CVF Level 1 Explained: The Framework for Police Applicants
By State6 Prep · Written by serving officers, for people applying to join.
Every stage of police constable recruitment marks you against the same thing: the Competency and Values Framework at Level 1. The online assessment, the written and briefing exercises and your force’s final interview all score the behaviours below. Learn them once and you are ready for the whole process.
The good news for a first-time applicant: Level 1 does not ask you to lead a team or think like a manager. It asks for honest, concrete examples of how you behave, and those can come from any part of your life.
What Level 1 Actually Means
The framework describes the behaviours expected of everyone in policing across three levels. Level 1 is the practitioner standard, the level for constables and applicants. Levels 2 and 3 are for supervisors and senior leaders, so they expect you to lead people and set direction. You are never marked above Level 1 as an applicant, which means an example from a shift at work counts just as much as any policing story would.
There are three values and six competencies. You do not need to recite them. You need a strong, real example ready for each, so that whatever the assessor asks, you have lived evidence to draw on.
The three values
Values are the same at every rank. They are about character, not seniority.
Courage
Doing the right thing when it would be easier not to, and being honest about problems instead of hiding them.
Everyday example: You saw a colleague about to cut a safety corner to save time, and you spoke up even though it was awkward.
Respect and empathy
Treating people with dignity and trying to see a situation from their side, especially when they are upset or difficult.
Everyday example: An angry customer was shouting at you. You stayed calm, listened first, and found out the real problem underneath.
Public service
Acting in the interests of other people rather than your own, and taking pride in helping the people around you.
Everyday example: You gave up weekends to help run a community event, or took on caring for a family member without being asked.
The six competencies
The six competencies are: we are emotionally aware, we take ownership, we collaborate, we support and inspire, we analyse critically, and we are innovative and open-minded. They are about how you work. At Level 1 they are pitched at how you behave day to day, not how you manage others.
We are emotionally aware
Noticing how people feel, and how the way you come across affects them.
Everyday example: You noticed a friend at university had gone quiet and was pulling away, so you checked in rather than leaving it.
We take ownership
Taking responsibility for a problem and seeing it through, including owning up when something is your fault.
Everyday example: You made an error on a shift, told your manager straight away and put it right instead of hoping nobody noticed.
We collaborate
Working cooperatively with other people and pulling your weight, including helping out when a teammate falls behind.
Everyday example: On a college group project you did your own part properly and stepped in when a teammate was struggling to finish theirs.
We support and inspire
Being reliable and conscientious, and helping the people around you do well.
Everyday example: A nervous new starter at your part-time job kept getting lost. You spent time showing them the ropes so they never felt daft for asking.
We analyse critically
Thinking a problem through and weighing up what you know before you decide.
Everyday example: When your first plan for a project kept failing, you worked out why from the evidence and changed it, rather than guessing.
We are innovative and open-minded
Being open to change and willing to try a better way when feedback shows the old one is not working.
Everyday example: A coach told you a habit was holding your game back. You took it on the chin and retrained it rather than getting defensive.
How the Framework Is Used in Recruitment
Each stage marks a specific handful of these areas. The competency-based interview leans on courage, public service, respect and empathy, taking ownership and being open-minded. The written exercise and the briefing exercise each mark a different set again, and your force’s final interview draws on them once more.
The full picture of how the whole process fits together is in our police online assessment guide.
Turning an Example Into Evidence
Knowing the behaviours is only half of it. The score comes from how you tell your example. Use the STAR structure: set the situation in a sentence, explain the task you faced, spend most of your answer on the actions you personally took, and finish with the result and what you learned. Say “I”, not “we”, because the assessor can only credit your own actions.
The fastest way to get fluent is to say your examples out loud against the clock. State6 lets you practise the real interview, spoken and timed, with marking built on this framework. See how State6 works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVF Level 1?
Level 1 is the practitioner standard of the Competency and Values Framework. The framework describes the behaviours expected of everyone in policing across three levels, and Level 1 is the level every police constable applicant is assessed against, from the online assessment through to the in-force final interview.
Do I need policing experience to show CVF Level 1?
No. Level 1 is about how you behave, not what job you have done. Examples from work, school, university, sport, volunteering, caring for family or the armed forces all count. The assessors want honest, concrete evidence of the behaviour, wherever it comes from.
How is Level 1 different from Level 2 and Level 3?
Level 1 is the practitioner or constable standard. Levels 2 and 3 are for supervisors and leaders, so they expect you to lead teams and set the direction other people follow. As an applicant you are only ever marked at Level 1, so you do not need to show leadership of others to score well.
How many values and competencies are there?
There are three values (courage, respect and empathy, and public service) and six competencies. Each exercise in the online assessment marks you against a specific handful of them, and the in-force interview draws on them too.
How do I turn an example into good evidence?
Use the STAR structure: set the situation briefly, explain the task you faced, spend most of your answer on the actions you personally took, and finish with the result. Speak as 'I', not 'we', because the assessor can only credit what you did.
State6 is an independent preparation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the College of Policing or any police force. The values and competencies are named as published by the College and explained here in our own words. Read the official framework, including the current descriptors, on the College of Policing website.