Sergeant Exam (NPPF) Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the Police Sergeant Promotion: NPPF Step Two Legal Exam tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions; 10 poorly performing questions are removed at marking, so you are scored on 140 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 55% (77 of the 140 scored questions). 75% or more earns an exceptional grade; under 30% is a low-band fail |
| Format | Syllabus is only the 2027 edition of the Blackstone's Police Manuals (Crime; Evidence and Procedure; General Police Duties, which now contains road policing). No help from anyone else, no AI tools and no unauthorised devices; breaches go to the College's disqualification panel. Questions test application, not recall of tables |
| Certifying body | College of Policing (exam), with your force running steps one, three and four of the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF) |
| Test provider | 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: 16-18 March and 5-7 October (any day in the window, 8am to 8pm) |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
Read the complete Sergeant Exam (NPPF) study notes for “Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 13 minutes of reading: The four NPPF steps · Who can sit the sergeants' exam · The 2027 exam rules · Results, pass mark 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.
1. Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam
How the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF) works, who can sit the sergeants' exam, the 2027 dates, scoring and pass mark, and what happens after you pass.
Key facts
- The NPPF has four steps: (1) competence in current rank; (2) the legal knowledge exam; (3) assessment against rank-specific competencies and matching to vacancies; (4) temporary promotion and a work-based assessment (12 months for sergeants, which cannot be reduced).
- Step one: competence shown through your PDR (or equivalent), no live written improvement notice or reduction in rank in the previous 12 months, no live written, final written or extended final written warning, and attendance policy met. Your line manager signs the eligibility form.
- Sergeants' exam eligibility: regular constables who by the exam date have two years' service, have completed probation and have not already passed a recognised promotion exam. Taking it when ineligible voids the result, with no appeal.
- 2027 sittings: 16-18 March (registration 18 January to 6pm 18 February) and 5-7 October (registration 3 August to 6pm 9 September), any day in the window between 8am and 8pm. Forces may set earlier closing dates.
- Format: 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours; 10 are removed at marking, so you are scored on 140. Pass 55% (77); exceptional 75%+; low-band fail under 30%. Results within three weeks (by 8 April 2027 and 28 October 2027).
- A pass is valid for five years (less one day). There is no national limit on resits; forces may set their own. Sergeant pay from 1 September 2025 is £53,568 to £56,208 (plus 3.5% from 1 September 2026).
- The College is piloting a replacement process (Sergeant and Inspector Promotion and Progression, SIPP) in some forces. Forces outside the pilot continue with the NPPF and its exams.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Confirm your force's internal registration deadline the day it is announced. The College's closing date is the last date for forces to verify you, not for you to register.
2. Crime
Blackstone's Crime manual (syllabus chapters 1.1 to 1.17): state of mind, criminal conduct, incomplete offences, defences, homicide, drugs, firearms, weapons (sergeants only), aggravated offences, assaults, sexual offences, child protection, theft, fraud and criminal damage.
Key facts
- Theft (s.1 Theft Act 1968): dishonestly appropriating property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. Section 2 lists beliefs that are not dishonest: a legal right, the owner's consent, or that the owner cannot be found by taking reasonable steps.
- Dishonesty outside s.2 follows Ivey v Genting, confirmed for criminal cases in R v Barton and Booth (2020): establish the defendant's actual knowledge or belief as to the facts, then judge the conduct by the standards of ordinary decent people.
- Robbery (s.8): stealing, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, using force on any person or putting or seeking to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force.
- Burglary (s.9): (1)(a) entering a building or part as a trespasser with intent to steal, inflict GBH or do unlawful damage; (1)(b) having entered as a trespasser, stealing or attempting to steal, or inflicting or attempting to inflict GBH. Aggravated burglary (s.10) adds having a firearm or imitation, weapon of offence or explosive at the time.
- Assaults: common assault and battery (s.39 CJA 1988); ABH (s.47 OAPA, mens rea for the assault only); s.20 wounding or inflicting GBH (foresight of some harm); s.18 wounding or causing GBH with intent to do GBH or to resist arrest.
- Criminal damage (s.1 Criminal Damage Act 1971): destroying or damaging property belonging to another, intending or being reckless (R v G, subjective). Section 1(2) adds intent or recklessness as to endangering life; fire makes it arson. Lawful excuse (s.5) includes belief in the owner's consent.
- Attempt (s.1 Criminal Attempts Act 1981): an act more than merely preparatory to committing an indictable offence, with intent to commit it.
- Weapons (chapter 1.8) is examined in the sergeants' paper only: offensive weapons (s.1 Prevention of Crime Act 1953), bladed or pointed articles (s.139 CJA 1988; folding pocketknife up to 3 inches excepted), school premises and trespassing with a weapon.
Flashcards
Exam tip: For every offence, write a one-line definition and split it into actus reus and mens rea columns. Most crime questions turn on one missing element.
3. Evidence and Procedure
Blackstone's Evidence and Procedure manual, chapters 2.1 to 2.5: instituting proceedings, bail, court procedure and witnesses, exclusion of evidence and disclosure. (Detention, identification and interviews are covered in the next topic.)
Key facts
- Proceedings start by charge, written charge and requisition, or summons and warrants from a magistrates' court.
- Pre-charge bail (PACE ss.47ZA-47ZM): the applicable bail period is 3 months from the day after arrest; an inspector or above may extend to 6 months, a superintendent to 9 months, and in designated cases a commander or assistant chief constable to 12 months. Further extensions are by a magistrates' court.
- Post-charge bail is governed by the Bail Act 1976, with a general right to bail (s.4) subject to the exceptions in Schedule 1. Custody officers can impose conditions to secure attendance, prevent offending or interference with witnesses.
- Confessions (s.76 PACE) must be excluded if obtained by oppression or in circumstances likely to make them unreliable; s.78 gives a general discretion to exclude evidence whose admission would make proceedings unfair.
- Disclosure (Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 and its Code of Practice): investigators must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, whether they point towards or away from the suspect. Prosecutors disclose unused material that might reasonably be considered capable of undermining the prosecution case or assisting the accused.
- Witness support: special measures under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (screens, live link, video-recorded evidence, intermediaries) for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Pre-charge bail changed in 2017 and again in 2022. If your notes say '28 days' they are out of date: learn the 3-6-9-12 month ladder and the rank at each step.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question Sergeant Exam (NPPF) test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Custody, Detention and Interviews (PACE Codes C to F)
Evidence and Procedure chapters 2.6 to 2.8: detention and treatment (PACE Part IV and Code C), identification (Code D) and interviews (Codes C, E and F). The College expects you to know Code paragraphs that the manual refers to.
Key facts
- The detention clock runs from the 'relevant time', usually arrival at the first police station or 24 hours after arrest, whichever is earlier.
- Reviews (s.40): first not later than 6 hours after detention was first authorised, second not later than 9 hours after the first, then at intervals of not more than 9 hours. For a person not charged, the review officer is an inspector or above not directly involved in the investigation.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Draw one timeline from arrest to 96 hours and mark every review, rank and limit on it. Custody questions often give times and ask which deadline has been missed.
5. General Police Duties
Blackstone's General Police Duties manual (chapters 3.1 to 3.18): stop and search, entry and search, arrest, mental health powers, land and premises, alcohol, injunctions and orders, protest, public order, football, domestic abuse, harassment and stalking, communications offences, offences against justice, terrorism, diversity, complaints and misconduct, and performance.
Key facts
- Arrest without warrant (s.24 PACE): reasonable grounds plus necessity, such as to establish name or address, prevent injury, loss or damage, protect a child or vulnerable person, allow prompt and effective investigation, or prevent disappearance. Code G applies.
- Entry: s.17 (to arrest for an indictable offence, save life or limb, prevent serious damage, recapture), s.18 (after arrest for an indictable offence, premises occupied or controlled by the arrested person, with written inspector authority unless s.18(5) applies), s.32 (premises where arrested or immediately before).
Flashcards
Exam tip: Make a 'who authorises' table: inspector (dispersal, s.18, reviews, s.56 delay, bail to 6 months), superintendent (s.42, s.58 delay, bail to 9 months). Ranks are a favourite source of wrong options.
6. Road Policing
Road policing chapters now sit inside General Police Duties (3.19 onwards): definitions, police powers, standards of driving, and drink and drugs.
Key facts
- Key definitions: a 'motor vehicle' is a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads (s.185 RTA 1988); a 'road' is any highway and any other road to which the public has access, including bridges (s.192).
- Powers: s.163 (drivers must stop when required by a constable in uniform or a traffic officer), s.164 (produce licence), s.165 (name and address, insurance and test certificate), s.165A (seize vehicles driven without a licence or insurance), s.172 (duty to give information on the driver's identity).
Flashcards
Exam tip: Road traffic penalties were raised by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Check every maximum against your current manual rather than older revision cards.
7. NPPF Steps Three and Four: Assessment and Interview
After the exam, your force runs step three (often an application, assessment and interview against the CVF at supervisor level) and step four (12 months' temporary promotion with a work-based assessment). Formats are set locally.
Key facts
- Step three is designed by each force: commonly a written application with evidence against the CVF, a competency or strengths-based interview, and sometimes a presentation or in-tray exercise.
- Sergeants are assessed at CVF level 2 (supervisor/middle manager). Show how you lead, develop and hold others to account, not only what you did as a constable.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Rehearse your examples from a leader's point of view. 'I arrested the suspect' scores less than 'I allocated roles, briefed the team on the risks and checked the welfare of the officer who was assaulted'.
8. Study Plan and Exam Technique
How to plan revision around the College's blueprint, the official resources available, and how to handle 150 questions in 3 hours online.
Key facts
- The blueprint is built from a national survey of what serving sergeants find important and frequent, so common topics (PACE, assaults, theft, public order, road traffic) carry more questions, but every chapter is examinable.
- Use only the manuals for your exam year. The College says questions are drawn solely from them and that other products, including the Blackstone's Q&As, are not endorsed and may differ in content and difficulty.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Mix subjects in every practice session after the first month. The real paper jumps between crime, procedure and duties, and interleaved practice prepares you for that switching.
How to pass
- 150 questions in 180 minutes is 72 seconds each. Do a first pass answering everything you know, flag the rest, and never leave a question blank: the handbook describes no penalty for wrong answers.
- Every question is drawn only from the current year's Blackstone's manuals, so study the edition for your exam year and do not trust older notes on fast-changing law such as pre-charge bail, public order and road traffic penalties.
- Learn the definitions word for word (burglary, robbery, affray, dishonesty, 'road'), then practise applying them to scenarios. The College says the exam is not aimed at pure recall of tables, but where the text refers to a PACE Code paragraph you are expected to know it.
- Build a PACE timeline card: relevant time, reviews at 6 then every 9 hours, 24 hours, superintendent to 36, warrants of further detention to 96, 8 hours' rest in any 24, and pre-charge bail periods of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the Sergeant Exam (NPPF) exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the Sergeant Exam (NPPF) exam online?
Yes. The College of Policing runs its sergeants', inspectors' and investigators' exams online, and you sit them on a set exam day through a link your force examinations officer arranges. Registration goes through your force, not directly.
What score do I need to pass the Sergeant Exam (NPPF) exam?
55% (77 of the 140 scored questions). 75% or more earns an exceptional grade; under 30% is a low-band fail. The exam has 150 multiple-choice questions; 10 poorly performing questions are removed at marking, so you are scored on 140 and a time limit of 3 hours.
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers promotion process, eligibility and the exam, crime, evidence and procedure, custody, detention and interviews (pace codes c to f), general police duties, road policing, nppf steps three and four: assessment and interview, study plan and exam technique. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium Sergeant Exam (NPPF) study path
Premium Sergeant 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.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1Promotion Process, Eligibility and the Exam8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Crime8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Evidence and Procedure8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Custody, Detention and Interviews (PACE Codes C to F)8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5General Police Duties7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Road Policing7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7NPPF Steps Three and Four: Assessment and Interview7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Study Plan and Exam Technique7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams150 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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Summarized from recruiting organisations' official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with College of Policing (exam), with your force running steps one, three and four of the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF).