Police SEARCH Ability Test Preparation

The Police SEARCH® Recruit Assessment Centre consists of four types of assessment exercises:

• A competency-based structured interview with four questions, lasting 20 minutes in total
• A numerical ability test lasting 23 minutes
• A verbal ability test lasting 30 minutes
• Four interactive exercises lasting 10 minutes each

The interview is a competency-based structured interview. You are asked four questions in a time frame of 20 minutes, giving you five minutes per question. If you go over five minutes, the person interviewing you will stop you. Two of the questions are about your motivations and values and how these relate to the Police Service. The other two are about how you have dealt with specific situations in the past.

This test consists of multiple-choice questions which measure your ability to use numbers, correctly identify relationships between numbers in a logical manner, and draw conclusions. You will be required to use the following numerical operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, averages (mean), percentages, rations, and interpretation of numbers represented graphically. You can use a calculator, which will be provided to you on the day of the exam. The test is 23 minutes long and contains 21 questions.

This test has multiple-choice questions which measure your ability to make sense of a situation when you are given specific written information about it. You have 30 minutes to answer 28 questions. The test is split into two sections:

In section A you are given three possible answers based on the information in a passage. There is only one correct answer. The choices are true, false, or impossible to say.

In section B, you are asked to choose which of four given statements is the best answer based on the information provided.

The assessment centre includes four interactive exercises split into two five-minute parts. The first part is the preparation phase and the second is the activity phase, where you will meet a role actor. During the preparation phase, you will be given written information relevant to the exercise you will carry out. You are given five minutes to prepare the information before the activity phase actually begins. You may take notes and refer to them during the activity phase. During the activity phase, you will play the role that was set up for you.

There are several challenges to the Police SEARCH® Assessment Centre that you will need to overcome in order to achieve your best score.

• The test format may be something you have never seen before, or ask questions in a way that you have never come across before.
• The test is time-limited, placing pressure on you to answer questions quickly and accurately.
• You may not have done any maths in a while, so practice is crucial.

Start preparing for the assessment centre with JobTestPrep today.