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The national legal knowledge test required for promotion to Sergeant and Inspector in England and Wales, set by the College of Policing. An exam pass currently lasts 5 years.

150 multiple choice questions in 3 hours, taken online. Ten questions are removed after the sitting, so you are scored on 140. All questions are 'Type A' - a scenario with four options and one correct answer. This is exactly the format used in Stripes & Pips.

From 2027 there are two Sergeants' and two Inspectors' sittings a year:

🗓 Sergeants - March: 16-18 March 2027
🗓 Inspectors - May: 11-13 May 2027
🗓 Sergeants - October: 5-7 October 2027
🗓 Inspectors - November: 2-4 November 2027

Results are issued about three weeks after each sitting. Registration is through your force. See the full 2027 dates and registration windows.

The pass mark is 55% for Sergeants (77 of 140) and 65% for Inspectors (91 of 140), as published in the College of Policing candidate handbook. Scoring comfortably above that in timed mocks is a good sign you are ready. More on the pass mark.

Pass rates vary by sitting and force, but many candidates do not pass. Figures released by the Metropolitan Police showed 30.2% of its candidates passed the Sergeants' exam in 2019 and 37.5% in 2022. Officers who rely on experience alone often struggle, because the exam tests the exact wording of the law. Targeted MCQ practice trains you to apply it under pressure.

Vol 1 - Crime: Actus Reus and Mens Rea, General Defences, Incomplete Offences, Homicide, Non-fatal Offences, Sexual Offences, Child Protection, Criminal Damage, Misuse of Drugs, Firearms, Weapons, Theft and Related Offences, Fraud, Offences Against Justice, Deprivation of Liberty, Racially and Religiously Aggravated Offences.

Vol 2 - Evidence and Procedure: PACE Codes C and D, Powers of Arrest, Stop and Search, Entry, Search and Seizure, Bail, Warrants, Confession Evidence, Hearsay, Bad Character, Disclosure, Court Procedure, Interviews.

Vol 3 - General Police Duties: Powers of Entry, Mental Health, Use of Force, Licensing, Road Policing, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Anti-Social Behaviour, Hatred and Harassment, Equality Act, Public Order, Unsatisfactory Performance, Complaints and Misconduct, Terrorism, RIPA 2000, Sporting Events.

The College of Policing publishes subject area breakdowns for every previous sitting - which topics appeared, though not the actual questions. Invaluable for planning your revision.

Crime: Theft and Related Offences, Non-fatal Offences, Sexual Offences, Child Protection, Criminal Damage, Misuse of Drugs and Firearms have come up most often across recent sittings.

Evidence and Procedure: PACE Code C is consistently the largest single area, alongside Bail and Interviews.

General Police Duties: Road Policing, Public Order and Hatred and Harassment have featured heavily.

A note on these figures: they come from analysing the two most recently published College of Policing subject area breakdowns. Exam content can and does shift between sittings, so this is a guide to historical patterns rather than a guarantee of what your own exam will contain. Stripes & Pips' Full Exam mode offers a choice between weighting toward these patterns or an even spread across the whole syllabus.

The College of Policing endorses only the Blackstone's Police Manuals. Officers in England & Wales get a 30% discount via College Learn.📋 Candidate Handbook

A focused, affordable online MCQ question bank covering all areas of the NPPF Step 2 syllabus. No videos. No textbooks. Just questions, instant feedback, and clear explanations - mobile-first from the ground up.

Simple. No bloat. No videos you'll never watch. Just a well-built question bank at a price that doesn't make you wince.

Yes - and it was partly designed with this in mind. Active recall through MCQ is one of the most evidence-backed revision techniques, particularly effective for dyslexic learners and those with ADHD.

6 months from purchase.

Yes. If you're not happy, email us within 30 days of buying and we'll give you a full refund, no reason needed. Fair use applies, so the promise doesn't cover refunds after you've sat your exam or made substantial use of the question bank. Your legal right to cancel within 14 days is not affected. Full details are in our Terms.

Every question is reviewed for legal accuracy before it goes live and checked against the legislation it is based on. If the law changes or you spot anything that needs updating, flag it from inside the question and we'll look at it straight away.

No - the College only endorses the Blackstone's Manuals. All third-party revision products operate independently. Our questions are built from the publicly available syllabus and underlying legislation.