Police Pay
Free Tool

Police Scotland
Timeline Planner

Plan your preparation backwards from the date you want to apply, then track the dates Police Scotland gives you against the rules that are fixed: the 6-month fitness rule, 18 weeks of training and a 2-year probation. Free, nothing stored.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated

Short answer: how long does it take to join Police Scotland?

Police Scotland does not publish a typical time from application to start date. What is fixed: the Police Officer vacancy closes on 31 March 2027, a fitness pass must be within 6 months of being given a start date, training lasts 18 weeks and probation 2 years. This planner works with those rules and your own dates.

Contents
Timeline PlannerWhat Is FixedWhat Is Not PublishedSuggested Lead TimesThe 6-Month RuleTraining Dates ExampleHow to Use ItWhat We Could Not Verify FAQs Sources
Applying to Police Scotland? All three practice packs in Police Scotland Complete, £49.99

Plan your Police Scotland timeline

What is fixed

RuleDetailSource
Closing dateThe Police Officer vacancy closes 31 March 2027 at 23:55.Candidate portal
Fitness validityFitness test within 6 months of being given a start date, or a further test before any formal offer.Recruitment process page
Initial training18 weeks: 1 week regional, 15 weeks at Tulliallan or East Kilbride, 2 weeks regional.Police officer page
Probation2 years, mostly in response policing.Police officer and rewards pages
Pay stepsPoint 1 after one year's service, point 2 after two.PNBS Circular 2026/01
IntakesTen a year since March 2024; 2026/27 dates not published.SPA paper, June 2024

What is not published

Police Scotland does not publish how long the whole process takes, how long you wait between stages, when the PSET or assessment day is held for your application, or how long vetting takes. Its own words are that the process is "different for each person" and that it is up to you how quickly you complete each step. That is why the planner asks for your dates rather than guessing them.

Suggested lead times (our suggestion)

Part 1 of the planner uses these lead times to work out when to start each task before your submit date. They are PolicePay planning suggestions, not Police Scotland figures.

PolicePay suggestions used by the planner
Where you are nowStart this long before you submitWhy
Fitness: not tested or below level 48 weeksMatches the eight-week outline on our fitness test guide.
Fitness: level 4 to 5.34 weeksEnough to build past 5.4 if you train consistently.
Fitness: 5.4 to 62 weeksBuild a margin so a retest is comfortable.
PSET: no practice yet4 weeksTime to work through each element, then timed papers.
PSET: some practice2 weeksMove to full 60-minute papers.
Statement and values answer: not started3 weeksDraft, leave, redraft in your own words.
Paperwork (5 years of employment, licence, tattoo photos)1 weekGathering dates and contacts takes longer than people expect.

The 6-month fitness rule, worked through

The rule counts from your fitness test to the date you are given a start date. Six calendar months after 31 August is the last day of February, because there is no 31 February. These invented examples were computed by the planner's own maths when this page was built:

Invented examples of the 6-month rule
Example6 months after the testResult
Fitness test 10 Feb 2027, start date given 20 Jul 202710 August 2027No retest needed for this rule
Fitness test 10 Feb 2027, start date given 15 Aug 202710 August 2027Further fitness test before any formal offer
Fitness test 31 Aug 2026, start date given 28 Feb 202728 February 2027No retest needed for this rule
Fitness test 31 Aug 2026, start date given 1 Mar 202728 February 2027Further fitness test before any formal offer
Keep training after you pass

Police Scotland can ask for an extra fitness test at any point in the process. Passing once is not the end of your fitness preparation.

Training dates: a worked example

Police Scotland said the 18-week programme started with the intake beginning on 12 January 2026. Assuming the weeks run back to back with no breaks (we could not confirm course breaks), the dates fall like this:

Worked example from a 12 January 2026 start
PhaseDates
Week 1, regional training centre12 January 2026 to 18 January 2026
Weeks 2 to 16, Tulliallan or East Kilbride19 January 2026 to 3 May 2026
Weeks 17 and 18, regional training centre4 May 2026 to 17 May 2026
Pay point 1 (one year's service)12 January 2027
Two-year probation ends around11 January 2028

How to use the planner well

  1. Check you can apply first with the free eligibility checker.
  2. Pick a submit date comfortably before 31 March 2027. Leave room for the unexpected.
  3. Start any task marked late today, or move your submit date.
  4. Come back as dates arrive and enter them in Part 2, especially your fitness test date.
  5. Use the PSET readiness quiz to see which element needs the most time.

What we could not verify

  • How long any stage takes, or the typical time from application to start.
  • 2026/27 intake dates.
  • Whether initial training includes breaks between phases.
  • Whether a new Police Officer vacancy opens after 31 March 2027.
  • How long a PSET pass remains valid.
Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Police Scotland recruitment take?

Police Scotland does not publish a typical time from application to start date. It says its process is different for each person and how quickly you complete each step is partly up to you. The planner therefore never predicts stage dates: it plans your preparation and applies the fixed rules to the dates you are given.

When does the Police Scotland vacancy close?

On 22 October 2026 the Police Officer vacancy (ID 613) on Police Scotland's candidate portal had a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 23:55.

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 take a further fitness test before any formal offer. It 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 weeks at a regional training centre. Police Scotland said the 18-week programme started with the intake beginning 12 January 2026.

How long is probation in Police Scotland?

Two years, mostly in response policing. You move to pay point 1 after one year's service and pay point 2 after two.

How many intakes does Police Scotland run a year?

A Scottish Police Authority paper from June 2024 says Police Scotland moved to ten intakes a year from March 2024. Intake dates for 2026/27 are not published.

Where do the suggested lead times come from?

They are our planning suggestions, based on how much there is to do for each task. They are not Police Scotland figures and you can move your submit date to suit yourself.

Is anything I enter stored?

No. Your dates stay in your browser and are cleared when you leave the page. We record only that each part of the planner was used.

Should I wait until I am fully prepared before applying?

Not necessarily. The PSET comes after the application, so you can keep practising after you submit. Fitness matters most because Police Scotland says more people fail it than any other stage and the test follows the PSET.

Evidence

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.

  1. Police Scotland candidate portal: vacancies : Police Officer vacancy ID 613 closing 31 March 2027 23:55 (accessed 22 October 2026)
  2. Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : process different for each person; 6-month fitness rule; additional tests at any point (accessed 22 October 2026)
  3. Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : 18 weeks' initial training: 1 + 15 + 2; probation 2 years (accessed 22 October 2026)
  4. 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 (accessed 22 October 2026)
  5. Scottish Police Authority, 27 June 2024, Item 8: Officer recruitment and initial training (PDF) : ten intakes a year since March 2024 (accessed 22 October 2026)
  6. PNBS Circular 2026/01, Federated Ranks Pay : pay points after one and two years' service (accessed 22 October 2026)
  7. Police Scotland: Transferees : more people fail the fitness test than any other stage (accessed 22 October 2026)
Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

How Long Recruitment Takes → What is fixed and what is not published. Timeline to 31 March 2027 → A month-by-month preparation plan. Fitness Test (5.4) → The standard and an eight-week outline. Tulliallan and Jackton Training → The 18 weeks in detail.
Joining Police Scotland

More in this guide series

Start here Join Police Scotland hub Every stage in order, from eligibility to the PSET, fitness, the assessment day, final checks and training. Before you apply Eligibility requirements Age, three years in the UK, indefinite leave, manual licence, points, finances, eyesight and the rejection list. Free tool Eligibility checker Answer short questions and see each published rule you meet, need to check or do not meet yet. Before you apply Age limits and mature applicants Apply from 18 with no published upper limit. What pension age 60 means if you join later. Before you apply Driving licence and points Manual licence, DVLA group 2 medical standards, the more-than-6-points rule and drink driving. Before you apply Finance and debt rules Trust deeds, sequestration, bankruptcy and the £1,000 defaulted accounts rule, with dates worked out. Before you apply Tattoos and appearance What you declare, the photos, how tattoos are reviewed and the rejection figures from FOI. Compare Scotland vs England and Wales No National Sift, no degree routes, a written entrance test and an in-person assessment day. Plan How long recruitment takes What is fixed (18 weeks' training, 2 years' probation, the 6-month fitness rule) and what is not published. Plan Timeline to 31 March 2027 A month-by-month preparation plan for the current Police Officer vacancy. Application Application form step by step Both parts of the form, the 800-word personal statement, word limits and what to have ready. Application Values question examples Two annotated example answers and ten evidence prompts for each value. Tool Values question tool Two example answers and a free builder for the 400-word values answer. Application Values and Code of Ethics Fairness, integrity, respect and human rights, the constable's declaration and the CVF. Entrance test Entrance test (PSET) explained 49 questions in 60 minutes across language, numbers and information handling. Entrance test PSET literacy How the language questions work, the traps and worked examples. Entrance test PSET numeracy Percentages, rates, time and money with a calculator, worked step by step. Entrance test PSET information handling Tables of figures, totals, differences and percentages, worked step by step. Entrance test PSET test day One handwritten paper in ink, a calculator provided and how to pace 49 questions. Free tool Free PSET practice test Original practice questions in the published PSET format, with worked answers. Free tool PSET readiness quiz Nine sample questions plus four about your preparation, with a readiness read for each element. Practice pack PSET Pack 10 full 49-question papers, 210 section drill questions and a score report by skill. Fitness Fitness test (5.4) The 15-metre multi-stage test, the 5.4 standard, the six-month rule and how to train. Assessment day Assessment day The 50-minute group task, the 60-minute spoken SJE and the interview. Assessment day Group task and SJE overview How the two morning exercises run, what they reward and how to practise speaking your reasoning. Practice pack SJE practice Assessment Day Pack: 42 spoken SJE scenarios with AI feedback and 12 group task briefs. Practice Group task practice Read a brief in 10 minutes and plan the group briefing. One free brief. Interview Interview questions and answers The 20-minute, four-question competency interview and how to build answers. Practice pack Interview practice Interview Pack: a 20-minute, four-question simulator and 84 questions with probes. Final checks Medical and substance test What the medical checks, eyesight and BMI, the hair sample and random testing. Final checks References Five years of employment, character references and what to tell your referees. Final checks Vetting When vetting happens, what it confirms, the early assessment option and why timing is not published. Training Tulliallan and Jackton training 1 + 15 + 2 weeks, the two training sites and ten intakes a year. Training Probation (2 years) Response policing, pay rises during probation and what changes after. Training Divisions and postings The 13 divisions, your three posting preferences and the Islands Allowance. Pay Starting salary and progression £34,001 on appointment, every pay point to £54,597 and take-home pay. Pay Part-time and flexible working What Police Scotland offers, the part-time pay formula and probation realities. Other routes Reapplying after failing The 200-word previous-applicant question and a plan for each stage you might fail. Other routes Transferees and rejoiners Who can transfer, the 3-week course, no probation and the rejoiner route. Specials Special constable Eligibility, the PSET, the 5.4 test, training and 96 hours a year. Bundle Complete bundle All three Police Scotland practice packs in one payment.
Also on PolicePay

More for applicants and Scottish officers

Pay Police Scotland pay scales Every rank and pay point for 2026, from the PNBS circulars. Tool Scotland salary calculator Take-home pay with Scottish income tax and pension. Pay Scotland vs England pay Gross and take-home pay compared rank by rank. Tool 15m bleep test simulator Practise the 15-metre shuttle run against the beeps. Tool Mock interview Practise answering interview questions out loud.

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.