Do Specials Sit
the National Sift?
Short answer: in most forces, yes. Since 5 October 2026 the College of Policing describes a national standard for special constable recruitment that includes the National Sift. Here is what that means, which forces say they use it, where forces differ, and how to prepare.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Yes, in most forces. The College of Policing's national standard for special constable recruitment (updated 5 October 2026) is an application to the force, the National Sift (a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire) and an in-force interview, all at CVF level 1. There is no online assessment centre for specials. It is a College standard rather than a legal rule, and forces differ: most whose pages we read name the sift, but the Met's pages do not, and British Transport Police and Police Scotland use their own tests.
The answer, from the College of Policing
The College of Policing's page on joining as a special constable was updated on 5 October 2026. It says you apply directly to the force, and that if your application is progressed you will complete a national sift and an in-force interview. The College calls this the national standard for special constable recruitment, and links to the same National Sift candidate guidance that constable applicants use.
The College's reasonable adjustments policy, first published on 5 August 2026, says the same: PCSO and special constabulary recruitment includes the national sift and an in-force interview. Initial police constable recruitment, by contrast, includes the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person interview.
A national standard, not a legal requirement
For regular constables, the stages are now law. Since 17 March 2026, regulation 10(1)(eb) of the Police Regulations 2003 requires a candidate for appointment as a constable (other than a transferee) to complete the national application form and pass the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview. The regulations that inserted it, and their explanatory memorandum, do not mention special constables.
Special constables are appointed under the Police Act 1996 and the Special Constables Regulations 1965. The 1965 regulations set qualifications such as age, nationality, good character and health, and allow English and numeracy assessments set by the chief officer, but they do not require a sift or an interview. We found no 2026 amendment to them. So for specials the sift comes from the College's standard, which forces are expected to follow, rather than from statute.
In practice it means a force can still describe a different process, and a few do. Read your force's own specials pages and invitation, and if they do not mention the sift, ask the recruitment team which tests you will sit.
What forces say, force by force
We read the special constable recruitment pages of 14 forces on 18 October 2026. 11 of them name the National Sift or its two exercises. The others are Metropolitan Police, West Midlands Police, British Transport Police.
| Force | Names the National Sift? | What its pages say | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police | No | No sift named: application and a Police National Computer check, then an online interview | Force page |
| Greater Manchester Police | Yes | An initial sift, then the online National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Force page |
| Thames Valley Police | Yes | Online National Sift assessment | Force page |
| Kent Police | Yes | National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Force page |
| Devon and Cornwall Police | Yes | BSQ first, which must be passed, then the SJT | Force page |
| West Yorkshire Police | Yes | National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Force page |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | Yes | National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Force page |
| Sussex Police | Yes | Online assessments: BSQ and SJT | Force page |
| Avon and Somerset | Yes | Compulsory familiarisation event, then the National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Force page |
| Essex Police | Yes | National Sift, after the application | Force page |
| Lancashire Constabulary | Yes | Short application and paper sift, then the National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Force page |
| Merseyside Police | Yes | Initial sift, then the College of Policing National Sift | Force page |
| West Midlands Police | No | No specials-specific stages published | Force page |
| British Transport Police | No | Its own process: an SJT within the application, then online maths and English and a video assessment (its pack covers constables, PCSOs and specials together) | Force page |
- Order can differ. Devon and Cornwall makes the questionnaire and the SJT two separate steps, and you must pass the questionnaire before you take the SJT.
- Extra sifts. Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside describe an initial or paper sift of your application before the National Sift.
- Extra events. Avon and Somerset makes a familiarisation event compulsory before the sift.
- Pages lag. Some pages pre-date the College's October 2026 update, and some were closed to applications. Treat the invitation you receive as the final word.
What the National Sift involves
The College's National Sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) says:
- Situational judgement test (SJT). Work scenarios with four possible actions each. You rate every action on a five-point scale from counterproductive to very effective. Untimed, about 45 minutes. It assesses the six CVF competencies.
- Behavioural styles questionnaire (BSQ). Statements about how you typically behave at work, rated on a seven-point scale from completely disagree to completely agree, sometimes with ranking items. Untimed, about 20 minutes. It assesses the six competencies and the three values.
- Level 1. Both are reviewed against the CVF at level 1, and no policing knowledge is needed.
- Window and devices. A seven-day window once your force invites you; laptop, tablet or phone. Unscored practice questions come first and cannot be reopened once skipped.
The guidance does not say how many SJT scenarios there are. For a fuller walk-through see our National Sift guide.
Try two specials-style scenarios
These scenarios are original PolicePay practice material in the National Sift format, set in situations a special constable might meet. They are not College of Policing questions. The model ratings are our own reasoned judgement against the CVF.
Scenario 1 of 2
Free sample scenario
A favour from a friend
You have recently been attested as a special constable. A close friend who is worried about a new neighbour asks you to look the neighbour up on the police systems and tell them whether he has a criminal record. They say nobody would ever know.
Rate each action on its own, from 1 (Counterproductive) to 5 (Very effective). You can give the same rating to more than one action.
Rate all four actions to check your answers.
Scenario 2 of 2
Free sample scenario
A duty and an extra shift
You are a special constable and have booked on for a Saturday evening duty that your team is relying on for a planned event. On Friday afternoon your employer asks if you can cover an extra shift at your paid job on Saturday evening.
Rate each action on its own, from 1 (Counterproductive) to 5 (Very effective). You can give the same rating to more than one action.
Rate all four actions to check your answers.
The score shown is PolicePay's own practice scoring against our model ratings. It does not predict your result in the real sift.
Scoring, results and resits
- Both exercises are scored automatically and combined into one result.
- Your score is shown as a percentile against a comparison group of applicants to policing roles.
- You are told by email whether you met the national standard and get a personalised feedback report.
- The pass mark and the weighting between the two exercises are not published.
- Resits: from three months after your attempt, up to twice in any 12 months, taking both exercises again. Lancashire's specials page allows one retake, not within three months.
- Appeals go to your force in writing, and only if you did not meet the standard.
Specials and regulars: same sift, different process
| Stage | Special constable (College standard) | Regular constable (law since 17 March 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Application | To the force | National application form |
| National Sift (SJT and BSQ) | Yes | Yes |
| Online assessment centre | Not part of the standard | Yes |
| Interview | In-force interview, up to 60 minutes, CVF level 1 | In-person force interview |
| Basis | College of Policing national standard | Police Regulations 2003, reg 10(1)(eb) |
Devon and Cornwall says that if you also have a regular constable application running, your specials application is paused after the National Sift. That is one force's rule, but it is a sign that forces will not run two applications from the same person side by side. If you are deciding between the two, see special constable to regular officer.
How to prepare
- Read the CVF at level 1. Both exercises are built on it. Our CVF guide is a quick way in.
- Practise the SJT format. Rate each action on its own, from the information given. Use the free SJT practice, which explains every rating.
- Do not try to game the questionnaire. Answer honestly and consistently. See the BSQ practice to get used to the format.
- Pick your moment. Use the seven-day window to sit it somewhere quiet, ideally each exercise in one sitting.
- Then the interview. Start preparing your examples straight away: see special constable interview questions.
Scotland and British Transport Police
- Police Scotland runs its own process. Its specials recruitment uses the Police Scotland Entrance Test, not the College's National Sift, and the fitness test at level 5.4. It asks specials for a minimum of 96 hours a year.
- British Transport Police uses its own process: an SJT within the application, then online maths and English and a video assessment, then an assessment centre with a competency-based interview and presentation. Its recruitment pack covers constables, PCSOs and specials together, so check which steps apply to specials.
- Northern Ireland: the PSNI's careers pages we read list officer and staff roles only, with no special constable route.
What we could not verify
- Whether every force now uses the sift for specials. We read 14 forces' pages; some were closed or may be out of date.
- The number of SJT scenarios and the pass mark. Not published by the College.
- Whether a specials sift result carries over to a regular application. No national statement found.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do special constables have to do the National Sift?
Under the College of Policing's national standard for special constable recruitment (updated 5 October 2026), yes: you apply to the force and, if your application is progressed, complete the national sift and an in-force interview. Most forces we checked say so on their specials pages. The Met's pages do not mention a sift, and British Transport Police and Police Scotland run their own tests.
Is the specials sift the same as the police officer sift?
The format is the same: a situational judgement test and a behavioural styles questionnaire, assessed at CVF level 1, with the same College candidate guidance. What comes after differs. Specials go to an in-force interview; regular constable candidates go to the online assessment centre and then a force interview.
Do specials do the online assessment centre?
Not under the College's standard. Its specials joining page and its August 2026 adjustments policy list only the national sift and an in-force interview for special constabulary recruitment.
How long does the National Sift take?
Both parts are untimed. The College's candidate guidance says to expect about 45 minutes for the situational judgement test and about 20 minutes for the behavioural styles questionnaire. You have a seven-day window to complete it once invited.
If I fail the sift as a special, when can I resit?
The College's guidance allows a resit from three months after your attempt, up to twice in any 12 months, taking both exercises again. Lancashire's specials page says one retake is allowed, not within three months. Check your force's rules.
Does a specials sift pass count if I later apply to be a regular?
We found no national statement that it does. The law for regular constable candidates requires a pass in the national sift and has no exception for specials. Devon and Cornwall says it pauses a specials application after the sift if you also have a regular application running. Ask your force.
Are the practice scenarios on this page real sift questions?
No. They are original PolicePay practice material in the National Sift format. The College does not publish its questions or answer key, so the model ratings are our own reasoned judgement against the CVF. The rating labels and definitions are the College's.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 18 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.
- College of Policing: Joining as a special constable (updated 5 October 2026) : national standard: apply to the force, national sift, in-force interview; CVF level 1 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) : SJT and BSQ format, timings, scoring, resits, appeals, adjustments (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy (first published 5 August 2026) : special constabulary recruitment: national sift and in-force interview (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10 (legislation.gov.uk) : reg 10(1)(eb) applies to candidates for appointment as a constable (accessed 18 October 2026)
- The Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) and explanatory memorandum : inserted reg 10(1)(eb) from 17 March 2026; neither mentions special constables (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Special Constables Regulations 1965, regulation 1 (legislation.gov.uk) : qualifications for appointment; no sift or interview requirement (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Force special constable recruitment pages (14 forces, listed in the table with links) : each force's stages as stated on its own pages (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Special constable recruitment process : Police Scotland Entrance Test, not the National Sift (accessed 18 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force, and it does not recruit, vet or assess special constables. Each force runs its own special constabulary recruitment, so stages, hours and training differ: always check the advert and recruitment pages of the force you are applying to. Details are as checked on 18 October 2026.