Applicants to become a Met police constable face two interviews: a competency based interview in the online assessment, where you answer questions using examples from your work and personal life, and a later interview at the Met's recruitment centre focused on the Met's values. The questions below are typical of both.
Here are ten questions of the kind you could be asked, with sample answers you can adapt to your own experience. Don't forget to also look at our guide to Met Police recruitment tests.
1. How would you describe yourself?
The question 'How would you describe yourself?' is often one of the first questions asked in a Met Police interview. It can be difficult to know how to answer this question. You want to give the interviewer a good sense of who you are, but you also want to keep it brief.
One approach is to focus on your strengths. Think about the qualities that make you unique and what you bring to the table. Maybe you are a hard worker or a team player. Perhaps you are creative or have a lot of experience in your field.
Whatever your strengths may be, focus on highlighting them.
Another approach is to give the interviewer a snapshot of your life story. Talk about where you grew up, what your family is like, and what led you to pursue a career in the police force.
Sample answer:
I thrive on challenges and often seek new experiences that take me outside of my comfort zone, so I have something to learn and improve. In my previous role, I was promoted three times in less than two years.
2. Why do you want to join the police force; what could you offer?
This question focuses on your passion and commitment for wanting to join the police force. Are you motivated for the right reasons? Working as a police officer has many challenges, so showing your keenness and enthusiasm is critical.
Identifying what value you can offer is also beneficial. What will you bring to the Force that will make you an exemplary officer? The interviewer is looking for you to show you've actually given it some thought.
Sample answer:
I want to help create a safer environment within the community. I thrive on helping others and enjoy working as part of a team. I am a really good listener and communicator, which are two important skills I could bring to the people I work with and support.
3. What qualities make a good Met Police officer?
The Met says it is looking for people who share its values:
- Respect
- Integrity
- Empathy
- Courage
- Accountability
It's important to know these qualities and be able to articulate examples of when you might have demonstrated them.
Sample answer:
Two qualities that I strongly believe make a good Met Police Officer are courage and empathy. Courage is needed because police officers are often placed in dangerous situations. I showed courage in my previous role when (explain a scenario). Empathy matters because so much of the job is listening to people at a difficult moment and helping them. I show empathy every day dealing with distressed customers in my support role.
4. What did you like least about your last job?
It's not unusual for interviewees to be asked about what they didn't like about their last job. The interviewer wants to see that you can talk about a difficult experience fairly and professionally.
When answering this question, it's important to stay positive and focus on the things that you didn't like about the job, rather than the company or your boss. For example, maybe you didn't enjoy the workload or the commute was too long.
Whatever the reason may be, be sure to avoid bashing your previous employer.
Sample answer:
The thing I liked least about my previous job was the lack of opportunities. It's a great organisation and I learned a lot, but it was a small business. Working as a police officer in the local community means I'll be able to build a long-lasting career.
5. What relevant experience do you have?
When interviewers ask this question, they want to know if you have experience that is relevant to the position you are interviewing for. They are not asking about your entire work history, but about a specific experience that might be helpful in the role you are interviewing for.
You should highlight experience that is related to the job duties and responsibilities listed in the job description.
Be sure to explain how your experience has prepared you for this specific job. Don't just list your experiences and leave it at that. The interviewer wants to know why this experience is relevant.
Sample answer:
I have 3 years of experience in a variety of community-based roles, which has prepared me well for this position. For example, I spent three years working in a busy call centre, dealing with challenging customers and complaints, which taught me to stay calm and listen under pressure.
6. How do the police help the community?
The interviewer is looking to test your knowledge and understanding of what police officers do. It's important you do your research beforehand on the local policing work in the area you are applying to, so you can give a well thought-out answer.
Sample answer:
The first way police help the community is by enforcing the law. Police make sure that people are following the rules and that there is order in society. This helps keep everyone safe and ensures that businesses can operate efficiently.
Another way police help the community is by being approachable. Officers answer questions, give advice and help people with problems, which builds the trust that lets people come forward when they need help.
7. Tell us about a time when you have intervened in a challenging situation and taken responsibility to resolve the situation.
The interviewer is looking to understand the type of challenges you've encountered and if you have the ability to take ownership of difficult situations. They will likely ask questions about your past experiences, and how you handled them.
Sample answer:
One example of when I intervened in a challenging situation is when I was working as a customer service representative. A customer was extremely angry and yelling at me because their order was incorrect. I calmly apologised to the customer and went to the back to fix the order.
I made sure to update the customer on what happened and ensured that they were happy with the resolution. Taking ownership in that situation helped to defuse the anger and ensured that the customer left satisfied.
8. Why do you believe it is important to promote diversity within the police force?
This question wants to identify candidates who understand the true meaning of diversity.
Since most candidates will be working with communities that have different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds, it's a really important aspect for police to understand and more importantly to embrace.
You'll also be working with a range of different police officers and the promotion of diversity is encouraged.
Sample answer:
I believe diversity is an important part of policing because officers work with many different cultures, communities and colleagues. A force that reflects the people it serves brings more cultural awareness and local knowledge, and can build trust with communities.
9. How will you manage a mixture of day and night shifts?
Policing runs around the clock, so many officer roles involve shift work that includes nights.
The Met Police interviewers are looking to know if you can handle the unsociable night hours and if you understand the challenges that come with a demanding schedule.
If you have experience, it's certainly worth highlighting you are used to working night shifts.
Sample answer:
I understand the challenges of night shift work and am prepared for the mixture of shifts required for the role. From my previous experience, I have worked several jobs that have required shifts during unsocial hours.
10. How would you deal with a difficult member of the public?
When you're out in the field, interacting with the public, you're going to come across all sorts of different people. Some will be easy to deal with, while others can be a real challenge. An interviewer will want to know how you handle a difficult member of the public.
You should reflect on the Met's values to help you answer this question. Show respect, integrity, empathy, courage and accountability in how you describe handling the person.
Sample answer:
Staying calm and professional when dealing with difficult members of the public can be useful to de-escalate a situation.
The first thing I'd do is to remember to stay calm, and be patient and understanding, even if the person is being rude or unreasonable.
I'd try to find out what's causing the person to behave this way. Is there something going on in their life that's causing them stress? Maybe they've had a bad day or they're just having a really tough time right now.
Once I understand what's driving the person's behaviour, I'm better placed to help them deal with it.
