6. Application and recruitment process

The first step in process is to complete and submit an online registration form and application form. This will cover our academic and personal eligibility criteria. You can access these forms on the next page in this section ('Apply now').

When we get your application we will conduct a basic security check, which takes around seven days.

You will be asked to complete a short, online assessment, called ‘Apollo’. This behavioural skills questionnaire will check if you have the key behaviours and values to join us as a police constable.

You can expect this stage of the process to take about two weeks.

You should complete your online assessment within about three weeks of 'step 1'.

We will share more information with you about the online assessment before you take it. It is made up of three exercises:

Competency based interview: Use examples from your work and personal life to answer a series of questions.

Written assessment: Complete an urgent written task whilst assuming the role of a police constable.

Briefing exercise: Read material and answer questions based on what you have read whilst assuming the role of a police constable.

Before you complete your online assessment we will let you know what technology you need. If you need a reasonable adjustment, or if you can’t access the right technology, you can talk to us about it.

You can expect your results within three weeks of sitting your online assessment.

You should attend your face to face Met Assessment within about three weeks of receiving your online assessment results.

You’ll be invited to our Met recruitment centre in south London for an interview focused on our values.

You also need to complete a medical and our fitness test.

We will share all the information you need to prepare for your Met Assessment including advice on how to get ready for our fitness test.

Start preparing now by watching our YouTube video for tips and download the Met's six week training programme.

You can expect your results within four to eight weeks of taking your assessment, depending on personal circumstances.

After you’ve passed your 'day two', assessment, we will carry out pre-employment and vetting checks. These checks are to make sure we are recruiting police officers and staff who meet our standards of behaviour and share our values.

We will let you know when you need to submit your information. We will also explain what vetting is, and what it means.

The length of time these checks can take varies from individual to individual but typically it can take around 2 months. You should not worry if it takes slightly longer than this.

You can find out more on the vetting process here.

We will be in touch to make you a formal offer of employment and discuss the best date for you to join your training intake. 

You would need to start your training within three months. We start new intakes every five weeks.