subject: Police Recruitment: Ospre Part I [print this page] In 1991, the UK police force decided to introduce a more rigorous police recruitment exam for selecting higher ranking officers. There used to be only one exam but it was considered insufficient. Thus, the OSPRE test was introduced. It stands for the Objective Structured Performance Related Examination and has two parts. This article is going to focus on OSPRE part 1.
Ospre part 1 tests how well a candidate knows the law that concerns the higher ranking officers especially of a sergeant and inspector. To become a police officer, a candidate must understand the law and procedures that will be relevant to an officer at this rank.
As of 2002, the Ospre part 1 is a three hour exam consisted of 150 multiple choice questions with four possible answers. To become a police officer, a candidate must meet the passing mark of 55% for a sergeant rank and 65% for an inspector rank.
The test remains a challenge and sufficient preparation is necessary. Nobody can expect to pass the test without a thorough preparation including enrolling in a police course. The questions are set by trained question writers and have been verified and checked by a member of The College of Law and by representatives of the Crown Prosecution Service.
A pass in the Ospre part 1 is required before a candidate will become a police officer and take the Ospre part 2. The sergeants' examination is held every March of each year and the Inspectors' examination is held in September of each year.
The Ospre part 1 examination forms a large part in the police recruitment and in assessing whether a candidate would make a suitable sergeant or inspector. Apart for the Ospre exam, there are still other interviews to pass before a candidate will become a police officer.
The Ospre part 1 is a very challenging exam but with sufficient preparation, a candidate will be able to hit the passing mark. To know more about passing the OSPRE exam visit http://www.police-recruitment.co.uk/ and learn how to become a police officer and pass the police recruitment process on the first try.
