Special Constables

Complete the application form on our recruitment site. You'll find the link on the Apply now page.

Please note, you will require the following detail to complete the application form; NI Number, ID detail, address information, referee information, full employment history including dates and any qualifications you may have attained.  You may also be requested to provide photos of any visible tattoos you have. The application system only remains active on a single page for a period of 60 minutes. Therefore, please ensure you allow time to complete this fully as part complete pages will not be saved.  

You’ve completed your application form to join our force and made it through the initial sift - well done. So, what happens next? You'll get an email inviting you to undertake the online assessment process known as “National Sift”.

The National Sift consists of a series of Situational Judgement Tests (SJT)  which measure your ability to choose the appropriate actions in situations you're likely to face as a Special Constable. Your choices will be judged against the Competency and Values Framework or CVF. Here's what to expect. You'll be given 12 questions to answer, each with four options. You choose the response you think is best for the situation. It should take around 30 minutes to complete but you'll have two hours.

Preparation is key. To make sure you perform at your very best, read the candidate guidance documents carefully, and make sure you read and understand the Competency and Values Framework. This is what you're being marked against. Start thinking now about examples from your personal or work life that show you share the values and competencies needed to be an outstanding Special Constable

Once you have passed the online test stage, you will be invited to a web interview. This will be based upon the Competency and Values Framework (CVF). The questions will give you the opportunity to use examples from your work, social or domestic life that evidences specific behaviours within the CVF that are essential to policing.

There are three components to the weekend assessment centre. The fitness test, the team group planning exercise, and biometrics and fingerprints.

Fitness test

The fitness test involves a multi-stage run known as the bleep test. It takes 3 minutes and 35 seconds and is made up of 35 15-metre shuttle runs between two points. You’ll hear a bleep at set intervals. You need to reach the other side before the next bleep. The bleeps speed up during the test. Your running speed will start at 7.9 kilometres per hour and will increase to 9.9 kilometres per hour, which means you’ll end up running the 15-metre stretch in five to six seconds by the end of the test.

Think you’re not fit enough? Don’t worry, it’s not super hard. As long as you’re reasonably fit and do some training in advance, you should be absolutely fine.

Find out more about the fitness test.

Team Group Planning Exercise

As a Special Constable you will need to work as a team with fellow specials and regular officers, coming up with solutions to various different problems and situations.

In the Group Planning Exercise you and your fellow candidates will be presented with a scenario and arrive at joint solution within a specified time frame.

There will be more than one possible solution to the scenario and you will be assessed on how you contribute as well as how you interact with others in your group.

The scenario will not be policing based or need specialised policing knowledge but you should familiarise yourself with the Competency Values Framework, the Ethical policing principles and National Decision Making Model.

Biometrics & Fingerprints

Fingerprints and DNA samples will need to be taken to carry out some final vetting checks against the national police database.

Upon successfully completing all of the above stages, we will perform the below checks before your appointment. 

Medical

All officers, whether a Special Constable or regular officer, need to be fit and healthy so they can meet the demands of a rewarding but challenging job. During your medical assessment, you will complete a confidential health declaration form. We also need to check your hearing, eyesight, height, weight, and Body Mass Index, blood pressure, lung capacity, and urine. Find out more about the medical assessment.

Background vetting

The vetting stage is a very thorough process involving detailed background checks, plus fingerprinting and DNA checks with your consent. Find out more about the vetting process.

Drug testing

If you are currently using any illegal drugs, this will rule you out of the recruitment process automatically. Police Regulations state that you must be tested for substance misuse. Failure to provide a sample will result in your application being terminated.

You will also have a uniform fitting at this stage.