How Long Does
Police Scotland Recruitment Take?
The honest answer first: Police Scotland does not publish how long its process takes. This guide sets out what is fixed, what is in your hands and what slows people down, so you can plan without relying on made-up averages.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Police Scotland does not publish a timescale from application to start date and says the process is different for each person. What is fixed: the current vacancy closes on 31 March 2027 at 23:55, your fitness pass must be within 6 months of being given a start date, there are ten intakes a year, initial training is 18 weeks and probation is 2 years. How fast you move through the early stages is partly up to you.
The honest answer: it is not published
If you search for how long it takes to join Police Scotland you will find confident figures in months. None of them come from Police Scotland. Its recruitment page says the application process "is different for each person" and that "it's up to you how quickly you complete each step". Its candidate portal lists the stages in order but gives no time for any of them. Our Police Scotland hub covers each stage in full.
So this page does something different. It separates three things:
- What is fixed and published: the closing date, the fitness rule, the training length, probation and how often intakes run.
- What you control: how ready you are when you register, how well you prepare for the tests and how quickly you reply.
- What Police Scotland controls: test and assessment day dates, the medical, references, vetting and which intake you join.
A figure like "six to nine months" may be one person's experience or a guess. Police Scotland does not publish one, so we do not repeat any. If you want a number for your own situation, ask the recruitment team or a Police Scotland recruitment event and use our timeline planner to track your real dates as they arrive.
What is fixed and published
These are the only time rules Police Scotland and its oversight body publish for new police officers. Each one is from a primary source read on 22 October 2026.
| What is fixed | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy closing date | The Police Officer vacancy (ID 613) on Police Scotland's candidate portal closes on 31 March 2027 at 23:55. | Candidate portal vacancies, read 22 October 2026 |
| Fitness test validity | The fitness test must have been completed within 6 months of being given a start date. If more than 6 months has passed, you sit another test before any formal offer of employment. | Police Scotland recruitment process page |
| Initial training | 18 weeks: 1 week at a regional training centre, 15 weeks at Tulliallan or the Training and Recruitment Centre at East Kilbride, then 2 more weeks at a regional training centre. | Police Scotland police officer page |
| When 18 weeks started | From the intake starting 12 January 2026. Before that, initial training was 16 weeks. | Police Scotland news, 5 December 2025 |
| Probation | 2 years, with most of that time spent in response policing. | Police Scotland police officer and rewards pages; regulation 8 of the 2013 Regulations |
| How often recruits start | Ten intakes of officers a year since March 2024, replacing quarterly intakes of about 200. | Scottish Police Authority paper, June 2024 |
Notice what is missing: there is no published gap between the application and the PSET, between the PSET and the fitness test, between the fitness test and the assessment day or between the assessment day and an offer. There is also no published time for vetting. That is why any honest plan has to be built around the fixed points and your own preparation, not around a promised total.
Stage by stage: who controls the pace
Police Scotland's candidate portal sets out the stages in this order. The third column is our reading of where the pace sits at each stage, based on how Police Scotland describes them. The fourth column shows the only published time limits.
| Stage | What happens | Who controls the pace | Published time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Register and eligibility assessment | Create an account and answer the screening questions on age, licence, residency, right to work, tattoos, previous applications and service. | You. You start when you are ready. | None, except the vacancy closing date of 31 March 2027 23:55. |
| 2. Main application form | About you, tattoos with photos, business interests, the personal statement (about 800 words), the values question (400 words), employment for the last 5 years, qualifications and the declaration. | You write it. Police Scotland then reviews it. | None published. |
| 3. Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET) | One handwritten paper: 49 questions in 60 minutes. | Police Scotland sets the sitting. Your preparation decides whether you pass first time. | None published. |
| 4. Fitness assessment | 15-metre bleep test to level 5.4. | Police Scotland sets the date. Your training decides whether you pass first time. | Must be within 6 months of being given a start date, or you retest before an offer. |
| 5. Assessment day | Morning: ice breaker, group task (50 minutes) and situational judgement exercise (60 minutes). Afternoon, if you pass the morning: a 20-minute interview. | Police Scotland sets the date. | None published. |
| 6. Medical | Optima Health: health questionnaire and an examination including eyesight and BMI. | Police Scotland and its provider. You can speed it up by returning forms quickly. | None published. |
| 7. Substance misuse test | Hair sample, with alternatives for cultural, religious or medical reasons. | Police Scotland. | None published. |
| 8. Employer references | Using the 5 years of employment you gave on the form. | Your referees and Police Scotland. Accurate contact details help. | None published. |
| 9. Full vetting | Confirms the information you gave throughout. | The Force Vetting Unit. | None published. |
| 10. Offer and start date | Formal offer after all stages, then an intake. | Police Scotland, which runs ten intakes a year. | Fitness 6-month rule applies before the formal offer. |
Two points stand out. First, the stages you control sit at the start: you decide when to register and how long you spend on the form. Second, almost every stage after the form is scheduled by Police Scotland, which is why the biggest thing you can do about the total time is to avoid failing a stage and starting again.
The gate in the middle of the assessment day
The assessment day itself has a fixed internal order. The morning holds an unassessed ice breaker, the group task (10 minutes' reading, a 30-minute group discussion and briefing, then a 10-minute assessor Q&A) and the 60-minute situational judgement exercise. The portal says: "If you are successful in the morning, you will progress to the afternoon stage of the assessment day." The afternoon is the 20-minute, four-question interview. So the whole of stage 5 happens on one day, but only if the morning goes well. Our group task and SJE guide explains both morning exercises.
What you control
"It's up to you how quickly you complete each step" is the most useful line on Police Scotland's recruitment page. These are the steps where your choices change how long things take.
| What you can do | Which stage it shortens | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Check every eligibility rule before you register | Stage 1 | If you fail pre-screening you can only reapply when you meet the criteria, so a wrong start costs you time. |
| Draft the personal statement and values answer offline first | Stage 2 | The form can be saved and returned to and you can paste text in, according to Police Scotland's adjustments page. |
| Gather 5 years of employment dates and contacts in advance | Stages 2 and 8 | References use the employment history from your form. Wrong or missing contacts slow the final stage. |
| Practise the PSET under time with a calculator | Stage 3 | You must pass all three elements. Failing means a fresh application, which is the biggest delay you can avoid. |
| Train past level 5.4 before you apply | Stage 4 | Police Scotland says more people fail the fitness test than any other stage. |
| Keep training after you pass | Stage 10 | A retest is needed if more than 6 months pass before your start date and Police Scotland can retest at any point. |
| Practise speaking your reasoning out loud | Stage 5 | The group task, situational judgement exercise and interview are all spoken. |
| Write an honest list of anything to declare | Stages 2 and 9 | Police Scotland says what you supply is confirmed at the vetting stage. Corrections later take time. |
| Check your finance dates | Stage 1 and 9 | A trust deed rules you out until 12 months after discharge, sequestration until 3 years have passed. |
| Answer emails and book slots quickly | Every stage | Police Scotland contacts you at each step through your candidate account. |
Prepare before you register
The single best way to shorten your process is to be ready before you start it. Police Scotland publishes its application form in advance, so you can read every question, draft your personal statement and your 400-word values answer offline and collect five years of employment details before you click register. Our eligibility checker runs through the hard rules in about two minutes.
Pass first time
Failing a stage does not just add a few weeks: it ends that application. Police Scotland's pages do not publish how soon you can resit the PSET or the fitness test. If you reapply, you answer an extra question on what you have done since and how you used feedback. Passing the PSET and the fitness test first time is worth more to your timeline than anything else.
What causes delays
Police Scotland does not publish data on why applications take longer, so this table lists the delays that follow directly from its published rules, with a way to avoid each one.
| Common cause of delay | What the published rules say | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Failing the PSET | You must pass all three elements. Police Scotland does not publish resit waiting periods. | Practise every element. Do not assume a high pass rate means you can skip preparation. |
| Failing the fitness test | Police Scotland does not publish how many attempts you get or the wait between them. | Train beyond 5.4 and practise on a marked 15-metre course with the beeps. |
| Fitness pass going out of date | More than 6 months between the fitness test and being given a start date means another test before the offer. | Treat fitness as ongoing, not a box ticked. |
| Mistakes on the form | Police Scotland asks you to email the recruitment team to correct a wrong pre-screening answer. | Read the published application example before you start. |
| A finance or conviction issue found late | Everything is confirmed at vetting. The Force Vetting Unit may on occasion make an early assessment, case by case. | Declare everything at the start. Ask whether an early assessment is possible if you are unsure. |
| Referees who do not reply | References are a listed final-stage check. | Tell referees in advance and give correct contact details. |
| Medical follow-up | Police Scotland may ask your GP or specialist for more information if a condition is found. | Have dates and details of past conditions ready. |
| Reasonable adjustment review | Requests on the eligibility form are reviewed before the main form so support is in place. | Ask early and give detail, so the review happens once. |
People sometimes leave things off the form hoping to move faster. That works the other way. Police Scotland says it is important to be accurate "as it's all confirmed at the vetting stage" and asks you to email the recruitment team if you answered a pre-screening question wrongly. A late discovery at vetting can cost far more time than an honest declaration at the start. Each declared case "will be considered on its own merits".
The fitness clock: the 6-month rule
The fitness test is the only stage with a published expiry. Police Scotland says the test must have been completed within 6 months of being provided a start date of employment. If more than 6 months has passed, a further fitness test is needed before any formal offer of employment is issued. It may also ask you to do an additional fitness test at any point.
A simple worked example of how the clock reads (dates invented for illustration):
- You pass the 5.4 bleep test on 15 January 2027.
- Six months on is 15 July 2027.
- If you are given a start date and the gap from your fitness test is more than 6 months, expect another fitness test before your formal offer.
You cannot control the gap, so the practical answer is to keep your fitness comfortably above 5.4 from the day you pass until you start training. Police Scotland says more people fail the fitness test than any other stage and a retest late in the process is the worst time to discover you have slipped. Our Police Scotland fitness test guide has an eight-week outline and the distance and time for 5.4.
Intakes: ten a year
Once you pass every stage, you join an intake. A Scottish Police Authority paper from June 2024 says Police Scotland moved from quarterly intakes of about 200 officers to "ten intakes of officers per year" from March 2024. More frequent intakes mean less waiting for the next start date than under the old quarterly pattern, but Police Scotland's recruitment pages do not list the 2026/27 intake dates.
The same June 2024 paper describes a non-residential course at the Jackton Training Centre in East Kilbride that started on 15 July 2024, with 55 recruits per intake alongside the Tulliallan intakes. Police Scotland's current page names both training sites but does not say which intakes are residential in 2026, so we do not say either.
Do not plan your notice period or a house move around a guessed intake date. Wait until Police Scotland gives you a start date, then work back from that. Our training guide covers what happens in the 18 weeks.
After the offer: 18 weeks, then 2 years
From your start date onwards, the timings are published and firm.
| After you start | Length | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Regional training centre | 1 week | Police Scotland police officer page |
| Tulliallan or East Kilbride (Jackton) | 15 weeks | Police Scotland police officer page |
| Regional training centre | 2 weeks | Police Scotland police officer page |
| Total initial training | 18 weeks | Police Scotland police officer page; news, 5 December 2025 |
| Probation, mostly in response policing | 2 years | Police Scotland police officer and rewards pages |
| Fitness testing after probation | None for most officers. Police Scotland told an FOI request that officers are not fitness tested after completing their two-year probation. | Police Scotland FOI 24-0659 |
Police Scotland announced in December 2025 that initial training would be extended to 18 weeks from the intake starting 12 January 2026. That intake would have finished its 18 weeks on 18 May 2026 (12 January plus 126 days). Older guides that say 16 weeks describe the course before that change.
Probation lasts 2 years and most of it is spent in response policing. Pay rises during probation: Police Scotland's rewards page gives £34,001 on appointment, £36,995 on completion of 1 year's service and £39,988 on completion of 2 years' service, as of April 2026. Our starting salary guide covers every pay point and the probation guide covers the two years.
The closing date: 31 March 2027
When we checked Police Scotland's candidate portal on 22 October 2026, the Police Officer vacancy (ID 613) had a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 23:55. That is 160 days from 22 October 2026, or just under 23 weeks.
The closing date is the deadline to apply. It is not a deadline for finishing the process: the stages after your application run on Police Scotland's timetable. What the closing date does is set a hard limit on how long you can spend preparing before you register for this vacancy.
Whether Police Scotland opens a new Police Officer vacancy after 31 March 2027 is not published, so we cannot say. If you are not ready in time, our timeline to 31 March 2027 sets out a month-by-month preparation plan and Police Scotland's own pages are the place to check for future vacancies.
Related vacancies with the same date
- Rejoiner constable (ID 5115): closes 31 March 2027. See transferees and rejoiners.
- Special Constable (ID 4896): closes 31 March 2027. See the special constable guide.
How to plan when the total is unknown
Since the total time is not published, plan in two halves.
Half one: before you register (you control this)
- Check eligibility. Age 18 or over, three years in the UK, indefinite leave to remain if you are not a UK or EEA national, a manual licence with no more than 6 points, the eyesight standard and the finance rules. Our eligibility checker covers these.
- Get fit past 5.4. Start now. Police Scotland says more people fail the fitness test than any other stage.
- Prepare for the PSET. All three elements, with a calculator, under time.
- Draft the long answers. The personal statement (Police Scotland suggests aiming for 800 words) and the 400-word values question.
- Gather paperwork. Five years of employment, referee contacts, tattoo photos if you have any and an honest list of anything to declare.
Half two: after you register (Police Scotland sets the dates)
- Reply to every email and book every slot as fast as you can.
- Keep training so the fitness test and any retest are easy.
- Practise speaking your reasoning out loud for the assessment day while you wait for a date.
- Keep your referees informed.
- Do not resign from your current job until you have a formal offer and a start date.
Our recruitment timeline planner does both halves: it lays out your preparation against the closing date and then lets you enter real dates as Police Scotland gives them to you, flagging the 6-month fitness rule and showing when training and probation would end.
Three worked examples: when can each person start?
These invented applicants show how the fixed rules decide the earliest point someone can apply. None of them involve a guessed stage duration: we only use the published rules and the calendar.
| Applicant (invented) | The rule that decides | Earliest point to apply | Inside the 31 March 2027 closing date? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aisha moved to the UK on 1 February 2024 and now has indefinite leave to remain | At least three years' UK residence. Applicants who are not UK or EEA nationals also need indefinite leave to remain or equivalent at the point of application. | 1 February 2027, when she reaches three years | Yes, with about eight weeks to spare. She should prepare now so she can register as soon as she qualifies. |
| Calum's trust deed was discharged on 1 March 2026 | Rejected if currently in a trust deed or less than 12 months have passed since discharge. | 1 March 2027, 12 months after discharge | Yes, with about four weeks to spare. Tight: he should have everything else ready before that date. |
| Mhairi is 17 and turns 18 on 20 April 2027 | You must be 18 or over to apply. | 20 April 2027 | No. The current vacancy closes before she turns 18. Whether a new vacancy opens is not published. |
| Ross holds an automatic-only licence | You must hold a manual driving licence. | When he holds a full manual licence | Only if he passes a manual test in time. His driving test, not Police Scotland, sets the date. |
| Eilidh has 7 points on her licence | Rejected if you have more than 6 points. | When her total is 6 or fewer | Depends on when points are removed from her record, which is a DVLA question outside these pages. |
The pattern: the hard rules (residence, finance, licence points) decide when you can register and the closing date decides whether that falls inside this vacancy. Everything after that depends on Police Scotland's dates and on you passing each stage first time.
What to do while you wait at each stage
Waiting between stages is normal and since no wait is published you cannot plan it precisely. You can make it useful. This is our suggestion, not Police Scotland guidance.
| You are waiting for | Useful things to do meanwhile |
|---|---|
| The PSET date | Timed practice on all three elements, with a calculator. Work on your weakest element first. Keep fitness training going. |
| The fitness test date | Two or three runs a week plus intervals and practise turns on a marked 15-metre course with the beeps. |
| The assessment day date | Read Police Scotland's CVF. Prepare two real examples for each of the six competencies. Practise speaking your reasoning out loud to unfolding scenarios. |
| The medical | Note dates and details of any past conditions and treatment. Check your eyesight against the published standard if you are unsure. |
| References and vetting | Tell referees to expect contact. Keep your finances tidy. Tell the recruitment team about any change in your circumstances. |
| A start date | Keep fitness above 5.4 because of the 6-month rule. Plan travel to Tulliallan or East Kilbride. Do not resign until you have a formal offer. |
Questions worth asking the recruitment team
Police Scotland runs recruitment events where its recruitment specialists answer questions about the job and the application. Because so much of the timing is unpublished, these are the questions that will tell you the most:
- When is the next PSET sitting I could be invited to and where is it held?
- If I fail one element of the PSET, how soon can I apply again?
- If I fall short on the fitness test, can I retake it and when?
- Which intakes are planned for the next year and are any of them at East Kilbride?
- Is the course at East Kilbride residential or non-residential?
- Could the Force Vetting Unit make an early assessment of my vetting suitability, given what I need to declare?
- How much notice of a start date do new officers usually get?
Write down the answer, the date and who gave it. Recruitment practice changes and an answer from a recruitment event is more current than any website, ours included.
How this compares with England and Wales
Timescales in England and Wales are also set force by force and the stages are different: a national application, the National Sift, an online assessment and an in-person interview. None of those apply in Scotland. Scotland replaces them with the handwritten PSET, an early fitness test and an in-person assessment day. So a timescale you read for an English force tells you nothing reliable about Police Scotland. See Police Scotland vs England and Wales recruitment for the full comparison.
One real difference after the offer: in Scotland, officers are not fitness tested after their two-year probation, according to Police Scotland's answer to an FOI request in March 2024.
Your first years, once you start
The one part of the timeline Police Scotland publishes in full is what happens after your start date. Pay figures are Police Scotland's April 2026 rates (PNBS Circular 2026/01). Leave is from the PNBS handbook, section 3.1, for federated ranks.
| Point after your start date | What happens | Pay from 1 April 2026 | Annual leave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Regional training centre | £34,001 a year on appointment | 28 days a year (under 2 years' service) |
| Weeks 2 to 16 | Tulliallan or East Kilbride (Jackton) | £34,001 | 28 days |
| Weeks 17 and 18 | Regional training centre, then out to your division | £34,001 | 28 days |
| 1 year's service | Still in probation, mostly response policing | £36,995 (all officers move to point 1 after one year) | 28 days |
| 2 years' service | Probation ends | £39,988 | 34 days (2 to 4 years' service) |
| After probation | You can apply for specialist roles. No routine fitness testing after probation. | Annual increments to £54,597 at point 11 | 36 days from 5 years, 39 days from 10 years |
Two points are easy to miss. First, pay moves to point 1 after one year's service as a constable for everyone: the PNBS circular says "All officers move to this salary point on completion of one years' service as a constable." Second, annual leave rises from 28 to 34 days at two years, the same point that probation ends. Pay rises after April 2027 are not yet agreed: no 2027/28 PNBS circular had been published when we checked.
Our starting salary guide shows take-home pay at each point and the Police Scotland pay scales cover every rank.
The 6-month fitness rule: four worked examples
Police Scotland's wording is that the fitness test must have been completed within 6 months of "being provided a start date of employment". These invented examples measure from the test to the day you are given a start date. Police Scotland does not spell out whether it measures to the day you are told or to the start date itself, so if the two are far apart, plan for the stricter reading and keep training. Every date was checked with a date calculator.
| Example (invented) | Fitness test passed | 6 months later | Start date given on | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 10 February 2027 | 10 August 2027 | 1 August 2027 | Inside 6 months. No retest needed under this rule, though Police Scotland can still ask for an extra test at any point. |
| B | 10 February 2027 | 10 August 2027 | 1 September 2027 | More than 6 months. A further fitness test before any formal offer of employment. |
| C | 20 April 2027 | 20 October 2027 | 15 November 2027 | More than 6 months. Retest before the offer. |
| D | 14 May 2027 | 14 November 2027 | 15 November 2027 | One day over. Retest before the offer. The rule has no margin. |
The lesson from example D: there is no published grace period. And from every example: you cannot choose when you are given a start date, so the only reliable plan is to stay fit enough to pass 5.4 easily whenever you are asked.
Are you ready to move fast at each stage?
You cannot speed up Police Scotland's diary, but you can make sure no stage waits on you. This is our checklist, not Police Scotland's.
| Stage | You are ready to move fast when... | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility assessment | You have checked every rule and found no date that falls after your planned application. | Eligibility requirements |
| Main form | Your statement and values answer are drafted offline, in your own words, within the limits. | Application form |
| PSET | You have sat full 49-question papers in 60 minutes and no element is consistently weak. | Entrance test |
| Fitness | You can run past 5.4 on a marked 15-metre course with the beeps, more than once. | Fitness test |
| Assessment day | You can talk through an unfolding scenario out loud and have two examples for each CVF competency. | Group task and SJE |
| Medical | You have dates and details of any past conditions and know the eyesight standard. | Medical |
| References | Your referees know to expect contact and their details are correct. | References |
| Vetting | Everything is declared and your finances meet the published rules. | Vetting |
A worked calendar for one invented start date
Once Police Scotland gives you a start date, every later milestone follows from published rules. Here they are for an invented start date of Monday 4 October 2027. Pay is shown at April 2026 rates because later rates are not yet agreed. Use our timeline planner to do the same for your own date.
| Milestone | Rule | Date for an invented start of Monday 4 October 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Start: regional training centre | Week 1 | Monday 4 October 2027 |
| Tulliallan or East Kilbride | Weeks 2 to 16 (15 weeks) | From Monday 11 October 2027 |
| Back to a regional training centre | Weeks 17 and 18 | From Monday 24 January 2028 |
| End of initial training | 18 weeks (126 days) | Sunday 6 February 2028 is the last day of week 18 |
| Pay point 1 (£36,995 at April 2026 rates) | On completion of 1 year's service | Wednesday 4 October 2028 |
| End of probation; pay point 2; 34 days' leave | 2 years | Thursday 4 October 2029 |
Police Scotland's page splits the 18 weeks as 1 week regional, 15 weeks at Tulliallan or East Kilbride and 2 weeks regional. It does not publish the start day of the week, holiday breaks or exact phase dates, so treat the phase dates above as an illustration of the arithmetic, not a timetable.
Timescale claims to be wary of
Some of what you will read about Police Scotland timings is out of date or borrowed from England and Wales. Check any claim against what Police Scotland actually publishes.
| What you may read | What Police Scotland's published pages say |
|---|---|
| "It takes six to nine months" (or any set figure) | No total time is published. The process is "different for each person". |
| "You must sit the test within 2 days" | The portal's general help page mentions online tests recommended within 2 days, but does not say police officer applicants sit them. The PSET is a handwritten paper. |
| "Training is 16 weeks" | That was the length before the intake starting 12 January 2026. It is now 18 weeks. |
| "Intakes are quarterly" | Police Scotland moved to ten intakes a year from March 2024. |
| "Vetting happens at the start" | Vetting checks are carried out once you have completed the application process. The Force Vetting Unit may on occasion make an early assessment, case by case. |
| "One fitness pass lasts the whole process" | Not if more than 6 months pass before you are given a start date. An extra test can also be required at any point. |
| "Officers are fitness tested every year" | Police Scotland told an FOI request that officers are not fitness tested after their two-year probation. |
| "Transferees start probation again" | Transferees do a 3-week course and serve no probation. Rejoiners serve no probation either. |
Timings for specials, transferees and rejoiners
The other routes into Police Scotland have different fixed points. None of them has a published total duration either.
| Route | What is fixed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Special constable | Vacancy (ID 4896) closes 31 March 2027. Same PSET and 5.4 fitness test. Minimum 96 hours a year once appointed. | Police Scotland special constable pages; candidate portal |
| Transferee | No current general vacancies on 22 October 2026 (talent bank). 3-week course. No probation. | Police Scotland transferee page |
| Rejoiner | Vacancy (ID 5115) closes 31 March 2027. Training set by a training needs analysis. No probation. Final offer follows vetting clearance. | Police Scotland rejoiner page; candidate portal |
See the special constable guide and transferees and rejoiners for each route in full.
Police Scotland's formal offer comes after every stage, including vetting. A fitness retest may come before it. Whatever route you take, keep your current job until you have a formal offer and a start date in writing.
If your circumstances change mid-process
A process with no fixed length gives time for things to change. Police Scotland's pages cover several situations:
- You answered a pre-screening question wrongly. Police Scotland asks you to email the recruitment team so it can be corrected.
- You need support you did not ask for at the start. You can contact the team at any time if your circumstances change, according to its adjustments page.
- Your fitness slips. Police Scotland may require an additional fitness test at any point.
- You pick up points or a conviction, or your finances change. The published rejection rules (more than 6 points, drink or drug driving, a trust deed, sequestration, defaults of £1,000 or more) apply whenever they are met. Everything is confirmed at vetting. Tell the recruitment team.
- You start a business or second job. Applicants must notify the chief constable of any business interest they have or are likely to acquire (regulation 5 of the 2013 Regulations).
Police Scotland also says random substance misuse testing may be undertaken at any stage.
What we could not verify
Police Scotland's published pages do not state these, so we have left them out. Ask the recruitment team or a recruitment event:
- How long the whole process takes, or how long any single stage takes.
- How long vetting takes.
- The intake dates for 2026/27.
- Whether Jackton training is non-residential in 2026.
- How soon you can resit the PSET or the fitness test and how many attempts you get.
- Whether a new Police Officer vacancy opens after 31 March 2027.
- Whether the online tests mentioned in the portal's general help pages are used for police officer applicants.
- Where the PSET and the assessment day are held.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Police Scotland recruitment take?
Police Scotland does not publish how long the whole process takes and it says the process is different for each person. What is fixed is what comes after: 18 weeks of initial training and a 2-year probation. Anyone quoting a set number of months for application to start date is giving an estimate, not a published figure.
Why will Police Scotland not give a timescale?
Its recruitment page says the application process is different for each person and that it is up to you how quickly you complete each step. The pace also depends on test and assessment day dates, referees, the medical provider and vetting, none of which run to a published timetable.
What is the 6-month fitness rule?
Police Scotland says the fitness test must have been completed within 6 months of being given a start date. If more than 6 months has passed, you sit another fitness test before any formal offer of employment. Police Scotland can also ask for an extra test at any point.
How long is Police Scotland training?
18 weeks: 1 week at a regional training centre, 15 weeks at the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan or the Training and Recruitment Centre at East Kilbride, then 2 more weeks at a regional training centre. Police Scotland extended it from 16 weeks from the intake starting 12 January 2026.
How long is probation in Police Scotland?
2 years, with most of that time spent working in response policing. Probation length is set by a determination of the Scottish Ministers under regulation 8 of the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013.
How many intakes does Police Scotland have a year?
A Scottish Police Authority paper from June 2024 says Police Scotland moved from quarterly intakes of about 200 to ten intakes of officers a year from March 2024. The intake dates for 2026/27 are not published on the recruitment pages.
When does the current Police Scotland vacancy close?
The Police Officer vacancy (ID 613) on Police Scotland's candidate portal had a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 23:55 when we checked on 22 October 2026.
Do I have to sit the PSET within 2 days of applying?
No published rule says so. The portal's general help page mentions online tests, invited by email, that it recommends completing within 2 days, but it does not say the police officer vacancy uses them. The PSET is a handwritten paper sat in ink under exam conditions, not an online test.
How long does Police Scotland vetting take?
Police Scotland does not publish a time. It says vetting checks are carried out once you have successfully completed the application process. The Force Vetting Unit may on occasion make an early assessment of vetting suitability, case by case.
Can I speed up my Police Scotland application?
Partly. Police Scotland says it is up to you how quickly you complete each step. Prepare before you register, fill the form in carefully, pass the PSET and fitness test first time, give accurate referee details and reply to every request quickly. Test dates, assessment days, vetting and intakes are set by Police Scotland.
What happens if I fail a stage?
You leave that application. Police Scotland's pages do not publish resit waiting periods for the PSET or the fitness test. If you reapply, the form asks what you have done to prepare and how you used feedback, in up to 200 words.
How long from starting the job to being fitness tested again?
Police Scotland told a freedom of information request in March 2024 that officers in Scotland are not fitness tested after they complete their two-year probation. You still need to keep the 5.4 standard through recruitment and training.
Does Police Scotland vetting happen before the assessment day?
Police Scotland says vetting checks are carried out once you have successfully completed the application process. Its Force Vetting Unit may on occasion make an early assessment of vetting suitability, case by case.
Is Police Scotland initial training still 16 weeks?
No. Police Scotland extended it to 18 weeks from the intake starting 12 January 2026: 1 week at a regional training centre, 15 weeks at Tulliallan or East Kilbride and 2 more weeks at a regional training centre.
When should I hand in notice at my current job?
Only once you have a formal offer and a start date. The formal offer comes after every stage, including vetting. Police Scotland may also need you to retake the fitness test before it if more than 6 months have passed.
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: Our recruitment process (police officer) : the process is different for each person; it is up to you how quickly you complete each step; reapply when you meet the criteria; 6-month fitness rule and additional tests (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer selection process : order of stages, PSET, assessment day, final-stage medical, substance test, references and vetting (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer reasonable adjustments and support : the form can be saved and text pasted in; adjustment review before the main form; contact the team if circumstances change; random substance misuse testing; PSET handwritten in ink (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer application example : the eligibility assessment, word limits, 5 years' employment and the previous-applicant question (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Recruitment help (online testing FAQs) : online tests invited by email and recommended within 2 days, not stated to apply to police officer applicants (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: vacancies : Police Officer vacancy ID 613 closing 31 March 2027 23:55 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : 18-week initial training (1 + 15 + 2 weeks) and 2-year probation (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland news, 5 December 2025: More than 130 officers get ready to deploy to communities : 18 weeks from the intake starting 12 January 2026, previously 16 weeks (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rewards and benefits : probation mostly in response policing (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Scottish Police Authority, 27 June 2024, Item 8: Officer recruitment and initial training (PDF) : ten intakes a year from March 2024, replacing quarterly intakes of about 200 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 (SSI 2013/35), legislation.gov.uk : regulation 8: probation set by Scottish Ministers' determination; regulation 5: notifying business interests (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2026/01, Federated Ranks Pay : constable pay points from 1 April 2026 and note (a) on moving to point 1 after one year (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook : annual leave by service, section 3.1 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Special Constable : special constables: minimum 96 hours a year (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rejoiners : rejoiner training needs analysis, no probation, offer after vetting clearance (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Offences that mean you'll be rejected : trust deed and sequestration time rules (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland FOI 24-0659 (fitness testing of serving officers, 11 March 2024) : no fitness testing after the two-year probation (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Transferees : more people fail the fitness test than any other stage (accessed 22 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
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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.