How to become a police constable

To become a police constable in England and Wales you apply to a territorial police force, pass its national assessment process, fitness test, medical and vetting, and then join one of the entry programmes the force runs. The main routes are the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP), and the Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP), which does not lead to a degree. From 1 September 2026 a constable appointed since 2013 is paid between £32,255 and £52,015 on the national scale, before London weighting and allowances.

The entry routes

Each route leads to the same job, a warranted constable. They differ in how training is organised and whether you finish with a qualification.

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship is for people without a degree. You are employed and paid as a student officer from day one, and you study for a degree in professional policing practice alongside your work, with the force covering the course.

The Degree Holder Entry Programme is for people who already have a degree in any subject. It is shorter than the apprenticeship and leads to a graduate diploma in professional policing practice. Some forces run detective variants of DHEP, covered in how to become a detective.

The Police Constable Entry Programme is a non-degree route that some forces run, sometimes alongside the degree routes. Training is classroom and workplace based, without the academic qualification. Not every force offers it.

There is also a pre-join route: you study a professional policing degree at your own cost, then apply to a force and complete a shorter programme on appointment. Police Now runs a graduate programme with partner forces as another option.

Which routes are open, and when, depends on the force. Forces recruit in campaigns, and a route can be closed in one area while open next door.

What selection involves

The stages are broadly the same across forces:

1. An online application with eligibility and competency questions.
2. An online assessment process, often including a situational judgement test, a written exercise and a video interview based on the Competency and Values Framework for policing.
3. A force interview in many areas.
4. The job-related fitness test, a shuttle run to a set level, plus a medical including eyesight and hearing standards.
5. Vetting and references, including checks on you and, in some cases, close family and associates.
6. Biometric vetting (fingerprints and DNA) before appointment.

The fitness test is a shuttle run, often called the bleep test. You can retake it if you fail, and most forces publish the target level and advice on preparing. Officers retake it each year once in post.

The national rules on age, nationality, residence, tattoos, convictions and finances are applied by each force. Recent residence in the UK matters because vetting needs a checkable history. A criminal record does not always rule you out, though some offences do, and you must declare everything, including matters you think are minor or spent.

What you do in the first years

Student officers spend an initial period in training, then go out with a tutor constable before working independently on response or neighbourhood teams. The early years are a probationary period, and you must pass the learning programme and show competence in operational work to be confirmed in the rank.

Student officers on the degree routes have protected learning time for study, but the academic work still spills into rest days for many people. Plan for that if you have caring responsibilities.

Response work means shifts covering nights, weekends and bank holidays, attending emergency calls, making arrests and dealing with incidents from domestic abuse to road collisions. Paperwork is heavy: statements, case files and records take a large share of each shift.

Pay from 1 September 2026

Police officers in England and Wales received a 3.5% pay award from 1 September 2026, confirmed by ministers on 15 July 2026. The Police Remuneration Review Body had recommended 3.9%. London weighting and allowances also rose by 3.5%.

Pay point	Annual salary from 1 Sep 2026
PP1	£32,255
PP2	£33,609
PP3	£34,972
PP4	£36,335
PP5	£39,058
PP6	£44,544
PP7	£52,015

These are the points for constables appointed on or after 1 April 2013. You move up a point each year, subject to satisfactory performance. Shift allowances, overtime and London weighting come on top. Police pay scales covers the ranks above constable, and the take-home pay calculator shows what each point comes to after tax and deductions.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland are single national forces with their own recruitment, training and pay. Their entry routes and pay scales differ from England and Wales, so use their own careers pages.

If you are not ready for a full-time career, volunteering as a special constable gives you the same powers and a close look at the work. A PCSO role is another way into policing without the warrant.