Special to
Regular Officer
Being a special constable is one of the most common ways people try out policing before applying for a paid role. Here is what the law and national guidance actually let your specials service count for, which stages you still have to pass, and how forces' own routes differ.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Yes, but not automatically. You apply as a new constable candidate and, since 17 March 2026, must pass the national application form, national sift, online assessment process and an in-person force interview, like everyone except transferees from another force. What your specials service can do: count instead of a level 3 qualification for the PCDA or PCEP if your chief officer accepts it, and reduce what you repeat in training, because the specials learning programme is aligned with the first year of the PCDA. Rank and pension service do not carry over.
The route in short
- Check the routes your force is recruiting on. PCDA, PCEP, DHEP or the degree holder route, and whether it runs anything for serving specials.
- Check your entry qualification. If you have no level 3, ask whether the force accepts specials service under Annex BA, and for how long or to what standard.
- Apply as a constable candidate. National application form, then the National Sift, the online assessment centre and the force interview.
- Pre-employment checks. Fitness, medical, references and vetting as a police candidate.
- Training with credit. Ask how your specials learning is recognised on your programme.
The stages you still have to pass
Since 17 March 2026, regulation 10(1)(eb) of the Police Regulations 2003 says a candidate for appointment as a constable must have completed the national application form and passed the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person interview with the force. The only candidates excluded are transferees from another police force. Special constables are not mentioned, so as the law reads, a serving special applying to be a regular sits all four stages.
That matters because the process to become a special is shorter. The College of Policing describes specials recruitment as a national sift and an in-force interview, with no online assessment centre. So even a special who passed the sift when they joined should expect to sit the online assessment centre for the first time when applying to be a regular.
joiningthepolice.co.uk says the process may vary by force and that some forces run dedicated routes for existing specials. If a force tells you a stage is waived or counted, ask for that in writing and check it against the advert. We have not seen an official statement on how regulation 10(1)(eb) treats a special's earlier sift result.
Specials service in place of a level 3 qualification
The PCDA and PCEP normally need a level 3 qualification, such as two A levels, or something the chief officer accepts from the Home Office list, Annex BA. That list includes service as a special constable, for a period the chief officer specifies. So a special without A levels can become eligible for the two non-degree routes through their service.
- It is the force's choice. The chief officer decides whether to use this item and sets the period. Annex BA sets no national minimum period and does not require a particular patrol status.
- Forces add conditions. Some ask for independent patrol status, a record of regular hours or up-to-date training. See the force table below.
- It does not apply to DHEP. The degree holder routes need a degree, which specials service does not replace.
Our qualifications guide sets out Annex BA in full.
Recognition of prior learning
The College of Policing's page on joining as a special constable says the Special Constables Learning Programme is aligned with the first year of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, and that if a special becomes a regular their learning and experience will be taken into account, so they do not duplicate what they have already completed.
The College's training guidance for specials describes the Special Constable Learning Programme in stages: phase one learning and personal safety training lead to accompanied patrol status; a tutor-assessed portfolio leads to directed patrol status, which the College estimates takes 18 to 24 months on average; and phase two learning across five areas (response, communities, roads, information and intelligence, investigations) leads to qualified special constable. The College's page for forces says the programme is set at academic level 4, though not accredited, and can be mapped across to the PCDA once a special reaches directed patrol status.
Recognition of prior learning is decided by the university or awarding body on the programme you join, case by case, and the College notes that credit is capped. The College's recognition of prior learning page has a credit estimator that covers special constables. So the amount of credit depends on how far you got as a special and on your force's education partner. Ask before you accept an offer:
- Which modules or weeks of initial training will I be exempt from?
- Will my tutoring period or probation be shorter?
- What evidence do you need from my specials record?
Specials-to-regulars routes in the forces we checked
Forces handle this very differently, and most say little about it on their specials pages. Of the 14 forces whose specials pages we read, only these said something specific about becoming a regular:
| Force | What its pages say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police | Specials who have completed 200 hours of operational service and gained independent patrol status can apply to become a new police constable | Force specials page |
| Kent Police | Says there are routes to become a regular paid constable without completing the full police constable training programme | Force specials page |
| Lancashire Constabulary | Says being a special is not a direct route to becoming a paid police officer | Force specials page |
The others (Greater Manchester Police, Thames Valley Police, Devon and Cornwall Police, West Yorkshire Police, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Sussex Police, Avon and Somerset, Essex Police, Merseyside Police, West Midlands Police, British Transport Police) did not describe a route on the specials pages we read. That does not mean there is none: look at the force's PCDA and PCEP eligibility pages for "special constable", because that is where Annex BA arrangements are usually set out, and check with your force, because these schemes open and close.
What carries over, and what does not
| Item | Carries over? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Selection stages | No | The four national stages apply in full. Regulation 10(1)(eb) has an exception only for transferees from another force. |
| Entry qualification (PCDA, PCEP) | Can do | A chief officer may accept special constable service, for a period they specify, in place of a level 3 qualification (Home Office Annex BA). |
| Learning already done | Can do | The College says a special who becomes a regular will have their learning and experience taken into account. How much is credited is up to the force and its education provider. |
| Vetting | Reviewed | You need clearance as a police candidate from the force you are joining, granted within six months of appointment (Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, regs 4B and 4C). |
| Fitness test | Usually retaken | We found no national rule letting a specials pass count for regular recruitment. Ask the force. |
| Rank and pension | No | Special constable service is unpaid volunteer service, so it is not pensionable service in the police pension scheme, and you join at constable rank. Starting pay follows the rules for your entry route; ask the force if any experience affects your starting point. |
| Warrant | No | You are attested again as a regular constable. Your specials attestation does not continue as a regular appointment. |
How many specials make the move
The Home Office's joiners data records how many new officers had been special constables. In 2025/26 it was 150 full-time equivalent joiners out of 8,872 excluding transfers, across the 43 forces in England and Wales.
| Year | Joiners (FTE, excl. transfers) | Of whom former specials |
|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 12,789 | 512 |
| 2022/23 | 16,328 | 510 |
| 2023/24 | 9,479 | 343 |
| 2024/25 | 7,855 | 165 |
| 2025/26 | 8,872 | 150 |
We do not attribute a cause to the change over time. The figures count people recorded as former specials when they joined, and the Home Office does not publish how many specials applied.
Making your specials experience count in the application
Your experience will not get you through any stage on its own, but it gives you material most candidates do not have:
- Interview examples. Real incidents where you showed courage, empathy or ownership. Keep confidential details out and focus on your actions.
- The SJT still needs care. Experienced specials sometimes answer from how their force does things rather than from the scenario. The sift asks you to judge only from what the scenario says.
- The online assessment centre is new to you. Its written and briefing exercises are not part of specials recruitment, so prepare for them.
See the online assessment centre guide and the police officer interview questions.
Checklist before you apply
- Which entry routes is the force recruiting on, and when do they close?
- Do I have a level 3, or will the force accept my specials service? What period or standard does it want?
- Does the force run a specials route, and does it change any stage? (Get it in writing.)
- What recognition of prior learning applies on my programme?
- Am I ready for the National Sift, the online assessment centre and the force interview?
- Is my fitness at the standard the force tests to?
What we could not verify
- Whether an earlier sift pass counts. We found no national statement. Ask your force.
- How much training credit specials get. It varies by force and education partner.
- Success rates for specials applying to be regulars. Not published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a special constable become a regular police officer?
Yes, and many do, but there is no automatic transfer. You apply as a new constable candidate. Since 17 March 2026 every constable candidate except a transferee from another force must complete the national application form and pass the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview (Police Regulations 2003, reg 10(1)(eb)). Your specials service can count as your entry qualification and towards your training.
Do specials have to do the National Sift again to become regulars?
Expect to. The regulation's only exception is for transferees from another police force, and it does not mention special constables. Some forces run dedicated specials-to-regulars routes; if yours does, ask in writing which stages, if any, it counts as already passed.
Does special constable service count instead of A levels?
It can. Home Office Annex BA lets a chief officer accept service as a special constable, for a period the chief officer specifies, in place of a level 3 qualification for the police constable degree apprenticeship (PCDA) and the police constable entry programme (PCEP). Each force decides whether it uses this and what period or standard it asks for.
Do specials get credit on the PCDA?
The College of Policing says the Special Constables Learning Programme is aligned with the first year of the PCDA, and that a special who becomes a regular will have their learning and experience taken into account so they do not repeat what they have already done. How much credit you get depends on your force and its university or training partner.
Does specials service count towards police pay or pension?
Not towards the pension: special constables are unpaid volunteers, so their service is not pensionable service in the police pension scheme. Starting pay follows the regulations for your entry route, so ask the force whether any previous experience affects where you start.
How many specials become regular officers each year?
The Home Office recorded 150 full-time equivalent officers joining the 43 forces in England and Wales in 2025/26 who had been special constables, out of 8,872 joiners excluding transfers.
Is it better to join as a special first?
It depends on your goal. Being a special gives you real experience, strong interview examples and, in many forces, a way round the level 3 requirement. But it means two recruitment processes, a training course and regular unpaid hours. If you meet the entry requirements and want a paid role now, applying directly is quicker.
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.
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 10 (latest version, legislation.gov.uk) : reg 10(1)(eb): the four stages for constable candidates, exception for transferees only (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Home Office: Annex BA (amendments), policing qualifications and experience (Circular 002/2024) : special constable service accepted in place of level 3 for PCDA and PCEP, for a period the chief officer specifies (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Joining as a special constable (updated 5 October 2026) : national standard for specials recruitment: national sift and in-force interview (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Special constables : learning programme aligned with PCDA year one; learning and experience taken into account (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Training for special constables (first published 29 October 2020) : SCLP stages: accompanied patrol, directed patrol (18 to 24 months on average), phase two in five areas, qualified special constable (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: PCSO and special constable entry (for forces) : SCLP at academic level 4, not accredited; can be mapped to the PCDA once a special reaches directed patrol status (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Recognition of prior learning : decided by the university or awarding body; credit capped; estimator covers specials (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: Special constable recruitment process : 200 hours of operational service and independent patrol status before applying as a new constable (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Kent Police: Special constable recruitment process : routes to regular without the full constable training programme (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Lancashire Constabulary: Special constable : not a direct route to a paid role (accessed 18 October 2026)
- joiningthepolice.co.uk: Special constable / volunteer entry option : apply in the usual way; some forces run routes for serving specials (accessed 18 October 2026)
- The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025, as amended (legislation.gov.uk) : candidate clearance within six months of appointment (regs 4B, 4C) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Home Office: Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2026 (joiners open data) : joiners who were former special constables, by year (accessed 18 October 2026)
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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.