Prison Officer Selection Test (POST)

What will I have to do if my application is successful?

If your application is successful you will be sent an electronic on-line Prison Officer Selection Test (POST) to the e-mail address that you have chosen. This test assesses the following essential job-related abilities in numeracy at this stage:

The on-line POST – numeracy test

If your application is successful you will be sent an electronic on-line Prison Officer Selection Test (POST) to the e-mail address that you have chosen. It will test;

Numeracy - You will complete a range of numerical and arithmetic tasks such as counting, additions, subtractions, multiplications, divisions, converting standard (12 hour) time into 24 hour clock, extracting information from simple graphs and tables.

You will be required to complete a shorter version of the on-line numeracy test during your assessment day.

The Recruitment Assessment Day – Language test

At the recruitment assessment day you will also be required to complete the second part of your POST which tests the following elements;

Completing a standard form – You will complete a standard form using written information provided about a prisoner.
Checking information for discrepancies, errors and omissions – You will compare two lists and identify discrepancies and/or omissions on the second list.
Applying rules – You will be presented with two lists; the first shows cells where prisoners belong (sleep) on a prison wing; the second shows where they are currently located on the wing. You will compare the information on these two lists, and apply three rules in order to determine if everyone is present on the wing and who (if anyone) is breaking the rules.
Reading comprehension – You will read text extracted from a standard Prison Service source (e.g. Prison Service Orders, intranet, manuals etc) and then answer questions about the text.

Do I need to be good at English and Maths?

You do not need formal qualifications in English or maths. However, Prison Officers must be able to confidently and competently read, write and calculate basic arithmetical problems. The POST assesses these abilities.

I am not sure if I have all the required job-related abilities. Can I do a mock test?

If you go to the main HMPS web site and complete the Self Assessment Test you will be able to complete a shortened (alternative) version of the Prison Officer Selection Test. Your performance on this test will help you decide whether or not to apply to become a Prison Officer. Complete it on your own, in a quiet place without distractions. You will need a pen and paper to write your answers. The Self Assessment Test should take you no more than 20 minutes to complete. When you have finished, use the marking guide at the end to score your performance. Below are a few examples of the kind of questions you can expect to encounter in the test.

Question 1
120 prisoners live on A Wing. Of these:

30 have gone to the exercise yard
16 have gone to the health care centre
9 have gone to the workshop
11 have gone to the education centre
6 have gone to the gym
40 have gone to the dining hall

How many prisoners remain on A Wing?

Question 2
84 prisoners live on B Wing which is fully occupied. There are 2 beds in each cell. How many cells are there on B Wing?