College of Policing National Sift / Online Assessment Process The Online Assessment Process: Format and Structure Syllabus

What is a 'reasonable adjustment' in the online assessment, and under what duty is it provided?

A modification to the assessment process (e.g. extra time, alternative formats) made to remove disadvantage for a disabled candidate, provided under the duty in the Equality Act 2010.

Give two examples of reasonable adjustments that may be offered for the online assessment.

Additional time for timed exercises, and accessible formats or assistive technology compatibility (e.g. screen-reader support, modified colours/fonts, or rest breaks).

What must a candidate do to receive a reasonable adjustment for the online assessment?

Request it in advance and, where required, provide supporting evidence, so the adjustment can be arranged before the assessment date.

What is the 'overall pass threshold' in an assessment, conceptually?

The minimum total or scaled score a candidate must achieve to be deemed successful and progress, set to reflect the standard required for the role.

What does 'weighting across exercises' mean?

Assigning different relative contributions to each exercise's score in the overall result, so some components count more toward the final outcome than others based on their importance to the role.

If exercise scores are weighted, how is a candidate's overall score generally calculated?

As a weighted sum of the component scores, $S_{overall} = \sum_{i} w_{i} s_{i}$, where $s_{i}$ is each exercise score and $w_{i}$ its weight, with the weights summing to one: $\sum_{i} w_{i} = 1$.

A candidate scores 70 on an SJT (weight 0.5) and 60 on a written exercise (weight 0.5). What is the weighted overall score?

$S = 0.5 \times 70 + 0.5 \times 60 = 35 + 30 = 65$.

With weights of 0.4, 0.35 and 0.25 and scores of 80, 70 and 60, what is the weighted overall score?

$S = 0.4(80) + 0.35(70) + 0.25(60) = 32 + 24.5 + 15 = 71.5$.

What does 'results reporting' typically provide to a candidate after the online assessment?

Notification of the outcome (pass/not pass) and, depending on policy, an indication of performance against the competencies, often via the candidate's online recruitment portal.

What is the typical structure of feedback given after the online assessment?

Structured feedback organised by competency/exercise, indicating relative strengths and development areas rather than raw marks, to help unsuccessful candidates improve for future attempts.

Why does the online assessment use standardised durations for each exercise?

To ensure every candidate has exactly the same time to demonstrate ability, keeping the assessment fair, comparable and defensible.

What is the key advantage of online delivery over the physical SEARCH centre in terms of access?

Candidates can sit the assessment from home without travel or venue logistics, widening access and increasing scheduling flexibility.

What integrity risk does online delivery introduce that the physical SEARCH centre largely controlled, and how is it mitigated?

The risk of cheating, impersonation or unauthorised assistance; it is mitigated by remote proctoring, identity verification, room scans and screen monitoring.

What is a 'room scan' in remote proctoring?

A check, often via webcam, where the candidate shows their surroundings before the assessment to confirm the environment is clear of unauthorised people, devices or materials.

Why must candidates usually keep their webcam and microphone on throughout the online assessment?

So the proctoring system can continuously verify identity and monitor for prohibited behaviour, maintaining the integrity of the unsupervised location.

What does 'quality assurance' (QA) of the assessment process aim to guarantee?

That the assessment is delivered consistently, marked reliably and fairly, and produces valid, defensible outcomes across all candidates and assessors.

How does standardising the order of exercises support fairness?

It removes any order or fatigue effects from advantaging some candidates over others, since everyone faces the components in the same sequence under the same conditions.

What is the difference between 'validity' and 'reliability' in this assessment?

Validity is whether the assessment measures what it intends to (relevant policing competencies); reliability is whether it does so consistently across candidates, occasions and assessors.

What is the consequence under most re-sit policies of a candidate failing the online assessment?

They typically cannot immediately reapply; a defined minimum waiting period (e.g. several months) must usually pass before another attempt is permitted.

In behavioural coding, what is a 'positive indicator' versus a 'negative indicator'?

A positive indicator is evidence of effective behaviour that earns credit; a negative indicator is evidence of ineffective or undesirable behaviour that reduces the score for that competency.

How does scoring an SJT differ from scoring a written exercise?

SJTs are usually scored objectively against a pre-determined scoring key (closest-to-expert ratings), while written exercises require trained assessors to judge response quality against behavioural indicators.

Why is a scoring key used for the SJT important for quality assurance?

It standardises marking so the SJT is scored identically for every candidate, removing assessor subjectivity and maximising reliability for that component.

What does 'closest-to-expert' or consensus scoring mean in an SJT?

Candidate ratings are compared to the responses agreed by subject-matter experts; marks are awarded for agreement with, or proximity to, the expert-endorsed effectiveness of each option.

What should a candidate do if their equipment fails the pre-assessment system check?

Resolve the technical issue (update browser, change device/connection) before the sitting, or contact support, since proceeding with non-compliant equipment risks an invalid attempt.

Why does the online assessment generally prohibit using a mobile phone as the sitting device?

Small screens, unreliable connections and limited proctoring control make phones unsuitable; a laptop/desktop ensures the interface displays correctly and monitoring works.

What is the relationship between the CVF competencies and the exercises in the online assessment?

Each exercise is mapped to specific CVF competencies and values, so together the exercises sample a defined range of behaviours required for the constable role.

Why might different exercises be weighted differently in the overall result?

Because exercises vary in how strongly they predict job performance or how central their competency is to the role; weighting reflects each component's relative job-relevance.

What is the benefit of giving competency-based feedback rather than raw scores to unsuccessful candidates?

It tells candidates which behavioural areas to develop, supporting meaningful improvement, while protecting the security of exact scoring keys and pass marks.

How do assessor calibration sessions typically work before live marking?

Assessors independently mark common sample responses, then compare and discuss scores against the agreed standard, adjusting their judgement until they mark consistently within tolerance.

What is a 'second marking' or moderation check in quality assurance?

A process where a sample of (or borderline) responses are independently re-scored by another assessor or moderator to confirm marks are accurate and consistent before results are confirmed.

Summarise how the online assessment preserves fairness compared with the physical SEARCH centre.

It keeps standardised content, fixed exercise order and durations, CVF-based behavioural coding, calibrated assessors and moderation, while adding proctoring, identity checks, technical contingency and online reasonable adjustments to match the controls of the in-person centre.