The sergeant exam, explained.
Everything you need to know about the NPPF step two legal exam, the test that stands between you and your stripes: how it works, what’s on it, and how to pass first time.
Updated 2 November 2026 · England and Wales
The exam at a glance
The sergeants’ exam is set by the College of Policing and sat online. It tests what you know of the law and procedure, not your management skills: those come later, at step three.
| Official name | NPPF step two legal examination (sergeants) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 150 multiple choice. 10 are removed after the exam, so you’re marked out of 140 |
| Time | 3 hours, about 72 seconds a question |
| Pass mark | 55%: 77 correct out of 140 |
| Exceptional grade | 75% or more |
| Where | Online, on any of three set days, between 8am and 8pm |
| When | Twice a year, in March and October |
| Results | Within about three weeks |
| A pass lasts | Five years (less a day) to get through step three |
| Resits | No national limit; your force may set one |
Four steps to sergeant
Promotion in England and Wales runs through the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF). You can sit the exam once you have two years’ service and have finished your probation.
- 1
Competent in rank
Your force confirms you’re competent as a constable, with no live improvement notice or written warning.
- 2
The legal exam
The 150-question exam on the law and procedure a sergeant needs.
- 3
Selection
Your force assesses you against the sergeant competencies and matches you to a vacancy.
- 4
Temporary promotion
Twelve months as a sergeant with a work-based assessment, then you’re made substantive.
What’s on the syllabus
Three areas, each with its own Blackstone’s manual. Questions lean towards what working sergeants deal with most, but anything on the syllabus can come up.
Area 1
Crime
- State of mind and criminal conduct
- Attempts, conspiracy and defences
- Homicide
- Drugs, firearms and weapons
- Assaults and hate crime
- Sexual offences and child protection
- Theft, fraud and criminal damage
Area 2
Evidence and procedure
- Charging and bail
- Court procedure and witnesses
- Excluding evidence
- Disclosure
- Detention: PACE Code C
- Identification: PACE Code D
- Interviews: PACE Codes C, E and F
Area 3
General police duties
- Stop and search, entry and arrest
- Mental health powers
- Public order, protests and sport
- Licensing and ASB orders
- Domestic abuse and harassment
- Misconduct and performance
- Road policing, drink and drug driving
How to pass first time
- 01
Read the current manuals
Every question comes from that year’s Blackstone’s Police Manuals. An old edition can teach you law that’s changed.
- 02
Practise under the clock
72 seconds a question is tight. Sit full 150-question mocks so three hours feels normal by exam day.
- 03
Know the PACE Codes cold
Where the manuals quote a PACE Code paragraph, you’re expected to know it. Detention, ID and interviews come up again and again.
- 04
Little and often
Most people give it three to six months. Twenty minutes on most days beats a weekend cram, and fits round shifts.
- 05
Learn from what you get wrong
Go back over every wrong answer and the reason behind it. Your weakest topic is where the easy marks are.
Sergeant & inspector plan
Walk in ready.
- Full mocks in the real format. 150 questions, 3 hours, marked the moment you finish.
- A readiness score that tells you when you’re at pass standard, topic by topic.
- Hundreds of exam-style questions across crime, evidence and procedure, and general police duties, each with the reasoning.
- Law flashcards and a study plan that works round your shift pattern.
£19.99 a month, or £99 for 6 months. Cancel the monthly plan any time.
What passing is worth
A constable at the top of the scale earns £52,015. A new sergeant starts on £55,443, rising to £58,175: that’s £3,428 more a year from day one.
Police pay scales and take-home pay+£3,428 a year
Questions people ask
How many questions are in the sergeant exam?
150 multiple-choice questions in three hours. After the exam, the 10 questions that performed worst are removed, so everyone is marked out of 140.
What is the pass mark for the sergeant exam?
55%, which is 77 correct answers out of 140. A score of 75% or more earns an exceptional grade. The College of Policing can change the pass mark in exceptional circumstances.
When is the next sergeant exam?
The sergeants’ exam runs twice a year, in March and October. The October 2026 exam ran on 6 to 8 October, so the next one is in March 2027. Check the exact dates with your force exams officer, who registers you.
Who can take the sergeant exam?
Regular constables in England and Wales who will have two years’ service and have finished their probation by the exam date, and who pass NPPF step one: competence in rank, no live improvement notice or written warning, and good attendance.
What books do you need for the sergeant exam?
The Blackstone’s Police Manuals for the year you sit: Crime, Evidence and Procedure, and General Police Duties. They are the only official source, and every question is drawn from them.
Is the sergeant exam hard?
It’s a wide syllabus against the clock, and plenty of good officers fail first time. Starting early, sitting timed mocks and fixing weak topics are what make the difference.
How long does a sergeant exam pass last?
Five years, less one day, from the exam date. You need to get through step three, your force’s selection process, within that time.
How is the inspector exam different?
Same format: 150 questions in three hours. The pass mark is 65% (91 out of 140), exceptional is 85%, and it runs in May and November. You must be a substantive sergeant to sit it.
Facts from the College of Policing’s NPPF step two candidate handbook. Dates and rules can change each year, so check with your force exams officer before you register. Points to Prove is independent and isn’t connected to the College of Policing or any publisher. More guides: police ranks and insignia.