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Police · Last updated November 2026

Police Inspector Promotion: NPPF Step Two Legal Exam: free practice test

The inspectors' exam is step two of the National Police Promotion Framework for sergeants: the same 3-hour, 150-question legal paper format as the sergeants' exam, but with a higher pass mark of 65% and the rank's own blueprint, which leans towards the authorities and supervisory decisions an inspector makes. A pass is valid for five years (less one day) for step three, your force's selection, then step four, a temporary promotion with a work-based assessment. You also need two years as a substantive sergeant before substantive promotion to inspector.

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About the Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam

The inspectors' exam is step two of the National Police Promotion Framework for sergeants: the same 3-hour, 150-question legal paper format as the sergeants' exam, but with a higher pass mark of 65% and the rank's own blueprint, which leans towards the authorities and supervisory decisions an inspector makes. A pass is valid for five years (less one day) for step three, your force's selection, then step four, a temporary promotion with a work-based assessment. You also need two years as a substantive sergeant before substantive promotion to inspector.

What's on the exam

Inspector Exam (NPPF)
Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam
6 key facts
Crime
6 key facts
Evidence and Procedure
6 key facts
Custody, Detention and Interviews (PACE Codes C to F)
6 key facts
General Police Duties
6 key facts
Road Policing
5 key facts
NPPF Steps Three and Four: Assessment and Interview
6 key facts
Study Plan and Exam Technique
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 Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam

  • The 65% pass mark leaves room for only 49 wrong answers out of 140 scored. Aim for 75% or more in timed mock papers before you sit.
  • Inspectors authorise a great deal: detention reviews, s.18 searches, delay of the s.56 right, s.60 stop and search, dispersal areas and bail extensions to 6 months. Learn every authority with its rank, test, duration and who can extend it.
  • Weapons (chapter 1.8) is sergeants-only, so redirect that study time to the chapters that matter more for inspectors, such as public order, protests, custody and domestic abuse.
  • Study the 2027 manuals, not your old sergeants' notes. Law on bail, protest, road traffic penalties and domestic abuse has changed several times since many inspectors first qualified.

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What's in the premium Inspector Exam (NPPF) prep

Premium Inspector Exam (NPPF) 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, 150 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Crime8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    Evidence and Procedure8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  4. 4
    Custody, Detention and Interviews (PACE Codes C to F)8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  5. 5
    General Police Duties7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  6. 6
    Road Policing7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  7. 7
    NPPF Steps Three and Four: Assessment and Interview7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  8. 8
    Study Plan and Exam Technique7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
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  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams150 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
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Read the complete Inspector Exam (NPPF) study notes for “Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 12 minutes of reading: Who can sit the inspectors' exam · The two-year rule for promotion · The 2027 exam rules · Validity, resits and pay, 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. An inspector reasonably believes that incidents involving serious violence may take place in a town centre tonight and that an authorisation is expedient to prevent them. Under s.60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, what is the maximum period of her authorisation, and who may extend it?
Answer: 24 hours; a superintendent or above may extend it by a further 24 hours. Section 60(1) lets an inspector or above authorise for a specified period not exceeding 24 hours where she reasonably believes serious violence 'may' take place (or weapons are being carried, or under s.60(1)(aa) to find a weapon used in an incident). Under s.60(3) a superintendent or above may direct that it continues for a further 24 hours.
2. A town has repeated youth disorder at weekends. Under s.34 Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, who may authorise use of the dispersal power, and for how long?
Answer: An inspector or above, for a specified period of not more than 48 hours. An officer of at least inspector rank may authorise the s.35 dispersal power in a specified locality for up to 48 hours, if satisfied on reasonable grounds it may be necessary to reduce the likelihood of harassment, alarm or distress or crime and disorder. The authorisation must be in writing, signed and state the grounds.
3. A suspect is arrested for burglary at his flat. Officers want to search his flat immediately, before taking him to the station, because they believe stolen jewellery will be moved. Under s.18 PACE, which is correct?
Answer: They may search before taking him to a station if his presence elsewhere is necessary for the effective investigation, and must inform an inspector as soon as practicable afterwards. Section 18 normally needs an inspector's written authority to search premises occupied or controlled by a person arrested for an indictable offence. Section 18(5) allows a search before taking the person to a station, without that authority, if his presence at a place other than a station is necessary for the effective investigation; the officer must then inform an inspector as soon as practicable (s.18(6)).
4. A man is detained for robbery. Officers believe that telling his partner of his arrest will alert two outstanding suspects. Under s.56 PACE, who may authorise delay of his right to have someone informed, and for how long at most?
Answer: An officer of at least inspector rank, for up to 36 hours from the relevant time. For a person detained for an indictable offence, an inspector or above may authorise delay on the s.56(5) grounds, which include alerting other suspects not yet arrested. He must be allowed to exercise the right within 36 hours of the relevant time. Delaying access to legal advice under s.58 needs a superintendent.
5. A woman has been charged and is being kept in police detention for court. Who carries out her reviews of detention under s.40 PACE?
Answer: The custody officer. Section 40(1)(a) gives reviews of a person arrested and charged to the custody officer. For a person arrested but not charged, the review officer is an inspector or above who has not been directly involved in the investigation (s.40(1)(b)).
6. To gain sexual intercourse, Dan tells a woman he is her long-term boyfriend while she cannot see him in a dark room. She agrees, believing him. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, what is the effect?
Answer: A conclusive presumption arises that she did not consent and that Dan did not reasonably believe she consented. Section 76(2)(b) creates a conclusive presumption where the defendant intentionally induced consent by impersonating a person known personally to the complainant. Section 75 evidential presumptions (violence, unlawful detention, being asleep or unconscious, disability, stupefying substances) can be rebutted; s.76 ones cannot.
7. Rob sets fire to his own house to claim the insurance, knowing his lodger is asleep upstairs, and is reckless as to whether her life is endangered. Which offence is the most appropriate?
Answer: Arson with intent or recklessness as to endangering life, s.1(2) and (3) Criminal Damage Act 1971. Simple criminal damage (s.1(1)) needs property belonging to another, but the aggravated offence in s.1(2) applies to any property, 'whether belonging to himself or another', where the defendant intends or is reckless as to endangering life by the damage. Done by fire it is charged as arson under s.1(2) and (3), with a maximum of life imprisonment.
8. A man buys a nearly new laptop for £50 from a stranger in a pub. He suspects it might be stolen but does not ask. Which statement about handling stolen goods under s.22 Theft Act 1968 is correct?
Answer: He must have known or believed the goods were stolen; suspicion, even strong suspicion, is not enough on its own. Section 22 requires the handler to know or believe the goods are stolen. Suspicion, or deliberately shutting your eyes, may be evidence from which belief can be inferred, but suspicion alone is insufficient. Handling covers receiving, arranging to receive, and undertaking or assisting in retention, removal, disposal or realisation; maximum 14 years.
9. A car runs into a shop window on a road. The driver is uninjured. A constable in plain clothes arrives and reasonably believes the man standing by the car was driving. He has no suspicion of alcohol. May he require a preliminary breath test?
Answer: Yes, because s.6(5) applies where an accident occurs owing to the presence of a motor vehicle on a road or public place, and the uniform rule does not apply to that condition. Section 6(5) RTA 1988 needs only an accident owing to the presence of a motor vehicle on a road or other public place and a reasonable belief the person was driving, attempting to drive or in charge. Section 6(7) requires uniform only for tests under s.6(2) to (4), not (5).
10. A woman reports that her former partner, who moved out a year ago, has for months monitored her phone, controlled her money and stopped her seeing friends. Can the controlling or coercive behaviour offence (s.76 Serious Crime Act 2015) apply?
Answer: Yes, since April 2023 it applies to people who are 'personally connected' whether or not they live together, including ex-partners. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 removed the living-together requirement from 5 April 2023, so s.76 covers repeated or continuous controlling or coercive behaviour towards a personally connected person (including former intimate partners) that has a serious effect on them. Maximum 5 years' imprisonment.
11. Which sergeant is eligible to sit the May 2027 inspectors' exam?
Answer: A substantive sergeant who completed the 12-month step four in January 2027. Only holders of the substantive rank of sergeant may sit the inspectors' exam. NPPF-qualified sergeants become substantive only after the full 12-month step four; OSPRE-qualified sergeants are substantive from day one of their posting. Sitting before you are substantive voids the result, with no appeal.
12. What is the pass mark for the 2027 inspectors' NPPF step two exam?
Answer: 65% (91 of 140). The 2027 handbook sets the inspectors' pass mark at 65%, 91 of the 140 scored questions; 85% earns an exceptional grade and under 35% is a low-band fail. The sergeants' paper uses 55% (77).
13. An OSPRE-qualified sergeant passes the inspectors' exam in his first month as a sergeant. When is the earliest he can be substantively promoted to inspector?
Answer: After a minimum of two years as a substantive sergeant, including a one-year probationary period in the rank. Regulation 5 of the Police (Promotion) Regulations 1996 requires a minimum of two years as a substantive sergeant before substantive promotion to inspector, and the handbook notes OSPRE-qualified officers must complete a one-year (or longer) probationary period within that. Passing the exam early simply starts the five-year validity clock.
14. As duty inspector you learn that a peaceful protest is about to block a main road for an hour. Local traders demand that you arrest everyone. What is the best approach?
Answer: Assess the facts and risks, engage with organisers through protest liaison, and consider proportionate conditions under the Public Order Act, balancing Articles 10 and 11 rights with the rights of others. Protest is protected by Articles 10 and 11 ECHR, but those rights can be restricted where necessary and proportionate. An inspector at CVF level 2 should gather information, engage, use the National Decision Model, consider conditions (for example under s.12 or s.14 Public Order Act 1986, set by the senior officer present for a protest already under way) and record the rationale. Blanket arrest or doing nothing both fail the test.
15. Two sergeants on your team have stopped speaking to each other, and their constables are taking sides. What is the most effective first action as their inspector?
Answer: Meet each sergeant privately to understand the issues, then bring them together to agree professional expectations, and monitor the effect on the team. At supervisor/middle-manager level the CVF expects you to be emotionally aware, take ownership and support and inspire. Understand both sides privately, set clear expectations on professional behaviour, and check the impact on the officers. Public confrontation or ignoring it lets the conflict damage the service to the public.

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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.

Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam FAQ

How many questions are on the Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam?

150 multiple-choice questions; 10 poorly performing questions are removed at marking, so you are scored on 140, with a time limit of 3 hours. Format: syllabus is only the 2027 edition of the blackstone's police manuals (crime; evidence and procedure; general police duties including road policing). chapter 1.8 weapons is not examined for inspectors. no help from others, no ai tools and no unauthorised devices.

What is the passing score for Inspector Exam (NPPF)?

65% (91 of the 140 scored questions). 85% or more earns an exceptional grade; under 35% is a low-band fail.

How much does the Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam cost?

No candidate exam fee is published by the College; entry is arranged through your force. Officers and staff in England and Wales get 30% off the Blackstone's manuals. 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 Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the Inspector Exam (NPPF) exam?

Online, unsupervised, on your own device at home or in a force testing room; registration through your force examinations officer on the College's AIMS system. 2027 sittings: 11-13 May and 2-4 November (any day in the window, 8am to 8pm).

Is this Inspector Exam (NPPF) 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 Inspector Exam (NPPF) prep is Premium at £45 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium Inspector Exam (NPPF) prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam: 375; Crime: 375; Evidence and Procedure: 375; Custody, Detention and Interviews (PACE Codes C to F): 375; General Police Duties: 375; Road Policing: 375; NPPF Steps Three and Four: Assessment and Interview: 375; Study Plan and Exam Technique: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 150 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), with your force running steps one, three and four of the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF) before you book. UKCivilServicePrep is an independent career-prep service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.

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