There are professions whose representatives are subject to special requirements. And they are not only in mandatory excellent health, but also in those personality traits that will allow other people to hope that in difficult times this person will not be confused, not scared, will not save, but will help, save and protect. Confidence that the doctor will not faint at the sight of blood, the soldier will not run away from the battlefield, and the pilot will calmly fight for the lives of passengers in the event of an emergency, is simply necessary for society. Requirements for police officers are no less stringent.
Testing psychological stability in the Soviet police
Each applicant during the initial interview wants to show their best sides. This is quite natural, this is how everyone who comes to the interview behaves, no matter what work is to be done. The selection system adopted by the Soviet police was significantly different from the modern one. Personnel department employees sent a number of requests to the future employee's place of residence, asking local authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs whether there were any persons convicted under the articles of the Criminal Code among the applicant’s relatives. Requested characteristics from the place of work and study. Physical health was carefully checked, but there were psychological tests. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has always needed stress-resistant employees. The future policeman had a conversation with a psychologist who, using all available methods, tried to bring him out of emotional balance. Those who succumbed to provocations were mercilessly rejected.
Police Officer Requirements
Despite such a strict policy, the personnel issue for the police did not lose sharpness throughout the entire existence of the USSR. After the collapse of the union state, many countries that arose in its vastness, began to complete their own law enforcement agencies. The process of reorganization of the police took place in Russia. Each new employee undergoes a psychological test. For admission to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a certain level of such indicators as stress resistance, quick decision-making and the ability to navigate in a difficult environment are necessary. The basis was taken on foreign experience accumulated in countries that for several decades have used the achievements of science to complete the police. First of all, this concerned American municipal services, which traditionally work in difficult criminal situations.
Future Police Testing Methodology
Checking the suitability of a person’s character for each type of activity is specific. For example, the requirements for pilots employed in transport aviation are different from those for fighter pilots and bombers, which, in turn, also differ. The psychological test for admission to the Ministry of Internal Affairs is designed in such a way as to completely exclude the possibility of employing people with a pronounced choleric psychotype, which, as you know, are short-tempered and have an unpredictable reaction to a sudden change in situation. There are other criteria that are known only to those specialists who conduct this test. Not all of them are subject to disclosure.
The psychological test for admission to the Ministry of Internal Affairs was compiled on the basis of the Myers-Briggs methodologies, but they have been finalized and are as close as possible to the requirements of the Russian police and the specific working conditions specific to each country. The theoretical basis was developed by other scientists (Leonhard-Schmishek, Holland). As a result, the questions are structured so that the overall psychological portrait of the applicant will become clear to the specialist even if he tries to mislead the interviewers. Moreover, the psychological test for admission to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, due to its fine orientation, will reveal such dishonesty, which will lead to a guaranteed negative test result, and such a candidate will be rejected.
Who needs a test first
However, even if truthful answers were given to all questions, it is quite possible to refuse to be admitted to the police service. It’s hardly worth it to be upset, because if the check showed such unsuitability, then real life would confirm it, but probably much more harshly. Sometimes an incorrectly chosen profession can cost a life, and not only to the most unlucky romance, but also to other people. For those who do not want to look like a failure in the eyes of friends and relatives, it makes sense to pass the psychological test of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on their own and without witnesses. There is such an opportunity, it is provided free of charge. The main thing is to be truthful, and first of all in front of yourself.