Police Officer FINAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A complete guide to the police in-force/final interview.
GET INSTANT ACCESS NOWThe purpose of the final interview is to allow the constabulary to find out more about you, your application, your motivations for wanting to become a police officer, and what you know about the role and the constabulary that you are applying to join. They may also ask you questions that are based around what you might do in a given situation, or based around the competencies.
It is important to point out at this early stage that the police officer final interview differs very much from the police officer assessment centre competency-based interview. In fact, there is no “official” College of Policing guideline for the final interview, and as such, it is left down to each individual police force to determine how the interview will be conducted and also how it will be assessed.
Having said that, to help you get started in your preparation for the police officer final interview, and to help you answer the question, the following sections will prove to be invaluable in your preparation. To begin with, watch the following video presented by career expert Richard McMunn as it will provide you with some useful tips and information as to how you can prepare effectively for the tough police officer final interview:
This very much depends on how long it takes you to answer the questions that are posed. However, as a general rule, the interview will normally last for between 45 and 60 minutes long. It is very important that you provide comprehensive responses to the questions posed, so make sure you carry out a mock interview using the sample questions and answers provided on this page.
There will usually be a minimum of two personnel on the interview panel. The first will be a serving member of the police force and the second will be a Human Resources representative. Both will ask questions, so when answering the questions, make sure you look at both people on the panel.
There are no official standards or set procedures for the police officer final interview, however, you will likely be assessed against the following areas:
Your motivations for wanting to become a police officer
Positive reasons/motivations for wanting to join the police force include: wanting to make a positive difference to your local community, including tackling crime, educating the public and breaking down barriers between the police and the public.
How much you know about the role of a police officer
When carrying out your research, make sure you study the website of the police force you want to join and don’t forget to learn and be able to recite the police officer core competencies of:
How much you know about what the police force actually does (development and news)
During your research, visit the constabulary’s website to find out more about the structure and make-up of the organisation you are wishing to join. For example, you could get asked the following police officer final interview questions:
You can find out this information by spending time on the Police Service website. In addition to this there is also nothing to stop you from visiting your local police station and requesting information on the geographical layout of the constabulary. The best people to gain this information from are your local police officers and police community support officers.
How flexible you are with regards to becoming a police officer
Lots of people say they are flexible, but not many people actually are. Being flexible is a very important part of being a competent police officer, especially considering you will be required to work unsociable hours and shift work. If you can give an example of where you have already worked either shifts or unsociable hours before you attend the police officer final interview, then this will ensure you are able to provide evidence in this area. It is one thing telling the interview panel that you’re flexible and another demonstrating it.
Providing EVIDENCE of situational interview questions
We can almost guarantee that you will be asked questions during your final interview that require you to explain what you would do in any given situation. These types of question are more commonly called ‘SITUATIONAL’ questions and they require you to provide a specific answer to the question.
To help you prepare for this particular police officer final interview question, please watch the following video first:
This is a tough questions to answer, especially if you have little or no understanding of what “equality and diversity” means. To help you in your preparation, here is a sample response to the question.
Sample Response
“It is an unfortunate fact that certain groups in society are still more likely to suffer from unfair treatment and discrimination. It is important for the Police Service and its staff to strive to eliminate all forms of unfair treatment and discrimination on the grounds that are specified in their policies or codes of practice. Equality and fairness is the working culture in which fair treatment of all is the norm.”
Top Tips
Again, to help you prepare for this interview question, Richard McMunn has created a useful video below that gives you some great tips. Please watch the video below:
To compliment the above training video, here is a list of some of the effective qualities and attributes required to become a police officer:
The way to improve interview technique is to carry out what we call a mock interview. Mock interviews are where you ask a friend or relative to ask you a number of interview questions under formalised interview conditions. This can be achieved at home across your dining room table or even whilst sat on the chairs in your living room. During the mock interview, you should also aim to work on your interview technique.
During the police officer final interview you will be assessed against your oral communication skills and the manner in which you structure your responses. That is why it is important to practice your responses to the interview questions before you attend the actual interview.
DOWNLOAD THE POLICE OFFICER MOCK FINAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WORKSHEET BELOW:
To help you carry out your own mock interview for the interview we have collated 20 sample interview questions. Enter your details below to get the worksheet instantly:
Your FREE police final interview worksheet will be emailed to you instantly!
The questions contained in the above worksheet are very similar to the types of questions you could get asked at your police officer final interview. It is important that your mock interviewer provides you with constructive feedback. Do not choose somebody who will tell you that you were great, even when you weren’t, as this just defeats the whole purpose of a mock interview.
CARRYING OUT A MOCK FINAL INTERVIEW
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