PSR Train Blog

Special warnings under CJPOA 1994 ss.36–37 trip up trainees who mix them up with the ordinary caution and s.34 silence. Sit five practice items on objects, marks, presence, and when a failure-to-account inference is available, then open the wider bank with a free account while PSR Train is testing.

You can quote Code C in a seminar and still freeze when the stem asks about the detention clock under time pressure. Sit five original PACE Code C practice questions here, mark yourself by Code reference, then open the wider question bank with a free account while PSR Train is testing.

Week one of PSRAS prep often turns into random Code C reading with no mock rhythm. I use this day-by-day plan with trainees so you map the syllabus, sit one timed set, and finish with a CIT-style scenario before your firm check-in.

Sitting a full mock too early teaches panic; sitting one too late hides weak topics until resit fees loom. I use this timing guide with trainees so each mock diagnoses syllabus gaps and builds exam-day pacing on PSR Train or firm papers.

Thin disclosure is where trainees guess interview strategy and examiners mark them down for advising in a vacuum. I cover what to request at custody, how I log refusals, and the honest client conversation when the OIC says more is coming later.

Slow perfectionists run out of time; chronic guessers inflate mock scores they cannot reproduce on assessment day. I share the pacing habits I drill on PSR Train timed sets — stem reading, elimination, and logging guesses as real weak topics.

Phone advice with thin disclosure and no private consultation is where firms get complaints and trainees lose CIT marks. I set out how I decide to travel versus advise remotely, and what I put in the attendance note either way.

Six weeks is enough only if you already have baseline reading and some supervised exposure — otherwise it becomes a cram that collapses on the CIT. I sequence daily blocks across Code C, ethics, timed mocks, and weekly scenarios for employed candidates.

Untimed reading makes you feel ready; timed stems expose hesitation on the caution and custody clock. I walk through sample PSRAS-style questions and how I tell trainees to review every answer by Code reference, not by the correct letter alone.

Special warnings under CJPOA 1994 ss.36–37 trip up trainees who mix them up with the ordinary caution and s.34 silence. Sit five practice items on objects, marks, presence, and when a failure-to-account inference is available, then open the wider bank with a free account while PSR Train is testing.

Trainees tell me the custody suite feels chaotic in the first hour — officers pushing interview while the record still looks thin. This checklist orders what I check first: lawful detention, private consultation, vulnerability flags, and whether interview is premature.

Clients panic when they hear silence might "harm their defence," and trainees either over-explain statute or dodge the conversation. I walk through how I explain CJPOA inference risk in consultation without sounding like I am deciding the case.

Identification often decides assault and robbery cases, yet trainees treat Code D as something that happens after they leave custody. I explain why pre-interview disclosure and instructions still turn on how witnesses say they recognised your client.

Missing an appropriate adult, or treating them as extra legal help, is one of the fastest ways to fail a CIT and breach Code C in live work. I set out what I verify on arrival, how I brief the AA, and what I record when custody says everything is fine.

Clients assume a voluntary interview is informal, then are shocked to learn that leaving early can lead to arrest. I use a separate checklist from custody work: rights, attendance logistics, disclosure, and how I explain arrest risk without scaremongering.

Clients leave custody confused about bail conditions, RUI, or what happens next at court — and trainees sometimes stop advising once interview ends. I explain how I summarise outcomes in plain language and when I hand condition detail to a supervisor.

Juvenile attendances punish reps who use adult interview language and skip welfare checks. I focus on the Code C triggers I see in youth work and in PSRAS scenarios: AA presence, consultation pace, and how I explain rights to a frightened teenager.

Trainees who recite the caution but never check the client understood it give unsafe advice in portfolio and CIT. I set out the plain-language script I use before no comment, partial answers, or a prepared statement — including limits, not slogans.

Unlawful detention poisons everything that follows, yet trainees lose track of review times under interview pressure. I walk through how I read the custody record, note review deadlines, and make timed representations when grounds look thin.

You can quote Code C in a seminar and still freeze when the stem asks about the detention clock under time pressure. Sit five original PACE Code C practice questions here, mark yourself by Code reference, then open the wider question bank with a free account while PSR Train is testing.

CIT mocks often fail on the same five habits: advising before you prioritise, missing vulnerability, jargon without client advice, side issues before consultation, and no report to the firm. I’ve seen a lot of trainee reps make them. Here is how I coach each one out.

CIT failure is usually visible method, not missing statute — trainees jump to no comment before they list Code C issues. I teach a four-step framework (Issues, Disclosure, Consultation, Decision) and the spoken client sentences assessors need to hear.

Full-time employment plus unsocial custody calls is the portfolio trap — thin workbook entries and revision squeezed into exhausted weekends. I set out how I ask employed trainees to protect attendance windows, write one strong reflection per case, and use short daily MCQ blocks.

There's no fixed PSRAS reaccreditation cycle. Once you're accredited, you stay on the Legal Aid Agency's Police Station Register as long as you keep meeting its ongoing conditions, which cover attendances, CPD and supervision. Check the current Police Station Register Arrangements for the exact figures. Here's how I keep my Code C knowledge fresh between attendances.

Enthusiasm for criminal law is not enough — firms hire for overnight availability and realistic PSRAS timelines. I explain what firms look for in trainees, where roles appear, and the mismatches that waste both sides' time.

Ethics scenarios trap trainees who want to help every client — co-defendant conflicts, prior knowledge, and pressure to breach confidentiality. I explain when I act, when I stop, and how I document escalation to a supervising solicitor.