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Police · Last updated November 2026

Detective Constable: National Investigators' Exam (NIE): free practice test

The NIE is the legal knowledge exam that opens phase 2 of the Professionalising Investigations Programme (PIP2), the route to becoming an accredited detective or serious-crime investigator. It is an 80-question, 2-hour online paper on the Blackstone's Police Investigators' Manual, with a pass mark of 55.7% (39 of 70 scored). A pass is valid for three years, during which you complete the PIP2 development programme and a work-based portfolio, normally within 6 to 12 months.

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About the Detective Exam (NIE) exam

The NIE is the legal knowledge exam that opens phase 2 of the Professionalising Investigations Programme (PIP2), the route to becoming an accredited detective or serious-crime investigator. It is an 80-question, 2-hour online paper on the Blackstone's Police Investigators' Manual, with a pass mark of 55.7% (39 of 70 scored). A pass is valid for three years, during which you complete the PIP2 development programme and a work-based portfolio, normally within 6 to 12 months.

What's on the exam

Detective Exam (NIE)
The Trainee Investigator Route, PIP2 and the NIE
6 key facts
General Principles, Police Powers and Procedures
6 key facts
Serious Crime and Other Offences
6 key facts
Property Offences
6 key facts
Sexual Offences
6 key facts
Investigation Practice: Interviews, Disclosure and Covert Powers
6 key facts
Detective Selection Interview and Development Programme
6 key facts
Study Plan and Timeline
6 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the Detective Exam (NIE) exam

  • 80 questions in 120 minutes is 90 seconds each. Read the last line of the question first so you know whether it asks for the offence, the power or the defence before you read the scenario.
  • Property and sexual offences are two of the four syllabus areas. Learn the definitions in the Theft Act 1968, Fraud Act 2006 and Sexual Offences Act 2003 exactly, including the evidential and conclusive presumptions on consent.
  • Where the manual refers to a PACE Code paragraph (Codes C, D and E especially) you are expected to know it. Make a card for each one the manual cites.
  • Start at least 14 weeks before your sitting, as the College recommends, and study the edition for your exam year: the 2027 manual for every 2027 sitting.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the UK Public-Service Hiring Process Cheat Sheet.

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What's in the premium Detective Exam (NIE) prep

Premium Detective Exam (NIE) prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 80 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    The Trainee Investigator Route, PIP2 and the NIE8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    General Principles, Police Powers and Procedures8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    Serious Crime and Other Offences8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  4. 4
    Property Offences8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  5. 5
    Sexual Offences7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  6. 6
    Investigation Practice: Interviews, Disclosure and Covert Powers7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  7. 7
    Detective Selection Interview and Development Programme7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Study Plan and Timeline7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams80 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
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Free with an account

Read the complete Detective Exam (NIE) study notes for “The Trainee Investigator Route, PIP2 and the NIE”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 11 minutes of reading: Where the NIE fits in PIP · Who can sit · How the 2027 exam runs · Resits and validity, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. Jay grabs a handbag from a woman's hand. She keeps hold for a moment, and he wrenches it free and runs. She is not hurt. What is the most appropriate offence?
Answer: Robbery, because wrenching the bag from her grasp can amount to force on a person. Robbery (s.8 Theft Act 1968) needs force on any person immediately before or at the time of stealing, in order to steal. In R v Clouden the Court of Appeal held that wrenching a bag from the owner's grasp can be force on the person; whether it is enough is for the jury. No injury is needed.
2. Kim enters a house as a trespasser, unarmed. In the kitchen he picks up a carving knife, then steals a wallet while holding it. Which offence is most appropriate?
Answer: Aggravated burglary, because he had a weapon of offence with him at the time he stole. For a s.9(1)(b) burglary the relevant time for aggravated burglary (s.10) is when the theft or GBH is committed (R v O'Leary). Having a weapon of offence with him at that point makes it aggravated burglary, maximum life, even though he was unarmed on entry. No force was used on a person, so not robbery.
3. A man picks wild mushrooms growing on private woodland and sells them to a restaurant. Which statement about theft is correct?
Answer: Picking them is theft because he did so for sale, which s.4(3) Theft Act 1968 excludes from the exception. Section 4(3) says a person who picks mushrooms, flowers, fruit or foliage growing wild does not steal them unless he does it for reward, for sale or other commercial purpose. Picking to sell takes him outside the exception.
4. A woman emails a company's accounts team, posing as a supplier and giving new bank details for an invoice. Staff spot the trick and pay nothing. Under s.2 Fraud Act 2006, what is the position?
Answer: Fraud by false representation is complete: she dishonestly made a false representation intending to make a gain or cause a loss. Fraud by false representation is a conduct offence: it is complete when the defendant dishonestly makes a representation she knows is or might be untrue or misleading, intending to make a gain or cause a loss. No gain or loss needs to result. Maximum 10 years.
5. Which statement correctly describes when a demand is 'unwarranted' for blackmail under s.21 Theft Act 1968?
Answer: A demand is unwarranted unless the person making it believes he has reasonable grounds for making it and that using the menaces is a proper means of reinforcing it. Blackmail is making an unwarranted demand with menaces with a view to gain or intent to cause loss. Under s.21(1) the demand is unwarranted unless the defendant believes both that he has reasonable grounds for the demand and that the menaces are a proper means of reinforcing it. A genuine debt does not by itself justify menaces.
6. Dee sets fire to a house at night intending to frighten the occupant, who dies. The fire was such that death or serious injury was a virtual certainty, and Dee appreciated this. Under R v Woollin, what may the jury do?
Answer: They may find that Dee intended to kill or cause serious harm, and so convict of murder. Woollin says the jury may find intention (oblique intent) where death or serious bodily harm was a virtual certainty, barring some unforeseen intervention, and the defendant appreciated that. It is a finding the jury is entitled to make, not a rule of law that they must.
7. A man is found with 40 canisters of nitrous oxide that he admits he is selling to people at a festival to inhale. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, how is nitrous oxide classified?
Answer: Class C, since 8 November 2023. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 made nitrous oxide a Class C drug from 8 November 2023. Possession with intent to supply (s.5(3)) applies; legitimate uses such as catering are exempt, but selling for inhalation is not.
8. A complainant was asleep when the defendant had sexual intercourse with her. Under s.75 Sexual Offences Act 2003, what is the effect if the defendant knew she was asleep?
Answer: An evidential presumption arises that she did not consent and that he did not reasonably believe she did, unless sufficient evidence is raised to the contrary. Being asleep or otherwise unconscious is one of the s.75 evidential presumptions, which apply where the defendant knew of the circumstance. They can be rebutted if sufficient evidence is adduced to raise an issue. Conclusive presumptions in s.76 cover only deception about the nature or purpose of the act and impersonation.
9. A witness tells an officer she would recognise the man who attacked her. The suspect, now arrested, denies being the attacker. Under PACE Code D, what should normally happen?
Answer: An identification procedure, normally a video identification, should be held unless it is not practicable or would serve no useful purpose. Code D paragraph 3.12 requires an identification procedure where an eyewitness has identified or may be able to identify the suspect and the suspect disputes being the person, unless it is not practicable or would serve no useful purpose. Video identification is the normal procedure. Single-photo showing or a custody-suite confrontation would undermine the evidence.
10. Reviewing CCTV for a robbery case, you find footage that suggests the suspect may have been elsewhere at the time. What does the CPIA 1996 Code of Practice require?
Answer: Record and retain it, pursue the line of enquiry and reveal it to the prosecutor, as it may undermine the prosecution or assist the defence. Investigators must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, whether they point towards or away from the suspect, and record and retain relevant material. Unused material that might reasonably be considered capable of undermining the prosecution case or assisting the accused must be disclosed (s.3 CPIA 1996), through the prosecutor.
11. What is the format of the National Investigators' Exam in 2027?
Answer: 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, with 70 scored after 10 are removed. The 2027 handbook describes a single 80-question multiple-choice paper lasting two hours. Ten questions that perform least well are removed at marking, so candidates are scored on 70.
12. What is the NIE pass mark?
Answer: 55.7% (39 of 70). The pass mark is 55.7%, which is 39 correct answers out of the 70 scored questions. 85.7% or more earns an exceptional grade. The debrief panel may change the pass mark only in exceptional circumstances.
13. A trainee investigator passes the NIE on 2 March 2027. How long is the pass valid for completing PIP2?
Answer: Three years less one day. An NIE pass is valid for three years less one day from the exam date. The College expects most students to complete PIP2 within six to 12 months; the three years covers abstractions. Extensions are considered only for specified leave and long-term sickness, not for lack of course places.
14. In your first week as a trainee detective, a victim of a serious assault rings you upset because nobody has updated her for two weeks. What is the best response?
Answer: Listen, apologise, find out the current position, give her an accurate update or a clear time for one, and make sure her entitlements under the Victims' Code are met. Respect and empathy and public service mean taking ownership of the call. The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime sets entitlements to information about the investigation. Never promise an outcome you do not control, and never disclose details such as a suspect's interview account that could prejudice the case.
15. During a busy shift a detective sergeant tells you to 'tidy up' a witness statement by removing a line that contradicts the victim's account. What should you do?
Answer: Refuse to alter the statement, record the material properly and raise the instruction with a senior officer or professional standards if needed. Altering or suppressing evidence would breach the Standards of Professional Behaviour (honesty and integrity, orders and instructions) and the CPIA duty to record and retain relevant material, and could amount to perverting the course of justice. Courage in the Code of Ethics means challenging and reporting it.

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Certification guide

UK police entry tests and promotion exams explained: Since 17 March 2026, every police force in England and Wales must recruit constables through the same [four-stage process](https://www.college.police.uk/article/police-constable-recruitment-regulations-change), scored against the College of Policing's Competency and Values Framework. Once you're in, the College's online law exams decide promotion to sergeant and inspector and entry to detective work. Here is how each stage and exam works, with the published formats and pass marks.

Detective Exam (NIE) exam FAQ

How many questions are on the Detective Exam (NIE) exam?

80 multiple-choice questions; 10 poorly performing questions are removed at marking, so you are scored on 70, with a time limit of 2 hours. Format: syllabus is only the blackstone's police investigators' manual for the exam year (2027 edition for 2027 sittings), in four areas: general principles, police powers and procedures; serious crime and other offences; property offences; sexual offences. the college recommends at least 14 weeks of independent study. no help from others, no ai tools, no unauthorised devices.

What is the passing score for Detective Exam (NIE)?

55.7% (39 of the 70 scored questions). 85.7% or more earns an exceptional grade.

How much does the Detective Exam (NIE) exam cost?

No candidate exam fee is published by the College; entry is arranged through your force or organisation. Most UK public-service applications are free. The police promotion and investigators' exams are arranged through your force, and degree routes may have tuition costs, so check the job advert or your force before you start.

Which languages is the Detective Exam (NIE) exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the Detective Exam (NIE) exam?

Online, unsupervised, on your own device or in a force testing room; register through your NIE liaison contact on the College's AIMS system. 2027 dates: 2 March, 8 June, 7 September and 16 November (8am to 8pm).

Is this Detective Exam (NIE) practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full Detective Exam (NIE) prep is Premium at £45 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium Detective Exam (NIE) prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (The Trainee Investigator Route, PIP2 and the NIE: 375; General Principles, Police Powers and Procedures: 375; Serious Crime and Other Offences: 375; Property Offences: 375; Sexual Offences: 375; Investigation Practice: Interviews, Disclosure and Covert Powers: 375; Detective Selection Interview and Development Programme: 375; Study Plan and Timeline: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 80 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. The recruiting organisation changes formats and fees, so confirm with College of Policing (exam and PIP2 standards), with your force or organisation selecting candidates and running the PIP2 programme before you book. UKCivilServicePrep is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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