Can you switch from merit to offer and other questions

[Tippytoppy]

Hi all,

I am really keen to join the prison service and I have applied, completed the online tests and no awaiting the date of this ARC, it’s been a month since I’ve done this and it’s seems really slow to progress any further?

What’s the average time that it takes to progress to the next stage which is the ARC ?

Now reading the forums I understand I applied for a merit position and what I wanted was to get in based on my score or direct into a position. Can this be switched over from merit ?

Really frustrating how long the waiting is to join !

Thanks all

[PlantPot]

The merit list is what you've just described, it's based off your performance/score.

The wait from first applying to arc is the quickest part of the application, with the covid situation some people have been waiting up to 11 months.

[Lay19]

So for me it was a month after passing my online tests that I got the email asking me to book my ARC and another month before I sat it.

As Plantpot said position based on performance is the merit list. It tells you when you apply whether the position is a merit campaign or a pass campaign.

From applying to start date my total time will be around 6 months, which from what I’ve read is pretty quick.
Hope this info helps.

Welcome to the waiting game

[kingofthekippax]

Have you checked out the prison.jobs.blog.gov.uk has all the FAQs such as yours on there.

4. Can I transfer my ARC accreditation to another prison?

Yes, you can transfer a live Assessment & Recruitment Centre (ARC) accreditation to more than one prison application by calling the Recruitment Contact Centre on 0845 241 5358.

Once you’ve been given a provisional offer from 1 of the prisons you’ve applied to, you’ll then be withdrawn from all your other applications.

If you decline this offer, then you can ask the recruitment team for your other applications to be left live.

Please be aware there’s no guarantee that because 1 prison had offered you a position that you’ll automatically be offered a position at the other prisons you’ve applied to straight away, as this all depends on vacancies and your position on the merit list.