UK Police Sift (SJT) study guide
UK Police Sift (SJT) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Police Sift - also described as the Sift Situational Judgement Test - is a scenario-based, multiple-choice assessment used in police constable recruitment. Rather than testing recalled knowledge, it presents short written incidents of the kind officers meet in service and asks you to judge which responses are most and least appropriate from a list of options. Because there is usually no single obviously correct answer, the test measures the quality of your judgement under realistic pressure rather than memory or speed. The scenarios typically draw on four overlapping areas: professional standards and ethical judgement; communication and working with others; decision-making and problem solving; and resilience and personal responsibility. The UK Police Sift (SJT) study guide has 4 sections and about 1,187 words.
01Professional Standards and Ethical Judgement
Policing in England and Wales rests on consent, and consent rests on ethical behaviour. The anchor documents are the Code of Ethics and the ten Standards of Professional Behaviour: honesty and integrity; authority, respect and courtesy; equality and diversity; use of force; orders and instructions; duties and responsibilities; confidentiality; fitness for duty; discreditable conduct; and challenging and reporting improper conduct.
317 words, about 2 min02Communication and Working with Others
Most sift scenarios are really communication tests. The assessors look for active listening (open questions, summarising, reflecting feeling), plain English, and checking that the other person has actually understood.
283 words, about 1 min03Decision-Making and Problem Solving
The core tool is the National Decision Model, with the Code of Ethics at its centre: gather information and intelligence; assess threat and risk and develop a working strategy; consider powers and policy; identify options and contingencies; take action; review. Risk assessment is often structured by THRIVE: Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability and Engagement.
308 words, about 2 min04Resilience and Personal Responsibility
Resilience in policing is not endurance. It is self-awareness, early disclosure, corrective action and use of support.
279 words, about 1 min