College of Policing Special Constables Written Exercise and Interview Preparation
Have you applied to become a Special Constable with the police? Special Constables are volunteers with similar powers to those of Police Officers. As a result, the College of Policing have devised a testing national recruitment process which is aimed at ensuring Special Constables have the skills needed to do the job. This article will go through the process providing tips along the way on how to prepare.
About Special Constables
Special constables are volunteers with similar powers to those of police officers. Given the important nature of their jobs, they must have the skills needed to perform effectively. Recruitment for special constables is generally carried out according to the Specials Recruit Assessment Process. However, the recruitment process might vary depending on the individual police force.
After you have submitted your application, you will be invited to the assessment process. This assessment process consists of several steps:
- One written exercise
- A competency-based structured interview
- A situational judgement test
Special Constable Application Form
The application form is your first opportunity to make an impression on the recruiting officers. In addition to the usual questions about you, your education, your interests, and your previous employment, you are asked to fill in a competency-based questionnaire (CBQ). The purpose of this questionnaire is to assess your suitability as a special constable against the competencies listed above. You must ensure that you answer every question on the questionnaire, providing examples of when you have used these skills in the past.
Written Exercise
The written exercise lasts for 20 minutes. You will be given a proposal document template about issues at the Westshire Centre.
Interview
The interview to become a special constable is a competency-based interview lasting up to 20 minutes. You are asked four questions about how you have dealt with specific situations in the past. These questions are based on the competencies required for a special constable. You have up to five minutes to answer each question.
Oral communication is assessed throughout the interview, and each of the four questions relates to one of the following four competency areas:
- Openness to change
- Professionalism
- Service delivery
- Working with others
Police Situational Judgement Test
The situational judgement test (SJT) lasts for 50 minutes. During the assessment, you are presented with 25 questions. Each question describes a situation and provides you with a choice of four response options.
Prepare to Be a Special Constable with JobTestPrep
Special constables have similar powers to police officers, only they work on a voluntary basis. As a result, the recruiting team must be certain that the people it approves have the skills needed to handle the pressure of the job. Preparing for the assessment process will bring you one step closer to the job.