PSET Information
Handling
How to read a table of figures quickly and accurately for the Police Scotland Entrance Test: a method, the words questions use, the traps and four original tables with every question worked through.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Information handling is one of three elements of the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET), a handwritten paper of 49 questions in 60 minutes with a calculator provided. You must pass every element. In Police Scotland's mock, the questions are based on a table: you find the right figures, add them across rows or down columns, work out percentages and compare categories. The pass mark and number of questions are not published.
What the information handling element is
Police Scotland's candidate portal describes the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET) as one examination paper with three core elements: numeracy, literacy and information handling. You answer 49 questions in 60 minutes and you must pass all three elements. Its recruitment page lists information handling as one of the three areas the test evaluates.
Information handling sits between the other two. Like literacy, it is about reading accurately: finding exactly the information a question needs. Like numeracy, it usually ends in a calculation. Officers use the same skill whenever they read a briefing sheet, a rota or a set of figures and need to pick out the one number that matters.
| Feature | What Police Scotland says |
|---|---|
| Element | Information handling, one of three core elements of one paper |
| Mock paper format | Questions based on a table of offences and outcomes |
| Paper | 49 questions in 60 minutes, handwritten in ink under exam conditions |
| Answers | Multiple choice or written in free text boxes |
| Calculator | Provided |
| Pass rule | Pass all three elements |
| Number of information handling questions | Not published |
| Pass mark | Not published |
The format Police Scotland publishes
Police Scotland publishes a mock paper and answers as Word files on its recruitment process page. The mock has 15 questions, 5 of them information handling. They are based on a table of offences and outcomes and ask you to find figures, combine them and draw a conclusion. Our existing PSET guide describes them as finding values, adding across rows or columns, working out a percentage and judging which category is most or least common.
We have not reproduced any of Police Scotland's table or questions. The four tables below are invented and cover the same skills in different settings, so you practise the method rather than memorising one table.
Sit Police Scotland's own mock under time first. It shows the real layout and wording. Then use this page to build speed and avoid the traps. Police Scotland says it does not endorse any study materials.
A five-step method for any table
- Read the title and headings before any number. Know what one cell means: "noise incidents in week 2", "vehicles stopped on Quay Street". Check units in the headings (hours, £, thousands).
- Read the question and decide its shape. Is it about one cell, a whole row, a whole column or a comparison between rows? The question words table below helps.
- Find the cells with your pen. On a paper test you can point to the row heading and the column heading and follow both to the cell. Most errors are reading the neighbouring cell.
- Build any total you need. If the question says "of all" or "in total" and the table does not print that total, add it and write it beside the table if you are allowed to make notes.
- Calculate, then sense check. A percentage over 100, a part bigger than its whole or a fall shown as a rise means a step went wrong.
The words questions use and what they mean
Information handling questions turn on a few words. Know exactly what each one asks you to do:
| Word in the question | What it asks you to do |
|---|---|
| Total / in all / altogether | Add the relevant cells; you may need to add a row or column the table does not total |
| Difference / how many more | Take the smaller figure from the larger |
| Percentage of | Part ÷ whole x 100: be sure which figure is the whole |
| Proportion / share | The same as a percentage or a fraction of the whole |
| Percentage change / increase / decrease | (new - old) ÷ old x 100 |
| Average / mean | Add the figures, divide by how many there are |
| Most / least / highest / lowest | Compare every figure in the row or column asked about |
| More than / fewer than | Excludes the figure itself (more than 10 means 11 or more) |
| At least / no more than | Includes the figure itself (at least 10 means 10 or more) |
| Rank / in order | List from highest to lowest (or as asked) and count positions carefully |
Table 1: incidents by type over four weeks
Invented figures for an invented area, Glenmorvan. Answer each question before opening the working. This table practises reading across rows, down columns, percentages and percentage change.
| Incident type | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 24 | 31 | 27 | 38 |
| Road traffic | 18 | 15 | 22 | 17 |
| Theft | 12 | 9 | 14 | 11 |
| Concern for person | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Other | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
- How many road traffic incidents were reported over the four weeks?
Show working
- Read across the Road traffic row: 18, 15, 22 and 17.
- 18 + 15 + 22 + 17 = 72.
Answer: 72
- How many incidents of all types were reported in week 4?
Show working
- Read down the Week 4 column: 38, 17, 11, 9 and 15.
- 38 + 17 + 11 + 9 + 15 = 90.
Answer: 90
Trap: The table does not print column totals. When a question says "all" or "in total", you usually have to add them yourself.
- Which type of incident was reported most often in week 2?
Show working
- Read down the Week 2 column: Noise 31, Road traffic 15, Theft 9, Concern for person 10, Other 11.
- The highest is 31.
Answer: Noise
- What percentage of week 4 incidents were noise? Give your answer to one decimal place.
Show working
- Week 4 total = 90 (from the earlier question).
- 38 ÷ 90 = 0.4222.
- x 100 = 42.2%.
Answer: 42.2%
- By what percentage did noise incidents change from week 1 to week 4? Give your answer to one decimal place.
Show working
- Change = 38 - 24 = 14.
- Divide by the starting figure (week 1): 14 ÷ 24 = 0.5833.
- x 100 = 58.3%. It is an increase.
Answer: An increase of 58.3%
Trap: Dividing by the week 4 figure (14 ÷ 38) gives about 36.8%, which is wrong. Percentage change is measured from the starting figure.
- What was the mean number of theft incidents a week?
Show working
- Theft total = 12 + 9 + 14 + 11 = 46.
- 46 ÷ 4 = 11.5.
Answer: 11.5
- In how many weeks were there more than 10 concern for person incidents?
Show working
- Read across the Concern for person row: 7, 10, 8 and 9.
- "More than 10" means 11 or more. Week 2 has exactly 10, which is not more than 10.
Answer: None (0 weeks)
Trap: Counting week 2 is the trap. "More than 10" excludes 10 itself; "at least 10" would include it.
- Rank the incident types by their four-week totals. Which type had the second lowest total?
Show working
- Totals: Noise 120, Road traffic 72, Other 53, Theft 46, Concern for person 34.
- Lowest is Concern for person (34); second lowest is Theft (46).
Answer: Theft
Table 2: roadside vehicle checks by site
Invented figures for one day of roadside checks at four invented sites. This table practises the difference between a number and a proportion, the trap that catches most people in table questions.
| Site | Vehicles stopped | Vehicles with a defect | Drivers given advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballochmyre Road | 140 | 21 | 35 |
| Quay Street | 95 | 19 | 12 |
| Kirkton Bypass | 210 | 38 | 50 |
| Mill Lane | 55 | 4 | 9 |
- How many vehicles were stopped at all four sites together?
Show working
- 140 + 95 + 210 + 55 = 500.
Answer: 500
- What percentage of all vehicles stopped were stopped on Kirkton Bypass?
Show working
- 210 ÷ 500 = 0.42.
- x 100 = 42%.
Answer: 42%
- At which site did the highest proportion of stopped vehicles have a defect?
Show working
- Ballochmyre Road: 21 ÷ 140 = 15%.
- Quay Street: 19 ÷ 95 = 20%.
- Kirkton Bypass: 38 ÷ 210 = 18.1%.
- Mill Lane: 4 ÷ 55 = 7.3%.
- The highest proportion is Quay Street.
Answer: Quay Street
Trap: Kirkton Bypass has the most defects in number (38), but it also stopped the most vehicles. "Highest proportion" means you must divide each by its own total.
- What percentage of all stopped vehicles had a defect? Give your answer to one decimal place.
Show working
- Total defects = 21 + 19 + 38 + 4 = 82.
- 82 ÷ 500 = 0.164.
- x 100 = 16.4%.
Answer: 16.4%
- At which site was advice given to the highest proportion of drivers stopped?
Show working
- Ballochmyre Road: 35 ÷ 140 = 25%.
- Quay Street: 12 ÷ 95 = 12.6%.
- Kirkton Bypass: 50 ÷ 210 = 23.8%.
- Mill Lane: 9 ÷ 55 = 16.4%.
Answer: Ballochmyre Road
Trap: Kirkton Bypass gave the most advice in number (50) but a slightly lower proportion than Ballochmyre Road.
Table 3: crimes recorded in two years
Invented figures for an invented area, Dalcorrie. This table practises percentage change in both directions and shares of a total you have to build yourself.
| Category | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Housebreaking | 64 | 48 |
| Vandalism | 150 | 162 |
| Shoplifting | 210 | 252 |
| Vehicle crime | 85 | 85 |
| Fraud | 120 | 138 |
- Which category had the largest percentage increase between the two years?
Show working
- Vandalism: (162 - 150) ÷ 150 = 8%.
- Shoplifting: (252 - 210) ÷ 210 = 20%.
- Fraud: (138 - 120) ÷ 120 = 15%.
- Housebreaking fell and vehicle crime did not change.
Answer: Shoplifting
- By what percentage did housebreaking fall?
Show working
- Change = 64 - 48 = 16.
- 16 ÷ 64 = 0.25, so 25%.
Answer: A fall of 25%
- What was the total number of crimes in these categories in each year and what was the percentage change? Give the change to one decimal place.
Show working
- 2024/25: 64 + 150 + 210 + 85 + 120 = 629.
- 2025/26: 48 + 162 + 252 + 85 + 138 = 685.
- Change = 685 - 629 = 56.
- 56 ÷ 629 x 100 = 8.9%.
Answer: 629 and 685: an increase of 8.9%
- Which category recorded the same number of crimes in both years?
Show working
- Compare each row: only Vehicle crime has 85 in both columns.
Answer: Vehicle crime
- What share of all 2025/26 crimes in the table were shoplifting? Give your answer to one decimal place.
Show working
- 2025/26 total = 685.
- 252 ÷ 685 x 100 = 36.8%.
Answer: 36.8%
When a table has both rises and falls, read whether the question asks for the biggest change, the biggest increase or the biggest fall. Housebreaking's 25% fall is a bigger percentage change than shoplifting's 20% rise, but it is not an increase.
Table 4: training hours by team
Invented figures for four invented teams. This table practises comparing row totals with column totals and the "more than" boundary.
| Team | First aid | Driving | Officer safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team A | 24 | 30 | 18 |
| Team B | 16 | 28 | 22 |
| Team C | 30 | 12 | 20 |
| Team D | 20 | 25 | 25 |
- Which team completed the most training hours in total?
Show working
- Team A 72, Team B 66, Team C 62, Team D 70.
Answer: Team A
- Which course had the most hours across all four teams?
Show working
- First aid 90, Driving 95, Officer safety 85.
Answer: Driving
Trap: Team C's 30 hours of first aid is the single largest cell, but the question asks about the whole column, not one cell.
- What percentage of Team D's training hours were officer safety? Give your answer to one decimal place.
Show working
- Team D total = 70.
- 25 ÷ 70 x 100 = 35.7%.
Answer: 35.7%
- How many teams completed more than 20 hours of officer safety training?
Show working
- Read down the Officer safety column: 18, 22, 20 and 25.
- More than 20: Team B (22) and Team D (25). Team C has exactly 20, which is not more than 20.
Answer: 2 teams
That is 22 worked questions across four tables. If you got most of them right without opening the working, move on to timed practice. If not, the traps table below shows where to focus.
Table 1 annotated: totals you build yourself
Here is Table 1 again with the totals a careful candidate would build in the first minute: a total for every row and every column. On the real paper you may not be able to rewrite a table, but adding totals in the margin (if rough working is allowed on the day) gives you the same advantage. Notice that the grand total is the same whether you add the row totals or the column totals: that is your check.
| Incident type | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Four-week total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 24 | 31 | 27 | 38 | 120 |
| Road traffic | 18 | 15 | 22 | 17 | 72 |
| Theft | 12 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 46 |
| Concern for person | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 34 |
| Other | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 53 |
| Week total | 75 | 76 | 84 | 90 | 325 |
With those totals in place, at least five of the eight Table 1 questions become a single look-up or one division. The habit costs a minute and saves several.
Percentage change at a glance
Percentage change is the calculation most likely to go wrong in a table. Here is every row of Table 3 worked out, so you can see the pattern: change first, then divide by the earlier year.
| Category | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Change | Change ÷ 2024/25 | Percentage change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housebreaking | 64 | 48 | -16 | -16 ÷ 64 | -25% |
| Vandalism | 150 | 162 | +12 | 12 ÷ 150 | +8% |
| Shoplifting | 210 | 252 | +42 | 42 ÷ 210 | +20% |
| Vehicle crime | 85 | 85 | 0 | 0 ÷ 85 | No change |
| Fraud | 120 | 138 | +18 | 18 ÷ 120 | +15% |
Six more questions on the same tables
Use the four tables above. Write your answers down, then open each to check.
- Table 1: what is the difference between the highest and the lowest weekly totals?
Show answer
15. The weekly totals are 75, 76, 84, 90; 90 - 75 = 15.
- Table 1: in which week was the total number of incidents lowest?
Show answer
Week 1, with 75 incidents.
- Table 2: how many more vehicles were stopped on Kirkton Bypass than on Mill Lane?
Show answer
155. 210 - 55 = 155.
- Table 3: by how many crimes did fraud increase?
Show answer
18. 138 - 120 = 18.
- Table 4: what percentage of Team C's hours were driving? Give your answer to one decimal place.
Show answer
19.4%. Team C's total is 62 and 12 ÷ 62 x 100 = 19.4%.
- Table 4: what was the mean number of first aid hours per team?
Show answer
22.5. The first aid column totals 90 and 90 ÷ 4 = 22.5.
Judging conclusions from a table
Some table questions ask what the figures show rather than for a number. The test is the same one used in the literacy element: a conclusion is supported only if the table proves it. Try these six statements about Table 3 (crimes recorded in Dalcorrie). Decide whether the table shows each one is true, shows it is false or does not tell you.
- "Shoplifting rose by more than 40 crimes."
Show answer
True. 252 - 210 = 42, which is more than 40.
- "Fraud rose because of an increase in online scams."
Show answer
The table does not tell you. The table shows that fraud rose from 120 to 138. It gives no reason for the rise.
- "Every category rose between the two years."
Show answer
False. Housebreaking fell (64 to 48) and vehicle crime did not change (85 both years).
- "Vandalism was the most common category in 2024/25."
Show answer
False. Shoplifting (210) was higher than vandalism (150) in 2024/25.
- "Housebreaking will fall again in 2026/27."
Show answer
The table does not tell you. The table covers two past years only. It cannot show what happens next.
- "More than a third of the crimes in the table in 2025/26 were shoplifting."
Show answer
True. 252 ÷ 685 is 36.8%, which is more than a third (about 33.3%).
A table of counts tells you how many, not why. Any statement that explains a rise or fall, or predicts next year, goes beyond what the figures show unless the table itself includes that information.
The traps in table questions
| Trap | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong row or column | Reading Week 3 when the question asked about Week 4 | Put your pen on the row heading and the column heading before reading the number |
| Totals you must make yourself | "What percentage of all incidents" when no total is printed | Add the column first and write the total beside the table |
| Number versus proportion | The site with most defects is not the site with the highest defect rate | If the question says proportion, rate or percentage, divide by each total |
| Wrong base for percentage change | Dividing the change by the new figure | Always divide the change by the earlier (starting) figure |
| Boundary words | Counting 10 as "more than 10" | Underline more than, fewer than, at least and no more than |
| Units in headings | A column headed "hours" or "(£ thousands)" | Read the heading units before you write the answer |
| Single cell versus whole column | The biggest single figure is not the biggest column total | Re-read whether the question is about one cell, a row or a column |
Each trap appears in at least one of the worked questions above, marked "Trap". If you fell for one, redo every question that uses it before moving on.
Getting faster without losing accuracy
The paper allows about 73 seconds a question on average (60 minutes ÷ 49 questions) and Police Scotland does not set separate timings for each element. Table questions reward a slow start and a fast finish:
- Spend 30 to 60 seconds on the table before the first question. Read every heading and note any units. Several questions usually share the table, so this time is repaid.
- Reuse your totals. In Table 1, the week 4 total served two questions. Write totals down once and use them again.
- Estimate before calculating. 38 out of 90 is a bit under half, so about 42% looks right and 4.2% or 84% does not.
- Use the calculator for division, your head for comparison. You often do not need exact percentages to see which is largest; 19 out of 95 (about a fifth) is clearly more than 4 out of 55.
- Move on when stuck. If a question has taken more than two minutes, mark your best answer and come back if time allows.
Sense checks before you write the answer
| Check | If it fails |
|---|---|
| A percentage of a whole is between 0% and 100% | You divided the wrong way round (whole ÷ part) |
| A part is smaller than its total | You added the wrong cells or missed one |
| A fall gives a negative change; a rise a positive one | You subtracted the wrong way or read the years in the wrong order |
| Row totals added together equal column totals added together | One of your totals is wrong (in Table 4 both come to 270) |
| The answer has the unit the question asks for | You answered in hours when it asked for minutes, or as a fraction when it asked for a percentage |
A three-week practice plan
| Week | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Work through the four tables on this page without opening the working. Sit Police Scotland's mock untimed. Learn the question words table. |
| 2 | Build your own tables from published statistics (any council or sports results page) and write five questions about each: a total, a difference, a percentage, a percentage change and a ranking. |
| 3 | Timed practice across all three elements, then at least one full 49-question paper in 60 minutes, handwritten in ink. |
See which element needs most work with the PSET readiness quiz, then practise with the free PSET practice test, which includes information handling questions. Full timed papers are in the PSET Pack.
Where information handling fits
The PSET comes after the application form and before the fitness assessment and the assessment day. The same percentage methods appear in the numeracy element, so our numeracy guide doubles as practice here. The careful reading of the literacy guide applies to table headings too. For the whole process, see how to join Police Scotland.
1919 Magazine (Scottish Police Federation) reported in October 2025, from figures obtained under freedom of information, that the PSET pass rate was 78% in 2022/23, 87% in 2023/24 and 94% in 2024/25. Police Scotland does not publish these figures on its recruitment pages and they are not broken down by element.
What we could not verify
Police Scotland does not publish the following, so this page does not state them:
- How many of the 49 questions are information handling questions.
- The information handling pass mark.
- Whether the real paper uses charts or graphs as well as tables.
- Whether rough working may be written on the question paper.
- Resit waiting periods and attempt limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is information handling in the Police Scotland entrance test?
It is one of the three elements of the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET), alongside numeracy and literacy. In Police Scotland's published mock paper, the information handling questions are based on a table of offences and outcomes: you find figures, combine them and judge what the table shows.
How many information handling questions are in the PSET?
Police Scotland does not publish the split. It says the paper has 49 questions in 60 minutes across three elements. Its mock paper has 5 information handling questions out of 15, but the mock is a sample, not a full paper.
Is information handling the same as numeracy?
They overlap, because both use arithmetic and you are given a calculator. Numeracy questions give you the numbers in a short written problem. Information handling questions make you find the right numbers in a table first, so reading the table accurately is the main skill.
Can I use a calculator for information handling?
Police Scotland's reasonable adjustments page says a calculator is provided for the PSET. It does not say the calculator is limited to one element.
What is the pass mark for information handling?
Police Scotland does not publish it. You must pass all three elements of the PSET, so information handling needs the same attention as the other two.
Are there charts and graphs as well as tables?
Police Scotland's mock uses a table. It does not publish whether the real paper also uses charts or graphs. The skills on this page (finding the right figure, totals, percentages and comparisons) apply to both.
How do I work out a percentage from a table?
Find the part and the whole. The part is the figure the question asks about; the whole is the total it is a share of, which you may need to add up yourself. Divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100.
Why is the biggest number not always the answer?
Because many questions ask about a proportion or a rate, not a count. A site that stopped more vehicles will usually find more defects; the site with the highest defect rate is the one where defects are the largest share of its own total.
How fast do I need to be?
The whole paper allows about 73 seconds a question on average. Several questions usually share one table, so spending 30 to 60 seconds understanding the table first saves time across all of them.
What does 'more than' mean in a table question?
Strictly more than the figure given. "More than 10" means 11 or more, so a row with exactly 10 does not count. "At least 10" would include 10.
Should I write on the question paper?
The PSET is a handwritten paper completed in ink. Police Scotland does not publish rules about rough working, so check your invitation and any instructions on the day. Where working is allowed, writing a row or column total beside the table saves time.
Are these real PSET tables?
No. All four tables and every question on this page were written by PolicePay with invented places and figures. They are not Police Scotland material and Police Scotland says it does not endorse any study materials.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 22 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.
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer selection process : one paper with three core elements including information handling, 49 questions in 60 minutes, pass all three (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : the PSET evaluates understanding of language, information handling and numeracy; no endorsed study materials (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: PSET mock questions (Word file) : 5 information handling questions based on a table of offences and outcomes (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: PSET mock answers (Word file) : answers to the mock questions (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer reasonable adjustments and support : handwritten in ink under exam conditions, multiple choice or free text answers, calculator provided (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013, regulation 6 (qualifications for appointment) : constable candidates must pass an approved assessment of English and numeracy (accessed 22 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
More for applicants and Scottish officers
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not official Police Scotland questions. Police Scotland sets and changes its own selection process, so check its recruitment pages and your candidate account before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 22 October 2026.