PSET
Numeracy
Everything you need for the number questions in the Police Scotland Entrance Test: what Police Scotland publishes about the paper, a checklist of skills, a method that works for every question and 24 worked examples we wrote ourselves, each checked twice.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Numeracy is one of three elements of the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET), a single handwritten paper of 49 questions in 60 minutes. You must pass every element. A calculator is provided. Police Scotland's mock paper has number questions answered by writing a figure, set in everyday policing situations. Practise percentages, ratios, speed and time, the 24-hour clock, money, averages, fractions and units. The pass mark and the number of numeracy questions are not published.
What the numeracy 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". Numeracy is the element that checks you can do everyday arithmetic accurately: the sort of sums an officer does when working out times, distances, money and numbers of people.
There is a legal reason the test exists. Police Scotland says you do not need any formal qualifications to apply. Instead, regulation 6 of the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 requires a candidate for constable to pass an assessment of English (written and spoken) and numeracy approved by the chief constable and the Scottish Ministers. The PSET is that assessment, so every new officer applicant sits it, whatever qualifications they hold.
| Feature | What Police Scotland says |
|---|---|
| Paper | One examination paper with three core elements: numeracy, literacy and information handling |
| Length | 49 questions in 60 minutes for the whole paper |
| Pass rule | You must pass all three elements |
| How you answer | Handwritten, in ink, under exam conditions: multiple choice or answers written in free text boxes |
| Calculator | Provided |
| Numeracy questions in the paper | Not published |
| Numeracy pass mark | Not published |
| Separate time for numeracy | None published: one 60-minute paper |
Because each element must be passed, numeracy cannot carry you if your reading is weak and your reading cannot carry you if your arithmetic is shaky. Treat numeracy as its own exam that you need to pass, inside a single hour.
What Police Scotland's mock paper shows
Police Scotland publishes a short mock paper with answers as two Word files, linked from its recruitment process page. The mock has 15 questions: 4 language questions, 6 number questions and 5 information handling questions. The number questions are answered by writing the figure, not by picking from options. The mock refers to a strategy launched in 2025, so it is a recent version.
What the mock does not tell you matters just as much. It does not state timings, calculator rules or pass marks and it is a sample, not a full paper. Police Scotland has not published how many of the 49 real questions are numeracy questions, so do not plan your hour around a split you have read on another site.
The number questions in the mock (and the description of it on our PSET guide) point to everyday arithmetic in a policing setting: subtracting, working with a ratio, adding weights, multiplying a weekly figure, a percentage change and a speed, distance and time sum. That matches the eight skills below. We have not reproduced any of Police Scotland's questions on this page: every example here is our own.
The best single practice resource is Police Scotland's own mock, because it shows the real style of wording. Do it under time, then use the examples here to drill the skills behind each question. Police Scotland says it does not endorse any study materials, including ours.
The numeracy skills checklist
These are the skills to be confident with before you sit the paper. None needs more than arithmetic and a basic calculator, but each has a trap that costs marks under time pressure.
| Skill | What you need to be able to do | Calculator key move |
|---|---|---|
| Percentages | Find a percentage of an amount; work out a percentage increase or decrease; reverse a percentage change | Multiply by the decimal (15% is 0.15); divide the change by the starting figure |
| Ratios and proportion | Split a total in a ratio; scale "1 in every 40" up or down | Divide the total by the number of parts, then multiply |
| Speed, distance and time | Find any one of the three from the other two | Convert minutes to hours first (divide by 60) |
| Time and the 24-hour clock | Add a duration to a start time; find the gap between two times; cross midnight | Work in minutes, then convert back |
| Money | Totals, change, costs per unit, pence to pounds | Enter pence as pounds (45p is 0.45) |
| Averages | Find the mean; find a missing value from a known mean | Total = mean x count |
| Fractions | Find a fraction of an amount; turn a fraction into a decimal or percentage | Divide by the bottom, multiply by the top |
| Units and scales | Metres and kilometres, grams and kilograms, map scales | Know the conversion before you press anything |
Tick a skill off only when you can do three questions of that type in a row correctly, in under a minute each, without looking at the method. If one skill keeps tripping you up, that is where your practice time goes.
A five-step method for every number question
A calculator removes most of the arithmetic, which means most lost marks come from setting the sum up wrongly. This method takes a few seconds and catches the common errors:
- Underline what is being asked for and its unit. Minutes or hours? Pounds or pence? Kilometres or metres? The number of people left, or the number who went?
- Estimate. Before touching the calculator, decide roughly how big the answer should be. 42 miles at about 60 mph is a bit under an hour. 15% of 360 is a bit more than 36 (10%).
- Convert units first. Minutes to hours for speed questions, grams to kilograms, pence to pounds, km to metres. Most wrong answers on speed and time questions are unit errors.
- Write one line of working, then calculate. For example "12 ÷ 80 x 100". A line of working stops you pressing the right keys in the wrong order.
- Compare with your estimate and write the answer in the form asked. Money to two decimal places, time in hours and minutes and the unit if there is no unit printed next to the box.
The worked examples below all follow this method. There are 24 of them, grouped by skill. Try each one before reading the working.
Percentages: five worked examples
Percentages are the skill most likely to appear in more than one form. The three you need are: a percentage of an amount, a percentage change and a reverse percentage (working back to the original).
| Type | Formula | Example set-up |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of an amount | percentage ÷ 100 x amount | 15% of 360 = 0.15 x 360 |
| Percentage change | (new - old) ÷ old x 100 | (92 - 80) ÷ 80 x 100 |
| Reverse after a decrease | new ÷ (1 - percentage as decimal) | £4,500 ÷ 0.75 |
| Reverse after an increase | new ÷ (1 + percentage as decimal) | £2,400 ÷ 1.2 |
| A percentage of a percentage | Work out the first share, then the second share of that | 30% of (60% of 250) |
- A division of 360 officers has 15% on annual leave in a given week. How many officers are on leave?
- 15% as a decimal is 0.15.
- 0.15 x 360 = 54.
Answer: 54 officers
- Reports of bike theft in Kilmarran rose from 80 one quarter to 92 the next. What was the percentage increase?
- Change = 92 - 80 = 12.
- Divide the change by the starting figure: 12 ÷ 80 = 0.15.
- 0.15 x 100 = 15%.
Answer: 15%
Trap: Dividing by the new figure (12 ÷ 92) gives about 13%, which is wrong. Percentage change is always measured against where you started.
- Average response time to a type of call fell from 25 minutes to 21 minutes. What was the percentage decrease?
- Change = 25 - 21 = 4 minutes.
- 4 ÷ 25 = 0.16.
- 0.16 x 100 = 16%.
Answer: 16%
- After a 25% cut, a community safety budget is £4,500. What was it before the cut?
- After a 25% cut, what is left is 75% of the original.
- So £4,500 is 75% of the original: £4,500 ÷ 0.75 = £6,000.
- Check: 25% of £6,000 is £1,500 and £6,000 - £1,500 = £4,500.
Answer: £6,000
Trap: Adding 25% to £4,500 gives £5,625, which is wrong. The 25% was a share of the original, not of the reduced figure.
- Of 250 calls to a control room in one evening, 60% were about noise. Of the noise calls, 30% were from people who had called before. How many repeat noise calls were there?
- Noise calls: 0.6 x 250 = 150.
- Repeat noise calls: 0.3 x 150 = 45.
Answer: 45 calls
Trap: Adding the percentages (60% + 30% = 90%) or taking 30% of all 250 calls (75) answers a different question. Read which total each percentage belongs to.
Ratios and proportion: two worked examples
A ratio question gives you a total and a split such as 3:4. The method is always the same: add the parts, find what one part is worth, then multiply. Proportion questions such as "1 in every 40" are a division.
- 84 volunteers are split between two community events in the ratio 3:4. How many go to each event?
- Total parts = 3 + 4 = 7.
- One part = 84 ÷ 7 = 12.
- First event: 3 x 12 = 36. Second event: 4 x 12 = 48.
- Check: 36 + 48 = 84.
Answer: 36 and 48
- At a roadside check, 1 in every 40 vehicles stopped had a defect. If 1,000 vehicles are stopped at the same rate, how many would you expect to have a defect?
- 1,000 ÷ 40 = 25.
Answer: 25 vehicles
The parts of a ratio split must add back to the total. If 36 + 48 did not make 84, you would know straight away that a step had gone wrong. It takes two seconds and catches most slips.
Speed, distance and time: three worked examples
There are three versions of this question and one triangle covers them all: distance = speed x time; speed = distance ÷ time; time = distance ÷ speed. The one thing to get right is units. If the speed is in miles per hour, the time must be in hours.
| Minutes | As a decimal of an hour |
|---|---|
| 6 minutes | 0.1 |
| 12 minutes | 0.2 |
| 15 minutes | 0.25 |
| 18 minutes | 0.3 |
| 20 minutes | 0.333 (one third) |
| 30 minutes | 0.5 |
| 40 minutes | 0.667 (two thirds) |
| 45 minutes | 0.75 |
- An officer drives 42 miles at an average speed of 56 mph. How many minutes does the journey take?
- Time = distance ÷ speed = 42 ÷ 56 = 0.75 hours.
- 0.75 x 60 = 45 minutes.
Answer: 45 minutes
- A patrol car travels at an average of 30 mph for 18 minutes. How far does it go?
- 18 minutes in hours = 18 ÷ 60 = 0.3 hours.
- Distance = speed x time = 30 x 0.3 = 9 miles.
Answer: 9 miles
Trap: Multiplying 30 by 18 gives 540, which is plainly far too big. Convert minutes to hours before using a speed in miles per hour.
- A cyclist covers 12 km in 15 minutes. What is the average speed in km/h?
- 15 minutes = 15 ÷ 60 = 0.25 hours.
- Speed = distance ÷ time = 12 ÷ 0.25 = 48 km/h.
Answer: 48 km/h
Time and the 24-hour clock: four worked examples
Time questions are where calculators let you down, because an hour has 60 minutes, not 100. The safe approach is to count up in chunks (to the next hour, then whole hours, then the minutes left) or to convert everything into minutes and back. Shift questions often cross midnight, so practise those in particular.
- A night shift starts at 22:00 and lasts 10 hours 45 minutes. When does it end?
- 22:00 plus 2 hours is 00:00 (midnight). That uses 2 of the 10 hours 45 minutes.
- 8 hours 45 minutes remain: 00:00 plus 8 hours 45 minutes is 08:45.
- Or in minutes: 22:00 is 1,320 minutes after midnight. 1,320 + 645 = 1,965. Take away a full day (1,440) to get 525 minutes, which is 8 hours 45 minutes.
Answer: 08:45 the next day
- An officer is on duty from 07:40 to 17:25. How long is that?
- 07:40 to 08:00 is 20 minutes.
- 08:00 to 17:00 is 9 hours.
- 17:00 to 17:25 is 25 minutes.
- Total: 9 hours 45 minutes.
Answer: 9 hours 45 minutes
Trap: Subtracting on a calculator (17.25 - 7.40 = 9.85) gives nonsense, because minutes are in sixties, not hundredths. Count up in chunks instead.
- In one week an officer works four shifts of 10.5 hours and one shift of 8 hours 15 minutes. What is the total, in hours and minutes?
- Four shifts: 4 x 10.5 = 42 hours.
- 8 hours 15 minutes = 8.25 hours.
- 42 + 8.25 = 50.25 hours.
- 0.25 of an hour is 15 minutes, so 50 hours 15 minutes.
Answer: 50 hours 15 minutes
- A calculator shows 6.4 hours. What is that in hours and minutes?
- The whole number is 6 hours.
- 0.4 of an hour = 0.4 x 60 = 24 minutes.
Answer: 6 hours 24 minutes
Trap: 6.4 hours is not 6 hours 40 minutes. Multiply the decimal part by 60.
| 12-hour | 24-hour |
|---|---|
| Midnight | 00:00 |
| 7.40am | 07:40 |
| Noon | 12:00 |
| 1.15pm | 13:15 |
| 5.25pm | 17:25 |
| 10pm | 22:00 |
| 11.59pm | 23:59 |
Money: three worked examples
Money questions are usually simple once the units are right. Enter pence as decimals of a pound, keep the calculator display to two decimal places in your head and write the £ sign if the box does not already show it.
- A volunteer claims mileage for 46 miles at 45p a mile. How much is the claim?
- 45p = £0.45.
- 46 x 0.45 = 20.7.
- Write money to two decimal places: £20.70.
Answer: £20.70
- Three items cost £4.85, £12.40 and £7.95. They are paid for with a £30 note. How much change is given?
- Total: 4.85 + 12.40 + 7.95 = 25.20.
- Change: 30 - 25.20 = 4.80.
Answer: £4.80
- A patrol vehicle uses 28 litres of fuel a week. How much does it use over 13 weeks?
- 28 x 13 = 364.
Answer: 364 litres
Averages: two worked examples
In the PSET context "average" will almost always mean the mean: add the figures up and divide by how many there are. The useful reverse trick is that total = mean x count, which lets you find a missing value.
- A control room took 34, 41, 29, 38 and 33 calls on five evenings. What was the mean number of calls an evening?
- Total: 34 + 41 + 29 + 38 + 33 = 175.
- Mean: 175 ÷ 5 = 35.
Answer: 35 calls
- The mean of four practice scores is 18. Three of the scores are 15, 20 and 17. What is the fourth?
- Total of all four = mean x count = 18 x 4 = 72.
- Total of the three known = 15 + 20 + 17 = 52.
- Fourth = 72 - 52 = 20.
Answer: 20
Mean: total divided by the count. Median: the middle value once the figures are in order. Mode: the value that appears most often. If a question uses the word "average" without saying which, use the mean.
Fractions: two worked examples
A fraction of an amount means divide by the bottom number and multiply by the top. To turn a fraction into a decimal, divide the top by the bottom (2/5 = 2 ÷ 5 = 0.4). To turn it into a percentage, multiply that decimal by 100.
| Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 | 50% |
| 1/4 | 0.25 | 25% |
| 3/4 | 0.75 | 75% |
| 1/5 | 0.2 | 20% |
| 2/5 | 0.4 | 40% |
| 1/8 | 0.125 | 12.5% |
| 3/8 | 0.375 | 37.5% |
| 1/10 | 0.1 | 10% |
- A team delivered 3/8 of 640 leaflets on Monday. How many were delivered and how many are left?
- One eighth of 640 = 640 ÷ 8 = 80.
- Three eighths = 3 x 80 = 240 delivered.
- Left: 640 - 240 = 400.
Answer: 240 delivered, 400 left
- An officer spends 2/5 of a 9-hour shift on paperwork. How long is that in hours and minutes?
- 2/5 = 0.4.
- 0.4 x 9 = 3.6 hours.
- 0.6 of an hour = 0.6 x 60 = 36 minutes.
Answer: 3 hours 36 minutes
Units and scales: three worked examples
Unit questions test whether you know the conversion, not whether you can multiply. Learn the handful below so you never have to work them out on the day.
| Convert | Rule |
|---|---|
| Kilometres to metres | x 1,000 |
| Metres to centimetres | x 100 |
| Kilograms to grams | x 1,000 |
| Grams to kilograms | ÷ 1,000 |
| Hours to minutes | x 60 |
| Minutes to hours | ÷ 60 |
| Map scale 1:25,000 | 1 cm on the map is 25,000 cm (250 m) on the ground |
- How many lengths of a 15-metre track make 2.4 km?
- 2.4 km = 2.4 x 1,000 = 2,400 metres.
- 2,400 ÷ 15 = 160.
Answer: 160 lengths
- On a map with a scale of 1:25,000, two points are 6 cm apart. How far apart are they on the ground, in kilometres?
- 6 cm on the map is 6 x 25,000 = 150,000 cm on the ground.
- 100 cm = 1 m, so 150,000 cm = 1,500 m.
- 1,000 m = 1 km, so 1,500 m = 1.5 km.
Answer: 1.5 km
- Property bags weigh 1.25 kg, 1.25 kg, 1.25 kg, 750 g and 750 g. What is the total weight in kilograms?
- Convert grams to kilograms: 750 g = 0.75 kg.
- 3 x 1.25 = 3.75 kg.
- 2 x 0.75 = 1.5 kg.
- 3.75 + 1.5 = 5.25 kg.
Answer: 5.25 kg
Using the calculator well
Police Scotland says you will be provided with a calculator. It does not publish which model, so practise on a plain basic calculator rather than a phone or a scientific one, so nothing on the day feels unfamiliar.
- Do one operation at a time and write the result down before the next step. Many basic calculators do not follow the order of operations you expect.
- Clear between questions. A leftover figure is an easy way to lose a mark.
- Do not use it for easy sums. 640 ÷ 8 or 4 x 10.5 is faster in your head and checking it mentally is a useful habit.
- Use it for the awkward ones. 1,140 ÷ 96 or 0.3 x 150 under pressure is where a calculator pays for itself.
- Read the display out to yourself. 20.7 is £20.70; 0.75 hours is 45 minutes; 9.75 hours is 9 hours 45 minutes.
The paper is completed in ink. Write figures clearly, keep the decimal point visible and if you change an answer, cross it through neatly and write the new one beside it so there is no doubt which counts. Check your invitation for anything else you are told about how to mark changes.
The mistakes that cost marks
These are the errors we see most often when people work through number questions under time. Each has a simple habit that prevents it.
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage change divided by the new figure | The new figure is the one in front of you | Write "change ÷ start" at the top of your working every time |
| Reverse percentages done forwards | Taking 20% off this year's figure feels natural | Ask: what is this figure a percentage of? Then divide by 1.2, 0.75 and so on |
| Minutes treated as decimals | Calculators work in tenths and hundredths | Convert to minutes, or multiply the decimal part of an hour by 60 |
| Crossing midnight | Times after midnight look smaller than times before | Count to 00:00 first, then add what is left |
| Units mixed | A question gives grams and kilograms, or km and m, together | Convert everything to one unit before you calculate |
| Money written as 20.7 | The calculator drops the final zero | Write money to two decimal places with the £ sign |
| Answer far too big or small | One wrong key press | Estimate first: 42 miles at about 60 mph is a bit under an hour |
| Answering a different question | Rushing the wording | Underline the unit the question asks for: minutes, hours, km, £ |
Quick-fire self-test: 12 questions
Twelve short questions, one for each trap above and a few extras, all original. Give yourself 12 minutes, write your answers down, then open each answer to check. Aim for every one correct before moving on to full papers.
- What is 20% of 85?
Show answer
17. 0.2 x 85 = 17.
- Add 3 hours 50 minutes to 2 hours 25 minutes.
Show answer
6 hours 15 minutes. 3 h + 2 h = 5 h; 50 min + 25 min = 75 min = 1 h 15 min; total 6 h 15 min.
- How long does 150 miles take at 60 mph, in hours and minutes?
Show answer
2 hours 30 minutes. 150 ÷ 60 = 2.5 hours and 0.5 of an hour is 30 minutes.
- A daily parking charge is £3.60. What does a week of 7 days cost?
Show answer
£25.20. 3.60 x 7 = 25.2, written as £25.20.
- What is the mean of 12, 15, 9 and 20?
Show answer
14. The total is 56 and 56 ÷ 4 = 14.
- On a 1:50,000 map two places are 4 cm apart. How far is that in km?
Show answer
2 km. 4 x 50,000 = 200,000 cm = 2,000 m = 2 km.
- Split 45 in the ratio 2:3.
Show answer
18 and 27. 2 + 3 = 5 parts; 45 ÷ 5 = 9; 2 x 9 = 18 and 3 x 9 = 27.
- A figure rises from 40 to 50. What is the percentage increase?
Show answer
25%. The change is 10 and 10 ÷ 40 = 0.25.
- Convert 0.35 hours to minutes.
Show answer
21 minutes. 0.35 x 60 = 21.
- A shift starts at 23:30 and lasts 3 hours 45 minutes. When does it end?
Show answer
03:15. 23:30 to 00:00 is 30 minutes, leaving 3 hours 15 minutes after midnight.
- After a 10% rise a figure is 264. What was it before?
Show answer
240. 264 ÷ 1.1 = 240. Check: 10% of 240 is 24 and 240 + 24 = 264.
- What is 5/6 of 90?
Show answer
75. 90 ÷ 6 = 15 and 5 x 15 = 75.
Scored 10 or more? Your numeracy method is in good shape: move on to timed mixed practice. Scored under 8? Go back to the section for each question you missed and redo its worked examples before trying again tomorrow.
A four-week numeracy plan
Our suggestion for someone who has not done much maths since school. If you are already confident, compress the first two weeks into one. This is not an official Police Scotland plan.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Percentages and money | Work through the examples on this page by hand and then with a basic calculator. Make a one-page sheet of the methods. |
| 2 | Time, speed, distance and units | Practise converting minutes and hours both ways until it is automatic. Do 10 time questions a day, including some that cross midnight. |
| 3 | Mixed practice under time | Mix numeracy with literacy and information handling, because the real paper is one 60-minute paper. Use our free practice questions in timed mode. |
| 4 | Full papers | Sit at least one full 49-question paper in 60 minutes, handwritten in ink, then review every wrong answer. |
For timed practice across all three elements, use our free PSET practice test. To see which element needs the most work, take the PSET readiness quiz first. When you are ready for a full 49-question paper against the clock, the PSET Pack has three.
Where numeracy fits in the whole process
The PSET comes after the application form and before the fitness assessment and the assessment day. Numbers also appear in the information handling element, where you read figures from a table and often work out a total or a percentage, so the percentage skills on this page help twice. Our information handling guide has worked table questions and the literacy guide covers the true, false or not possible to say questions. For the full journey, start at how to join Police Scotland.
1919 Magazine (the Scottish Police Federation's magazine) reported in October 2025, from figures it 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. A high pass rate is a reason for confidence, not for skipping practice: you still have to pass each element on the day.
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 numeracy questions.
- The pass mark for the numeracy element.
- Whether numeracy questions are grouped together or mixed through the paper.
- The make or model of calculator provided.
- How long you must wait before resitting the PSET and how many attempts you get.
- Whether any qualification exempts you from the test. None is mentioned on Police Scotland's pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What maths is in the Police Scotland entrance test?
Police Scotland describes numeracy as one of three elements of the Police Scotland Entrance Test, alongside literacy and information handling. Its published mock paper has six number questions answered by writing a figure. They are everyday sums in policing situations: percentages, ratios, money, time, speed and distance, averages and units are the core skills to practise.
Can I use a calculator in the PSET numeracy section?
Yes. Police Scotland's reasonable adjustments page says you will be provided with a calculator. The skill being tested is mostly choosing the right calculation and setting it up correctly, so practise with a basic calculator rather than your phone.
How many numeracy questions are in the PSET?
Police Scotland does not publish how the 49 questions are split between numeracy, literacy and information handling. Its mock paper has 15 questions in total, 6 of them number questions, but the mock is a sample and does not state the split in the real paper.
What is the pass mark for PSET numeracy?
Police Scotland does not publish it. It says only that you must pass all three elements of the paper. Pass marks quoted on some commercial sites relate to the older Standard Entrance Test and are not confirmed for the PSET.
Is the numeracy section multiple choice?
In Police Scotland's mock paper the number questions are answered by writing the figure. Police Scotland says the real paper is a handwritten mix of multiple-choice answers and answers in free text boxes, completed in ink.
How long should I spend on each numeracy question?
The whole paper is 49 questions in 60 minutes, about 73 seconds a question on average. Police Scotland does not set separate timings for each element. Most number questions should take well under a minute once you know the method, which buys time for the reading in the other elements.
What is the hardest type of PSET number question?
In our experience of writing practice questions, the ones that catch people are reverse percentages (finding the original after a change), time that crosses midnight and converting decimals of an hour into minutes. Each has a worked example on this page.
How do I work out a percentage increase?
Take the new figure away from the old one to get the change, divide the change by the old (starting) figure, then multiply by 100. From 80 to 92 is a change of 12. 12 divided by 80 is 0.15, which is 15%.
How do I convert 0.75 of an hour into minutes?
Multiply the decimal by 60. 0.75 x 60 = 45 minutes. In the same way 0.4 of an hour is 24 minutes, not 40.
Do I need GCSE or Higher maths to pass?
Police Scotland says you do not need any formal qualifications to apply. The PSET is how it checks numeracy instead, as regulation 6 of the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 requires. The maths is everyday arithmetic rather than algebra or geometry.
Are the worked examples on this page real PSET questions?
No. Every question here was written by PolicePay, with invented places and figures. They follow the kinds of skills the published mock uses but they are not Police Scotland questions and Police Scotland does not endorse any study materials.
What if I am good at maths but weak at reading?
You still need to pass every element. Police Scotland says you must pass all three, so a strong numeracy score cannot make up for a weak literacy or information handling score. Spend most of your time on your weakest element.
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 examination paper with three core elements, 49 questions in 60 minutes, pass all three elements (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer reasonable adjustments and support : handwritten in ink under exam conditions, multiple choice and free-text answers, calculator provided, reasonable adjustments (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : the PSET's three areas, Police Scotland does not endorse study materials, link to the mock paper (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: PSET mock questions (Word file) : 15 sample questions including 6 number questions answered in writing (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: PSET mock answers (Word file) : answers to the sample questions (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013, regulation 6 (qualifications for appointment) : regulation 6(1): constable candidates must pass an approved assessment of English and numeracy (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : no formal qualifications needed to apply (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.