Application Process – Police officers

Due to the nature of our work, our application process is rigorous, in depth and involves a number of security checks, therefore making the process necessarily lengthy. Because of the in-depth security checks that need to be carried out, it's not unusual for the whole process to take 12 months.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee an offer of employment after successfully completing all stages of the selection process. This is dependent on the availability of training courses, your score at Assessment Centre and whether we have vacancies at your chosen location at the point of making offers of employment.

1. Application form

The first step in your application is to fill out the online application form. This will give us all the details we need to decide whether you should go forward to the next stage in our selection process. The form will ask you to go into a large amount of personal detail, including giving information on any previous convictions (these will not necessarily be a bar to you joining the Constabulary). You will also be asked about a range of issues, from any tattoos you might have, to your business interests and your financial position.

Some people might find the application form daunting, but we provide guidance notes to help you fill it in correctly.

2. Review of application form

We will assess your application and will let you know the outcome of your application. Please note this process can take up to 6 weeks.

3. Assessment centre

We will assess your application form against our national recruitment criteria, and if you pass, we will invite you to an assessment centre. We will give you at least 20 working days’ notice if we need you to attend.

4. Further assessments

If you are successful at the assessment centre, you will be asked to attend further assessment activities including a briefing firearms assessment, a physical test, medical examination and final interview. These may take place over several days and at different locations.

5. Reference checks

If you pass all our assessments, we will then carry out employment reference checks for the last three years. If appropriate, we will also carry out military and police service checks.

6. Conditional offer

If all our checks are successful we have a vacancy at your preferred site and there is a training course pending, we will send you a conditional offer, which will tell you where you will be posted and when your initial training will start. You will receive at least four weeks' notice of the start of your training. Once you have accepted this conditional offer, we will contact your current employer for references, and start security vetting. This can be a lengthy process and can take upto a minimum of 3 months to complete.

7. Joining Instructions

At least five working days before your initial training course starts at our Centre for Learning and Development in Oxfordshire, we will send you detailed joining instructions. Your initial training will last 17 weeks.