What to expect
The recruitment process fixes the order. A written or computer-based aptitude battery comes before the interview and the physical test, and each part of the battery is timed. The parts are short; the day is long. You are tested on how you hold your pace, not on how clever one answer is.
The parts in the battery
Typical parts are maths, language (spelling, grammar, text), logic and concentration. The concentration part is often a strike-out or comparison task against the clock; the language part leans on accuracy, not flair. Some forces add a memory task. The physical and sports test is separate and runs on its own day.
The battery is scored as a whole. A weak concentration part can be paid back by the maths part, so never let one bad task set the tone for the rest.
Three habits
- Read the part's instruction, then answer; do not re-read the same line twice.
- On strike-out and comparison tasks, scan in a fixed order so nothing is skipped.
- Leave the slow maths question and come back; the clock does not pause.
How to prepare
Work each part on its own first, then run two parts back to back under the real clock. Accuracy under time is the whole game: a wrong answer taken slowly costs more than a guessed one taken quickly.
MSc Psychology, 7 years of test taking.
Last updated: Oct 27, 2026