Police Pay
Detective entry

Detective
Pathway Bundle

Detective entry candidates face the same recruitment interviews as every constable applicant, then the National Investigators' Exam. This bundle puts the practice for both in one payment.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated

Short answer: what does the bundle include?

The 90-day Mock Interview Pass (AI-reviewed practice for the online assessment and the force interview) and the 6-month NIE Exam Prep Toolkit (the full practice bank and timed mocks), for £59.99 instead of £89.98. One payment, nothing renews and it never shortens access you already have.

Contents
The BundleWho It Is ForWhat Each Part DoesWhich FirstFree Options FAQs Sources

Detective Pathway Bundle: £59.99

Interview practice and NIE prep in one payment

  • Mock Interview Pass, 90 days (£39.99 on its own): AI-reviewed practice for the online assessment interview and the in-person force interview, scored against the CVF.
  • NIE Exam Prep Toolkit, 6 months (£49.99 on its own): the full National Investigators' Exam practice bank, timed 80-question mocks, practice by part and topic and weak-spot review.

£89.98 bought separately, so the bundle is £29.99 less. One payment, nothing renews. Practice tools, not official assessments.

Try the free NIE mini mock first

Who the bundle is for

It is for people applying to a detective entry route: a Detective Constable Entry Programme (DCEP), a detective degree holder programme or a force's own trainee detective route. Since 17 March 2026 every constable candidate except transferees, detective entry included, has to pass the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview. Detective entry programmes then require the National Investigators' Exam (NIE) during training; when depends on the force, as our DCEP guide sets out.

Already own one part?

The bundle never cuts access you already have. If your interview practice or NIE toolkit already runs longer, that part stays as it is, so buying the other product on its own is usually better value.

What each part does

Mock Interview Pass (90 days, £39.99 on its own). AI-reviewed practice answers for the online assessment interview and the in-person force interview, marked against the 2024 Competency and Values Framework. The first scored answer is free on the mock interview page.

NIE Exam Prep Toolkit (6 months, £49.99 on its own). The full National Investigators' Exam practice bank: timed 80-question mocks weighted like the real paper, practice by part and topic, weak-spot review and progress tracking. See the toolkit page for the details.

Which to use first

The interviews come before training, so most candidates use the interview practice first and start NIE revision once they have an offer or a start date. The NIE toolkit runs for six months from purchase, so if your exam is many months away it can make sense to buy the interview pass now and the NIE toolkit closer to the exam instead.

Free options first

Interview and assessment centre updates

New interview practice questions and model answers, by email

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Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in the Detective Pathway Bundle?

Two existing PolicePay products in one payment: the Mock Interview Pass for 90 days (£39.99 on its own) and the NIE Exam Prep Toolkit for 6 months (£49.99 on its own). Together they cost £89.98 separately; the bundle is £59.99. Nothing renews.

Who is the bundle for?

People applying to a detective entry route, such as a Detective Constable Entry Programme or a detective degree holder programme, who will face the recruitment interviews and then the National Investigators' Exam. It suits anyone who wants to prepare for both stages at once.

Do detective entry candidates sit the same recruitment stages?

Yes. Since 17 March 2026 every constable candidate except transferees, including detective entry candidates, must complete the national application form and pass the national sift, the online assessment process and an in-person force interview.

When do detective entry candidates sit the NIE?

It depends on the force and programme. Some forces set the National Investigators' Exam early in training and others in year two. Our DCEP guide sets out what each force says about timing.

I already have one of the products. Should I buy the bundle?

Usually not. The bundle never shortens access you already have, so a part you already own for longer stays as it is. If you already have interview practice or the NIE toolkit, buying the other product on its own is normally better value.

Are these official College of Policing tests?

No. Both are PolicePay practice tools. The NIE questions and the interview scenarios are our own original practice material, written against the published syllabus and the Competency and Values Framework.

Evidence

Sources and how we checked them

Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.

  1. Police (Amendment) (Recruitment Standards) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/154) : the four recruitment stages for every constable candidate except transferees (accessed 21 October 2026)
  2. PolicePay: DCEP explained (with its College, Home Office and force sources) : detective entry routes, NIE timing by force (accessed 21 October 2026)
  3. PolicePay: NIE hub (with the College NIE candidate handbook) : what the National Investigators' Exam covers (accessed 21 October 2026)
Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

DCEP explained → The Detective Constable Entry Programme, force by force. Detective interview questions → What the detective entry interviews ask and how to prepare. NIE for direct entry detectives → How the exam fits a detective entry programme. How hard is the NIE? → Pass rates, the pass mark and what makes it hard. Free NIE mini mock → Try exam-style questions free before you buy anything. Mock interview → One free scored answer, no account needed.
Joining the police

More in this guide series

Start here Candidates hub Everything for police applicants: eligibility, the application, the assessment centre, interviews, fitness and vetting. Start here Entry requirements Every legal and national requirement to become a constable, including the two 2026 rule changes. Eligibility Police age limit Apply at 17, appointed at 18, no upper limit in the regulations; what 57 and 60 really mean. Eligibility Qualifications needed Level 3 or accepted experience for PCDA and PCEP, a degree for DHEP and the GCSE rules. Eligibility Nationality and residency UK, EEA or indefinite leave; settled status; the three-year residency rule and its exceptions. Eligibility Tattoos and appearance The national tattoo test, force policies and what to do if unsure. Eligibility Medical conditions Asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, hearing and BMI: the Home Office standards and how the medical works. Eligibility Mental health and neurodiversity What the standards say, the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments in the assessments. Application Application form guide The national application form, history and declarations and applying to several forces. Application Rejected and reapplying Stage by stage: appeals, resit limits and when you can apply again. Decision Officer vs PCSO vs special Powers, pay, hours, entry and progression compared, to help you choose. Online assessment After the OAC How results arrive, what the feedback report shows and the force interview and checks that follow a pass. Online assessment Tech and adjustments Devices, browsers, the no-second-device rule, what to do if tech fails and the OAC extra time table. Framework CVF explained The three values, six competencies, levels 1 to 3, what changed from 2016 and which exercise assesses what. Online assessment OAC prep plan How long to prepare for the online assessment centre, with day-by-day plans built on the current College format. Routes Entry routes compared PCDA, PCEP, DHEP, degree holder, detective, rejoiner, specials, PCSOs and cadets side by side. Routes PCDA explained Entry requirements, pay from day one, the three years, English and maths and who is recruiting. Routes DHEP explained Who qualifies, the two-year graduate diploma, detective DHEP, Police Now and pay. Routes Rejoining the police Regulation 10B, no five-year limit, 6 or 12 months' probation, exams and pension questions. Vetting Vetting levels What each police vetting level is for, what it checks and how long it lasts. Vetting Vetting appeals Your right to written reasons, the three grounds and how to write an appeal. Vetting Criminal records The 2026 automatic disqualification rules and how other offences are judged. Vetting Other roles Where staff, special and volunteer vetting differs from officer vetting. Vetting Mental health and vetting Why vetting is not a medical and what goes to occupational health. Guide Failed vetting: family Why relatives or associates lead to refusal, what you are told, appeals and reapplying. Guide Driving licence When forces need a licence, provisional, automatic and foreign licences and how points are vetted. Guide Police medical What the medical checks, when it happens, BMI and height, GP records, drug tests and failing. Guide Briefing exercise practice Three original 12-question briefing scenarios with worked answer outlines. Guide Written exercise practice Four original written tasks with four items each and planning outlines. Guide CVF: courage What the courage value means, how to choose your own example and an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: respect and empathy Why fair is not identical, where it is assessed, with an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: public service The 2024 meaning of public service, where it is assessed and an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: we take ownership Level 1 behaviours, level 1 versus 2 and how to own a mistake in a STAR answer. Guide CVF: innovative and open-minded Level 1 means learning, suggesting, reflecting and adapting, with an illustrative STAR structure. Guide CVF: other four competencies Where emotionally aware, collaborate, support and inspire and analyse critically are assessed. Guide Final interview by force The law now requires a force interview after the OAC; what all 43 forces' own pages say about it, with links. Interview Tell me about a time questions 36 past-behaviour questions by 2024 CVF value, each one linked into the free mock interview. Interview Scenario questions Where hypothetical questions come up, a simple order for answering and 18 practice scenarios. Interview Follow-up questions The seven kinds of probing question in a live force interview and how to answer them. Interview Interview prep plans Day-by-day plans for the OAC interview and the in-person force interview. Interview Examples with no experience Where real examples hide in school, sport, caring and volunteering, with three example answers. Free download Interview questions PDF 30 practice questions by value, a STAR planner and timings to print or save as a PDF. Entry routes Assessment by route PCDA, DHEP, PCEP, detective, transferee, rejoiner, specials and PCSO: what the law makes identical and what can differ. Decision How hard is it to join? No national pass rate is published: what each stage tests and how to prepare free. Application More than one force One force at a time for the assessments, twice in 12 months and transferring a pass. Eligibility Joining on a visa Each visa type checked against the legal nationality rule, plus pre-settled status. Eligibility From the armed forces Eligibility, applying while serving, resettlement timing, references, pay and pension. Decision Career change The pay drop, the recruitment wait, the right route and the pension for later joiners. Pay Starting salary 2026 Point 1 and point 2 from 1 September 2026, take-home and London and South East pay. Force Met requirements Who can apply to the Met: age, residence, qualifications by route, tattoos and pay. Offer stage Pre-employment checks References, medical, fitness, biometrics, drug test and vetting after an offer. Offer stage Police references Five years of history, your current employer, gaps and referees for time abroad. Offer stage Biometrics and drug test Fingerprints and DNA for recruits, what they are checked against and drug testing. Routes DCEP explained The detective entry route force by force, the NIE, PIP2 and pay.
Also on PolicePay

Free tools for applicants

Tool OAC readiness check Check how ready you are for the online assessment centre. Tool Mock interview Practise police interview questions with feedback. Tool Force finder Compare forces on pay, allowances and region. Tool Timeline planner Plan the stages from application to start date. Tool Vetting checker See where you are in the vetting process.

Disclaimer

PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Recruitment standards, assessment formats and vetting decisions are set by the College of Policing and each force and change from time to time: check the force you are applying to before relying on anything here. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.