Where does the interview sit in the Tasmania Police process?
Tasmania Police publishes 8 steps, and the interview and assessment day is step 5. Before it, you'll have passed background checks, the fitness test, the online suitability testing and submitted your full application, including a two-page selection criteria statement.
The whole process typically takes 8 to 12 weeks, according to Tasmania Police. That's quick by Australian standards, so you may have less time between your application and the assessment day than you'd expect. Start preparing for the interview at the same time as you train for fitness.
- 1
Expression of interest
Step 1Online, rolling intake.
- 2
Background checks
Step 2Integrity, criminal and traffic history (including juvenile) and social media. Prior History Offence Guidelines are published.
- 3
Fitness assessment and online suitability testing
Step 3Fitness test in Hobart, Launceston or Burnie (interstate applicants may submit video), and online suitability/psychometric testing completed within 7 days.
- 4
Full application
Step 4Within 14 days: application form, 2-page selection criteria statement, resume, ID, licence, TCE results and certificates.
- 5
Interview and assessment day
Interview stageAt the Academy, 8am-4pm: group exercise, individual police-incident scenario and a 3-member panel interview (behavioural, personal history, police scenarios). Interstate applicants via Teams.
Where this page helps: A full day with three assessed parts. This page covers each of them, with practice questions for the panel. - 6
Certificates
Step 6National Police Certificate, First Aid and swimming certificates, at the applicant's cost.
- 7
Medical
Step 7GP-completed medical package, audiologist hearing test and optometrist eye test at the applicant's cost; specialist reports may be requested. Hearing aids allowed if worn on duty; mental-health history assessed case by case; COVID vaccination no longer required. Blood pressure is taken by the GP.
- 8
Review and selection
Step 8By the Commander and Inspector, Recruiting Services. Offers usually go out about 4 weeks before the course starts; the process typically takes 8-12 weeks.
For eligibility and entry requirements, see how to join Tasmania Police. For the online testing, see our Tasmania Police entrance testing guide.
What happens on the Tasmania Police assessment day?
Tasmania's recruitment page describes three parts. It doesn't publish how each is scored or weighted, so prepare for all three as if each could decide the outcome.
Group exercise
- What Tasmania Police says
- A group exercise
- What it likely tests (our view)
- How you work with strangers: listening, contributing, influencing without dominating
Individual scenario
- What Tasmania Police says
- Based on an incident commonly attended by police
- What it likely tests (our view)
- Communication, judgement and composure when dealing with a person in a realistic situation
Panel interview
- What Tasmania Police says
- Three trained members of Tasmania Police; behavioural questions, personal history, police environment scenarios, expectations and understandings
- What it likely tests (our view)
- Evidence from your past, honesty about your history, and realistic expectations of the job
| Part | What Tasmania Police says | What it likely tests (our view) |
|---|---|---|
| Group exercise | A group exercise | How you work with strangers: listening, contributing, influencing without dominating |
| Individual scenario | Based on an incident commonly attended by police | Communication, judgement and composure when dealing with a person in a realistic situation |
| Panel interview | Three trained members of Tasmania Police; behavioural questions, personal history, police environment scenarios, expectations and understandings | Evidence from your past, honesty about your history, and realistic expectations of the job |
Official descriptions from Tasmania Police's recruitment process page. The right-hand column is our interpretation, not a published scoring guide.
Where
Academy
Rokeby, Hobart; Teams for interstate
Hours
8am–4pm
plan for a full day
Outcome
Same day
selection board tells you at the end
Pace yourself
A full day of assessment is tiring. Eat properly, bring water and something to eat if allowed, and treat the breaks as part of the day: you're still meeting future colleagues.
What does Tasmania Police value, and how do you show it?
The Tasmania Police Strategy 2023-2028 sets out four values: Accountability, Integrity, Respect and Support. It says leadership and teamwork are the foundation of those values, with the courage to hold each other to account.
Accountability
- Tasmania Police's description (summarised)
- Accountable for what we do and how we do it; we reflect and learn
- An example that shows it
- Owning a mistake and showing what you changed
Integrity
- Tasmania Police's description (summarised)
- Professional, honest and ethical; we do the right thing
- An example that shows it
- Doing the right thing when it was inconvenient or unpopular
Respect
- Tasmania Police's description (summarised)
- Valuing contribution and diversity irrespective of role or status
- An example that shows it
- Treating someone fairly whom others dismissed
Support
- Tasmania Police's description (summarised)
- Committed to supporting others; we listen and respond
- An example that shows it
- Noticing a colleague or friend struggling and helping
| Value | Tasmania Police's description (summarised) | An example that shows it |
|---|---|---|
| Accountability | Accountable for what we do and how we do it; we reflect and learn | Owning a mistake and showing what you changed |
| Integrity | Professional, honest and ethical; we do the right thing | Doing the right thing when it was inconvenient or unpopular |
| Respect | Valuing contribution and diversity irrespective of role or status | Treating someone fairly whom others dismissed |
| Support | Committed to supporting others; we listen and respond | Noticing a colleague or friend struggling and helping |
From the Tasmania Police Strategy 2023-2028. The example column is our guidance.
Tasmania's vision is to be a trusted and responsive police service that makes Tasmania the safest place in Australia. Trust is the thread: in a small state, officers police communities where they're known. Answers that show you'd act impartially even with people you know will land well.
In a small state, integrity isn't abstract. You may police the street you grew up on.
How does your selection criteria statement feed into the interview?
Your full application includes a statement addressing the selection criteria, no more than two pages. Tasmania Police doesn't spell out the criteria on its process page, so read the application instructions carefully when you get them.
Treat the statement as the first draft of your interview. Panels commonly use written material to frame questions, so any example you put in it should be one you can talk about in detail, with follow-ups. Tasmania also says AI tools such as ChatGPT may not be used for written answers, and random checks apply.
A statement that sets you up
- ✓Real, specific examples you can expand on out loud
- ✓Each example linked to a value or criterion
- ✓Plain, honest language in your own voice
- ✓Consistent with your resume and disclosures
A statement that causes problems
- ✕Generic claims like 'I am a strong communicator'
- ✕Examples you can't remember the details of
- ✕Text that sounds nothing like how you speak
- ✕Anything that contradicts your background check
How do you do well in the group exercise?
Tasmania Police doesn't publish the task, and we won't guess at it. Group exercises in police selection generally ask several candidates to discuss a problem and agree on a recommendation within a time limit. Assessors watch how you behave, not just what the group decides.
Behaviour that helps
- ✓Making sure the group understands the task and the time
- ✓Bringing quieter people in by name
- ✓Building on others' ideas and giving credit
- ✓Summarising where the group has got to
- ✓Keeping an eye on the clock
Behaviour that hurts
- ✕Talking over people or dominating
- ✕Saying nothing for long stretches
- ✕Arguing to win rather than to reach a good decision
- ✕Ignoring the brief to talk about something else
- ✕Undermining another candidate
This is where Tasmania's foundation of leadership and teamwork is easiest to see. The best contributors usually aren't the loudest; they're the ones who keep the group working together.
How do you handle the individual police scenario?
Tasmania says the scenario is based on an incident commonly attended by police. You aren't expected to know the law or procedures yet. You are expected to communicate clearly, keep calm, stay safe and treat people with respect.
- 1
Listen and take in the brief
Note who's involved, what's happened and what you've been asked to do. Ask a clarifying question if the brief allows it.
- 2
Safety first
Think about your safety and everyone else's before anything else. Say what you're noticing.
- 3
Introduce yourself and listen
Calm tone, open body language, let the person talk. Find out what they need.
- 4
Explain what you'll do
Be clear and honest, even if it isn't what the person wants to hear. Don't promise what you can't deliver.
- 5
Close it properly
Check understanding, say what happens next, and treat everyone with respect, including anyone in the wrong.
What isn't published
Tasmania Police doesn't publish the scenario's length, whether actors are used, or how it's run for interstate applicants on Teams. Your invitation or the Recruiting Services team can confirm.
14 original Tasmania Police practice questions
These questions are ours, written around Tasmania's published interview areas (behavioural, personal history, police scenarios, expectations) and its four values. They are not real Tasmania Police questions; their job is to help you find and rehearse the right examples.
Practice questions for the three-member panel
- 1
Why Tasmania Police? What do you know about policing in Tasmania that appeals to you?
Motivation
Be specific: a small force where you're known in your community, postings across the state, the UTAS degree units in training. Avoid generic answers.
- 2
Tell us about a time you made a mistake that affected someone else. What did you do next?
Accountability
Tasmania's value says 'we reflect and learn'. Spend real time on what you changed afterwards.
- 3
Describe a time you did the right thing even though no one would have known if you hadn't.
Integrity
Small and real beats big and invented. Returning extra change, correcting a timesheet, reporting a hazard.
- 4
Tell us about a time you worked with someone who was treated as less important than others. How did you treat them?
Respect
Tasmania's Respect value is about valuing people irrespective of role or status. Show what you did, not just what you believed.
- 5
Give an example of when you noticed someone struggling and helped them.
Support
Show you listened first, then responded to what they actually needed. Mention if you pointed them to proper help.
- 6
Tell us about a time you were part of a team that wasn't working well. What did you do?
Teamwork · Leadership
Tasmania says leadership and teamwork are the foundation of its values. Show how you influenced the team without taking over.
- 7
Walk us through your personal history: what have you done since leaving school, and how has it prepared you for policing?
Personal history
Tasmania says the panel asks personal history questions. Prepare a two-minute summary that links each stage to a skill, and be consistent with your application.
- 8
Is there anything in your background the panel should hear about from you?
Integrity · Disclosure
Tasmania requires disclosure of all offences, including juvenile ones. If something is on your record, address it plainly and show what you've learned.
- 9
You attend a noisy party complaint and recognise the host as a close friend's parent. How do you handle it?
Integrity · Police scenario
In a small state this is realistic. Talk about acting impartially, being open with your supervisor about the connection, and treating everyone the same.
- 10
What do you expect your first two years as a constable to be like, and what will you find hardest?
Expectations and understanding
Tasmania says the panel explores your expectations of policing. Mention shift work, a 24/7 station posting for at least two years and dealing with distress.
- 11
Describe a time you had to deliver bad news or tell someone something they didn't want to hear.
Communication · Respect
Show preparation, honesty, compassion and how you dealt with their reaction.
- 12
Tell us about a time you were under real pressure. How did you look after yourself?
Resilience · Support
Healthy coping and asking for help are strengths. Claiming nothing affects you is a red flag.
- 13
A member of the public films you at a job and accuses you of being unfair. What do you do?
Accountability · Police scenario
Stay calm, keep acting professionally, explain what you're doing and why, and record it properly.
- 14
How would you feel about moving to a rural or northern station away from your support network?
Commitment · Adaptability
Graduates can be posted anywhere with a 24/7 station. Show you've thought it through practically.
Original practice questions written by Police Pay Australia around the force's published values and criteria. They are not real or leaked interview questions.
Try one of these questions with AI scoring
Type or speak your answer and get a score out of 10, a STAR breakdown and your biggest fix. Two scored answers a day are free.
What does a strong Tasmania Police answer look like?
Here's a worked STAR answer to an Accountability question. The candidate is invented. Notice that the mistake is real and the reflection is specific.
Worked example answer
Tell us about a time you made a mistake that affected someone else. (Accountability; Support)
Situation
I worked as a receptionist at a physiotherapy clinic in Launceston. One busy Monday I booked an elderly client into the wrong clinic location.
Why it works: Brief and real.
Task
She'd arranged a lift and arrived at a closed clinic across town. She rang upset and in pain. I needed to fix it for her and stop it happening again.
Why it works: Names the impact on someone else, which is the heart of the question.
Action
I apologised straight away and said it was my error, not a system problem. I checked with the physio, who agreed to see her at the end of the day, and I arranged and paid for a taxi with the practice manager's approval. I called her back to confirm the time and stayed on the line until the taxi was booked.
That afternoon I told the practice manager exactly what had happened and suggested we add the clinic address to every confirmation text. I also started reading each booking back to the client.
Why it works: Owns the mistake, shows Support for the client, and goes beyond fixing it to preventing it.
Result
She was seen that day and kept coming to the clinic. The address change went into the confirmation texts that month, and I'm not aware of any wrong-location bookings after it.
Why it works: Concrete result, honestly stated.
Reflection
I learned that owning a mistake quickly makes it easier to fix, and that the best apology includes a change. As a police officer I'd expect to make mistakes too, and I'd want to deal with them the same way.
Why it works: Mirrors Tasmania's 'we reflect and learn' without reciting it.
An invented example by Police Pay Australia to show structure. Use your own experiences; the panel will ask follow-up questions.
Which mistakes cost Tasmania Police candidates most?
Do
- ✓Prepare a clear two-minute personal history
- ✓Raise anything in your background calmly and honestly
- ✓Show realistic expectations of shift work and postings
- ✓Use different examples across the day
- ✓Treat the group exercise as seriously as the interview
Don't
- ✕Contradict your selection criteria statement
- ✕Downplay a past offence or leave it out
- ✕Over-prepare the interview and ignore the group exercise
- ✕Say you'd only work in Hobart
- ✕Use AI-written examples you can't expand on
The personal history questions catch people out most often. Tasmania requires disclosure of all offences, including juvenile ones, and runs social media checks. If your story in the room doesn't match your paperwork, that's a problem no strong answer can fix.
How should you practise for the Tasmania assessment day?
- 1
Map your examples to the four values
Week 1List ten real situations and tag each with Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Support, leadership or teamwork. Fill any gaps.
- 2
Write your personal history
Week 1A two-minute spoken summary from school to now, linking each stage to something useful for policing. Practise it until it's natural.
- 3
Practise answers with feedback
Weeks 2–3Answer two questions a day in the AI mock interview, out loud. Redo each answer with the top fix.
- 4
Rehearse the group and scenario
Final weekJoin or organise a group discussion with friends on a local issue and ask one person to watch your behaviour. Role-play a calm conversation with an upset neighbour.
If you're in Year 12, Tasmania's free five-day Career Development Program can fast-track you to interview, according to the force. It's also a good way to understand what the assessors value.
The free tier of the AI mock interview covers most of the plan above. For up to 60 scored answers a day, model answers and follow-up questions, a 30-day pass costs A$34.99.
Practise for the Tasmania panel with AI feedback
Choose Tasmania, answer by typing or speaking, and get a STAR breakdown. Two free answers a day; A$34.99 for a 30-day pass.
Tasmania Police assessment day checklist
Before the day
- ✓ Your selection criteria statement re-read, every example ready to expand
- ✓ Real examples for Accountability, Integrity, Respect and Support
- ✓ A leadership and a teamwork example
- ✓ A two-minute personal history, practised out loud
- ✓ An honest account of anything in your background
- ✓ Realistic expectations of shift work and a 24/7 station posting
- ✓ A practised approach for the group exercise and the scenario
- ✓ Directions to the Academy, or Teams tested if you're interstate
- ✓ Food and water planned for an 8am–4pm day
- ✓ Certificates in progress (police certificate, first aid, swimming) for the next step
What happens after the Tasmania Police assessment day?
Tasmania Police's recruitment page says the selection board tells you at the end of the day whether you're progressing to the selection pool for a trainee course. You then provide certificates and complete the medical, and Recruiting Services makes the final selection.
Certificates
- What happens
- National Police Certificate, First Aid and swimming certificates, at the applicant's cost.
Medical
- What happens
- GP-completed medical package, audiologist hearing test and optometrist eye test at the applicant's cost; specialist reports may be requested. Hearing aids allowed if worn on duty; mental-health history assessed case by case; COVID vaccination no longer required. Blood pressure is taken by the GP.
Review and selection
- What happens
- By the Commander and Inspector, Recruiting Services. Offers usually go out about 4 weeks before the course starts; the process typically takes 8-12 weeks.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Certificates | National Police Certificate, First Aid and swimming certificates, at the applicant's cost. |
| Medical | GP-completed medical package, audiologist hearing test and optometrist eye test at the applicant's cost; specialist reports may be requested. Hearing aids allowed if worn on duty; mental-health history assessed case by case; COVID vaccination no longer required. Blood pressure is taken by the GP. |
| Review and selection | By the Commander and Inspector, Recruiting Services. Offers usually go out about 4 weeks before the course starts; the process typically takes 8-12 weeks. |
Trainees spend 28 weeks at the Academy on the Trainee Constable rate of $61,801 a year. For pay after graduation, see our Tasmania Police salary guide. If you're comparing forces, our AFP interview guide covers another assessment centre with a group exercise, and our SA Police interview guide covers a panel-only format.
Free email alerts
New practice questions and Tasmania Police assessment dates
We write new Tasmania-focused practice questions and track course start dates and changes to the assessment day. Get both by email while you prepare.
- ✓New Tasmania practice questions as we write them
- ✓Alerts when course dates or the assessment day change
Frequently asked questions
What happens at the Tasmania Police assessment day?
Tasmania Police says the day consists of a group exercise, an individual scenario based on an incident commonly attended by police, and an interview with three trained members of Tasmania Police. It runs at the Academy from 8am to 4pm, and interstate applicants can take part via Microsoft Teams.
What questions are asked in the Tasmania Police interview?
Tasmania Police says the interview covers behavioural questions, personal history, and police environment scenarios, expectations and understandings. It doesn't publish the questions. The practice questions on this page are original, written by us around those areas and Tasmania Police's values.
Can I do the Tasmania Police interview online from interstate?
Yes. Tasmania Police says interstate applicants can take part in the interview and assessment day via Microsoft Teams without travelling to Tasmania. Check your invitation for how the group exercise and scenario are run remotely, as the details aren't published.
What are Tasmania Police's values?
The Tasmania Police Strategy 2023-2028 lists Accountability, Integrity, Respect and Support, and says leadership and teamwork are the foundation of those values. Build your examples so they show these in action.
How long does Tasmania Police recruitment take?
Tasmania Police says the process typically takes 8 to 12 weeks, and offers usually go out about four weeks before a course starts. The assessment day comes after background checks, fitness and online testing, and your full application.
Do I find out on the day if I passed?
Tasmania Police's recruitment page says that at the end of the interview and assessment day the selection board tells you whether you're progressing to the selection pool for a trainee course. Certificates, the medical and final review follow.
Can I use AI to write my selection criteria statement?
No. Tasmania Police says AI tools such as ChatGPT may not be used for written answers and that random checks apply. The panel may also ask about examples from your statement, so they need to be yours.
How can I practise for the Tasmania Police panel?
Prepare real examples for each value, practise your two-minute personal history, and rehearse answers out loud. Our AI mock interview gives two free scored answers a day; a 30-day pass with model answers costs A$34.99.
Evidence
Sources and how we checked them
Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, read on 9 October 2026. Pay rates and rules change when new agreements are made, so check the source for the date you're reading this. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the page says so instead of guessing. Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy.
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: Recruitment process — interview and assessment day: group exercise, individual scenario, 3-member panel; behavioural, personal history and police environment questions; Teams for interstate applicants
- Tasmania Police Strategy: Our way forward 2023-2028 — values: Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Support; leadership and teamwork as the foundation
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: Recruitment process — steps and timeline
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: FAQs — process length, Academy and course details
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: Online Suitability Testing — online suitability testing before the full application
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: Entry requirements — disclosure and AI-use rules
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: Postings — first postings to 24/7 stations
- Tasmania Police Recruitment: Career Development Program (Year 12 students) — Career Development Program can fast-track to interview
- Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (Consolidated), TIC T15311 of 2026 (read via Wayback Machine copy 2026-05-20) — Trainee Constable rate
Related guides
Joining the police
More in this series
General information, not advice. This guide explains published rules and rates. It doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial, legal, tax or credit advice. Confirm anything you rely on with your force, your police association, the ATO or a licensed professional.