Police officer : Entry requirements

There are no formal educational requirements for entry to the police service. The profession is open to graduates, diplomates and non-graduates alike. Recruitment and selection procedures are managed by police services at a local level, although a nationally agreed competency-based framework is applied.

Entry is open to British and Commonwealth citizens, EC/EEA nationals and foreign nationals who have no restrictions on their leave to remain in the UK.

Pre-entry experience is not essential, although it is advantageous to have some experience of working with individuals or groups in the community, such as sports coaching or working with local youth groups.

Other useful experience might be as a volunteer, such as in the Metropolitan Police’s Volunteer Police Cadets . You can also volunteer to be a police community support officer or as special constable.

Special constables are volunteers who receive expenses and, after full training, have the same powers as a regular police constable. They are generally used to ensure public safety at major events or in combating city centre crime and disorder. Positions are available throughout the UK.

When applying, it is important to be able to state and explain your reasons for choosing a career in the police force, and provide details of any contacts made within the service. You should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the force, the area which it covers, its senior officers, the structure of the local force and key challenges to it.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

• effective communication skills including tact and diplomacy;
• community and customer focus;
• a sense of personal responsibility, integrity and resilience;
• problem-solving skills;
• a confident and calm manner;
• good literacy skills so that you can accurately record details;
• respect for diversity;
• teamworking skills and the ability to work independently;
• professionalism, honesty and trustworthiness;
• sound judgment and a proper respect for confidentiality;
• the ability to act with resolve, tolerance and restraint.

Prospective entrants complete the initial application form and medical questionnaire, which are assessed and scored against entrance criteria. Candidates are asked to provide personal details including the names of family members and associates, participation in youth organisations and groups, interests, sports and special skills they may have for the position.

If this assessment is positive, the next stage is an assessment centre comprising a series of assessment tests and an interview. Successful applicants are then required to pass job-related fitness and medical tests. Appointments are then made, subject to references and security clearance.

In Scotland, candidates follow the application form with a Standard Entrance Test which measures literacy, numeracy and information handling skills and an initial fitness test. This is followed by an initial interview with a recruitment sergeant, vetting procedures and a final in depth interview before undertaking a full medical and a final fitness.

In Northern Ireland, potential officers follow an application form with psychometric tests before being invited to an assessment centre and offered a training position.

People with minor convictions and/or cautions are not automatically precluded from entry to the police service, although certain offences and conditions will make you ineligible, so check with your local force. Details of spent convictions, as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 , must be disclosed.

More information on recruitment is available from the Home Office , the Scottish Police College , the Police Service of Northern Ireland  and the Police Recruitment  websites.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.