Badger Stuffer

****...I just got my date for my PIRT to join the Police force. In 4 weeks.

The first bit is just a test day and not the physical yet but I am now sh1ting myself.

Anyone here done this test yet? Is it hard? What are the time limits on the tests?

Help......

Jason.

Badger Stuffer

Anyone?

IanW

Been there, done that, passed it!

[Edited by IanW - 7/15/2003 1:37:34 PM]

Badger Stuffer

Well Ian.....

Whats it like?

Is it hard?

IanW

I posted this the other week:-

Well it all started when I got up this morning at 6.30am (not normal for me unless I have not been to bed yet) but I wanted to make sure that I was fully prepared and had everything sorted. Things were all going well until at about 8.30 I got out of the bath and was getting my shirt on when I heard a chainsaw outside. I look out of the window and I see that the councils tree contractors are outside cutting down a tree, not a problem normally, but they have parked across the driveway! After a quick ‘discussion’ with them I managed to persuade them to move the lorry and shredder/chipper thing away from the driveway.

Now that was sorted out I was rushing around the house getting things sorted, off into the scoob I go to head up to the station. Now I was due at Hendon at 12:00 and it is a 1 hour journey on the train, so I get to the train station for 09:30 thinking, get up there early and I can at least do a bit of revision done. I buy my ticket, get on the 09:36 train which should get me to Hendon for 10:35 or there abouts. So I am sitting on the train, reading over all my motes I had made, and then we stop and the driver makes an announcement that there is a train that has failed up in front of us and was being cleared, so we are going to be a few minutes late. Not a major problem as I had left so much time to spare so I was not worried, I just carried on reading my notes, watching the world go by etc… then I glance down at my phone (I still have not got around to going to buy a new watch) and see the time was 10:50 and I still was on the south of the river!! Thankfully we started moving within a couple of minutes of me noticing the time although that was a LONG few minutes! Eventually I got up to Hendon Station some 2 hours after I got on the train, as I was walking up the stairs a guy who had been sitting in the same carriage as me asked if I was going to ‘The Peel Centre’ so we decided that we would share a cab, saves us both paying out after all.

I make it to Hendon, and check in at the desk with about 5 minutes to spare, we then get asked to wait in a waiting room, there were about 45 of us in this one room, and it was a tad crampt, so I decide to loiter in the corridor just outside as it is actually cooler out there than it was in the waiting room. Then the time came! We were asked to follow a member of staff up to the room where we were going to take the PIRT and Report Writing Exams. The room that we were using was very similar to a university lecture hall, we had to fill out a few forms before we could get started, we were run through the instructions and then that was it the PIRT had begun! The first paper that we took was PIRT 3 – Working with numbers, 25 questions and we had 12 minutes to complete this part of the test. That was the quickest 12 minutes that I have ever known!! It only felt like 2 minutes between getting told to start and getting told 1 minute remaining!! Still I had managed to answer all of the questions and I was happy with them as well. Straight after we had finished this it was onto PIRT 4 – Verbal Reasoning. This test was 31 questions in 25 minutes. I started the test and I had finished it in less than 15 minutes! So I spent the remaining time going through the paper with a fine tooth comb making sure that I was 110% happy with everything, I only ended up changing 2 answers. And that was that the PIRT was done, we were then given 5 minutes to have a drink etc whilst the room was prepared for our final rest. During the break most of us were chatting and the general feeling among most of us was that we had done our best, and that was all we could do.

So our break was now over, and back up to the examination room for the final part of our testing for the day, the Written Report, this was the one bit that I was dreading having not written anything more than a few notes in the best part of 5 years or so! So we are all back in the exam room and we are once again explained what we are needed to do, the video was put on. We were shown a sample video clip 3 times, the second time it was in slow motion, and then we were shown a sample report. Then that was it, our video which we had to make notes on was turned on, it was in the same format as the sample, played 3 times, with the second time being played at half speed. The clip was shown and the stop watch began, we had 30 minutes to write a report and a conclusion on what we had seen. A few things that needed to be remembered when writing the report was that it needed to be in the ‘past tense’ and also you needed to provide a conclusion at the end of the report. Having now experienced the test it was not as bad as I had thought it would be, when it actually came to it I just seemed to go into ‘Autopilot’ and before I know it I had an A4 sheet full of my report.

Once this was finished we were lead back downstairs into another waiting room, where they put the Tennis on the TV to try and help relieve the tension. The first couple of people were taken out and were told that they had failed, one of them by one mark as well! However unfortunately there has to be a cut off somewhere. Then a group of 8 people were called out together and all taken into a side room, it was obvious they had passed as they were being handed out videos etc… gradually more and more people were called out one by one and all being told that they had failed. Then there were only about 15 of us remaining to get our results. Then another batch of 8 were called together and I was the last to be called (curse having a W surname sometimes) Once I was told I was relieved/happy/excited it actually felt better than when I passed my driving test!!

I passed my Dat one with scores of 117 for my PIRT and 15 for my written report.

I feel for those who failed today, especially some of them who travelled well over 150 miles to attend! But I am sure that they will carry on trying and get in if they persevere with it.

I can only really comment for the Met, also I only had to take 2 parts of the PIRT.

Badger Stuffer

Cheers Ian.

When do you have your physical?

Jason.

IanW

Done that as well Jason!

I have a letter saying Welcome to the Metropolitan Police Service

Badger Stuffer

Well done mate.

What the physical hard?

IanW

TBH the physical is a bit of a joke

Badger Stuffer

Ian,

How long was it from your PIRT to your physical test?

Jason.

IanW

3 weeks!

But the Met are trying to clear a BIG backlog atm.

Badger Stuffer

Cheers Ian,

My PIRT day is either the 12th or the 14th of August. A letter is in the post.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Fingers crossed.

Jason.

TelBoy

BS, let me get this straight. You're leaving consulting and joining the Police?

Johnny50

Hope you dont mind me jumping in here.

But at the moment, i'm looking for a career change, and have seriously been considering the police. (Lothian & Borders)

Trouble is, like many people, i wasn't too hot at school, and left school to go straight into the line of work i'm doing now. (I.T)

Do you think it'll be worth my while popping along and having a chat with a careers advisor ?? , i presume they have such a person.

Thanks

Johnny

Badger Stuffer

I'm sick of this mate and I want a career where every day will be different, out and about and with a challenge.

Just fancy a change and this seems like a good step sideways......

Spoon

Shame the physical isn't re-tested every so often looking at the state of most Bobbies and Bobettes.

TelBoy

Nice. I admire people who are willing to give new things a go.

Badger Stuffer

Johnny....try some of these sample tests mate.

Search google under "Police Initial recruitment test" and there is loads of information.

Good luck.

Jason.

Johnny50

Thanks Jason.

Will do that.

Agree with what you're saying, it's because i'm bored that i'm looking at an alternative career. Something different everyday would be good.

Badger Stuffer

TB.....IT and especially SAP has been flat for ages and doesn't look like picking up.

I am sick of the industry and want to do something new. I am too old for the Army, not interested in the Fire Brigade and not too interested in the medical service so the Police seemed like a good option.

Money is not important to me. I used to be a commercial diver and earned twice as much then as I do now but there was an issue of all the time away so I quit.

I have the full backing of my wife and family and with this and lots of determination I will do it.

Jason.

Badger Stuffer

Johnny,

Call your local Police station and ask them tif you can spend a shift with them as an observer.

I did this last week 5pm till 3am and it was fantastic. It really opens your eyes to all that they do.

They will have to vet you and do some security checks first.

But well worth your time I promise you.

Jason.

IanW

If you are interested everything that you need is here :-

http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/defa...n=article&ID=1

If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me!

Johnny50

I didn't realise you could do that Jason.

Great idea.

Have already been vetted, as the nature of my workplace required this, also drug tests.

Ian,

thanks for that link.


Johnny

Badger Stuffer

Johnny,

Yeah, it's well worth it. I had a great ime. You'll also have to sign the official secrets act (Even if you already have) as you will see information about people and crimes etc.

I had such a great time with them. Really friendly. went on some very "Spirited" drives with the lights and sirens on and saw some sobering things.

Jason.

daiscooby

Well done Jase mate, you'll fly it
So about my future speeding tickets..................
Sean

Johnny50

I'm definately going to go and ask, i've got plenty holidays due, so may aswell put one of them to use and see if i can get out for a day.

Did your day out influence your decision in anyway Jason ?

Badger Stuffer

Absolutely.

I was pretty much set on it anyway and have grand ideas about eventually progressing my way up to CID, Murder Squad or the like.

After a night out with them I saw things that I didn't really appreciate that they did.

I got home at about 3:15 and I was buzzing. there was no way I could have slept so I watched the sun rise and and a beer.

Johnny50

Perfect.

I'm 95% certain that the Police is the way i'd like to go.
And a day with them would certainly help a great deal.

I've a few frinds who joined the police straight from school, and not once have they complained about the job. (except xmas/new year shifts)

What force are you joining ?

Badger Stuffer

Well with a bit of luck North Hampshire.

I spoke to their recruitment department and usually they assign you a station but with with their current situation they said that I could almost definately get myself assigned to my hometown station.

The wife isn't too impressed about the 30+ weeks training away from home though.