Eligibility, CVF Level 1, and What Is Assessed

Eligibility: High-Level Notes (Always Verify Officially)

Before you invest weeks in sift preparation, confirm you are eligible to apply for the route and force you want. Eligibility is not decided by this study guide; it is set by national recruitment rules and individual forces. Typical areas candidates must check on Join the Police and force careers pages include:

• Age — minimum age to apply and any rules about age at appointment (these can change; verify current figures on official sites).
• Nationality, residency, and right-to-work requirements.
• Education or entry-route requirements for the pathway you choose (for example degree-holder, police constable degree apprenticeship, or other approved routes your force offers).
• Driving licence, tattoos, financial, and lifestyle disclosures where forces ask for them.
• Vetting and medical/fitness stages that come after early online assessment—not as part of the SJT/BSQ content itself.

Practical application advice

1. Pick a force and route first so you follow the correct portal and deadlines.
2. Read force FAQs for any additional local criteria.
3. Do not assume that passing the national sift overrides eligibility failures later (for example vetting).
4. Treat eligibility as a checklist you own, while this guide owns how to prepare for the sift exercises.

The national sift itself is free as a candidate assessment stage. Application processes run through official channels—avoid unofficial paid “registration” sites that mimic force branding.

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The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) at Level 1

The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) is the College of Policing behavioural model used across policing roles. It describes values (what good looks like ethically and culturally) and competencies (how effective officers and staff behave at work). The national sift is mapped to the CVF at level 1—the practitioner level appropriate for people entering or performing frontline professional roles, not senior leadership levels.

Why level 1 matters for preparation

Level 1 expectations emphasise:

• Personal responsibility for your actions and learning.
• Respectful, emotionally aware interaction with the public and colleagues.
• Collaborative working and supporting others without needing command-level authority.
• Critical thinking on everyday problems, not abstract strategy for whole forces.
• Openness to new ideas and evidence while staying professional and fair.

If you prepare by imagining only chief-officer decision-making (“rewrite force policy,” “order a strategic review”), you will miss the level-1 bar: proportionate, professional responses a new constable or practitioner would take. Conversely, if you prepare with purely passive answers (“do nothing,” “wait for a supervisor for every minor issue”), you will miss ownership and courage where action is needed.

Values assessed (especially via the BSQ)

The three CVF values are:

These values are not essay topics on the sift. They shape what “good” looks like when you rate SJT actions and when you describe yourself on the BSQ.

Six competencies assessed on the SJT (and BSQ)

The SJT is built around six competencies. Memorise the official phrasing—you will see it across College materials and interviews later:

1. We analyse critically — gather and use information carefully; weigh options; avoid jumping to unsupported conclusions.
2. We are innovative and open-minded — consider alternatives; stay curious; adapt when better approaches appear; avoid rigid “we’ve always done it this way” thinking when change is warranted.
3. We take ownership — accept responsibility; follow through; admit mistakes and fix them; do not blame-shift for work that is yours.
4. We are emotionally aware — notice your own and others’ emotions; stay professional under pressure; respond with composure and care.
5. We collaborate — work with others; share information appropriately; build constructive relationships; avoid silo behaviour.
6. We support and inspire — encourage others; model professional standards; help people do better work without needing a formal leadership title.

The BSQ also covers these competencies plus the three values. Together, SJT + BSQ paint a picture of how you judge situations and how you typically behave.

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What Is Assessed vs What Is Not

Clarity here prevents wasted study hours.

Assessed

• Judgement quality in realistic scenarios (SJT effectiveness ratings).
• Behavioural consistency and self-description aligned with CVF values and competencies (BSQ).
• Professional, ethical, public-service-oriented responses at level 1.
• Ability to distinguish effective, partially effective, and counterproductive actions without relying on secret police procedure knowledge.

Not assessed (on the national sift exercises)

• Statute and case law recall (for example listing Offences Against the Person Act sections).
• Force-specific policy manuals and local acronyms.
• Prior service as a special constable, PCSO, or military police as a knowledge prerequisite.
• Physical fitness or first-aid practical skills (those are separate stages if required).
• Essay writing or long free-text answers as the core of SJT/BSQ.
• “Trick” general knowledge quizzes about famous cases or TV policing.

Implications for study time

You will still need knowledge and interview evidence later in recruitment and training. For this guide’s exam, over-indexing on law flashcards is a common and costly mistake.

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Free to Apply, Then Prove Behavioural Fit

The economic design of recruitment is intentional: application and the national sift are not sold as paid exams. That means competition is about preparation quality and genuine fit, not ability to buy retakes. Use free official practice areas in the assessment platform when available, free College and Join the Police guidance, and free structured practice on OpenExamPrep. Be wary of products that promise guaranteed pass algorithms—no ethical provider can honestly guarantee a percentile outcome on a confidential, norm-referenced assessment.

Mental model: “Would a professional level-1 practitioner do this?”

When you later rate SJT actions, translate CVF into a quick filter:

• Does this action protect people and show public service?
• Is it respectful and emotionally aware, including toward vulnerable people?
• Does it show ownership without reckless cowboy behaviour?
• Does it collaborate and escalate appropriately when needed?
• Is it based on critical analysis of the facts given, not assumptions?
• Does it show courage to challenge poor practice without unnecessary aggression?

That mental model is the bridge between eligibility (“I can apply”) and readiness (“I can meet the national standard”). The next section shows how to sequence the rest of this guide so you build that model systematically rather than randomly reading blog posts the night before your window opens.