POLICE COMPANIONThe inspectors' promotion exam is the NPPF Step Two legal exam for the rank of inspector. It is the national legal knowledge exam that a sergeant in England and Wales must pass before going on to the rest of the promotion process for inspector.
Some forces are trialling a different promotion route with its own legal test (SIPP), held at the same time as the NPPF exams. Check with your force examinations officer which one applies to you.
Where the exam fits in the promotion process
The National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF) has four steps:
- Step one: competence in your current rank.
- Step two: the legal knowledge exam.
- Step three: assessment against rank-specific competencies and matching to vacancies, run by your force.
- Step four: temporary promotion and a work-based assessment.
Who can sit it
Only officers who hold the rank of sergeant can sit the inspectors' exam, and you must meet the Step One criteria. When you become eligible depends on how you qualified as a sergeant:
- NPPF-qualified sergeants can sit it once they have completed the NPPF route and been made substantive as a sergeant. Step Four for sergeant is a mandatory 12 months that cannot be reduced.
- OSPRE Parts I and II qualified sergeants can apply from day one of their sergeant posting, provided they are not already OSPRE-qualified inspectors.
All officers must complete at least two years as a substantive sergeant before they can be substantively promoted to inspector. Anyone who sits the exam before they are eligible has their result voided.
Exam format
- One three-hour exam of 150 multiple-choice questions, taken online.
- Questions cover crime, evidence and procedure, and general police duties.
- Ten questions are removed at marking, so you are scored on 140.
- You can sit it on any day within the three-day exam window, between 8am and 8pm. There is no national requirement to use a test centre.
- Using AI tools such as ChatGPT during the exam is prohibited.
Pass mark
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Pass | 65% (91 correct out of 140) |
| Exceptional grade | 85% or above |
| Low-band fail | Below 35% |
The pass mark is 10 percentage points higher than the sergeants' exam. Results and a feedback report broken down by subject area are due within three weeks of the exam. A pass is valid for five years (less one day), within which you need to reach Step Three.
What to study
Questions are drawn only from the 2027 edition of the Blackstone's Police Manuals, the only resource the College of Policing endorses for the exam. The syllabus is the same as the sergeants' exam except chapter 1.8, which is for the sergeants' exam only. The College advises against relying on older editions.
Police officers and staff in England and Wales can get 30% off the manuals through College Learn. Free practice questions are available on the College's Candidate Online Examination Guidance group on the Knowledge Hub.
2027 inspectors' exam dates
| Exam | Registration | Exam window | Results by |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2027 | 15 March to 6pm, 15 April 2027 | 11 to 13 May 2027 | 3 June 2027 |
| November 2027 | 6 September to 6pm, 4 October 2027 | 2 to 4 November 2027 | 25 November 2027 |
Your force may close registration earlier. See all 2027 police promotion exam dates.
Source: College of Policing, NPPF step two legal examinations candidate handbook (2027), updated 10 September 2026. Checked on 30 September 2026. The handbook is the official source, and every candidate must read it.
Planning your revision
The College publishes a subject area breakdown after each sitting, showing what came up. It is only an indication, and any part of the syllabus can be tested. With a 65% pass mark there is less room for gaps, so it helps to track which topics you have covered and tested yourself on.
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