Free National Investigators' Exam Mock
20 timed questions at the real pace of 90 seconds each, split across the four parts of the Manual like the College's published breakdown, and scored against the 55.7% pass mark. No sign-in, one free attempt. You see the correct answer to every question you miss, and you can download your result as a PDF.
- 20 questions in about 30 minutes: the real exam's pace of 90 seconds a question (80 questions in 120 minutes).
- Split across the four parts of the Manual like the College's latest published subject area breakdown: 9 from Part 1, 5 from Part 2, 3 from Part 3 and 3 from Part 4.
- Scored against the 55.7% pass mark, with a breakdown by part and the correct answer to every question you miss (the first 3 with the full explanation and source).
- A PDF of your result to keep. No sign-in, and your answers are not sent to us.
- One free attempt on this browser, so sit it properly: somewhere quiet, no notes, no pausing.
Original practice questions written from the law, not real or recalled NIE questions. A 20-question score is a rough guide, not a prediction.
How to get the most from 20 questions
Sit it the way you will sit the real thing: no notes, no phone, no pausing. The real NIE is 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, taken online at any time in the 8am to 8pm window on the day, and it must be done in one sitting. Ninety seconds a question sounds generous until a long scenario about detention clocks or disclosure eats three minutes.
The answers appear only when you submit, as in an exam: the correct answer to every question you missed, and for the first 3 the full explanation and the source. A mock only helps if you go back to the law behind the questions you got wrong, so look each one up in the Manual.
You get one free attempt, so take it early in your revision to find your weakest part, and sit it properly. Then work through the free practice questions by part and build a week-by-week revision timetable to your sitting.
What your score does and does not tell you
It does tell you
- Which of the four parts is weakest for you right now.
- Whether you can keep to 90 seconds a question.
- Which points of law you got wrong, with the correct answer.
It does not tell you
- Whether you will pass. 20 questions is a small sample and these are not real exam questions.
- How you compare with other candidates. We hold no data on that.
- Anything about the Manual edition for your sitting. If anything here differs from the Manual, go with the Manual: it is the syllabus.
The published facts behind the mock
| Real NIE | This mini mock | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 (70 scored) | 20 |
| Time | 120 minutes | About 30 minutes |
| By part (1 to 4) | 30 / 19 / 11 / 10 of 70 (September 2026) | 9 / 5 / 3 / 3 |
| Pass mark | 55.7% (39 of 70) | Compared with 55.7%, as an estimate |
At the September 2026 sitting, 665 of 1,050 candidates passed (63.3%), according to the College's results and analysis overview. See our pass mark guide and pass rates by sitting.
Want more than the free set?
The free mock draws from a fixed free set of 24 of our questions. Our NIE Exam Prep Toolkit has all 408 questions with explanations and sources, weak-spot drills, and timed 80-question mocks split by part like the real paper. It is our own paid product (£49.99, one payment for 6 months), not endorsed by the College of Policing, and no product can promise a pass. Whatever you use, the Blackstone's Police Investigators' Manual is the syllabus.
Questions
Is the free NIE mini mock really free?
Yes, once. There is no sign-in, no payment and your answers are not sent to us. You get your score against the pass mark, a breakdown by part of the Manual, the correct answer to every question you missed (the first 3 with the full explanation and source), and a PDF of your result. Your result is kept in this browser only, so a refresh does not lose it.
Are these real National Investigators' Exam questions?
No. The College of Policing does not publish real NIE questions, and its candidate handbook forbids candidates from copying, sharing or discussing questions, or even the topic areas of a sitting. These are original practice questions written by us from legislation, the PACE Codes of Practice and case law, covering the four examinable parts of the Blackstone's Police Investigators' Manual. They are not recalled questions and not taken from Blackstone's.
Why 20 questions in about 30 minutes?
The real NIE is 80 questions in 120 minutes, which is 90 seconds a question. 20 questions at that pace takes about 30 minutes: short enough for a rest day or a long break, long enough to show which part needs work.
How is the set split between the four parts?
In the same proportions as the College's own published subject area breakdown for the September 2026 sitting, where the 70 scored questions split 30, 19, 11 and 10 across Parts 1 to 4. Scaled to 20 that is 9, 5, 3 and 3. One sitting's split does not predict the next.
What is the NIE pass mark?
55.7%, which is 39 correct out of the 70 questions that are scored. Ten of the 80 questions are removed at marking because they performed least well. 85.7% and above earns an exceptional grade. The College's debrief panel can alter the pass mark in exceptional circumstances.
Does a score above 55.7% here mean I will pass?
No. It is an estimate on a short practice set of our own questions, not a prediction. Use it to decide where to spend your next study hours. A full 80-question paper in two hours, sat under exam conditions, tells you more.
Can I take the free mock more than once?
No: there is one free attempt on each browser. The set is drawn from a small free set of 24 questions, so a second go would mostly repeat questions you have already seen and tell you little. For fresh questions and full 80-question papers there is our paid toolkit (408 questions), and the free practice questions page shows some of the free set with answers.
Can I use AI or notes in the real NIE?
No. The College's handbook says using, or trying to use, artificial intelligence during the exam is treated as getting help from another person, which is cheating, and it prohibits putting any part of a question into an AI tool. The exam is taken online and must be completed in one sitting.
Related
Independent guidance and original practice material, not affiliated with, endorsed by or produced by the College of Policing or Oxford University Press. Exam structure, pass mark and results are the College of Policing's own published figures (NIE candidate handbook 2026, results overview and subject area breakdown), read on 11 October 2026. Check the current handbook and your force before you rely on a date.