Scotland's three potential police chiefs have faced hundreds of deeply personal questions designed to expose psychological flaws.

Deputy Chief Constables Neil Richardson and Iain Livingstone and senior English officer Phil Gormley have all undergone intense psychometric grilling as part of what insiders say is an unprecedentedly gruelling recruitment process.

The men - no women applied for the post - have been effectively under full-time study for weeks as they vie for what many regard as Scotland's second most important job.

Today, they face final interviews with the Scottish Police Authority, the force's main civilian watchdog. The winner, subject to a compulsory medical, will be named by early next month.

An insider said: "They have really been put through the mincer.

"This is a huge job and they want to be sure they get the right man - and are seen to be doing it in the right way."

The Herald:

Psychometric studies have been used before on police recruits at a variety of ranks.

The three officers were subjected to around 400 questions by two experts from the UK College of Policing.

The College of Policing did not share details of the questions but it is understood some of them were extremely intimate.

The findings will now be passed on the Scottish Police Authority members responsible for picking the next chief constable.

The three men have already undergone a preliminary selection panel to be shortlisted.

Three other candidates, including Deputy Chief Constable Steve Allen, were dropped at this stage.

Whoever gets the top job is likely to oversee a huge change of the guards at the very top of Police Scotland.

Aside from the psychometric tests, they have already endured a series of other tests, including a full mock television interview and a detailed questioning session on the finer points of policing policy and practice with Scotland's Inspector of Constabulary, Derek Penman, below.The Herald:

They have also had meetings with key stakeholders in Scottish policing

The official application pack for the post - published by Police Scotland - lists the recruitment process for the final three shortlisted candidates as:

1. An online personality questionnaire to be completed by you - early November;

2. Attendance at an assessment centre - mid November;

3. competency based panel interview and presentation - late November.

Today's final selection panel will be chaired by SPA chairman Andrew Flannigan, pictured below, who was himself only appointed to his post in September; two other SPA members; the chief executive of a Scottish council and Paul Johnston, the director-general for learning and justice at the Scottish Government.

The Herald: SPA chairman Andrew FlanniganSPA chairman Andrew Flannigan

Mr Livingstone - popular among the rank-and-file - served in Lothian and Borders Police and has had a high profile over the last week on the backlash of anti-muslim hate crime hitting Scotland after the Paris massacres.

Mr Richardson, pictured, a veteran of both the Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders forces, has had a lower public profile as much of his work was "backroom". He was widely credited with devising some of the details of Police Scotland's creation before its formal launch in 2013.

The Herald:

Phil Gormley is currently deputy director of the National Crime Agency, which has a limited but real role in Scotland. An extremely experienced officer, he has previously served as chief constable of Norfolk and in senior roles in the Metropolitan Police, forging its counter-terrorism unit.

An SPA spokesman said: "The recruitment process for the post of Chief Constable is well underway and SPA hopes to be in a position to make an announcement on the outcome of that in the coming weeks."

Analysis: the tough new politics facing the current - and next - chief constable of Scotland.