Reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy

College policy on reasonable adjustments or accommodations for assessment or examination products.

First published

5 August 2026

Introduction

This policy is for candidates requesting reasonable adjustments or accommodations for the following College of Policing assessment or examination products.

Initial police recruitment, which includes:
- national sift
- online assessment process
- in-person in-force interview with the police force to which applicants are applying that meets the national standard
- additional approved assessments, such as the detective constable degree holder entry programme (DC DHEP) assessment process
Police community support officers (PCSO) and Special Constabulary recruitment, which includes:
- national sift
- in-force interview
National examinations, which includes:
- national police promotion framework (NPPF) step 2 legal examinations (sergeants and inspectors)
- national investigators’ examination (NIE)
- immigration enforcement investigators’ examination (IEIE)
- sergeant and inspector promotion and progression (SIPP) test legal knowledge assessment (sergeants and inspectors)
Undercover selection processes.
Senior national processes, which includes:
- Fast Track (for serving constables) national assessment centre
- Fast Track (for substantive inspectors) national assessment centre
- Executive leaders programme (ELP) development centre

For associated programmes of training or courses that may follow on from these assessments or examinations, candidates should highlight their requirements separately with the relevant contact for the course or programme.

We are committed to providing valid, fair and reliable assessments and examinations for the police service. In doing so, we recognise it is appropriate to make reasonable adjustments or accommodations for some candidates, to enable them to undertake a fair assessment.

We are committed to supporting candidates throughout the assessment and examination process. Each request for a reasonable adjustment and/or accommodation will therefore be reviewed with the aim of providing the most appropriate support.

This policy defines:

what a reasonable adjustment or accommodation is
how to request these
the process we will take when reviewing requests
the circumstances in which we will provide adjustments or accommodations

The terms ‘impairment’, ‘disability’ and ‘reasonable adjustment’ are used throughout this policy to reflect the language in the Equality Act 2010. However, we recognise that individuals with particular physical and/or mental conditions may not view themselves as being ‘impaired’ or ‘disabled’.

We are dedicated to making our assessment and examination processes fully accessible and understanding how we can support candidates and improve our processes. If you have any feedback you would like to share with us, get in touch with the relevant contact for your assessment or examination process.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 (referred to from now on as ‘the Act’) prohibits unlawful discrimination against people within protected characteristic groups that are specified in the Act. One of these protected characteristic groups is ‘disability’.

A person with a disability, as defined by the Act, is ‘someone who has a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

Schedule 1 of the Act states that to be long-term, the effect of the condition is likely to last, or must have lasted, for at least 12 months, or it is likely to last for the rest of the affected person’s life.

The Act’s definition of a disability includes both physical and mental impairments. Examples of conditions protected by the Act include:

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) or another condition with differences in communication and interaction
blindness or visual impairment not corrected by glasses
deafness or moderate to severe hearing loss
dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia or another learning difference
long-term illness, such as cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), diabetes, chronic heart disease or epilepsy
mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
physical disability or mobility issues, such as impaired use of arms or legs, use of wheelchair or crutches
neurological or movement disorders, such as tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome (TS)
another disability, health condition or impairment affecting daily life, such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or motor neurone disease (MND)

The Act requires the College, forces and agencies to take steps to ensure that there is no unlawful discrimination against individuals within a protected characteristic group in a range of circumstances. This includes the provision of examinations and assessment processes in the form of reasonable adjustments. We have a legal duty to provide reasonable adjustments, so please do not be afraid to ask for help if needed.

Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are changes that employers must make to ensure that disabled people, or those who have physical or mental health conditions, are not disadvantaged compared to others who are not disabled.

An example of a reasonable adjustment could be additional time in the preparation stage of an assessment to support a candidate with dyslexia. Further examples can be found in specific product guidance.

If you do not know whether your condition meets the definition of a disability, you should contact your force, agency or the relevant product team to discuss (go to contact details).

Each assessment and examination process is different. Any reasonable adjustments or accommodations made will therefore be tailored to that process and your needs. They may not be applicable to other processes due to the nature of the assessment itself.

Accommodations

Accommodations are for candidates who have a condition that is not defined as a disability, as per the Act, but may still need some help to undertake their examination or assessment. For example, this may include conditions that are short-term and/or do not have a substantial adverse effect on the candidate's day-to-day activities.

An example of an accommodation may be providing someone who has a back injury with their own room in the preparation stage at an assessment centre. This would enable them to stand up and move around when needed without disturbing others. Further examples can be found in specific product guidance.

Providing a reasonable adjustment or accommodation

Every request for reasonable adjustments or accommodations will be considered on an individual basis to reflect the understanding that every individual has unique requirements.

You must request a reasonable adjustment or accommodation, which will then be reviewed. The ‘reasonableness’ of the adjustment or accommodation will be taken into consideration when the request is reviewed. In some cases, you may request both a reasonable adjustment and an accommodation to meet your needs.

Requests may be reviewed by us or the force, depending on the assessment or examination you are undertaking.

The ‘reasonableness’ of any adjustment or accommodation is determined by the following principles:

Does the reasonable adjustment or accommodation address your needs to meet the requirements of the assessment process?
- Reasonable adjustments ensure that candidates are given what they need to approach assessments. They provide candidates with the same opportunity to reach a successful outcome as others.
Could the reasonable adjustment or accommodation be practically implemented for the assessment process and in the working environment?
Will the reasonable adjustment or accommodation have an impact on the criteria being assessed?
- Reasonable adjustments must not affect the criteria used to assess the candidate for the suitability for the role. For example, if a candidate requests not to complete part of an assessment process, this would mean they are no longer being assessed against the full set of assessment standards. The College or force would therefore be unable to determine their suitability for the role.
- Each assessment and examination process is different. Any reasonable adjustments or accommodations that are made will therefore be tailored to that process. They may not be applicable to other processes, due to the nature of the assessment itself.
Is the cost and logistical impact of the reasonable adjustment or accommodation achievable?
- The College and/or forces must be able to implement and justify the adjustment without the assessment process being negatively affected logistically and/or in terms of cost.
- If you make a request too close to the date of your assessment, then the reasonable adjustments or accommodations possible at that time may be limited. For example, a candidate may request extra time and their own room to prepare in. It may not be possible to change the timetable at that time or find additional staff to resource the separate room at such short notice.
- The College and forces will make every effort to implement reasonable adjustments or accommodations that have a cost and/or logistical impact, unless they are exceptional. To support us in doing this, get in touch with the relevant contact as soon as possible.

Requesting a reasonable adjustment or accommodation

To request a reasonable adjustment or accommodation, you must contact the relevant team for the assessment or examination you are undertaking. Each assessment or examination has a separate process laid out in the specific guidance associated with the product.

You will be asked for supporting information to provide evidence of the substantial and long-term adverse effect that your impairment has on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This will be used to obtain initial recommendations about what may be suitable as a reasonable adjustment or accommodation for you.

To undertake a fair assessment of your needs, we have a duty to ask for supporting information. We will only request information that is relevant and necessary. Requesting this information ensures that we are complying with our legal responsibilities under the Act and enables us to provide you with the best and most appropriate support and adjustments. This is essential to maintain the rigour and integrity of the assessment process, while also ensuring it is reasonably accessible to all.

We will consider a number of different types of supporting information and will work with you to ensure your needs are fairly met.

We are committed to supporting candidates throughout the assessment and/or examination process. Requesting a reasonable adjustment or accommodation does not guarantee it will be provided, but each request will be considered as outlined in this policy.

Supporting information

Supporting information provides details regarding your disability or condition and the challenges you experience.

The most effective and reliable supporting information is an assessment conducted by a professional specialist using appropriate and valid tests, which makes clear recommendations. In most cases, this will be a report that outlines a formal assessment of your condition.

Typically, the content within a formal assessment report usually contains the following, which can provide clear information on what your needs are and how best to meet them:

determine whether you have a disability defined by the Act
identify the nature of the disability (or disabilities)
diagnose specific cognitive processing abilities affected if appropriate
determine the extent of any impairment or difference
provide practical advice and guidance associated with the diagnosis
provide recommendations for reasonable adjustments that support you

To ensure that the most appropriate reasonable adjustments are provided, it is useful if the supporting information also includes recommendations of what could support you in an examination or assessment process.

Where supporting information does not provide specific recommendations, adjustments will be discussed with you to determine what would be appropriate. In this case, it is likely that reasonable adjustments will be offered that have been found to be helpful for other candidates who experience similar conditions.

Diagnostic reports that were completed before the age of 16 years will be accepted as supporting information.

We cannot accept screening test reports by themselves as supporting information, as they vary in their quality. On their own, they are often not appropriate to establish the presence or absence of neurodivergent conditions. Examples of such tests include:

Lucid and Lucid LADS screening tests
QuickScreen and QuickScan tests
Dyslexia Adult Screening Test
Bangor Dyslexia Test

However, it is recognised that screening tests can help with the process of establishing workplace adjustments. We will therefore accept screening tests as part of workplace adjustment reports, as this provides reassurance that they have been completed and considered by an appropriately qualified individual. This qualified individual will formulate their recommendations based on other information and their own professional judgement, for more details, go to barriers to obtaining supporting information.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the supporting information provided contains the information required to consider your reasonable adjustment request. When providing this information, you will be asked to declare the supporting information is true and correct.

Where the supporting information has insufficient information to offer a reasonable adjustment, the relevant team (College or force) will provide guidance on the additional evidence required.

Barriers to obtaining supporting information

We recognise there can be barriers to obtaining supporting information. If you do not have access to supporting information, we will work with you to identify alternative evidence where possible.

If you have a neurodivergent condition but cannot provide a diagnostic report or are on a waitlist for diagnosis, alternative forms of supporting information can be submitted for consideration. You should contact the relevant team (College or force) for guidance. Any supporting information provided must have been completed by suitably trained and qualified individuals, such as:

an occupational or educational psychologist
a specific learning difficulties teacher or assessor
an assessor trained to a minimum level four in dyslexia awareness and workplace needs assessing (which is the national standard set by the British Dyslexia Association)
a medical practitioner

Other alternative forms of supporting information that can be submitted for consideration include:

exam or assessment access arrangements obtained while in education (for example, Form 8)
Disabled Students’ Allowance report
Study Aid and Study Strategies report completed while in education
workplace adjustment passport
medical information from a medical professional or force medical professional, such as a referral
occupational health report completed by an appropriately qualified professional

If submitting information from a qualified medical professional, it should be written by them and clearly outline:

the condition or diagnosis
the challenges faced by the candidate (for example, the cognitive processes that may be impaired and why)
the impact of these challenges (for example, needing longer to process information or needing to take breaks)

We recognise that supporting information can contain some personal details that may not be relevant to your request for a reasonable adjustment. You may redact any personal information from the information you submit that is not directly relevant to your request.

In all circumstances, you should work with us, the force, or agency to find the most appropriate and detailed information to help support your request for a reasonable adjustment.

We will not meet the cost of any supporting information, including assessments, reports or translations.

Approval of reasonable adjustments and accommodations

Our approach to decision making is built on ongoing collaborative dialogue with candidates, rather than a one-off final decision.

Where requests for reasonable adjustments or accommodations are not initially approved, it is usually because we need more supporting information. If we are unable to progress your request based on the information available, we will tell you why. We will also advise you about appropriate or additional sources of supporting information that would help us reconsider your request. If your force is managing your request for reasonable adjustments or accommodations, they should provide this information to you. We strongly encourage candidates to share any further information or clarification that will help us or your force in understanding your needs and exploring suitable adjustments or accommodations.

You should get in touch with us and your force early to discuss your needs. There are timeframes associated with submitting requests for reasonable adjustments and accommodations, so that we or your force can ensure these are in place before your assessment. We encourage you to be mindful of these timeframes and to remain in contact with us or your force, so we can work together to explore suitable options.

If you believe we have not applied our policy correctly when managing your request for a reasonable adjustment or accommodation, you may request a review. The review process focuses on whether the correct procedures were followed and whether the decision was made using the policy criteria and the evidence you provided. It does not involve a fresh evaluation of the request or a reassessment of the evidence you provided. Full guidance on how to request a review will be provided within product-specific guidance, because the steps and timeline will vary by assessment. If you wish to request a review, you must do so before your assessment, so we have sufficient time to complete the review.

Submitting a new request for each assessment or resit

You should submit a new request for each new assessment or resit. We will ask candidates to resubmit requests for the following reasons:

Data retention policies – Data retention policies mean that all personal information we hold relating to a candidate’s reasonable adjustment will be destroyed after a set period of time. The College, or the force or agency in conjunction with the College, may therefore require you to re-submit your supporting information if seeking a reasonable adjustment or accommodation to resit an examination or assessment process.
To understand your needs – The provision of reasonable adjustments and accommodations is based on an individual’s needs at that specific time, as well as the context and format of the examination or assessment process. You will need to submit a new request and provide supporting information to evidence your request if you would like:
- additional reasonable adjustments or accommodations for the same assessment or examination process
- the same reasonable adjustments or accommodations for a different process
If the assessment or examination process has changed – In this instance, the reasonable adjustment or accommodation may not necessarily be consistent with reasonable adjustments given previously.

Responsibilities of the College, forces, agencies and candidates

We are responsible for issuing guidance and setting standards in relation to the provision of reasonable adjustments and accommodations for our examinations and assessments.

We are also responsible for providing support to forces and agencies about the provision of reasonable adjustments and accommodations for these examinations and assessments where required.

Forces and agencies must ensure they are applying this policy and following the relevant processes, as set out by the College.

Candidates are responsible for:

informing us, the force, or agency of their requests in a timely manner
submitting the required information
working with us, the force, or agency to find the most appropriate reasonable adjustments or accommodations

The different procedural responsibilities for each of the products is outlined in the contact details section.

The College, forces and agencies are responsible for handling any personal information they are provided with by candidates. It must be handled in accordance with our and/or local force data retention policies. Access will be strictly limited to those individuals who need to be involved with establishing the correct provisions for the candidate.

Contact details for requests

To find out the specific process for each assessment or examination product, you should either:

follow the guidance set out in your candidate handbook, guidance or overview document
contact your force, agency or the College directly

Further information and contact details for each product are as follows.

Initial police recruitment and special constable recruitment

In the first instance, contact your force police recruitment team. If you require further guidance, contact us directly at recruit@college.police.uk.

For further information, go to national sift and online assessment process guidance.

National examinations

In the first instance, contact your force exams officer or exam liaison contact.

If you require further guidance, contact us for:

NPPF and SIPP sergeants and inspectors exams and legal knowledge assessments: NPPF.Enquiries@college.police.uk
NIE and IEIE: ExamsInvestigator@college.police.uk

For further information, go to the online exams candidate guide.

Senior national assessments

Further information is available:

Undercover selection

In the first instance, you should contact your force or agency designated person. Contact details and further information for each process are outlined in the information provided to you by your force or agency.

Monitoring and quality assurance

We will continue to work with forces and candidates to ensure they are receiving appropriate and fair reasonable adjustments and/or accommodations. We will ensure national consistency in the application of reasonable adjustments and/or accommodations, as well as sharing best practice and updating processes and this policy when necessary.

We monitor and quality assure reasonable adjustments and accommodations. However, the approach varies depending on the product. Candidates should therefore refer to product-specific guidance for further details.

We are responsible for:

capturing and monitoring data in relation to candidates in receipt of reasonable adjustment and accommodations for specific assessments
capturing data in relation to candidates who request a review of reasonable adjustment and accommodations decisions

Forces are responsible for capturing and monitoring data relating to candidates who withdraw from recruitment, selection or promotion processes. This includes where a candidate indicates that their withdrawal is connected to not having a reasonable adjustment or accommodation agreed. This data is important for identifying and understanding any barriers that may be contributing to candidates stepping away from progression opportunities.

Forces should have proportionate mechanisms in place to record this information in a confidential and compliant manner, ensuring that candidates are able to share their reasons voluntarily and securely. This data will support forces in:

evaluating the accessibility of processes
providing reassurance to stakeholders that reasonable adjustment and accommodation policies are being applied fairly and consistently