Failed assessments

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/4717

Version Date: 25/06/2026

The Human Resources Department has provided the following information: 

Between 2021 and 2026 (up to the current date of this request), how many Police Officers do you employ who had failed their interview or assessment centre (or any pre-employment requirement), however, were recontacted regarding an offer of employment.

No information held by Dorset Police indicates that any individuals were appointed despite failing pre-employment requirements. 

Of those officers (in anonymised format) please tell me:
- The reason(s) they failed the pre-employment requirement

No candidate was appointed who failed any pre-employment requirement. 

- The reason(s) they were recontacted (both why it was that person who was re-contacted instead of another and the more wider reason that Dorset Police chose to contact them, as opposed to choosing another person who had passed their pre-employment requirements)

The local force interview, which at that time was not part of the mandated national recruitment process, was removed between late December 2022 and 31 March 2023. As a result, eight candidates who had previously been unsuccessful at the local force interview were progressed, as this element was no longer required during that period. Candidates had passed the National Selection Process as mandated.

Candidates were not proactively recontacted outside of the standard recruitment process.

Under national selection guidance, candidates who are unsuccessful at a stage are eligible to retake that element after a period of three months. While the force interview was a local (non-mandated) process at that time, Dorset Police applied the same retake principles for consistency. Candidates who had previously been unsuccessful at the local force interview therefore became eligible for re-interview after this period.

Where candidates reached eligibility during the period in which the local force interview had been removed, they were progressed in line with the revised process in place at that time.

It is not possible to confirm how many candidates were at this stage during the relevant period, as this information is no longer retained in accordance with data retention policies under GDPR. However, we can confirm that eight candidates were appointed. As they had successfully completed the mandated national selection process, they were progressed to a conditional offer stage, subject to pre-employment checks, all of which were subsequently passed. 

- Whether any information on Dorset Police systems indicate that they have been hired despite failing pre-employment requirements

No information held by Dorset Police indicates that any individuals were appointed despite failing pre-employment requirements. The eight candidates referenced all successfully passed the required pre-employment checks. 

- How many people accepted/refused the offer of employment in this way

No information held. 

Furthermore, please tell me any policies or procedures, whether Dorset Police or nationally, that provides information on this process, including the name of the person(s) who authorises the re-contacting of people who have failed their pre-employment requirements.

Dorset Police follows national recruitment guidance issued by the College of Policing. This guidance states that candidates may retake a national selection assessment they have previously failed after a period of three months, and no more than twice within a 12-month period.

In line with this guidance, Dorset Police places unsuccessful candidates on hold and invites them to retake the relevant assessment once the eligibility period has elapsed. During the period in question, where the local force interview had been temporarily removed, candidates who reached eligibility for reassessment were progressed accordingly.

Relevant national guidance documents include:

• College of Policing – National Sift and Online Assessment Process (March 2024)
• College of Policing – In-Force Interview: Recruitment Lead Guide (May 2026)
• College of Policing – Police Constable Pre-Employment Guidance (April 2024)
• College of Policing – Eligibility Criteria for the Role of Police Constable (2020)