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Free Tool

PSET
Readiness Quiz

9 original sample questions in the published PSET format and 4 quick questions about your preparation. You see a readiness read for each element, the answers explained and what to work on first. About 5 minutes, no account.

Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated

Short answer: how do I know if I am ready for the PSET?

You are close to ready when you can sit a full 49-question paper in 60 minutes and score well across all three elements, not just your favourite one. Police Scotland does not publish the pass mark, but you must pass every element, so your weakest element decides how ready you are.

Contents
The QuizWhat It CoversReading Your ResultWhat to Do NextThe Real PSETWhat We Could Not Verify FAQs Sources
Preparing for the PSET? 10 full timed papers in the PSET Pack, £24.99

Take the quiz

Answer every question, then press See my readiness. Answers and explanations appear after you finish.

Language

The Kelbrae Community Larder (invented)

The Kelbrae Community Larder opened in March 2024 in a former bank building on the town's main street. It is run by 14 volunteers and is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Anyone living in the Kelbrae area can use the larder and no referral is needed. Most of the food is donated by two local supermarkets, although the larder also buys fresh fruit with money from a council grant. In its first year the larder recorded 6,200 visits. The volunteers say demand is highest at the end of the month.

1. Read the passage. Statement: The larder is open three days a week.
2. Statement: People need a referral from the council to use the larder.
3. Statement: Demand at the larder rose in its second year.

Numbers (use a calculator if you like: one is provided on the day)

4. An officer's shift starts at 22:30 and lasts 10 hours 15 minutes. What time does it end?
5. A car travels 54 miles in 45 minutes. What is its average speed in miles per hour?
6. A team has a budget of £46,000 and has spent £18,400. What percentage of the budget is left?

Information handling

Reported incidents by area, January to March (invented)
AreaJanuaryFebruaryMarch
Northfield423851
Eastgate273330
Riverside554749
7. Using the table: which area had the most reported incidents over the three months?
8. How many incidents were reported across all three areas in February?
9. By what percentage did Northfield's incidents rise from February to March, to one decimal place?

Your preparation

10. Have you sat a full 49-question practice paper in 60 minutes?
11. How sure are you of percentages and percentage change without looking up the method?
12. How many true, false or not possible to say statements have you practised?
13. How much time can you give PSET practice each week?
0 of 13 answered

Free, no account. Your answers stay in your browser and are not stored or sent.

What the quiz covers

PartQuestionsFormat
Language3A short invented passage, then statements marked true, false or not possible to say
Numbers3Time, speed and percentages set in everyday policing situations
Information handling3A small invented table: totals, comparisons and percentage change
Your preparation4Timed papers, method confidence, practice volume and weekly time

The language format follows Police Scotland's own mock paper, which uses true, false or not possible to say statements on a passage. The real paper mixes multiple-choice answers with written answers in boxes; the quiz uses multiple choice throughout so it can mark you instantly.

Reading your result

ResultWhat it meansFocus next
Early daysSeveral sample answers slipped or your preparation has not started.Learn the method for each element before you time yourself.
BuildingYou have most of the basics.Add full 60-minute papers and target the element that slipped.
Close to ready on this sampleYou got the sample right and you have practised under time.Keep sitting timed papers so the pace holds for all 49 questions.
Your weakest element matters most

Police Scotland says you must pass all three elements. A strong numbers score does not make up for a weak language score, so spend most of your time where the quiz showed a gap.

What to do next

  1. Read the guide for your weakest element: literacy, numeracy or information handling.
  2. Work through the free practice questions, untimed first.
  3. Sit full 60-minute papers by hand, in ink, with a basic calculator, as Police Scotland describes the real test.
  4. Read what to expect on PSET day a week before.

The real PSET in brief

  • One examination paper with three elements: numeracy, literacy and information handling.
  • 49 questions in 60 minutes; you must pass all three elements.
  • Handwritten in ink under exam conditions, with multiple-choice answers and free-text boxes.
  • A calculator is provided.

The full picture is in our PSET guide.

What we could not verify

  • The PSET pass mark for each element.
  • How the 49 questions split between the three elements.
  • Resit rules and waiting periods.
  • Whether the real paper uses question types beyond those in Police Scotland's mock.
Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this quiz predict whether I will pass the PSET?

No. Nine questions cannot predict a 49-question result and Police Scotland does not publish the pass mark. The quiz shows which element to work on first and whether your preparation habits are in place.

Are these real Police Scotland questions?

No. Every passage, table and figure is original PolicePay material written in the format of Police Scotland's published mock paper. Police Scotland says it does not endorse any study materials.

How long is the real PSET?

One handwritten paper of 49 questions in 60 minutes, about 73 seconds a question on average. It covers numeracy, literacy and information handling and you must pass all three elements.

Can I use a calculator?

Yes. Police Scotland's adjustments page says a calculator is provided on the day. Use one for the quiz too if you like.

Why does it ask about my preparation?

Because pace matters in a 60-minute paper. Getting a short sample right untimed is a different skill from holding about 73 seconds a question for 49 questions. The four preparation questions add that to your result.

Is anything stored?

No. Your answers stay in your browser. We record only that the quiz was started and finished, with the overall band.

What should I do after the quiz?

Work on your weakest element with the free practice questions and the element guides, then sit full 60-minute papers under exam conditions. The PSET Pack has 10 original full papers, section drills and a score report after every paper.

Evidence

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.

  1. Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer selection process : one paper, three elements, 49 questions in 60 minutes, pass all three (accessed 22 October 2026)
  2. Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer reasonable adjustments and support : handwritten in ink, multiple choice and free text, calculator provided (accessed 22 October 2026)
  3. Police Scotland: PSET mock questions (Word file) : the format of the language, numbers and information handling questions (accessed 22 October 2026)
  4. Police Scotland: Our recruitment process (police officer) : Police Scotland does not endorse any study materials (accessed 22 October 2026)
Related Guides

On this topic elsewhere

PSET Literacy → True, false or not possible to say, worked through. PSET Numeracy → The maths you need, with worked examples. PSET Information Handling → Reading tables fast and accurately. PSET Test Day → What to expect and how to pace it.
Joining Police Scotland

More in this guide series

Start here Join Police Scotland hub Every stage in order, from eligibility to the PSET, fitness, the assessment day, final checks and training. Before you apply Eligibility requirements Age, three years in the UK, indefinite leave, manual licence, points, finances, eyesight and the rejection list. Free tool Eligibility checker Answer short questions and see each published rule you meet, need to check or do not meet yet. Before you apply Age limits and mature applicants Apply from 18 with no published upper limit. What pension age 60 means if you join later. Before you apply Driving licence and points Manual licence, DVLA group 2 medical standards, the more-than-6-points rule and drink driving. Before you apply Finance and debt rules Trust deeds, sequestration, bankruptcy and the £1,000 defaulted accounts rule, with dates worked out. Before you apply Tattoos and appearance What you declare, the photos, how tattoos are reviewed and the rejection figures from FOI. Compare Scotland vs England and Wales No National Sift, no degree routes, a written entrance test and an in-person assessment day. Plan How long recruitment takes What is fixed (18 weeks' training, 2 years' probation, the 6-month fitness rule) and what is not published. Plan Timeline to 31 March 2027 A month-by-month preparation plan for the current Police Officer vacancy. Free tool Timeline planner Plan your preparation and track your own stage dates against the fixed rules. Application Application form step by step Both parts of the form, the 800-word personal statement, word limits and what to have ready. Application Values question examples Two annotated example answers and ten evidence prompts for each value. Tool Values question tool Two example answers and a free builder for the 400-word values answer. Application Values and Code of Ethics Fairness, integrity, respect and human rights, the constable's declaration and the CVF. Entrance test Entrance test (PSET) explained 49 questions in 60 minutes across language, numbers and information handling. Entrance test PSET literacy How the language questions work, the traps and worked examples. Entrance test PSET numeracy Percentages, rates, time and money with a calculator, worked step by step. Entrance test PSET information handling Tables of figures, totals, differences and percentages, worked step by step. Entrance test PSET test day One handwritten paper in ink, a calculator provided and how to pace 49 questions. Free tool Free PSET practice test Original practice questions in the published PSET format, with worked answers. Practice pack PSET Pack 10 full 49-question papers, 210 section drill questions and a score report by skill. Fitness Fitness test (5.4) The 15-metre multi-stage test, the 5.4 standard, the six-month rule and how to train. Assessment day Assessment day The 50-minute group task, the 60-minute spoken SJE and the interview. Assessment day Group task and SJE overview How the two morning exercises run, what they reward and how to practise speaking your reasoning. Practice pack SJE practice Assessment Day Pack: 42 spoken SJE scenarios with AI feedback and 12 group task briefs. Practice Group task practice Read a brief in 10 minutes and plan the group briefing. One free brief. Interview Interview questions and answers The 20-minute, four-question competency interview and how to build answers. Practice pack Interview practice Interview Pack: a 20-minute, four-question simulator and 84 questions with probes. Final checks Medical and substance test What the medical checks, eyesight and BMI, the hair sample and random testing. Final checks References Five years of employment, character references and what to tell your referees. Final checks Vetting When vetting happens, what it confirms, the early assessment option and why timing is not published. Training Tulliallan and Jackton training 1 + 15 + 2 weeks, the two training sites and ten intakes a year. Training Probation (2 years) Response policing, pay rises during probation and what changes after. Training Divisions and postings The 13 divisions, your three posting preferences and the Islands Allowance. Pay Starting salary and progression £34,001 on appointment, every pay point to £54,597 and take-home pay. Pay Part-time and flexible working What Police Scotland offers, the part-time pay formula and probation realities. Other routes Reapplying after failing The 200-word previous-applicant question and a plan for each stage you might fail. Other routes Transferees and rejoiners Who can transfer, the 3-week course, no probation and the rejoiner route. Specials Special constable Eligibility, the PSET, the 5.4 test, training and 96 hours a year. Bundle Complete bundle All three Police Scotland practice packs in one payment.
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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.