
Where do I ask for reasonable adjustments?
In part 1, the eligibility assessment. Requests are reviewed before the main form so the right support is in place for later stages. Police Scotland names neurodivergent conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and ADHD.
Do I need qualifications to fill in the form?
No. Police Scotland says you don't need any formal qualifications. The form still asks you to list any you have. Every new officer applicant sits the PSET instead.
What happens if I fail the eligibility screening?
You cannot reach the main form. Police Scotland says you can reapply when you meet the criteria.
When does the current Police Officer vacancy close?
The Police Officer vacancy on Police Scotland's candidate portal showed a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 23:55 when we checked on 22 October 2026.
What comes after the application form?
The Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET), then the 5.4 fitness test, the assessment day (group task, situational judgement exercise and a four-question interview), then the final medical, substance misuse test, references and vetting.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 22 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 Scotland candidate portal: Police officer application example : two-part form, screening questions, posting preferences, 800-word statement, values question wording and 400 words, 200-word answers, 5 years' employment, character references, qualifications, declaration (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : register and apply online; process is different for each person; declare convictions and tattoos; reapply after failing pre-screening (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer reasonable adjustments and support : adjustments raised on the eligibility form and reviewed before the main form; named neurodivergent conditions (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: AI guidance for applicants : AI as a support tool; entirely AI-generated applications likely to be identified; no AI selection decisions; no AI in virtual interviews (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer selection process : the stages after the form (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: vacancies : Police Officer vacancy ID 613 closing 31 March 2027 at 23:55 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Offences that mean you'll be rejected : the rejection list your declarations are checked against (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 (SSI 2013/35), legislation.gov.uk : regulation 5: business interests (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Competency and Values Framework (PDF) : the six competencies and values your examples can map to (accessed 22 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
More for applicants and Scottish officers
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not official Police Scotland questions. Police Scotland sets and changes its own selection process, so check its recruitment pages and your candidate account before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 22 October 2026.