For online assessment candidates using reasonable adjustments and accommodations.
Introduction
This guide provides information about reasonable adjustments and accommodations for the College of Policing’s online assessments for initial police recruitment. It is relevant to those applying for the following roles:
- police constable
- special constable
- police community support officer (PCSO)
- the detective constable degree holder entry programme (DHEP)
The guidance contains information on reasonable adjustments and accommodations for candidates undergoing the:
- national sift
- online assessment process
- in-force interview
- additional approved assessments (such as the detective constable DHEP assessment process)
All candidates invited to take part can follow this guide to find out more information. It sets out reasonable adjustments and accommodations that can be made to support you during your assessments.
You may be entitled to reasonable adjustments and/or accommodations, should you have any condition, temporary or otherwise, that might cause you to be disadvantaged during the assessment. These include pregnancy, injury and disability, including neurodiverse conditions.
If you have not already, we recommend that you read the national sift candidate guidance and online assessments candidate guide first. This provides information about what the online assessments involve.
For full details of how reasonable adjustments and accommodations are defined and applied, this guidance should be read alongside the reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy.
Reasonable adjustments
Reasonable adjustments are changes that employers and assessment providers 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. If you are not sure whether your condition is defined as a disability, contact your recruiting force for guidance.
Only reasonable adjustments that can be replicated in the role of police constable can be provided. For more information on the adjustments you may be entitled to, go to the reasonable adjustments available section.
Accommodations
Accommodations are for candidates who have a condition that is not defined as a disability, as in the Equality Act 2010, but may still be eligible to receive support. 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, such as a back injury or pregnancy.
Most accommodations can be implemented independently by candidates and do not require approval from the College or your recruiting force to action. For more information on the accommodations that you can apply to your assessments, go to the accommodations available section.
How to request a reasonable adjustment or accommodation
If you believe you may be disadvantaged during the assessments because of a disability, pregnancy or condition, inform your chosen force in your application. They can advise you on your application for accommodations or reasonable adjustments. They will also provide a reasonable adjustment and accommodation request form for you to complete and return to the force.
If you are unsure if you qualify for a reasonable adjustment, or which adjustments might be suitable for you, contact us or your recruiting force to discuss your circumstances. You do not need to know exactly what adjustment you require. The focus is on understanding how your situation affects you in an online assessment and the team will work with you to identify appropriate support. You are encouraged to apply even if you are unsure whether your circumstances would qualify.
Supporting information
If your chosen force advises on a reasonable adjustment, you will be asked for supporting information. This is to provide evidence of the substantial and long-term adverse effect 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. Any reasonable adjustment granted for the assessment will be based on the supporting information provided to your recruiting force.
The most effective and reliable supporting information is an assessment conducted by a professional specialist using appropriate and valid tests that makes clear recommendations. In most cases, this will be a report that outlines a formal assessment of an individual’s condition.
For further guidance on supporting information, why it is needed and what to do if you do not have supporting information, go to the reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy.
Support from the College
In some cases, forces may require additional guidance from assessment specialists within our recruitment team regarding your reasonable adjustment request. For these cases, your supporting information may be shared internally to decide on the most appropriate reasonable adjustment or accommodation for your assessment. This is outlined on the candidate request form.
Agreeing a reasonable adjustment
Once you have agreed to the reasonable adjustment that can be offered to your online assessment process, you will need to complete the candidate agreement form and return this to the recruiting force.
If you decide not to proceed with the reasonable adjustments offered, you will need to complete the candidate reasonable adjustment and accommodation disclaimer form instead.
These forms will be provided from the recruiting force.
If your request is not approved, or you do not agree with the outcome
Usually where requests are not initially approved, this is because of a lack of supporting information. We strongly encourage candidates to share any further information or clarification that will help us or your recruiting force in understanding your needs and exploring suitable adjustments or accommodations.
If you believe we have not applied our policy correctly when managing your request, you may request a review. To do this, you should contact your recruiting force before your assessment.
It is important to note that candidates may not appeal on the grounds of reasonable adjustments and/or accommodations offered if they are unsuccessful in their assessment. This is outlined within the candidate request form.
Receiving a reasonable adjustment or accommodation
Once you have returned the agreement form, the force will update the College assessment information system (AIMS) with the reasonable adjustment agreed. This will then be applied to your online assessment. You do not need to do anything else at this stage.
If an accommodation is deemed more appropriate, these can be applied independently to the relevant assessment. For more information, go to the accommodations available section.
Reasonable adjustments and accommodations are considered for each individual assessment. If you choose to take further assessments, should you be successful in the role of police constable, the support provided for one assessment or exam may not be the same as another. Adjustments must be appropriate to the specific format, structure and requirements of the assessment you are taking. For this reason, candidates should always contact the relevant department for each assessment they take, even if they have received support previously for a different assessment.
If you are sitting a different assessment or selection process, you should refer to the relevant guidance for that process.
Reasonable adjustments available
This guidance covers the most common adjustments awarded. This list is not exhaustive. Each reasonable adjustment request will be reviewed on an individual basis with the aim of supporting you.
Extra time
National sift
The national sift is an untimed assessment, as such no time restrictions are in place.
Online assessment process
The reasonable adjustment that can support you with the online assessment process includes extra time in assessments. This can range from:
- 15% extra time
- 25% extra time
- 30% extra time
- 33% extra time
- 40% extra time
- 50% extra time
Appendix: extra time contains information on what these reasonable adjustments can involve for each exercise of the online assessment process and more information on the national sift.
In-force interview
You may receive extra time for the in-force interview, which could include extra preparation time, as well as extra time to respond to interview questions. You are advised to contact the force to request a reasonable adjustment for extra time and they will assist you. Refer to the in-force interview candidate preparation guide for more information.
Assistive software
You may use assistive software in both the national sift and online assessment process.
Text-to-speech software
Text-to-speech software can be used to read aloud any written exercise instructions and materials. We have tested and recommend several free text-to-speech software providers. You can use these without seeking permission from us or your recruiting force. Go to the section on accommodations available for more information.
If you have access to your own assistive software, you do not need to seek permission from us or your recruiting force to use this.
If you would like to use text-to-speech software that you do not currently have access to, you will need to contact your recruiting force to discuss this.
Speech-to-text software
Speech-to-text software can be used by candidates to dictate and play back their response to the written exercise. We are unable to test or recommend any free speech-to-text software providers. However, if you have access to your own speech-to-text assistive software, you do not need to seek permission from us or your recruiting force to use this.
If you would like to use speech-to-text software that you do not have access to currently, you will need to contact your recruiting force to discuss this.
Accommodations available
This section covers the most common accommodations that can be applied. Refer to individual sections for more information on which accommodations are offered for the respective assessments. You do not need to seek permission from us or your recruiting force before applying any of the following accommodations.
National sift
Where candidates undertake the national sift, accommodations may include the option to:
- zoom in up to 300%
- use text-to-speech software – the recommended software is NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA), which is free to download and works best on Firefox browsers
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- take self-facilitated breaks between the questions and the exercises – note that the home screen will time out following 20 minutes of inactivity
Visual stress
Candidates experiencing visual stress may find it helpful to:
- change the colours, contrast levels and fonts of the text on the screen
- use a coloured overlay and place it over your device’s screen – you will be required to provide your own coloured overlay to make sure the colour is suitable for you
- use coloured lenses or glasses – you will be required to provide your own lenses or glasses to make sure they are suitable for you
Online assessment process
For the online assessment process, some candidates may find it useful to:
- blur video when recording responses for the briefing exercise and competency-based interview, if you find it distracting to see yourself on camera – your video will not be blurred when submitted for assessment
- take self-facilitated breaks between the exercises
Visual stress
Candidates experiencing visual stress may find it helpful to:
- use a coloured overlay and place it over your device’s screen – you will be required to provide your own coloured overlay to make sure the colour is suitable for you
- use coloured lenses or glasses – you will be required to provide your own lenses or glasses to make sure they are suitable for you
- change the background colour of your device – to do this, you can:
- change the preferences on your browser
- download an app from your device’s app store that allows you to customise the device background
Recite Me
For the online assessment process, we offer Recite Me software to all candidates. This is an accessibility toolbar that will be available for you to apply to your assessments should you choose to. The functions that are available include:
- text-to-speech – play button to read text aloud
- rewind – when playing text aloud, rewind to previous paragraph of text
- forward – when playing text aloud, skip to the next paragraph
- focus audio
- select font – change font of text displayed on screen
- increase font size
- decrease font size
- focus text
- colour theme – change colour of background and text
- reading ruler
- screen mask – focused view of a section on the page
- curser options
- magnifier glass – magnify text on the screen
- page options
- page structure – provides overview of webpage layout with key headings
If you intend to use any of the above features during your assessment, it is recommended that you test them on the assessment platform dashboard. It is important to make sure that you are comfortable with using Recite Me and its features before starting your assessments.
To practise using the features and to apply the toolbar in your assessment, select the ‘Accessibility’ button at the bottom of your page on the assessment platform. If you want to practise using the features before you receive access to the assessment platform, go to Accessibility software and solutions. When practising using Recite Me through this hyperlink, please note the ‘dictionary’ and ‘change language’ features are not available on the online assessment platform.
You do not need our permission to use Recite Me during the online assessment process.
Alternative software
If you prefer to use alternative text-to-speech software and magnifiers, the following have been tested and approved for the assessment platform:
- NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) – desktop screen reader
- Narrator – desktop screen reader
- Windows Magnifier
- Apple Zoom – screen magnifier
- Android TalkBack – mobile screen reader
- iOS VoiceOver – mobile screen reader
- Job Access With Speech (JAWS) – desktop screen reader
- Dragon – speech recognition
Make sure you are comfortable using your chosen software and its features before starting your assessment. If you are using Dragon text-to-speech software for the written exercise, make sure you dictate your response directly into the assessment platform response box and not into the Dragon software itself.
Text-to-speech and speech-to-text software are not necessary for the briefing exercise and competency-based interview. This is because assessors will read questions aloud and candidates must respond verbally.
If you currently do not have access to any of this software, and require access for your assessments, contact your recruiting force to discuss this. Depending on the circumstances, requests to access software may be treated as reasonable adjustment requests.
In-force interview
You may receive accommodations for the in-force interview. You are advised to contact the recruiting force to request an accommodation and they will assist. Refer to the In-force interview candidate preparation guide for more information.
Support available for all candidates
Some forms of support are available to you and do not require a reasonable adjustment request. This includes the following.
- The ability to take the online assessment in a suitable environment of your choosing.
- Use of your own equipment and set up to meet your needs. For example, using a larger monitor, or using a touch-screen device where a condition or injury affects use of a mouse.
- The ability to take self-accommodated breaks between exercises.
- Access to platform features such as navigation tools, flagging questions and note making functions
- Access to Recite Me within the platform, which includes use of:
- assistive tools, such as text-to-speech software
- screen overlays or software to adjust colour and contrast
- built-in platform display options, such as high-contrast or high-visibility settings
Example scenarios
The following examples illustrate how adjustments may be applied in practice.
- If you have a condition that affects reading speed, processing or working memory, you may be provided with additional time to support your ability to read, understand and respond to questions within the time available.
- If you experience anxiety or a condition affecting concentration, you may be supported through breaks, allowing you to pause, manage symptoms and maintain focus.
- For the national sift, you may pause and come back to the assessment up to ten times during the seven-day completion window.
- For the online assessment process, you may take self-facilitated breaks between each of the assessment exercises, however once an exercise has been started, you must complete the exercise within the time allowed.
- If you have a temporary or long-term physical condition (for example, back pain or a condition that makes it difficult to remain seated for long periods), you may be supported through breaks, allowing you to move, stretch or manage discomfort during the assessment.
These examples are intended to demonstrate how support is tailored to individual circumstances. Adjustments will always be based on the information provided and how a candidate’s needs impact them during the online assessment process.
Contact details
In the first instance, contact your force police recruitment team.
If you require further guidance, contact us directly at recruit@college.police.uk
Appendix: extra time
National sift
For the national sift, no extra time will be awarded as a reasonable adjustment because the exercises are untimed. The approximate time it will take to complete the exercises is 50 minutes overall. This will consist of approximately 20 minutes to complete the situational judgment test (SJT) and 30 minutes to complete the behavioural styles questionnaire (BSQ).
Online assessment process
The approximate extra time awarded for each exercise, depending on the reasonable adjustment granted, can be found in the following tables. The times stated in these tables indicate the total time candidates with extra time adjustments will have for the exercises. They are calculated by adding together the standard time and the extra time. None of the exercise instructions are timed, so no extra time is provided for receiving instructions during assessments.
15% extra time reasonable adjustment
| Exercise | Completion times |
|---|---|
| Competency-based interview (CBI) | Approximate time to complete is 42 minutes. For each question, you will be given 1 minute 9 seconds (69 seconds) 'thinking time' to consider the question and prepare your answer. After this you will have 5 minutes (300 seconds) to record your answer. |
| Written exercise | Approximate time to complete is 46 minutes, but there is a time restriction of 2 hours (120 minutes) for the exercise for all candidates. |
| Briefing exercise | Approximate time to complete is 70 minutes. For preparation time, you should independently read the preparation materials and consider your response to part 1 of the scenarios. This initial preparation stage for part 1 is not timed, but is likely to take approximately 11 minutes 30 seconds. This preparation stage is not assessed. After the initial preparation time, you will have approximately another further 52 minutes in which you will be given 12 questions to answer. This will be split into three parts with four questions in each. For parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be given 1 minute 9 seconds (69 seconds) ‘thinking time’ to prepare your response to each question. You will then have 3 minutes (180 seconds) to provide your response to the question. Parts 2 and 3 include developments of the scenario presented in part 1. |
25% extra time reasonable adjustment
| Exercise | Completion times |
|---|---|
| CBI | Approximate time to complete is 44 minutes. For each question, you will be given 1 minute 15 seconds (75 seconds) 'thinking time' to consider the question and prepare your answer. After this you will have 5 minutes (300 seconds) to record your answer. |
| Written exercise | Approximate time to complete is 50 minutes. There is a time restriction of 2 hours (120 minutes) for the exercise for all candidates. |
| Briefing exercise | Approximate time to complete is 72 minutes. For preparation time, you should independently read the preparation materials and consider your response to part 1 of the scenarios. This initial preparation stage for part 1 is not timed, but is likely to take approximately 12 minutes 30 seconds. This preparation stage is not assessed. After the initial preparation time, you will have approximately another further 53 minutes in which you will be given 12 questions to answer. This will be split into three parts with four questions in each. For parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be given 1 minute 15 seconds (75 seconds) ‘thinking time’ to prepare your response to each question. You will then have 3 minutes (180 seconds) to provide your response to the question. Parts 2 and 3 include developments of the scenario presented in part 1. |
30% extra time reasonable adjustment
| Exercise | Completion times |
|---|---|
| CBI | Approximate time to complete is 44 minutes. For each question, you will be given 1 minute 18 seconds (78 seconds) 'thinking time' to consider the question and prepare your answer. After this you will have 5 minutes (300 seconds) to record your answer. |
| Written exercise | Approximate time to complete is 52 minutes. There is a time restriction of 2 hours (120 minutes) for the exercise for all candidates. |
| Briefing exercise | Approximate time to complete is 74 minutes. For preparation time, you should independently read the preparation materials and consider your response to part 1 of the scenarios. This initial preparation stage for part 1 is not timed, but is likely to take approximately 13 minutes. This preparation stage is not assessed. After the initial preparation time, you will have approximately another further 54 minutes in which you will be given 12 questions to answer. This will be split into three parts with four questions in each. For parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be given 1 minute 18 seconds (78 seconds) ‘thinking time’ to prepare your response to each question. You will then have 3 minutes (180 seconds) to provide your response to the question. Parts 2 and 3 include developments of the scenario presented in part 1. |
33% extra time reasonable adjustment
| Exercise | Completion times |
|---|---|
| CBI | Approximate time to complete is 45 minutes. For each question, you will be given 1 minute 20 seconds (80 seconds) 'thinking time' to consider the question and prepare your answer. After this you will have 5 minutes (300 seconds) to record your answer. |
| Written exercise | Approximate time to complete is 53 minutes. There is a time restriction of 2 hours (120 minutes) for the exercise for all candidates. |
| Briefing exercise | Approximate time to complete is 75 minutes. For preparation time, you should independently read the preparation materials and consider your response to part 1 of the scenarios. This initial preparation stage for part 1 is not timed, but is likely to take approximately 13 minutes 30 seconds. This preparation stage is not assessed. After the initial preparation time, you will have approximately another further 54 minutes in which you will be given 12 questions to answer. This will be split into three parts with four questions in each. For parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be given 1 minute 20 seconds (80 seconds) ‘thinking time’ to prepare your response to each question. You will then have 3 minutes (180 seconds) to provide your response to the question. Parts 2 and 3 include developments of the scenario presented in part 1. |
40% extra time reasonable adjustment
| Exercise | Completion times |
|---|---|
| CBI | Approximate time to complete is 46 minutes. For each question, you will be given 1 minute 24 seconds (84 seconds) 'thinking time' to consider the question and prepare your answer. After this you will have 5 minutes (300 seconds) to record your answer. |
| Written exercise | Approximate time to complete is 56 minutes. There is a time restriction of 2 hours (120 minutes) for the exercise for all candidates. |
| Briefing exercise | Approximate time to complete is 76 minutes. For preparation time, you should independently read the preparation materials and consider your response to part 1 of the scenarios. This initial preparation stage for part 1 is not timed, but is likely to take approximately 14 minutes. This preparation stage is not assessed. After the initial preparation time, you will have approximately another further 55 minutes in which you will be given 12 questions to answer. This will be split into three parts with four questions in each. For parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be given 1 minute 24 seconds (84 seconds) ‘thinking time’ to prepare your response to each question. You will then have 3 minutes (180 seconds) to provide your response to the question. Parts 2 and 3 include developments of the scenario presented in part 1. |
50% extra time reasonable adjustment
| Exercise | Completion times |
|---|---|
| CBI | Approximate time to complete is 47 minutes. For each question, you will be given 1 minute 30 seconds (90 seconds) 'thinking time' to consider the question and prepare your answer. After this you will have 5 minutes (300 seconds) to record your answer. |
| Written exercise | Approximate time to complete is 60 minutes. There is a time restriction of 2 hours (120 minutes) for the exercise for all candidates. |
| Briefing exercise | Approximate time to complete is 79 minutes. For preparation time, you should independently read the preparation materials and consider your response to part 1 of the scenarios. This initial preparation stage for part 1 is not timed, but is likely to take approximately 15 minutes. This preparation stage is not assessed. After the initial preparation time, you will have approximately another further 56 minutes in which you will be given 12 questions to answer. This will be split into three parts with four questions in each. For parts 1, 2 and 3, you will be given 1 minute 30 seconds (90 seconds) ‘thinking time’ to prepare your response to each question. You will then have 3 minutes (180 seconds) to provide your response to the question. Parts 2 and 3 include developments of the scenario presented in part 1. |
In-force interview assessment process
Refer to the in-force interview candidate preparation guide, as well as the recruiting force, to request extra time.