January 2020 Recruitment.

CMAG90

MrChew wrote: »

Anaerobic exercise and high intensity workouts are your friend, probably moreso than long distance running, as the PCA is short and intense. It's also attitudinal - get used to pushing yourself hard for four and a half minutes and then give it dixie on the day and you should be grand.

My routine leading up to my PCA was a combination of 5k runs and a half-hour of HIIT, 3/4 times a week. Running is my default form of exercise but I felt it was the HIIT which gave me the best prep for the PCA - the stop/start nature of it, and pushing through when totally exhausted matches the flow of the PCA.

Thanks for this... i just feel so unprepared and wonder what others have been doing.. ill try the HITT training for the next 2 weeks each night and hopefully it gets me through... ive a stone weight off which helps ... just need to give this a final push now... much appreciated 🀞

MrChew

CMAG90 wrote: »

ill try the HIIT training each night for the next 2 weeks and hopefully it sees me through...

If I can jump in here, don't overdo it either - make sure you take rest days. HIIT can be pretty intense and you don't want to injure yourself. As someone else here once said, its the PSNI, not the SAS.

MrChew

CMAG90 wrote: »

Thanks for this... i just feel so unprepared and wonder what others have been doing.. ill try the HITT training for the next 2 weeks each night and hopefully it gets me through... ive a stone weight off which helps ... just need to give this a final push now... much appreciated 🀞

Did you go to the familiarisation? A lot of people find that puts their mind at ease. I'm guessing tho, if you're a live in candidate, you might not be able to make it. FWIW I missed mine and still passed.

You sound like you're off to a good start. Just give it everything you have for the four and a half minutes, even if you need to boke afterwards.

CMAG90

MrChew wrote: »

Did you go to the familiarisation? A lot of people find that puts their mind at ease. I'm guessing tho, if you're a live in candidate, you might not be able to make it. FWIW I missed mine and still passed.

You sound like you're off to a good start. Just give it everything you have for the four and a half minutes, even if you need to boke afterwards.

I did attend the familiarisation day and found it helpful i guess im just doubting myself slightly but as you say... give it everything even if i boke lol... fingers and toes crossed. Nothing more i can do only train for the next 2 weeks as i have been and a little extra... thanks again

North Coast John

CMAG90 wrote: »

I did attend the familiarisation day and found it helpful i guess im just doubting myself slightly but as you say... give it everything even if i boke lol... fingers and toes crossed. Nothing more i can do only train for the next 2 weeks as i have been and a little extra... thanks again

Just do plenty of HIIT training and keep running a few miles every other day. You'll be fine, dont overthink it.

AlphaBravoOut

CMAG90 wrote: »

Fitness test at the end of the month and the nerves are kicking in. Has anyone completed this and if so, what time did you achieve and what training were you doing prior... im relatively fit for short periods but long distance running isnt my forté and with hearing stories that you should be able to run 5k or you wont pass, have me worried. TIA...

I’m in the same boat..test coming up soon, don’t be focusing on anyone else’s time on here, we all come into this with our own strengths. Keep doing what you can with an extra push over the next 2 weeks and as some others have said, have your rest days too. Give it your all on the day, taking a bit more care with the trickier parts on the course to avoid any penalties. Good luck

MrChew

AlphaBravoOut wrote: »

don’t be focusing on anyone else’s time on here, we all come into this with our own strengths.

This is really good advice. The only time that matters is 4:30.

Gda88

AlphaBravoOut wrote: »

I’m in the same boat..test coming up soon, don’t be focusing on anyone else’s time on here, we all come into this with our own strengths. Keep doing what you can with an extra push over the next 2 weeks and as some others have said, have your rest days too. Give it your all on the day, taking a bit more care with the trickier parts on the course to avoid any penalties. Good luck

Very true, posting times on here may put some other people off who maybe aren’t as fit as some.

walkman2302

Got my pca next month. Trying my best to put the work in so i am feeling confident. Hopefully the next stages come around quickly if I pass.

CMAG90

AlphaBravoOut wrote: »

I’m in the same boat..test coming up soon, don’t be focusing on anyone else’s time on here, we all come into this with our own strengths. Keep doing what you can with an extra push over the next 2 weeks and as some others have said, have your rest days too. Give it your all on the day, taking a bit more care with the trickier parts on the course to avoid any penalties. Good luck

Thanks for that ... your totally right regarding time... i suppose what i was trying to gage was others fitness levels and time combines to compare to my own abilities really... but the 4:30 is the focus... i wish you all the best of luck with the PCA and look forward to hearing how everyone gets on... may the odds be ever in our favour lol

JC12250

For non FT - I spoke to two guys who are in the service atm. They both had their recruitments suspended/shelved before receiving a letter around 18 months later to say they’re progressing with the rest of the recruitment because it would cost too much to start from the beginning again. Perhaps not all hope is lost, maybe just a VERY long waiting game

BelfastGuy65

JC12250 wrote: »

For non FT - I spoke to two guys who are in the service atm. They both had their recruitments suspended/shelved before receiving a letter around 18 months later to say they’re progressing with the rest of the recruitment because it would cost too much to start from the beginning again. Perhaps not all hope is lost, maybe just a VERY long waiting game

Happy days a bit of positivity thats what i like to hear 👂ðŸ¼

RoboCop123

PCA not too far away for some of us, just wondering how the training is going? I've been a mix of 30 min HIIT and 5k runs but just tried the beep test the day to mix it up... Worth a go, I was fairly wrecked at level 9 and called it a day lol

BelfastGuy65

What does the medical consist of? History check and urine/hair sample? Curious

MrChew

BelfastGuy65 wrote: »

What does the medical consist of? History check and urine/hair sample? Curious

You get a Medical Health Questionnaire which you need to complete and have signed by your GP. If you've any conditions, you'll need supporting evidence that they won't inhibit your ability to do the job.

On the day, it's a urine test, eye test for near, far
and colour vision, a hearing test and a discussion about your medical history. Then it's off to the nice drug testing man for a wee haircut. There's supposed to be a lung function test but when I went that had been suspended due to Covid.

North Coast John

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
― Aristotle

JessicaM073

Hey guys, anybody know how your income works during GV? How much you get, what expenses can be covered and what allowances are available? I’m currently waiting to do my fitness so hoping it won’t be far away now until joining GV. Any info is appreciated

MrChew

JessicaM073 wrote: »

Hey guys, anybody know how your income works during GV? How much you get, what expenses can be covered and what allowances are available? I’m currently waiting to do my fitness so hoping it won’t be far away now until joining GV. Any info is appreciated

The information on pay is in the Guidance for Applicants handbook. During training, you get 20673, which increases to 24177 upon attestation. There is an additional NITA payment of 3372, which is paid from as soon as you begin training.

Not sure about what expenses are paid during training, if any, and no clue what might be covered in the job.

Newyearnewjob

Has anyone else seen that the website now says 'Merit list passed to PSNI' for 2020 recruitment. Is it new or has it said this for a while.

JessicaM073

MrChew wrote: »

The information on pay is in the Guidance for Applicants handbook. During training, you get 20673, which increases to 24177 upon attestation. There is an additional NITA payment of 3372, which is paid from as soon as you begin training.

Not sure about what expenses are paid during training, if any, and no clue what might be covered in the job.

Thank you MrChew

JC12250

Newyearnewjob wrote: »

Has anyone else seen that the website now says 'Merit list passed to PSNI' for 2020 recruitment. Is it new or has it said this for a while.

What website is this? JoinPSNI still shows the last update as being 11/2.

MrChew

JC12250 wrote: »

What website is this? JoinPSNI still shows the last update as being 11/2.

They've literally just updated it to say that ACs are still outstanding and that they'll be completed when restrictions allow, so no news there whatsoever.

The last poster was talking about the section above where it highlights what stage the process is currently at. Both the assessment centre and merit list sections are highlighted, but they've been like that for ages. I don't think it's significant.

JC12250

MrChew wrote: »

They've literally just updated it to say that ACs are still outstanding and that they'll be completed when restrictions allow, so no news there whatsoever.

The last poster was talking about the section above where it highlights what stage the process is currently at. Both the assessment centre and merit list sections are highlighted, but they've been like that for ages. I don't think it's significant.

Only thing I take from it is the intention to progress with the recruitment which is slightly positive news.

JC12250

Has anyone applied across the water? If so, is anyone now at the AC stage?

North Coast John

Does anyone have any predictions on when the ML will be posted and when the first GV intake might be? I know there's no way of knowing right now, just curious. I'm still holding out for a Summer start, but that might be naivety.

MrChew

North Coast John wrote: »

Does anyone have any predictions on when the ML will be posted and when the first GV intake might be? I know there's no way of knowing right now, just curious. I'm still holding out for a Summer start, but that might be naivety.

August. That's when I reckon the first proper intake from 2020 will be, as right now that appears to be the earliest that the ACs will have been completed and an intake will be available.

There's an intake in June for the last handful of 2018 candidates and I suppose its possible they might chuck in some appointable 2020 candidates to fill the intake out if needed, but that seems a long shot atm.

Newbieee

North Coast John wrote: »

Does anyone have any predictions on when the ML will be posted and when the first GV intake might be? I know there's no way of knowing right now, just curious. I'm still holding out for a Summer start, but that might be naivety.

For non FT?
Earliest end of this year

North Coast John

Thanks for the info. The waiting game continues.

JC12250

I still believe they will exhaust our ML, so hopefully everyone hangs in there. Might just be a very long wait for some of us.

mariyapsni

I hope that by the end of April we have a ML so that we at least know where we stand. Surely, the restrictions are meant to ease off from the start of April and hence, probably those 30 ACs will be done within a week. Fingers crossed everyone for good positions on the ML xx