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Selection Process

Application Form

You need to fill out a competency-based application form based on your personal experiences in dealing with various situations. There are four core questions based on the competencies associated with the role of Police Officer and five questions that assess your motivations and values.

Answer the questions as carefully and as fully as you can. Please check your spelling and grammar as this will make it easier for your application to be understood and marked effectively. You are expected to provide specific examples against each question, so please don't generalise and make sure you have a copy of the competencies in the role profile to hand!

Disability: Please disclose any mental and/or physical disability/ies in order for us to offer reasonable adjustments where possible.

Assessment Centre

If you pass the application stage, the next step is to undertake the National Online Assessment. You are able to complete this in the comfort of your own home and includes;

  • Stage one: Situational Judgment Test
  • Stage two: Competency Based Interview
  • Stage three: Written Exercise & Briefing Exercise

The College of Policing online assessment process test the key competencies and values that are important for police constables.

Interview

If you pass the assessment centre you will be invited to attend an interview with Hertfordshire Constabulary.

This will assess your values and motivations for joining and also test your local knowledge. The interview will last for approximately 30 minutes.

Pre-appointment checks

Conditional Offer

If you are successful, you will receive a conditional offer and we will start progressing your pre-appointment checks, including vetting, medical, references, fitness test and a drugs test. Until these checks are complete you should not hand in your notice with your current employer.

Vetting

Our vetting e-form asks for more details about you and those you live with. You will also be required to undertake biometric vetting, which involves your DNA and fingerprints being taken, and a hair sample will be taken for a drug test. Further details will be provided at the time.

Medical

A work health questionnaire must be completed and sent directly to the Occupational Health Department. Please complete the questionnaire carefully and thoroughly – if in doubt, disclose it. A full medical history must be disclosed as failure to do so may result in your application being rejected.

Fitness test

You will be asked to run to and fro along a 15 metre track in time with a series of bleeps. If you reach the end line before the bleep sounds you need to wait for the bleep before resuming your run and adjusting your speed. The time between bleeps gets progressively faster and it becomes more difficult to keep up with the required speed. To pass you need to reach a minimum of level 5.4.

References

References will need to be obtained from all employers (paid or otherwise) covering a minimum of three years.

Final offer

Pre-employment checks take between three and six months. Once all checks have been concluded and approved, and a start date agreed, a final offer and conditions of service will be issued.

Start date

New intakes happen throughout the year. You will be notified nearer the time what your likely start date will be.

Probation

You will be required to successfully complete either a two year probation period on the DHEP programme, or a three year probation period on the PCDA programme.

Register Your Interest

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