Our recruitment process
To apply to become a police officer or police volunteer you need to:
- create an account and register on our job portal
- fill in the application form
Our application process is different for each person. You manage your account online and we will contact you with each step. It’s up to you how quickly you complete each step.
You can find out the status of your application by logging into your account.
If you fail the pre-screening, you can reapply when you meet the criteria.
You can also email us at RecruitmentPoliceOfficer@scotland.police.uk if you have answered a question incorrectly and want us to correct it.
When logged in you can change your:
- email address
- contact number
You can get help if you forget your username and password.
Things we will ask you
We will ask you to declare any:
- criminal convictions
- tattoos you have
Each case will be considered on its own merits and checks will be made by the vetting unit at the pre-appointment stage of the process.
Preparing for the Police Scotland Entrance Test
The Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET) evaluates your:
- understanding of language
- information handling
- numeracy skills
Access example PSET questions and answers.
We do not endorse any study materials.
Fitness assessment
At your fitness assessment we expect you to physically fit and prepare before your application.
We will assess whether you are fit for the job and are ready for Officer Safety Training, where you learn to protect yourself and others.
You will take part in a multi-stage fitness test (bleep test).
The test involves running up and down a 15-metre track. It’s timed against a series of audio beeps. You must beat the bleep and complete the length of the track before you hear the sound.
At the end of each level, the time between beeps gets shorter, meaning you must run faster.
The standard you need to pass is level 5.4, which means running at least in time with the bleeps for four lengths at level 5.
We recommend accessing Copstrong, which is our online training for functional strength and conditioning. This will help you to prepare for the test.
The fitness test must have been completed within 6 months of being provided a start date of employment with Police Scotland. If more than 6 months has passed, a further fitness test will have to be completed prior to any formal offer of employment being issued. You may be required to do an additional fitness test at any point of the recruitment process to ensure you meet the minimum standard.
Assessment Day
During the assessment day you will undertake exercises specifically designed to assess your potential to become a Police Officer. All of the exercises are assessed against the Police Scotland Competencies and Values Framework (CVF). All of the Competencies and Values are assessed throughout the course of the assessment day. These exercises include:
Group task:
- 10-minutes independent reading and comprehension of a short, policing-related scenario (approx. 500-600 words)
- 30-minute group discussion about the scenario and briefing to assessors to address task items
- 10-minute assessor Q&A
- The total assessment time for the exercise is 50-minutes
Situational judgement Exercise:
- Within your assessment group you will all be verbally presented with an unfolding, hypothetical policing scenarios by assessors and asked individually about your considerations and intended course of action
- This is a reactive exercise with no reading or comprehension time
- The total assessment time for the exercise is 60-minutes
Please note: although the group task and exercises are set within a policing context, there is no requirement for any policing, legal or procedural knowledge.
If you are successful in the Group task and Situational Judgement Exercises , you will progress to the next stage of the assessment day:
- Competency-based Interview –
- A 20-minute competency-based interview consisting of four questions
- All questions align to a competency within the Police Scotland CVF, the competency assessed will be outlined to you with the delivery of the question
Vetting
Vetting checks are carried out once you have successfully completed the application process.
It’s important to be accurate with all information supplied during the application process as it’s all confirmed at the vetting stage.
The Police Scotland Force Vetting Unit may on occasion make an early assessment of vetting suitability, any requirement to do so will be on on a case-by-case basis.