The PSNI health assessment and hair drug test

The health assessment and the hair drug test are the last two stages of PSNI student officer recruitment. They are normally arranged together, and the health assessment usually takes up to 90 minutes. You must pass both before you are appointed. They come after the Physical Competence Assessment and online learning, in the order set out in the PSNI recruitment process step by step.

What you complete beforehand

You and your GP both fill in the Medical Health Questionnaire. The GP should sign only after you have completed and signed your own sections and dated the form. You also provide further information on any past or current medical condition, such as a specialist report.

What happens at the assessment

A member of the Occupational Health Nursing Team explains the process and asks for your consent to each element. The PSNI lists these:

• a review of your questionnaire and history taking
• height and weight
• blood pressure and pulse
• a spirometry questionnaire, with a lung function test only if required
• vision tests
• a hearing test
• a urine test

Your results go to an Occupational Health Medical Adviser for review. The adviser may also see you and, in some cases, carry out a physical examination.

The three outcomes

The PSNI’s guidance gives one of these outcomes:

1. You meet the standard, are medically fit for the role and can enter the full Police Pension Scheme.
2. You meet the standard for the role but not the one needed for the ill health benefits part of the pension scheme.
3. You do not meet the current medical standards.

If it is the third, your case goes to the PSNI’s Pre-Employment Adjustment Panel, which decides whether you might be able to perform the role with adjustments. People who do not meet the standards are not eligible for the ill health benefit part of the pension. The PSNI says candidates declared ineligible for ill health benefits, or who cannot be accommodated with adjustments, are given details of an appeal process. For how occupational health checks work more generally, see occupational health checks.

Standards the PSNI publishes

The 2026 applicant guidance lists the main standards likely to affect you and says they are under ongoing review and may change. You are told the standards you must meet before your assessment.

• Weight: you may not meet the standard if you are clinically obese.
• Hearing: hearing loss of more than a total of 84 dB over the 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz range, or more than 123 dB over the 3, 4 and 6 kHz range, in both ears is unlikely to be suitable. If one ear is affected or aids might overcome the difficulty, further assessment looks at possible adjustments.
• Vision: bilateral visual acuity of at least 6.6 using corrective lenses if needed (6/7.5 in the better eye and 6/12 in the other), unaided acuity of 6/36 binocularly, near vision of N6 aided or unaided, normal visual fields, and no severe colour deficiency.

The PSNI will not discuss individual conditions before you are invited, so the published list is all you can check in advance.

The hair drug test

The Substance Misuse Test is required under the Police (Testing for Substance Misuse) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and is normally done on the same day, after the health assessment. It covers illegal drugs and the misuse of prescribed and non-prescribed drugs, including steroids, cannabidiol and psychoactive substances.

An approved external contractor takes a hair sample. You give two samples, A and B, each about 3 cm long with 50 to 100 strands. Hair usually comes from the head, but it can be taken from the armpit, chest, back, leg or arm. If you cannot give enough hair for medical or religious reasons, or are worried about it, email [email protected] straight away, as you may need to provide medical evidence. Short hair for cosmetic reasons is not accepted. If you turn up without enough hair and have not told the PSNI, you will not be tested. Bring evidence of any prescription you take.

If the A sample is positive

The PSNI writes to you. You have seven calendar days to say you want the B sample tested by an independent laboratory. You instruct the laboratory and pay for it yourself, and the PSNI gives a list of UKAS-accredited laboratories. If the B result is negative and does not match, a further hair test is arranged. If that is negative too, the PSNI treats the first result as a false positive and reimburses the cost of the B analysis. If the B sample confirms the result, there is no appeal and no reimbursement. You are withdrawn from the process and any offer may be withdrawn.

Some results indicate historic or occasional use or environmental exposure, such as frequent close contact with people using drugs. These go to the Service Vetting Unit, which may invite you to an interview and refer you to the Vetting Panel. If you are not appointed within 12 months, you must take the test again.

What to check

• Ask your GP early to complete their part of the questionnaire, since it has to be signed after yours.
• Compare the vision and hearing standards in the current applicant guidance with your own test results.
• Contact the Substance Misuse mailbox before the appointment if there is any issue with your hair.
• Note the seven-day deadline for requesting B sample testing.

For the rest of the stages, including vetting and tattoos, see PSNI vetting: tattoos and convictions.