BSQ Format, Scale, and Ranking

What the BSQ Is For

The Behavioural Styles Questionnaire (BSQ) is the second exercise in the College of Policing national sift for police constable recruitment in England and Wales. Where the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) asks what would be effective in this situation?, the BSQ asks how do you typically behave and prefer to work?

Official candidate guidance (College of Policing National sift candidate guidance, reinforced on Join the Police) describes the BSQ as a measure of typical behaviour and preferences at work. It assesses whether your usual attitudes and habits align with the behaviours and values expected in the role. It is not:

• a law or procedure exam
• a timed race
• a trick quiz where every “virtuous-sounding” statement must be rated 7
• a test of prior policing experience

No prior policing knowledge is required. Your job is careful reading and truthful self-description of how you usually operate at work (or in comparable structured settings if your recent experience is study, volunteering, or other roles).

How the BSQ Fits the Sift

Scores from both exercises are combined and benchmarked. Treat the BSQ with the same seriousness as the SJT: a coherent, honest profile is part of meeting the national standard, not an afterthought.

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The Seven-Point Agree Scale

For each statement you rate agreement on this official scale:

Internalise the gradient. “Somewhat agree” (5) is not the same as “completely agree” (7). “Neither” (4) is a real midpoint for statements that are genuinely mixed for you—not a hiding place for every awkward item. “Completely disagree” (1) and “completely agree” (7) should reflect strong, stable patterns in your typical behaviour, not a theatrical attempt to look extreme in every direction.

Example Statement Style (Teaching Only)

Official platforms use workplace-preference wording. Teaching illustrations (not live items):

Read each statement as written. Do not rewrite it into a policing drama, add unstated conditions, or answer for “the ideal officer” instead of yourself.

Practical Rating Habits on the Scale

1. Read the full statement once for overall meaning, then again for qualifiers (always, prefer, enjoy, find it easy).
2. Anchor on typical work behaviour, not a one-off best day or a worst day under extreme stress.
3. Use the full width of the scale when it is honest—do not default everything to 5–6 because it “sounds safer.”
4. Move on after a considered choice; endless second-guessing often invents a fantasy persona rather than clarifying your real one.
5. If a statement is genuinely ambiguous for your experience, prefer a mid-scale honest answer over inventing a polarised identity.

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Ranking: Most Like You

Depending on your pattern of responses, the platform may ask you to rank statements about which are most like you regarding typical work behaviour. This is not a second knowledge test. It forces relative preference when several statements could all be partly true.

Typical Ranking Flow

College and Join the Police-style descriptions point to a progressive selection pattern:

1. You see a small set of statements (for example three).
2. You select which is most like you.
3. Among the remaining statements, you select which is more like you (or rank the rest as prompted).

Ranking is harder than simple agree-scale ratings because two good-sounding items can both feel true. Prepare mentally: you will sometimes choose between “I take ownership of problems” and “I collaborate closely with others” even if you value both. The exercise is relative self-description, not a moral ranking of the CVF.

Ranking Traps

When stuck, ask: Which statement would a fair colleague who works with me most days recognise first? That question pulls you back to typical, not aspirational, behaviour.

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Length, Timing, and Session Conditions

Because the exercise is untimed, “about 20 minutes” is a planning estimate, not a hard cutoff. Still block enough quiet time that you are not interrupted mid-profile. Stopping halfway, answering on a noisy commute, or multitasking while messaging friends all introduce noise into a questionnaire that is looking for a stable style signal.

Device and Attention Tips

• Use a device where you can read full statements without constant zooming if possible (mobile is allowed, but small screens raise mis-tap risk on 1–7 scales).
• Do not rush just because eighty sounds large—steady, honest progress is faster than thrashing between 6 and 7 for every item.
• Keep water and a brief stretch break between exercises if needed; avoid long social-media breaks that shift your mood mid-BSQ.

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What Constructs the BSQ Assesses

The BSQ maps responses onto the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) 2024 at Level 1 (Practitioner). Unlike the SJT list sometimes summarised as competencies only, the BSQ covers:

Six competencies

• We are emotionally aware
• We take ownership
• We collaborate
• We support and inspire
• We analyse critically
• We are innovative and open-minded

Three values

• Courage
• Respect and empathy
• Public service

You will not see tick-boxes labelled “courage.” You rate behavioural statements; the scoring model maps patterns of agreement onto those dimensions. That is why consistency across related statements matters—covered in depth in the next section.

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Practice Area Before the Real BSQ

The national sift platform includes a practice area before the scored exercises. Use it specifically for BSQ mechanics:

1. Confirm you understand the 1–7 labels without inventing private meanings.
2. Experience any ranking interaction so the first live ranking set is not a surprise.
3. Check zoom, colour, text-to-speech, and keyboard navigation if you rely on them.
4. Notice your pace on a short practice set so you can plan a calm full sitting.

Skipping practice can be permanent for that assessment window on some platform rules—treat practice as part of the attempt logistics, not optional entertainment.

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Format Checklist Before You Start the Scored BSQ

Master this format so the next section’s honesty strategy is not wasted on mechanical confusion. The BSQ rewards a clear, truthful self-profile—not speed-running or role-playing a television detective.