The PSNI Physical Competence Assessment and how to train for it

The Physical Competence Assessment (PCA) is a pass or fail obstacle course. During recruitment you must complete three laps of it within 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and you must have passed it before you can be appointed as a PSNI student officer. You do not need any fitness qualification to apply, and the PSNI publishes a five-session training plan so you know what to practise.

What the course involves

The PSNI describes the PCA as reflecting the physical operational requirements of a constable. It is a circuit or obstacle course of running, crawling, climbing, balancing, lifting, carrying, dragging and weaving. The PSNI publishes a diagram of the course and a video demonstration on its recruitment site, and both are worth studying before you go. The diagram is an image, so check the Join PSNI site for the layout.

When it happens

The PSNI manages the PCA itself. It comes after the Deloitte-run application, test and assessment centre stages and after vetting. Candidates who succeed at the assessment centre are first invited to a familiarisation session that explains the test. The session is voluntary, but the PSNI highly recommends it, and its Physical Training Instructors give advice on your performance and on training. You need clothing and footwear suitable for physical activity for both the session and the test.

The whole sequence is in the PSNI recruitment process step by step, and the stage before it is described in the PSNI assessment centre.

If you fail

You get one re-test, offered 12 weeks after the first attempt. If you feel ready, you can take it earlier within that period. Before the re-test you can attend five support sessions, which include a 20 metre shuttle run warm-up, familiarisation, a practice of every element, one or two timed laps and training advice from the PSNI’s Physical Training Instructors. If you do not pass the re-test, there are no further opportunities.

The standard tightens later

The 4 minutes 30 seconds applies only to recruitment. Once you are a student officer at the Police College, you must complete the PCA within 4 minutes before you attest as a probationary constable. You then repeat the in-service version within 4 minutes at around 12 months and 18 months after attestation. The PSNI says you are expected to keep your fitness up through training and probation. How to become a police officer in the PSNI covers the training itself.

The PSNI example training plan

The PSNI gives five sessions to be done in order, with two full recovery days a week. Each starts with 5 to 10 minutes of low-intensity cardio and dynamic stretches and ends with a 5 to 10 minute cool-down and static stretches.

1. A 5 km run, aiming for 5 minutes per kilometre, noting your time.
2. Three rounds of one minute each of press ups, alternate leg lunges, sit ups and burpees, with a minute’s rest, aiming for maximum repetitions.
3. Interval runs as fast as you can: 2 minutes on and 2 off twice, 1 minute on and 1 off four times, then 30 seconds on and 30 off six times.
4. Four rounds of 3 minutes running, cycling or rowing, then a minute of squats, a plank or bridge hold (20 seconds, three times) and a minute of press ups, done as fast as possible.
5. Five rounds of 1 minute running and 1 minute jogging, five of 30 seconds running and 30 seconds jogging, then a 10 minute run at a challenging but sustainable pace.

The PSNI asks you to note your times, distances and repetitions so you can see progress, and to get advice first if any exercise is unfamiliar. This is general information, not a fitness prescription. If you have a health concern or an injury, ask a GP or qualified trainer.

What to check

• Whether the PCA falls after the assessment centre in your campaign. The PSNI marks dates as subject to change.
• That you have watched the video and studied the diagram on the Join PSNI site.
• That you know how to reach the Physical Training Instructors through the familiarisation session, since the PSNI says they will advise on your performance.
• That you raise any adjustment need for the PCA with the PSNI directly. The guidance says adjustments agreed in the application stages cover the Deloitte-managed stages, and that you should highlight a request about the PCA to the PSNI when it contacts you about its own stages. The general process is in asking for reasonable adjustments in recruitment.

The health check that follows the fitness stage is explained in the PSNI health assessment and hair test.