Prison Officer Values-Based Assessment (VBA) Explained

After the Scenario-Based Test, many prison officer applicants are invited to a second online stage: the Values-Based Assessment, or VBA. It looks gentler than the SBT. There's no stopwatch, and many of the questions ask what you think or prefer. That leads some people to rush it, and others to try to "game" it. Both are mistakes. This guide explains what the VBA is, what it measures and how to approach it.

What the VBA is

According to the HMPPS prison officer application guidance:

• The VBA takes up to 20 minutes if you complete it in one sitting.
• There is no time limit.
• It uses a variety of question styles.
• It assesses how well your values match the role, against four areas:
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Caring

Not every campaign includes the VBA, so check the job advert and your invitation to see whether it applies to you and when it must be completed.

For Youth Justice Worker applicants, HMPPS says the VBA assesses "three behaviours, one technical area, and one strength", so the mix differs slightly there.

A little history

When HMPPS launched the new online test in 2019, the second stage was a game-based test with nine levels. It measured "resilience and emotional stability" and usually took 30–50 minutes. The current application guidance describes a Values-Based Assessment instead. If you read older forum posts or prep material that mention a game, they are describing the earlier version. This is one reason to rely on your own invitation rather than what you read online.

The four areas, in prison terms

It helps to know what each area looks like in day-to-day prison work. The VBA is checking whether these instincts come naturally to you.

Communicating and Influencing

The Civil Service describes this as communicating "with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm" and respecting "the needs, responses and opinions of others". On a wing that means:

• talking prisoners down rather than shouting them down;
• explaining decisions, including unwelcome ones, in plain language;
• listening properly before replying;
• being honest, even when the honest answer is "no".

Managing a Quality Service

Defined as delivering "with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs". For an officer:

• doing routine checks properly every time, not just when someone is watching;
• following through on what you said you would do;
• keeping accurate records;
• treating people's different needs fairly, such as language, disability, faith or age.

Making Effective Decisions

Defined as using "evidence and knowledge" and considering "alternative options, implications and risks". In practice:

• getting the facts before reacting;
• weighing safety and risk;
• knowing when to decide yourself and when to involve a supervisor;
• being able to explain why you did what you did.

Caring

This one is HMPPS's own addition, and it sits at the heart of the job. It means:

• treating prisoners with decency and respect;
• noticing when someone is struggling and doing something about it;
• supporting colleagues;
• caring about the rehabilitation of the people you look after, not just about containing them.

What the questions can look like

HMPPS doesn't publish its items, and we don't reproduce them. Values assessments in general use formats like these. The examples are written for this site.

Agree/disagree statements

You rate how much you agree on a scale, for example from strongly disagree to strongly agree:

• "I find it easy to stay calm when someone is shouting at me."
• "Rules are there to be followed, even when nobody would notice if I didn't."
• "People in prison deserve to be treated with respect."
• "If a colleague is struggling, it's not really my business."

Preference choices

You choose which of two or more statements is more like you:

• "I prefer to get the facts before making a decision" or "I prefer to act quickly and adjust later."
• "I'd rather explain a decision so it's understood" or "I'd rather give a clear instruction and move on."

Short scenarios

You pick the response closest to what you would actually do. These are similar to SBT judgement items but are scored on values rather than effectiveness.

Honesty beats gaming

It's tempting to pick the "perfect officer" answer every time. There are good reasons not to.

• Answers are compared for consistency. Values questionnaires often ask about the same theme in different ways. A pattern of extreme, flawless answers can look less credible than a realistic, consistent one.
• There's no time pressure. You can read carefully and answer thoughtfully. Use that time.
• The job is real. If your values genuinely don't fit, such as finding it hard to treat prisoners with respect, the VBA is giving you useful information before you commit to a career.

The approach that works: answer honestly, as the best version of yourself at work. Think about how you actually behave in your current job or volunteering, on a normal day.

How to prepare

You can't "revise" values, but you can get ready:

1. Read the role description on the HMPPS careers site. Notice how often it mentions decency, safety and helping people change.
2. Think about real examples of each of the four areas from your own life: a time you calmed someone down, followed a process carefully, made a tricky decision or looked out for someone.
3. Reflect on your instincts. Do you tend to rush decisions? Avoid conflict? Bend rules to be kind? Knowing yourself makes your answers more consistent.
4. Try sample items to get used to the formats so nothing feels strange on the day. Our free practice page includes ten values-style items with feedback on which behaviour each relates to.
5. Do it in one calm sitting if you can, in a quiet place, well before any deadline in your invitation.

Key points

• The VBA takes up to 20 minutes in one sitting, has no time limit and uses a variety of question styles.
• It measures fit with Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions and Caring.
• It replaced the 2019 game-based stage. Check your invitation for whether and when you need to take it.
• Answer honestly and consistently. Preparation means understanding the values, not memorising answers.

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.