Prison Officer Scenario-Based Test (SBT): Format and Samples

If you apply to be a prison officer in England or Wales, the first real hurdle after the application form is the Scenario-Based Test, usually shortened to the SBT. It is an online test you take at home, and it decides whether you move on to the rest of the process. This guide explains what it involves, how long it takes and what it is looking for. It then works through some sample questions written for this site, so you can see the reasoning rather than just the answers.

Where the SBT fits in the process

The HMPPS application route for prison officers runs roughly like this:

1. A short online application (about 10 minutes), with eligibility questions and personal details.
2. The Scenario-Based Test (SBT).
3. A Values-Based Assessment (VBA), where the job advert includes one.
4. The Online Assessment Centre: an interview, a role play and a written exercise.
5. Pre-employment checks, then the medical and fitness tests.

HMPPS says the whole route takes six to seven months on average from starting your application to your first day. The SBT is the gate at the very start, so it is worth taking seriously even if it is not the hardest part.

What the SBT involves

HMPPS describes the SBT as taking around 25 to 40 minutes. It contains behavioural and numerical scenarios: situations you might meet on a prison wing, and everyday calculations of the kind officers do at work.

When HMPPS introduced the online test in 2019, its jobs blog described two parts:

• A situational judgement test (SJT): 16 questions in up to 20 minutes. You are shown a scenario you might face as a prison officer and judge the possible responses.
• A numerical test: 20 questions in up to 15 minutes, covering "simple mathematical calculations you often have to complete when at work in a prison".

That split dates from 2019. The overall 25–40 minute window on the current HMPPS page fits it, but formats can change between campaigns, so check your invitation for the exact number of questions and timings you will get.

HMPPS also offers a free practice test before you sit the real one. Use it. It is the best way to get used to the screens and the timer, and it costs nothing.

What the behavioural questions are measuring

The scenarios are not a test of prison rules. You are not expected to know procedures before you join; that is what training is for. What the questions measure is judgement: whether you pick sensible, safe, fair and caring responses.

A useful lens is the set of four behaviours HMPPS uses later in the process:

• Communicating and Influencing: explaining things clearly, listening, calming situations with words.
• Managing a Quality Service: following through, being organised, keeping standards.
• Making Effective Decisions: weighing up information and risk before acting.
• Caring: treating people with dignity and noticing when someone is vulnerable.

In a most/least-effective format, the best answer usually ticks several of these at once. The worst answer usually ignores safety, passes the problem to someone else without good reason, or makes the situation worse.

Sample SJT questions

These are written for this site and are not taken from any real test. For each one, decide which response is most effective and which is least effective.

Sample 1: The missed phone call

A prisoner tells you, quite angrily, that he missed his booked phone call to his partner because the wing was unlocked late. He says it is "always the same" and that he will "kick off" if it happens again.

• A. Tell him unlocking times are not your responsibility and walk away.
• B. Acknowledge he is frustrated, check what happened, and see whether another call can be arranged today.
• C. Warn him that threats will be reported and leave it there.
• D. Promise him a long extra call tonight to make up for it.

Most effective: B. It deals with the feeling first, checks the facts and looks for a realistic fix. That is Communicating and Influencing and Caring working together.

Least effective: A. It dismisses him and is likely to escalate things. D sounds kind, but it promises something you may not be able to deliver, which damages trust later. C is not wrong to mention, but on its own it ignores the cause of the problem.

Sample 2: A quiet prisoner

You notice that a prisoner who is normally chatty has stayed in his cell for two days, missed meals and is not answering when people speak to him.

• A. Leave him alone; some people like their own space.
• B. Speak to him privately, ask how he is, and share what you have seen with your colleagues and supervisor.
• C. Ask other prisoners what is wrong with him.
• D. Note it down and mention it at the end of the week.

Most effective: B. A clear change in behaviour can be a sign that someone is struggling. Talking to him directly shows Caring, and passing on what you have noticed is good Managing a Quality Service. Concerns like this are taken seriously in prisons and are shared promptly, not saved for later.

Least effective: A. It ignores a possible welfare risk. C breaches his privacy and could expose him to gossip. D delays something that should be shared now.

Sample 3: Two jobs at once

You have been asked to escort a prisoner to a healthcare appointment in five minutes. At the same moment, a colleague asks you to help sort out a queue of prisoners waiting for kit.

• A. Help with the kit queue and let healthcare know the prisoner will be late.
• B. Explain to your colleague that you are committed to the escort, and suggest who else might be free.
• C. Do both by sending the prisoner to healthcare on his own.
• D. Ignore your colleague and leave.

Most effective: B. It keeps the planned, time-bound task on track and still helps your colleague find a solution. That is Making Effective Decisions plus Communicating and Influencing.

Least effective: C. It creates a security and safety risk. D is unhelpful, but C is worse.

Sample numeracy questions

Again, these are written for this site. Try them without a calculator first, then check your invitation to see whether one is allowed.

Sample 4: Roll count

A wing holds 86 prisoners. 23 are at education, 14 are at work in the kitchens and 3 are at healthcare. How many should be on the wing?

Answer: 46. 23 + 14 + 3 = 40, and 86 − 40 = 46.

Sample 5: Canteen money

A prisoner has £18.40 to spend. He buys three items at £2.35 each and one at £4.90. How much does he have left?

Answer: £6.45. 3 × £2.35 = £7.05; £7.05 + £4.90 = £11.95; £18.40 − £11.95 = £6.45.

Sample 6: Percentages

12 of the 60 prisoners on a landing are enrolled on a course. What percentage is that?

Answer: 20%. 12 ÷ 60 = 0.2, which is 20%.

How to prepare

• Take the free HMPPS practice test at least once, early on.
• Practise most/least judgements with the four behaviours in mind. Ask yourself which answer is safe, fair, honest and actually solves the problem.
• Drill quick arithmetic: adding and subtracting lists of numbers, money with pence, 24-hour times and simple percentages.
• Sit it somewhere quiet, with a stable internet connection and no interruptions.
• Read every option before choosing. The "nice-sounding" answer is not always the effective one.

If you want more than one practice form, the free demo on our practice page has sample judgement, numeracy and values questions, with no sign-up needed.

Key points

• The SBT takes around 25–40 minutes and mixes behavioural and numerical scenarios.
• HMPPS described the 2019 version as 16 judgement questions in up to 20 minutes and 20 numeracy questions in up to 15 minutes; check your invitation for your version.
• No prior prison knowledge is needed. Judgement, safety, fairness and care are what count.
• A free practice test is available before you sit the real thing.

prisonofficertest.co.uk is an independent practice site. It is not affiliated with HMPPS, the Ministry of Justice, the Scottish Prison Service, the Northern Ireland Prison Service or any prison operator. Always check your own invitation and the recruiter's current guidance.