Detective specialism

Immersive Assessment

Hints and tips for Police Now’s detective specialism immersive assessment.

What does the Police Now immersive assessment involve?

Our brand-new immersive assessment has been designed to measure some of the key attributes that are important for success when on the detective specialism of the programme. It is split into several components: cognitive, motivational and personality.

We want you to experience what the role of a police detective is like and the variety of people and spaces you may work in and with. It is an opportunity for you to learn more about the role and build your awareness of the types of issues and challenges police detectives face.

Tips for the immersive assessment

Prepare

1

The immersive assessment is a unique opportunity for you to experience what it is like to be a police detective.

Before starting the assessment, we recommend that you read the job description and research Police Now, our mission, competencies and values.

Get in the zone

2

Check your technology before starting and find a quiet place to complete the assessment with minimal distractions.

The more present and involved you can be in the assessment, the more you’ll enjoy it, perform at your best, and take learnings from it.

Practice

3

Before you begin, you will navigate through a practice session which will allow you to get comfortable with the format before starting the actual assessment.

This should take you around 10 minutes. Your answers in the practice session will not contribute to your final score.

Take your time

4

Read all instructions and questions carefully. Remember to trust yourself and try not to overanalyse your answers.

It’s often best to read the question and go with your first response. This is a chance for you to learn more about the role and to establish whether it’s right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we use an immersive assessment as part of the selection process?

We want you to experience what it is like to be a detective and for you to share with us your unique background and perspective that you can apply to the role.

How long will the immersive assessment take?

The assessment is not timed and should take you approximately 45 minutes. You’ll be able to take breaks in between sections, should you need to.

Before you begin, you will navigate through a practice session which will allow you to get comfortable with the format before starting the actual assessment. This should take you around 10 minutes.

Will I receive feedback?

All candidates will receive a personalised feedback report once they have completed the assessment, regardless of the outcome. It will show the areas of the assessment you performed well in, as well as areas of improvement.

You can use this to aid you at the assessment centre stage or if you apply to Police Now again in the future.

What if I require any adjustments?

Our immersive assessment has been designed with adjustments in mind to support individual needs and to be neuroinclusive. Timed sections are only employed where necessary to ensure candidates progress to the next section. Video closed captions can be turned on and off, there is pause/play functionality and video transcripts.

Before you begin the immersive assessment, you will have the opportunity to complete a practice assessment to familiarise yourself with the layout and the structure of the assessment.

However, if you require other adjustments, or the assessment in an alternative format, please contact our recruitment team to discuss in confidence.

Get support with your assessment

Do you need to chat with our recruitment team about the immersive assessment?

Our team will be happy to support you with any technical queries or guidance on completing the immersive assessment.

Use our live chat

We are normally online and available for live chat from Monday to Friday from 11am to 3pm.

Candidate Feedback

Our immersive assessment is a unique assessment experience that has never been done in the policing sector before. Hear what candidates have to say about their assessment experience.

"Definitely sets it apart from other graduate scheme assessments by providing a relaxed environment and comfortable time pressures.”

Detective policing candidate

"Simple and effective in telling what Police Now are initially looking for in skillset, motivation, awareness to situations and ambitions."

Detective policing candidate

"It allowed me to demonstrate my critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a scenario relevant to the job I am applying for."

Detective policing candidate

"I found it really helpful just to get a sense of what police investigation looks like on the job."

Detective policing candidate

What to expect

There will be different types of activities involved in your assessment centre, all designed to give you a unique insight into the role of a neighbourhood police officer and the types of situations and challenges you may face.

Estimated completion time: half-day.

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Interview

1

In your one-to-one interview, share your motivation for joining Police Now and your connection to our mission.

Questions will cover your responses to programme situations and relevant past experiences.

Incident summary

2

You’ll produce a written summary report on an incident.

This activity focuses on reviewing information and suggesting next steps and follow up actions to improve the relationship with the local community.

Community engagement interactions

3

Experience real-life scenarios as a neighbourhood police officer, engaging with affected community members.

Showcase communication and problem-solving skills, then reflect on strengths and development areas after each interaction.

Team meeting

4

Work as a team to assess crimes and find ways to impact the community positively.

Showcase communication and collaboration skills by analysing information and problem-solving together.

Debrief

5

Reflect on your assessment centre experience, discussing strengths and challenges.

Consider what you’d improve next time in an open discussion on performance and learning.