Police Scotland
Values Question Examples
The values question on Police Scotland's application asks for your own values and how you live them, in no more than 400 words. Here is the exact wording, a structure that fits the limit, a worked example for an invented applicant, a weak versus strong comparison and a checklist to run before you paste it in.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Answer the question asked: your personal values and how you practise them. Open with your own values in plain words and link them to Police Scotland's four (Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights). Then give one real example for each value, saying what you did and why, in about 70 to 80 words each. Close with how you would carry those habits into the job. Stay under 400 words and write it yourself.
Draft your answer as you read
Our values question tool keeps your draft inside the 400-word limit and works through each of the four values.
The exact question and the limit
On the main part of the Police Scotland application form, after the personal statement, you will see:
"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?"
Maximum 400 words.
It sits alongside a personal statement (aim for 800 words), an "any other information" box (200 words maximum) and, if you have applied before, a previous-applicant question (200 words maximum). Our application form guide covers those.
What the question is really asking
Read it slowly. It has two parts and both matter:
- "What are your personal values?" Your own, in your own words. Not a restatement of Police Scotland's.
- "How do you practice these values in your own life?" Evidence. What you do, with examples.
The first sentence (Police Scotland's four values) sets the frame. The strongest answers show that your values overlap with those four and then prove it with things you have done. The weakest answers praise the four values and say "I share them".
Police Scotland says your application answers are used to assess your personal motivation, your expectations of the role, how you prepared and your skills, experience and values. Values also run through the whole assessment day, which Police Scotland assesses against its Competency and Values Framework.
Police Scotland's four values
Police Scotland's values are Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights. They underpin its Competency and Values Framework (CVF), which Police Scotland describes as modified with permission from the College of Policing framework but with Police Scotland's own values in place of the College's. Since June 2025 the declaration every new constable makes also commits them to act "with fairness, candour, integrity, diligence and impartiality", to follow the Code of Ethics for Policing in Scotland and to "uphold fundamental human rights and accord equal respect to all people, according to law".
Our guide to Police Scotland's values and Code of Ethics goes into where each comes from. For this question, the useful thing is a plain sense of what each looks like in behaviour:
| Police Scotland value | Everyday situations that can show it |
|---|---|
| Integrity | Owning a mistake at work; reporting something wrong; returning money or property; keeping a promise when it became inconvenient; refusing to cut a corner a manager suggested |
| Fairness | Allocating shifts, tasks or places by a clear rule; giving a newcomer the same chance as a friend; hearing both sides before deciding; refereeing or marking impartially |
| Respect | Calming an angry customer or patient; adapting how you talk to someone who is confused, upset or speaks another language; treating a cleaner or a volunteer the same as a manager |
| Human rights | Protecting someone's privacy or dignity; making sure a vulnerable person had a say; challenging discrimination; keeping someone safe from harm |
A structure that fits 400 words
Four values in 400 words leaves no room for long introductions. This split works for most people (our suggestion, not an official template):
| Part | Words | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 40 to 60 | Names your own values in plain words and links them to Police Scotland's four |
| Value 1 with example | 70 to 80 | One real time you acted on it: situation, what you did, why |
| Value 2 with example | 70 to 80 | As above |
| Value 3 with example | 70 to 80 | As above |
| Value 4 with example | 70 to 80 | As above |
| Close | 30 to 50 | How these habits would show in the job, honestly |
For each value, a simple pattern:
- Name it and, in one short phrase, what it means to you.
- The situation in one sentence: where, who, what was at stake.
- What you did, in the first person. This is the heart of it.
- Why, or what happened: the outcome or what you learned, briefly.
If you are well under 400 words, add detail to the "what you did" lines, not more adjectives.
A word budget for each example
Within each value's 70 to 80 words, a budget that keeps the focus on your actions:
| Part of the paragraph | Words | Example from Priya's fairness paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| Value named | 1 to 5 | "Fairness." |
| Situation | 15 to 20 | "When I organise the rota..." |
| What you did | 30 to 40 | "I use the same rule for everyone on weekend shifts, including myself... I explained why I could not give it." |
| Why or what happened | 15 to 20 | "Fairness to me means the same standard for everyone and being open about how decisions are made." |
The biggest share goes to what you did. If your situation sentence is longer than your action sentences, the balance is wrong.
Finding your examples
Most people have more examples than they think. Spend ten minutes listing answers to these prompts before you write anything:
- When did you tell the truth when a lie or silence would have been easier?
- When did you own up to a mistake?
- When did you have to decide something that affected other people and make it fair?
- When did you treat someone well who was rude, distressed or hard to deal with?
- When did you notice someone being treated unfairly or left out and do something about it?
- When did you protect someone's privacy, dignity or safety?
- When did a value cost you something: a friendship, money, comfort, a shortcut?
Sources can be paid work, volunteering, caring for family, sport, study, faith or community groups. The question says "in your own life", so you are not limited to work. Pick examples you could talk about for five minutes at an interview, because you may need to.
Ten evidence prompts for each value
If the questions above did not shake anything loose, work down these lists and note every prompt that reminds you of something real. Then pick the strongest example for each value. These prompts are our own brainstorming aid, not a Police Scotland list.
| Value | Evidence prompts to brainstorm from (our list) |
|---|---|
| Integrity | You owned up to a mistake before anyone found it. You handed back money, change or property that was not yours. You refused to cut a corner a manager or friend suggested. You reported something wrong at work, school or a club. You kept a promise after it became inconvenient. You told someone a truth they did not want to hear, kindly. You corrected a record, timesheet or form that was in your favour. You declined a perk or gift that did not feel right. You admitted you did not know something rather than bluffing. You stuck to a rule when nobody would have known if you broke it. |
| Fairness | You allocated shifts, tasks or places by a clear rule. You treated a friend the same as everyone else. You heard both sides before deciding a disagreement. You refereed, marked or judged something impartially. You made sure a new or quiet person got the same chance. You explained the reasons for a decision so people could check it. You changed a decision when you found it was unfair. You shared credit with the people who did the work. You stood up for someone blamed for something they did not do. You applied the same standard to yourself as to others. |
| Respect | You calmed an angry customer, patient or member of the public. You adapted how you spoke to someone confused or upset. You helped someone with a language barrier be understood. You treated a cleaner, volunteer or junior the same as a manager. You listened to someone you disagreed with before replying. You apologised properly when you had been wrong. You gave someone privacy in an embarrassing moment. You learned about someone's culture or faith to work better with them. You stayed polite under provocation. You let someone speak for themselves instead of speaking over them. |
| Human rights | You protected someone's dignity during personal care or a hard moment. You made sure a vulnerable person was asked before a decision about them. You challenged a discriminatory comment or joke. You stepped in to stop bullying or harassment. You kept someone's personal information private. You helped someone access a service they were entitled to. You made a space or activity accessible to someone with a disability. You reported a safeguarding concern. You defended someone's right to a view you did not share. You made sure someone felt safe when they were frightened. |
A worked example (384 words, invented applicant)
This answer was written by PolicePay for an invented applicant, "Priya", a care home worker. It shows the structure and the level of detail. It is not a model answer to copy and it does not guarantee any result: your answer must describe your own life in your own words.
The values I try to live by are honesty, treating people fairly, respecting them whatever their situation and standing up for people who cannot easily stand up for themselves. They match Police Scotland's four values closely and I can point to times I have acted on each.
Integrity. Two years ago I noticed a colleague at the care home was signing medication records for doses she had not given. She was a friend and I knew raising it could cost me that friendship. I spoke to her first and, when nothing changed, I reported it to the manager. It was uncomfortable, but residents' safety mattered more than an easy shift. I would rather be trusted than liked.
Fairness. When I organise the rota I use the same rule for everyone on weekend shifts, including myself. I write it down so anyone can check it. When a colleague asked for special treatment because we are close, I explained why I could not give it. Fairness to me means the same standard for everyone and being open about how decisions are made.
Respect. One of our residents can be verbally aggressive, especially in the evenings. Rather than avoiding him, I learned what upsets him (being rushed and being spoken about as if he is not there) and changed how I approach him. I knock, introduce myself and explain what I am doing. He still has bad days, but he no longer refuses care from me. Respect is how you treat someone when they are not making it easy.
Human rights. A resident with dementia was being moved between rooms without anyone asking her or her family. I raised it at a team meeting, arguing that her views and her family's should be sought even if the decision stayed the same. The manager agreed and we changed our process. I see human rights as everyday dignity and a say in decisions that affect you.
In policing I would meet people at their worst, often with little time to think. Being honest, fair and respectful is easy when things are calm; I have tried to hold to it when they are not. I know I will not always get it right, but these are habits I already practise under pressure and I would carry them into the role.
Word count of the example above: 384 (counted from the text on this page). Count your own answer the same way before you paste it into the form.
Why the example works
- It answers both halves. The opening names Priya's own values and links them to the four; every paragraph after shows her practising one.
- Every example is an action. She spoke to a colleague, then reported it; she wrote the rota rule down; she changed how she approached a resident; she raised a process at a meeting.
- There is a cost. The integrity example risks a friendship. Values show most clearly when they are inconvenient.
- It shows understanding, not perfection. "He still has bad days" and "I know I will not always get it right" are honest and believable.
- Human rights is made concrete. Not a slogan, but a resident's say in a decision about her own room.
- It stays under the limit with room to spare.
- It links to the job in the last line without overclaiming.
The example, paragraph by paragraph
Here is what each paragraph of Priya's answer is doing and how many words it uses. Use the same breakdown on your own draft: if one value has 150 words and another has 30, rebalance.
| Paragraph | Words | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47 | Opening: names Priya's own values in plain words, links them to the four and promises evidence. |
| 2 | 70 | Integrity: a real situation with a personal cost (a friendship). Shows she tried the direct route first, then escalated. Ends with a one-line reflection. |
| 3 | 63 | Fairness: a concrete rule applied to everyone, including herself and a friend. Being open about decisions is shown, not claimed. |
| 4 | 76 | Respect: a person who is hard to respect in the moment. She changed her own behaviour and names the result. Honest that he still has bad days. |
| 5 | 65 | Human rights: turns an abstract idea into a resident's say over her own room. Shows she raised it properly and the process changed. |
| 6 | 63 | Close: links to policing without overclaiming and admits she will not always get it right. |
Total: 384 words, leaving room under the 400-word maximum.
A second example: a school leaver (348 words, invented applicant)
Many applicants are 18 or 19 with little work history. Police Scotland says you don't need any formal qualifications. The values question asks about your own life, not your career. This example was written by PolicePay for an invented applicant, "Callum", an 18-year-old with a weekend café job. It is not a model answer to copy and it does not guarantee any result.
I have not had a long career yet, but the values I try to live by are being honest, being fair, treating people properly and looking out for people who are struggling. I recognise all four of Police Scotland's values in them.
Integrity. At my weekend job in a café I was given too much change by the till at the end of a shift, so my float was £20 over. Nobody would have noticed. I counted it twice, told the supervisor and we found a customer had been short-changed. She came back the next day and got her money. It was a small thing, but I want to be someone people can trust with small things.
Fairness. I captain my five-a-side team. When we reached a cup final, two of my friends expected to start. I picked the team on who had come to training, which left one of them on the bench. He was annoyed with me for a week, but I explained my reasons to the whole squad before the game so nobody felt it was a secret decision.
Respect. My gran has hearing loss and gets frustrated in shops and at the doctor's when people talk too fast. I go with her to appointments, make sure people face her when they speak and let her answer for herself rather than speaking over her. It has taught me to slow down and check people have understood, whoever they are.
Human rights. A boy in my year was being filmed and laughed at by a group in the canteen because he has a stammer. I told them to stop, sat with him and later reported it to a guidance teacher. I think everyone has the right to feel safe and to be treated with dignity. Sometimes that means saying something when it is easier not to.
My examples are from school, sport, family and a part-time job, not from years of work. I know I have a lot to learn, but these are habits I already have and I want to build on them in policing.
| What Callum does | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Uses a part-time job, sport, family and school | Shows all four values without needing years of work experience |
| Picks small, real situations | A £20 till discrepancy is more believable than a dramatic rescue |
| Shows a cost in the fairness example | His friend was annoyed for a week: the value cost him something |
| Names what he did each time | Counted twice and told the supervisor; explained to the squad; went with his gran; told them to stop and reported it |
| Addresses his age honestly in the close | Acknowledges limited experience without apologising for it |
Weak vs strong: side by side
| Weak answer | Strong answer | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | "Police Scotland's values are very important to me and I share all of them." | Names your own values in your own words, then shows how they line up with the four |
| Integrity | "Integrity means doing the right thing even when nobody is watching." | A time you did the right thing at some cost to yourself and what it cost |
| Fairness | "I always treat everyone equally." | A specific decision where you applied the same standard, including to someone close to you |
| Respect | "I respect everyone regardless of background." | Someone hard to respect in the moment and what you did to treat them with dignity |
| Human rights | "I believe in human rights for all." | An everyday situation where you protected someone's dignity, privacy, safety or say in a decision |
| Evidence | Adjectives and claims | Actions and results |
| Tone | Perfect, certain | Honest, reflective, includes difficulty |
| Length | Either 150 words of slogans or 600 words over the limit | Close to but under 400 words |
A quick test: underline every verb that describes something you did. A strong answer has a lot of underlining. A weak one has "believe", "value", "always" and "share" doing most of the work.
Where to find examples, by background
Applicants often worry that their life does not offer "police" examples. It does not need to. The question asks how you practise values in your own life, whatever that life is. Some starting points (our suggestions):
| Your background | Places to look for examples | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| School or college leaver | Part-time job, sports team, school responsibilities, looking after siblings, volunteering | Choosing only school examples; include work or community too if you can |
| Retail, hospitality or call centre | Complaints, refunds, handling cash honestly, fair treatment of colleagues, vulnerable customers | Making every example a complaint; vary the situations |
| Health or social care | Dignity in personal care, raising concerns, consent, confidentiality | Sharing details that would identify a patient or resident |
| Armed forces | Fair treatment within a team, honesty about mistakes, respect across cultures | Jargon; explain what you did in plain words |
| Parent or carer | Fairness between children, advocating for a relative's rights, dealing respectfully with services | Examples that are only about your own family's interests |
| Career changer in an office role | Integrity with data or money, fair allocation of work, inclusion of a new or isolated colleague | Examples that are too abstract; name what happened |
Editing a draft down to 400 words
Most first drafts run long. Cut in this order, which keeps the evidence and loses the padding:
- Introductions that restate the question. "In this answer I will explain my values..." can go.
- Definitions. Replace "Integrity is a vital quality that means..." with nothing, or a five-word phrase.
- Adjectives and intensifiers. "Very", "extremely", "truly", "passionate", "dedicated".
- Background detail that does not change what you did.
- Repeated conclusions. One closing line is enough.
| Before (41 words) | After (25 words) |
|---|---|
| "Respect is something I have always felt very passionately about because I truly believe that every single person deserves to be treated with dignity, no matter who they are or what their background is, as I was brought up that way." | "Respect. One resident can be verbally aggressive. I learned what upsets him and changed how I approach him; he no longer refuses care from me." |
The shorter version says more: a situation, an action and a result. Use the saved words to add a detail to another example.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Copying definitions. Lifting text from the CVF or a dictionary uses words without showing anything.
- Saying "always" and "never". "I always treat everyone fairly" is not believable. Describe one time you did.
- Using an example that raises a concern. If an example involves something you have not declared elsewhere, or would worry a vetting officer, choose another.
- Heroics. You do not need dramatic stories. A carefully handled complaint is better evidence than a vague rescue.
- Going over 400 words. It is a stated maximum. Edit.
- Recycling your personal statement. Use different examples where you can, so the two answers add up to more of you.
- Leaving out a value. The question names four. Missing one makes the answer look incomplete.
AI and writing in your own words
Police Scotland's AI guidance allows AI as a support tool, but says applications that are "entirely AI-generated" are likely to be identified and that "we do not use AI to make selection decisions". A values answer is about your own life, which no AI tool knows. Use tools to check spelling or to test whether your structure is clear if you want, but write the examples yourself. You will need to speak about them face to face later.
How your values come up later in the process
The values question is not the last time values matter. Police Scotland says all the competencies and values are assessed throughout the assessment day:
| Stage | Where values show |
|---|---|
| Group task (50 minutes) | How you treat others in the discussion: listening, including quieter members, disagreeing respectfully |
| Situational judgement exercise (60 minutes) | What you consider when a scenario unfolds: fairness to everyone involved, honesty, people's safety and dignity |
| Competency-based interview (20 minutes, four questions) | Your examples; each question aligns to a named CVF competency |
| Vetting | Integrity in practice: whether what you declared matches what is found |
See the interview guide and the group task and SJE overview.
Review your draft: a self-check rubric
Police Scotland does not publish how the values answer is scored. This rubric is our own, built from what the question asks, to help you see where a draft is weak. It is not Police Scotland's marking scheme and scoring "strong" on it does not predict any result.
| Check (our own rubric, not Police Scotland's marking) | Not there yet | Getting there | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers both halves of the question | Only talks about Police Scotland's values | Names own values but examples are thin | Own values named and each shown in action |
| Covers all four values | One or two missing | All four mentioned, one without an example | All four, each with a real example |
| Evidence | Claims and adjectives | Situations described but your own action is vague | Clear first-person actions and results |
| Specific detail | Could be anyone's answer | Some detail | Places, people, numbers or decisions only you could describe |
| Honesty and reflection | Perfect hero in every story | Some reflection | Includes difficulty, cost or what you learned |
| Link to policing | None, or overclaims | Generic line about helping people | Brief, realistic link to the job |
| Length | Over 400 or under about 250 words | Under 400 but uneven across values | Close to but under 400, balanced |
| Own words | Sounds copied or generated | Mostly yours | Sounds like you speaking |
A practical way to use it: put your draft away for a day, then read it against each row as if it were someone else's. Better still, ask someone who knows you to read it and tell you which example sounds least like you.
Opening lines: common and better
The first sentence sets the tone. Many answers open the same way. Some alternatives (our suggestions):
| Common opening | Problem | Better direction |
|---|---|---|
| "Police Scotland's values are Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights and I share them all." | Repeats the question and claims without evidence | Name your own values in your own words first |
| "Ever since I was young I have wanted to be a police officer." | Answers a different question (motivation) | Save motivation for the personal statement |
| "Values are the foundation of who we are." | General and could be anyone's | Start with what you actually try to do |
| "I am an honest, fair and respectful person." | Adjectives only | Follow it immediately with "for example" and a real situation |
| "Human rights are enshrined in law." | Legal knowledge is not what is asked | Describe how you protect people's dignity and safety day to day |
From values answer to interview answer
Your values examples can become interview examples. The interview has four questions in 20 minutes, each aligned to a named CVF competency, so each answer has about five minutes. A 75-word written example needs expanding to fill that time well:
| Written (values answer) | Spoken (interview, about 4 to 5 minutes) |
|---|---|
| One sentence of situation | Set the scene: where, when, who, what was at stake |
| Two or three sentences of action | Walk through each step you took and why, including what you considered and rejected |
| One sentence of result | What happened, how you know and what feedback you got |
| Implied reflection | What you learned and what you would do differently |
Our interview guide explains how Police Scotland's interview runs and how to structure spoken answers.
Checklist before you paste it in
- It answers the question asked: your personal values and how you practise them.
- All four Police Scotland values appear, each with a real example from your life.
- Each example says what you did, not what people in general should do.
- At least one example involved a cost, a risk or discomfort for you.
- No definitions copied from a dictionary or the CVF.
- Under 400 words, counted in your own word processor before pasting.
- Written in your own words, read aloud once to check it sounds like you.
- No examples you could not talk about in detail at the interview.
- Nothing in it conflicts with what you declare elsewhere on the form.
- Spelling of the values matches the question: Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights.
Ready to draft? The values question tool takes you through each value inside the limit.
What we could not verify
- How the values answer is scored and whether it has a pass mark.
- Whether answers under or over 400 words are treated differently by assessors.
- Whether the values answer is referred to at the interview.
Police Scotland does not publish these.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Police Scotland values question?
On the main application form: "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.
How many words is the Police Scotland values question?
The maximum is 400 words. With four values to cover, that is roughly 70 to 80 words of example per value plus a short opening and close.
What are Police Scotland's values?
Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Human Rights. They underpin Police Scotland's Competency and Values Framework (CVF) and its Code of Ethics.
Do I have to cover all four values?
The question names all four and then asks for your own values and how you practise them. Covering each of the four with an example from your life is the clearest way to answer it. It also lets your own values sit alongside them.
Should I define each value?
No. The question asks how you practise your values, so the reader is looking for what you did, not what the word means. A one-line sense of what the value means to you is enough before the example.
Can I use examples from outside work?
Yes. The question says "in your own life". Volunteering, family, sport, study and community life are all fair sources, as long as the example shows you acting on the value.
What if I have little work experience?
The question asks how you practise your values in your own life, so school, sport, family, volunteering and part-time jobs all count. Police Scotland says you don't need any formal qualifications to apply. Small, real situations described honestly are better evidence than a dramatic story.
Can I use the same example for two values?
You can, but with 400 words, four separate examples usually show more of you. If one situation genuinely shows two values, say so briefly and use the space saved for another example.
Is the values answer assessed?
Police Scotland says the application answers are used to assess your motivation, expectations, preparation, skills, experience and values, in your own words. It does not publish how the values answer is scored or whether it has a pass mark.
Can I use AI to write my values answer?
Police Scotland allows AI as a support tool but says applications that are entirely AI-generated are likely to be identified. A values answer is about your own life, so write it yourself.
Is it 'practice' or 'practise'?
Police Scotland's question uses "practice" as a verb. In British English the verb is usually spelled "practise". Either is fine in your answer; do not worry about matching the question.
Will the values come up again later?
Yes. Police Scotland says every assessment day exercise is assessed against its CVF and that all the competencies and values are assessed across the day. Your examples may be useful again at the interview.
Is there a tool to help me draft it?
Yes. Our Police Scotland values question tool at /candidates/police-scotland/values-question/ lets you work through the answer inside the 400-word limit.
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 : exact wording of the values question and the 400-word maximum; personal statement and other answers (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Competency and Values Framework (PDF) : values (integrity, fairness, respect and human rights) and the six competencies (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : every assessment day exercise is assessed against the CVF; all competencies and values assessed across the day (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: AI guidance for applicants : AI as a support tool; entirely AI-generated applications likely to be identified (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer selection process : interview questions align to a CVF competency, named as each question is asked (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.