Police Situational Judgement Test Preparation

The situational judgment test for police positions is taken by candidates applying to become officers and special constables. Depending on the position and force you are applying to, this test may come in the first stage of the application process, alongside or even before the application form. The SJT measures how you respond to daily situations that you may come up against in your job.

A police situational judgment test (SJT) is a test of your behaviour, response, and skills when faced with everyday situations that are part of your work as a police officer. SJTs are used for many different types of jobs, and it is especially important for police positions as the ability to respond quickly and calmly with a clear head is a must for this role. Unlike other situational judgment tests, the police SJTs are timed, meaning you need to be able to think quickly.

The test examines the specific capabilities the police force has singled out as necessary for the job. You will be tested for these capabilities throughout the police recruitment process but the SJT works specifically as an initial sift test to see how well you fit the job criteria.

The test also offers candidates a realistic job preview, particularly for those seeking more information about the role. It looks at how you handle situations with authority figures and disagreements with colleagues along with how you interact with citizens in need and give instructions.

The SJT for special constables is a 65-minute assessment with 50 questions. Keep in mind that the pass mark for this exam is 30%. Each question presents you with a police-related situation and four possible actions. Your task is to choose the best and worst option.

The situational judgment assessment for police officers is 25 minutes in length and consists of 50 questions. This test is more difficult due to the time constraints so working through the questions at a consistent rate is key. The situations provided in the police officer test are based on a role outside of the police force, meaning no previous knowledge of police terminology is necessary.

Knowing how to select the correct behaviour in a heated situation is an important skill for a police officer or special constable. As such, police forces place a lot of emphasis on you passing the tests in order to move forward in the application process. Careful thought and preparation is needed ahead of taking your test, and familiarising yourself with how a situational judgement test works will help you develop confidence in your decisions for the real test.