Police Officers
Application process
Our application procedure is designed to discover how you measure up to the challenge of being a police officer, both mentally and physically. So naturally, it's fairly challenging in itself.
To apply, you need to be a British citizen or a member of the EC/EEA. Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals who are resident in the UK free of restrictions can also apply.
You may apply when aged 17½ but you must be at least 18 years old before you can actually join the force. You must be physically fit and have the required standard of health to pass the medical exam. There is also a standard for eyesight, but officers are allowed to wear glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision. There is no height restriction and you do not need any formal qualifications. Tattoos are not acceptable if they're particularly prominent, garish, offensive or undermine the dignity and authority of your role.
Our recruits come from all sorts of backgrounds - some are straight from university, whilst others have gained valuable life experience in call centres, high street shops or office-based jobs. What they all have in common is a commitment to the force and their ability to communicate, especially with the public. And our application process is designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate these kinds of skills and show us what you could bring to the force.
Stages of Assessment
The assessment process is made up of three sections.
Papersift of application form
Firstly, we will check through your application to ensure that you meet the basic age and nationality requirements, and that you have no criminal convictions that may render you ineligible. We will also assess your answers to the competency based questions to determine whether they meet our required standard. It is important that you answer the questions carefully and as fully as you can as your application could be rejected if insufficient detail and evidence is provided.
Assessment centre – including verbal and numerical tests, role plays and an interview
If you meet the criteria, the next stage is to attend an assessment day. This will consist of ability tests, interactive role-play exercises, and written tests. Together, these exercises will test your ability to think on your feet and make quick decisions based on sound judgement, and also measure your basic maths and literacy.
National Fitness Test
This isn't as daunting as you might suppose. We're not looking for super-humans, but rather, normal men and women whose health, mobility and stamina will be equal to the physical side of policing. If that describes you, there's no reason at all why you should be overly concerned.
That said, the test does involve running, endurance and a series of strength-measuring exercises. Police activities do require a good general level of cardio-vascular fitness, and we would encourage you to keep yourself in shape. If you don't take regular exercise at present, we would recommend that you start building up your fitness levels before you consider taking the test.
Finally, if you think there may be any medical reason why the test could be a problem, you should definitely consult your doctor first.
To help you pass the Fitness Test we have produced a free brochure that provides full details of the exercises involved, plus useful advice on how to prepare for them. Request a copy of The Job Related Fitness Test brochure.
You can read about the Hertfordshire Constabulary Recruitment Charter by clicking the PDF link below or by saving it to your desktop.
Recruitment Charter police officers (PDF, 250kb).
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