PC recruitment process

Visit our entry routes page to find out which entry route is right for you. Each route has a different application form on our job portal. Please make sure you select the correct entry route to apply for on the portal.

Before completing your application form ensure you read the guidance notes. Incomplete application forms will not be considered for shortlisting.

When completing your form:

• Save your progress regularly as you can return and complete your application at a later stage.
• A maximum character count of 5,000 exists on the application form fields. This means the word count varies dependent on your content, but as a rough average can equate to around 800 words.
• As with any web-based application, connection problems or a prolonged period of apparent inactivity can result in work being lost. Where examples require significant time to develop and type, you may wish to complete these offline (on, say, a Word document), then copy and paste the text onto the web portal.

All applicants will be notified as to whether they have been successful.

The national sift consists of two exercises testing the competencies and values that are important for the role of police constable. You will be asked to complete a situational judgement test (SJT) and a behavioural style questionnaire.

Successful candidates will be invited to attend the Online assessment process.

The online assessment consists of the following three exercises:

• Competency-based interview (CBI)

• Written exercise

• Briefing exercise

Full details of the National sift and the Online assessment process are available here Sift and online assessment process | College of Policing which includes a video on how to prepare for the online assessment.

A final interview will be conducted and this will be your opportunity to further demonstrate your suitability to join the Constabulary as a police constable.

See our interview guidance.

Medical Screening

You will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire which must be signed by your general practitioner (GP) and returned confidentially to our occupational health unit.

All medical questionnaires will be assessed by our occupational health nurse advisors who may require further information from your medical practitioner. Candidates who are declared as 'fit to proceed' will then be examined by a medical practitioner on behalf of Cumbria Constabulary. We will check:

BMI

Candidates who are successful following the assessment centre and final interview, and have a BMI of 30 or above will be contacted by occupational health and asked to provide evidence of their body fat composition. If this does not exceed 25 per cent for male candidates and 35 per cent for female candidates they will be permitted to progress to the medical stage.

Those with a body fat percentage of greater than 25 per cent will be deferred until they reach the required level. 

Fitness test

We test on endurance fitness and you are required to pass the fitness test before we can continue with your application.

Candidates will be required to run a fifteen metre track in time with a series of bleeps which become increasingly faster. A good indicator of the fitness level needed for this test is to be able to run at a good pace for around four minutes over a distance of about 700 metres.

We we also test each candidates:

• eye sight 
• colour vision
• lung function
• hearing

See government guidance on police eyesight standards.

Vetting

We will carry out internal and external vetting checks on you and your spouse or partner, and members of your family (including step brothers and sisters and half brothers and sisters). We will also check your (or your partner's) children, if they are more than 10 years old, and any other adults who reside at your address.

Financial checks will be carried out on all candidates. Those with outstanding county court judgements (CCJs), individual voluntary agreements (IVAs) or who have been registered bankrupt will be rejected. If you have discharged bankruptcy debts, you will need verification from the court of this and three years must have lapsed since the date of discharge.

Biometric vetting

Samples of your fingerprints and DNA will be taken to carry out final vetting checks against our database. You will be required to consent in writing to this process.

References

Cumbria Constabulary will seek references from your current and previous employer. Any gaps in employment will need to be explained and verified. If you have not been in employment, we will ask for an educational reference.

Once you have completed the recruitment process successfully you will receive an offer letter from the Constabulary. This will be subject to the final approval from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), our delivery partner for the PCDA and DHEP programmes. You will be sent a link to the university online application form, which you will be asked to complete and submit along with proof of your qualifications.

Degree-holder entry programme (DHEP)

The admissions team at UCLan will review your DHEP application form and associated documentation and assess these against the programme requirements, when these have been satisfactorily met, you will be sent an unconditional offer which, once you have accepted, this will enable you to enrol online with the University in time for the start of your employment and course.

Police constable degree apprenticeship (PCDA) programme

Once you have submitted your application and proof of qualifications, UCLan will then contact you to complete the apprenticeship eligibility checks needed as the training provider for the PCDA apprenticeship programme. As part of the eligibility checks, you will be asked to complete an initial skills scan, to determine your current level of knowledge, skills and behaviours in relation to the PCDA Apprenticeship standard.

On completion of all ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency) apprenticeship eligibility checks, you will be asked to sign a commitment statement, along with the Constabulary as your employer, as required for all apprentices before the commencement of PCDA apprenticeship programme.

Once all apprenticeship eligibility checks have been completed, and all the signed documentation has been received, you will be sent an unconditional offer, followed by enrolment details to enable you to enrol with the University online in time for the start of your employment and course.

Once you have successfully passed all of the above stages we will contact you and give you all the details you need to know about your start date and your future career with us!