PCSO SJT
and the Sift
The College of Policing now sets a national standard for PCSO recruitment: an application to the force, the National Sift and an in-force interview. Here is what the sift involves, which forces say they use it, how it is scored, and three original PCSO-style scenarios to try.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
In most forces, yes. The College of Policing's national standard for PCSO recruitment (updated 5 October 2026) is an application, the National Sift and an in-force interview. The sift has two untimed online exercises: a situational judgement test (rate four actions per scenario, about 45 minutes) and a behavioural styles questionnaire (about 20 minutes). Six of the twelve forces whose PCSO pages we read name the National Sift; the Met, Kent and Thames Valley describe their own shortlisting instead. Check your force's advert.
Do PCSOs sit the National Sift?
The College of Policing's page on joining as a PCSO was updated on 5 October 2026. It says eligibility is set by each force and describes what it calls the national standard for PCSO recruitment: you apply to the force, the force reviews your application and, if it is progressed, you complete a national sift and an in-force interview. The College's reasonable adjustments policy (first published 5 August 2026) lists the same two stages for PCSO recruitment, and no online assessment centre.
Two caveats. First, this is a College standard, not a legal requirement: the 2026 regulation that makes the sift compulsory applies to candidates for appointment as a constable, and PCSOs are police staff. Second, PCSO recruitment is a local matter for each force, and not every force's PCSO pages describe the sift yet. Treat the force's own advert as the final word.
What forces say, force by force
We read the PCSO recruitment pages of these forces on 18 October 2026. Some were not recruiting at the time, and pages can lag behind changes to the process.
| Force | Online tests named on its PCSO pages | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sussex Police | National Sift: behavioural styles questionnaire and situational judgement test | Sussex PCSO page |
| Avon and Somerset | College of Policing National Sift: SJT and BSQ, after a compulsory familiarisation event | Avon and Somerset process page |
| Lancashire | National Sift (SJT and BSQ) after a short application | Lancashire PCSO page |
| Merseyside Police | College of Policing National Sift | Merseyside PCSO page |
| Devon and Cornwall Police | BSQ first, which must be passed, then the SJT | Devon and Cornwall process page |
| South Wales Police | SJT and BSQ, both to be passed; verbal reasoning and maths tests for candidates without level 2 qualifications | South Wales PCSO page |
| Kent Police | No sift named: shortlisting against the candidate specification, then interview and practical exercises | Kent staff recruitment process |
| Metropolitan Police | No sift named: an assessment day with interview, briefing exercise and (for some) a written test | Met PCSO how to apply |
| Thames Valley Police | No sift named: shortlisting questions, then interview | Thames Valley PCSO page |
West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Hampshire's PCSO pages did not name any online test when we checked. We could not find a PCSO recruitment page for Greater Manchester Police. If your force's page is silent, ask the recruitment team which tests you will sit.
How the situational judgement test works
The College's National Sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) describes the SJT like this:
- Format: a series of work scenarios, each with four possible actions.
- Your task: rate each action on its own for how effective it would be, on a five-point scale. You can give the same rating to more than one action.
- Timing: untimed, but expected to take about 45 minutes.
- What it measures: the six competencies of the Competency and Values Framework, at level 1.
- Knowledge: no prior policing knowledge is needed. Answer from the information in the scenario.
- Logistics: your force sends the invitation, you get a seven-day window, and you can use a laptop, tablet or phone. Unscored practice questions come first; if you skip them you cannot go back to them.
The guidance does not say how many scenarios the SJT has, so be wary of any source that quotes an exact number.
The five-point rating scale
| Rating | College of Policing definition |
|---|---|
| 1. Counterproductive | An inappropriate action that will have a negative impact or make the situation worse. |
| 2. Ineffective | A poor action that will not help to resolve the situation. |
| 3. Slightly effective | An action that would have a small positive impact on the situation. |
| 4. Effective | A reasonable action that would help to resolve the situation. |
| 5. Very effective | One of the best actions that could be taken to resolve the situation. |
Rate each action against the situation as described, not against the other three actions. Two actions can both be very effective, and two can both be counterproductive.
Try three PCSO-style scenarios
These scenarios are original PolicePay practice material, written in the National Sift format but set in situations a PCSO might meet. They are not College of Policing questions, and the model ratings are our own reasoned judgement against the CVF, because the College does not publish an answer key.
Scenario 1 of 3
Free sample scenario
Anger at a residents' meeting
You are a new PCSO at a residents' meeting. One resident says angrily that people have reported drug dealing in the local park for months and nothing has been done. Several others agree, and the room is getting tense.
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 3
Free sample scenario
A visit that did not happen
Your patrol partner, another PCSO, tells you that they recorded a welfare visit to an elderly resident as done, although they ran out of time and did not go. They ask you not to mention it, saying they will go tomorrow.
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 3 of 3
Free sample scenario
Asked to move a group on
On foot patrol, a shop manager asks you to move on a group of teenagers sitting on a bench outside the shop. As far as you can see, they are chatting and not causing any problem.
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.
Scoring in these samples is PolicePay's own practice scoring against our model ratings. It does not predict your result in the real sift.
The behavioural styles questionnaire
The second part of the National Sift asks about how you typically behave and what you prefer at work. The College's guidance says:
- you rate statements on a seven-point scale from completely disagree to completely agree, and you may also be asked to rank statements;
- it is untimed and expected to take about 20 minutes;
- it assesses the six competencies and the three values (courage, respect and empathy, public service).
Devon and Cornwall Police says PCSO applicants take the questionnaire first and must pass it before the SJT. Other forces we checked do not describe an order. Answer the questionnaire honestly and consistently: it is a measure of your typical style, not a test with a set of right answers you can learn. Our BSQ guide and BSQ practice explain the format.
Scoring, results and resits
- Scoring: automatic. Your SJT and questionnaire results are combined into one score.
- Comparison: the score is shown as a percentile against a comparison group of applicants to policing roles.
- Result: an email saying whether you met the national standard, with a personalised feedback report.
- Pass mark: not published, and nor is the weighting between the two exercises.
- Resits: from three months after your attempt, up to twice in any 12 months, taking both exercises again.
- Appeals: in writing to the force, and only if you did not meet the standard. A disappointing result on its own is not grounds for appeal.
More detail in how the National Sift is scored.
How to approach PCSO scenarios
The SJT does not test PCSO knowledge, but it helps to understand the kind of judgement the role needs. These are PolicePay's own pointers, drawn from the CVF:
- Protect people first. Where someone may be at risk, the protective action comes before convenience or paperwork.
- Check facts before acting. Actions that rely on assumptions or one side of a story usually rate lower.
- Stay proportionate. Neither ignore a problem nor jump to the heaviest response.
- Honesty over shortcuts. Inaccurate records, favours and covering for colleagues are counterproductive.
- Follow through. Strong actions say what will happen next and who will update whom.
- Know the limits of the role, without hiding behind them. Passing something to officers is right when it needs powers you do not have, but not as a way to avoid helping.
Our free SJT practice uses original scenarios in the same format, with explanations for every rating. Its scenarios are written for constable applicants, but they assess the same CVF competencies.
Other tests some forces add
- English and maths. South Wales Police says candidates without level 2 qualifications also sit verbal reasoning and maths tests. Sussex Police lists a literacy and numeracy assessment in its pre-employment checks. The Met sets a written assessment for applicants without GCSE English.
- Assessment day exercises. The Met's assessment day includes a briefing exercise, and Kent's staff interview includes practical exercises on questioning, listening, decision-making and IT skills.
- Familiarisation events. Avon and Somerset makes one compulsory before the sift.
Reasonable adjustments
Because both sift exercises are untimed, the College does not offer extra time. Other adjustments are arranged through your recruiting force. The College's adjustments policy says requests may be reviewed by the College or the force, and that screening tools on their own are not accepted as evidence; it accepts diagnostic reports, including those from before age 16. Raise any need early, before the invitation arrives.
What we could not verify
- The number of SJT scenarios. The College's guidance does not state it.
- Whether the standard differs for PCSOs. The College does not publish role-specific standards or pass marks.
- Every force's process. We read twelve forces' PCSO pages. Some were closed to applications, and pages can be out of date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do PCSOs have to do the National Sift?
Under the College of Policing's national standard for PCSO recruitment (updated 5 October 2026), yes: you apply to the force, then complete the national sift and an in-force interview. Forces still run their own processes. Of the forces we checked, Sussex, Avon and Somerset, Lancashire, Merseyside, Devon and Cornwall and South Wales name the National Sift on their PCSO pages; the Met, Kent and Thames Valley describe their own shortlisting or assessment instead. Check your force's advert.
What is in the PCSO situational judgement test?
The National Sift's SJT gives you work scenarios, each with four possible actions, and you rate how effective each action would be on a five-point scale from counterproductive to very effective. The College says it is untimed but expected to take about 45 minutes, assesses the six CVF competencies at level 1, and needs no policing knowledge.
How many questions are in the PCSO SJT?
The College of Policing's candidate guidance does not say how many scenarios there are. It gives an expected time instead: about 45 minutes for the SJT and about 20 minutes for the behavioural styles questionnaire.
What is the pass mark for the PCSO sift?
Not published. The College says your SJT and questionnaire results are combined, compared with a group of applicants to policing roles and shown as a percentile, and you are told by email whether you met the national standard, with a feedback report.
Can I resit the PCSO sift?
Under the College's National Sift guidance you can resit from three months after your attempt, up to twice in any 12 months, and you take both exercises again. Appeals go to the force in writing, and only if you did not meet the standard. Check whether your force applies its own rules on top.
Is the PCSO sift the same as the police officer sift?
The College's PCSO joining page links to the same National Sift candidate guidance used for constable applicants, and the format is the same. What differs is what follows: PCSOs go on to an in-force interview, with no online assessment centre. The College does not publish whether the standard you must meet differs by role.
Are these PCSO practice scenarios real test questions?
No. They are original PolicePay practice material written in the National Sift format. The College does not publish its live 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 PCSO (updated 5 October 2026) : eligibility set by each force; national standard of national sift and in-force interview (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National sift candidate guidance (updated 1 June 2026) : SJT and BSQ format, timings, scales, seven-day window, scoring, resits, appeals, adjustments (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy (first published 5 August 2026) : PCSO recruitment listed as national sift and in-force interview; how adjustment requests are handled (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Sussex Police: PCSOs : five-stage process with the National Sift; literacy and numeracy assessment (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Avon and Somerset Police: PCSO recruitment process : familiarisation event and National Sift (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Lancashire Constabulary: Police community support officer : National Sift after a short application (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Merseyside Police: Police community support officers : College of Policing National Sift (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Devon and Cornwall Police: PCSO application process : BSQ first, then SJT (accessed 18 October 2026)
- South Wales Police: The PCSO role : SJT and BSQ; extra tests without level 2 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Kent Police: Police staff recruitment process : shortlisting and interview, no sift named (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: PCSO how to apply : assessment day; applications on hold (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Thames Valley Police: PCSOs : shortlisting questions and interview (accessed 18 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 the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force, and it does not recruit, vet or assess PCSOs. PCSOs are police staff employed by each force, which sets its own eligibility, selection stages, pay and training: always check the advert and recruitment pages of the force you are applying to. Details are as checked on 18 October 2026.