Eligibility and What it Takes
Am I eligible to apply?
We expect the very highest standards from our applicants and there are several essential criteria which must be met for you to pass the first stage.
- You must be 18 years of age to be appointed as a police officer, although you can apply at the age of 17.5 years of age.
- You must be physically and mentally able to undertake police duties. The fitness assessment will be based on the Scottish Police Service National Fitness Standard.
- Your Body Mass Index should be between 18 – 30. However this will not be assessed until the medical stage which is at the very end of the selection process.
- You must meet the mandatory national eyesight standard. Candidates' eyesight will be not be assessed until the medical stage at the very end of the selection process. Failure to meet the standard means you cannot be appointed. Therefore to minimise disappointment applicants may wish to consider consulting with a qualified optician.
- You must possess a full drivers licence (manual).
- Only applications from British citizens, EU/EEA nationals, Commonwealth citizens, or foreign nationals with indefinite leave to remain in the UK will be accepted. You should also have been resident in the UK for a minimum of three years immediately prior to application.
- Please note, vetting checks are carried out upon successful completion of the Assessment Centre as part of the Final Stages of the selection process.
Police Scotland takes pride in its’ officers; they do a job that can be tough and demanding as a result all new recruits need to be fit to undertake the full range of duties of an operational police officer. We check this by way of a fitness test at the beginning of our selection process, and a medical assessment which takes place at the end, after we are satisfied you have the skills, values and experiences we are looking for.
This is to ensure we comply with our duties and obligations around the use of your sensitive personal data and to guarantee fairness during your selection process.
As part of the medical assessment you will be asked to complete a confidential health questionnaire which will be assessed by our occupational health provider (Optima Health) and you will attend a medical examination which will check your hearing, eyesight, urine, blood pressure, height/weight, and breathing efficiency.
If the medical assessment identifies that you have a health condition, we may require to seek additional information from your GP or specialist before a decision is reached on your fitness to carry out the role, or not, as the case may be.
Police Scotland can accept candidates with many common health conditions and your suitability will be assessed on an individual basis. The Equality Act 2010 covers all positions in Police Scotland and if you have a disability, adjustments may be made for you but only if it is reasonable to do so.
Do I have what it takes?
Successful applicants come from every walk of life. However each individual must be able to clearly demonstrate that they possess the wide range of personal qualities and attributes essential to become an officer with Police Scotland, such as:
- Ability to demonstrate a realistic appreciation of the role and duties
- Ability to demonstrate adequate knowledge of key areas such as the training programme, fitness and conduct standards
- Highest levels of personal integrity, honesty, conduct;Effective communication skills
- Strong community and customer focus;Personal effectiveness
- Emotional resilience
- Problem solving skills
- Respect and understanding of equality and diversity
- Effective team working skills
- Proven level of physical fitness
- Strong desire for continual personal development
- Ability to study, learn and pass ongoing academic assessment, particularly throughout the two year probationary period
If this sounds like you, click here to read more about the process of joining and to download the documents you'll need.
