NIE Exam Day:
The Online Rules
The National Investigators' Exam is sat online, unsupervised, wherever you choose, at any time from 8am to 8pm on the day. That freedom comes with strict rules: the clock never stops, AI and searching are banned, and even mentioning which topic areas came up is a breach. This guide sets out every rule from the College of Policing's 2026 candidate handbook, its online examinations candidate guide and its technical support page, with the deadlines for the November 2026 sitting.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 11 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
You sit 80 questions in 2 hours on a laptop, desktop or tablet (not a phone), starting any time from 8am and before 8pm. Nobody supervises you, but you must sit alone, the timer never pauses (breaks come out of your time), notes go only in the built-in workings tool, and AI, searching, copying, screenshots and sharing questions or topic areas are all banned. Local tech problems are your risk. Anything outside your control must be reported within three days, by 8pm.
NIE exam day at a glance
Read on 11 October 2026 from the College of Policing's NIE candidate handbook 2026 (published November 2025), its online examinations candidate guide (updated 5 August 2026) and its technical support page for exam day. The handbook says all candidates must read it; this page is a structured summary, not a substitute.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Format | 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours; 10 removed at marking, scored on 70 |
| When | Any time 8am to 8pm on the exam day; you must start before 8pm. Next: Tuesday, 17 November 2026 |
| Where | Anywhere suitable you choose, such as home or a force location; no supervision |
| Platform | Civica Assess, through a URL emailed to you (registration and results are in AIMS) |
| Devices | Laptop, desktop or tablet in landscape; not a mobile phone |
| Timer | Starts when you open the first question; cannot be paused, including for comfort breaks |
| Notes | Only the built-in workings function; no handwritten notes |
| Banned | AI tools, searching, copying or screenshotting questions, help from anyone, sharing or discussing questions or topic areas |
| If something goes wrong | Follow the on-screen instructions; report within three days by 8pm to examsinvestigator@college.police.uk |
| Penalties for breaches | Result removed or failed, a ban of two years or more, referral to chief officer and professional standards |
Which documents set the rules
Three College documents govern the day, and they say slightly different things in places:
- The NIE candidate handbook 2026. The rules, deadlines, penalties and syllabus. Where it conflicts with anything else, it is the document the College's panels apply.
- The online examinations candidate guide. Shared by all the College's online exams, including the NIE and the sergeants' and inspectors' exams. It covers the platform, your room, notes, reference materials and connection loss in more detail than the handbook.
- The technical support page. The device, operating system, browser, resolution and connection specification, and what to do when something fails.
| NIE | NPPF step two | |
|---|---|---|
| Same platform and guide | Yes: the College's online examinations candidate guide covers both | Yes |
| Questions and time | 80 in 2 hours (90 seconds each) | 150 in 3 hours (72 seconds each) |
| Window | 8am to 8pm on one day | 8am to 8pm on the exam day |
| Contact email on the day | examsinvestigator@college.police.uk | nppf.enquiries@college.police.uk |
| Rules document | NIE candidate handbook 2026 | NPPF step two candidate handbook |
If you have sat the sergeants' exam before, most of the platform will be familiar; the handbook still recommends the familiarisation exercise because the platform changes. Our NPPF exam day guide covers that exam.
Dates and deadlines for each 2026 sitting
Every date below is either in the handbook or calculated from its rules: the familiarisation link arrives approximately one week before, forces are charged for anyone still registered two weeks before, and incident reports are due three days after, by 8pm.
| Sitting | Registration and adjustment reports close | Familiarisation link | Charge point | Exam | Report deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | Wed, 4 Feb 2026, 6pm | About Wed, 25 Feb 2026 | Wed, 18 Feb 2026 | Wed, 4 Mar 2026, 8am to 8pm | Sat, 7 Mar 2026, 8pm |
| June 2026 | Wed, 6 May 2026, 6pm | About Tue, 26 May 2026 | Tue, 19 May 2026 | Tue, 2 Jun 2026, 8am to 8pm | Fri, 5 Jun 2026, 8pm |
| September 2026 | Wed, 12 Aug 2026, 6pm | About Tue, 1 Sept 2026 | Tue, 25 Aug 2026 | Tue, 8 Sept 2026, 8am to 8pm | Fri, 11 Sept 2026, 8pm |
| November 2026 | Wed, 21 Oct 2026, 6pm | About Tue, 10 Nov 2026 | Tue, 3 Nov 2026 | Tue, 17 Nov 2026, 8am to 8pm | Fri, 20 Nov 2026, 8pm |
Exam: Tuesday, 17 November 2026, 8am to 8pm. Registration closes at 6pm on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, and that is also the handbook's deadline for reasonable adjustment and accommodation reports. Incident reports and question queries must reach the College by 8pm on Friday, 20 November 2026. Your force may set earlier internal deadlines.
The 8am to 8pm window and the two hours
- Start any time from 8am, but before 8pm. The guide says "You must start your exam before 8pm."
- Support stops at 8pm. The College provides candidate support from 8am to 8pm and recommends completing the exam before 8pm in case of problems. With 120 minutes on the clock, starting by 6pm keeps the whole exam inside support hours; earlier gives you a margin for login trouble.
- No alternative dates. The handbook says there is no facility to offer alternative times or dates, and the guide says the same.
- One sitting. The exam must be completed in one go, unless you have agreed scheduled breaks.
- Why the window matters for sharing. Because candidates sit across a 12-hour window, the handbook says any content shared before others have sat could give them an unfair advantage. That is why the sharing rules are so wide.
Pick the time you are sharpest and least likely to be interrupted, then practise full timed mocks at that same time of day. If you are on shifts, look at your rota now: a late shift finishing the night before is a reason to start mid-morning rather than at 8am.
Equipment and tech requirements
The handbook makes the device your responsibility and says the College cannot accept appeals about device issues. The specification, from the guide and the technical support page:
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Device | Laptop, desktop or tablet; not a mobile phone; avoid small tablets | Candidate guide; technical support |
| Orientation and screen | Landscape; a larger screen avoids scrolling; minimum resolution 1280 x 720 | Technical support |
| Operating system | Windows 10+, macOS Big Sur+, iPadOS 15+, Android 12+. macOS Catalina is not supported | Technical support |
| Browser | Chrome 100+, Edge 100+ or Safari 15+, updated; no private or incognito windows | Candidate guide |
| Connection | At least 2 Mbps; ethernet if possible; test at the same time of day a few days before | Technical support |
| Cache | Must not be cleared automatically or restricted, including by security software | Candidate guide; technical support |
| Pop-ups | Allowed, or the assessment player may not load | Technical support |
| Force device | Allowed if it meets the specification, but you go through the force VPN and its bandwidth; exam URL must be approved; some syllabus words may be blocked on force networks | Candidate guide; technical support |
| Software updates | Done before the exam; if one starts during the exam, contact the College immediately | Candidate guide |
| Power | Plugged in | Candidate guide |
Run the College's system check, or the "Check system requirements" button on the login page, as soon as you have the URL; you can run it as many times as you like. If your device fails, or the check cannot confirm it, the guide says do not use it. If you have nothing else, contact the College before you begin so it can monitor your submission. Forces do not have to provide a device, and the College cannot.
A force device means the force VPN, the force's bandwidth and its security settings. The guide warns that syllabus words may be blocked on some networks, and the technical support page warns that some force-managed laptops restrict the cache, which is what protects your answers if the connection drops. If you can, use a personal device that passes the check.
The week before
- About a week before you are emailed a link to the familiarisation exercise. You can access it once only, and it is available until 7pm on exam day. The handbook strongly advises doing it even if you have sat a College exam before.
- Use the familiarisation exercise properly. Log in, change your password and remember it, choose your display scheme, test zoom, overlays or assistive software, navigate, flag, strike through, and submit. Make sure you see the confirmation screen; if not, contact the College before the exam.
- A few days before you receive the exam URL and login details again. If you have nothing 24 hours before, contact your NIE liaison contact (the handbook says the day before).
- Test your connection at the same time of day you plan to sit, to catch peak-time slowdowns.
- Do software updates and check the browser version.
- If you have an adjustment, check that the agreement form has been signed and returned; the guide says adjustments are only added once your force confirms that.
Logging in on the day
- Copy and paste your username from the email; the guide warns a wrong username means your results are not assigned to you.
- If you sat a College exam on the platform in the previous 18 months, your old password still applies, not the new temporary one. Reset it before exam day if you have forgotten it.
- Three wrong login attempts lock the account and you will need a reset, which can be slow on exam day.
- If asked to update the assessment player, select Yes.
- Read and agree to the declaration. The handbook says it confirms you will abide by the rules and are fit and suitably prepared. If you decline, you cannot sit.
- If you have an adjustment, click the "i" next to Time Allowed and check it before you start.
- The timer starts only when you open the first question (Start Test), so reading the declaration costs you nothing.
For the NIE it is examsinvestigator@college.police.uk. The guide suggests noting it before you start, in case you need it during the exam.
Your room, and why nobody watches you
There is no webcam proctoring and no invigilator. The guide says you are expected to act with integrity under the Code of Ethics and that there are mechanisms built into the exam to detect cheating, and that attempts to cheat are easy to identify from the way the system records activity. The handbook adds that the design of the exam makes attempts to gain an unfair advantage likely to be ineffective.
Setting up the room
- A room where you will not be interrupted, ideally with a closed door.
- Nobody else in the room, unless you are sitting at an organised force delivery.
- Good light, a stable chair and desk, the screen at eye level.
- Messaging, email and notifications off; every other tab and application closed.
- Others in the household asked to avoid streaming and gaming.
If your force runs a testing room, the handbook says forces do not have to provide one; if it does, any problems with it are taken up with the force, not the College.
Breaks and the timer
This is the rule that catches people out. The handbook: candidates "may take a comfort break during the exam, but this is not counted as a valid reason to pause the timer and must be taken while the exam clock continues to count down, unless an agreed reasonable adjustment that allows scheduled breaks to be taken during the exam is in place."
- Do not try to pause the timer. Attempts are logged as unusual activity, reviewed after the exam and can lead to the result being removed.
- Do not close the browser. Closures are logged and treated as a breach. If you have an exceptional reason, you must give it on screen and send evidence to the College via your force contact within three days.
- Scheduled breaks change navigation. If an adjustment gives you scheduled breaks, the exam is split into sections and you cannot go back to an earlier section after a break, including flagged questions. Answer everything in a section before moving on.
Platform tools you can use
- Countdown clock at the top of the screen.
- Assessment info panel on the left: questions grouped by subject into smaller sections, with answered, unanswered and flagged questions shown.
- Circles at the bottom to jump to any question; filled means answered.
- Flag (top right) to mark a question for review.
- Strikethrough ("S", top right) to cross out options; you can still choose a struck-through option.
- Workings (notepad icon) for notes on a question, unseen by anyone and deleted on submission.
- Display scheme: white with black text and a blue border in Arial 12 by default; high-contrast or high-visibility set before you start.
The guide says you can answer in any order and change answers, that questions are grouped by subject for all candidates, and that there is "no benefit to starting from the back", because all questions are equally weighted and difficulty varies throughout the paper.
What is allowed and what is banned
| Action | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting at home or at a force location | Allowed | Your choice of venue |
| Noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs | Allowed | Listed as support available to all candidates |
| A bigger monitor, touch screen or alternative input | Allowed | Your own equipment, tested first |
| Text to speech, screen overlays, colour software | Allowed | Test on the familiarisation exercise |
| Zoom, high-contrast or high-visibility display | Allowed | Display scheme must be chosen before starting |
| Built-in workings, flag and strikethrough | Allowed | Workings are deleted on submission |
| A comfort break | Allowed | The clock keeps running |
| Looking things up in the Manual | Strongly discouraged, not classed as cheating | Candidate guide; unlikely to help with application questions |
| Handwritten notes or notes in another program | Banned | Use the workings function only |
| AI applications, including to check an answer | Banned | Treated as help from another person |
| Searching the internet for an answer | Banned | Using software to search is listed as a breach |
| Copying, photographing or screenshotting any part of a question | Banned | For any reason, including to query it |
| Anyone else in the room helping, or present | Banned | Sit alone unless part of an organised force delivery |
| Pausing, restarting or stopping the timer | Banned | Logged; can lead to the result being removed |
| Closing the browser | Logged as a breach | Give a reason; evidence within three days |
The AI ban in full
The handbook says the use of artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, is strictly prohibited, and lists "using, or attempting to use, artificial intelligence applications during the exam" as attempting to gain assistance from another person. Separately, adding a question or any part of one to an AI application or search functionality is a disclosure breach. The guide says anyone found doing either will be referred to the reports and disqualifications panel and professional standards, will have their result removed and faces a potential ban. That covers phone apps, browser assistants and AI built into other software.
The reference materials point, read carefully
The guide expects you to sit as if invigilated, without reference materials. It then says that "if you choose to access reference materials (such as referring to the Blackstone's Manual), it will not be reported to the professional standards unit or classed as a means of cheating", because the timing and the application style make it unlikely to help, and strongly discourages it. That is not permission to search the internet, use AI or keep notes: those remain breaches.
Penalties
Suspected cheating or disclosure is reviewed and referred to the NIE reports and disqualifications panel. The handbook gives the panel, the marker and your force these powers:
| Outcome | Who |
|---|---|
| Fail the candidate | Reports and disqualifications panel |
| Disqualify from the current attempt and bar further attempts for two years or more | Reports and disqualifications panel |
| Refer to the chief officer and professional standards department | Reports and disqualifications panel; also stated for suspected cheating and disclosure |
| Nullify a result where behaviour reduces the reliability of the score | The marker, regardless of any disqualification decision |
| Remove from PIP2 for acting against the Code of Ethics | Your force or organisation |
| Investigate improper disclosure under the police complaints procedure | Stated in the handbook's Code of Ethics section |
A letter is written to the chief officer of a candidate suspected of cheating. You can appeal a panel decision to the policing standards manager for investigation only where the panel did not follow its rules or there is fresh evidence; the appeal must be countersigned by your line manager or above and arrive within 21 days of the decision letter. The guide notes previous candidates have had results removed and been banned "for several years".
If something goes wrong during the exam
| Problem | What to do | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Exam will not load (before opening any question) | Close tabs, clear cache and history, reopen and reload | Only before the assessment starts; never clear cache mid-exam |
| Slow or frozen screen | Check other devices on your network; try closing and reopening the browser | A browser closure is logged and needs a reason |
| Connection drops | Keep going: the exam continues offline and resyncs when you reconnect | Do not refresh or close the page |
| Still offline at the end | Download the encrypted answer file; do not rename or open it; email it to examsinvestigator@college.police.uk with candidate number, exam date and what happened | If you do not send it, your answers cannot be recovered |
| Locked out after three wrong passwords | Request a reset from the College | Expect a delay on exam day |
| No login email 24 hours before | Contact your NIE liaison contact | The handbook says the day before |
| Adjustment missing on the platform | Contact the College before you start | It cannot be changed once you begin |
| No confirmation screen after submitting | Contact the College | There is no confirmation email |
The College monitors connections and says it will email candidates if it detects a loss of connection or submission problem. It cannot fix local or force network issues and does not guarantee an immediate reply on exam day.
Submitting
At the end you see how many questions are answered, unanswered and flagged. "Return to Assessment" takes you back; "Finish Assessment" submits. If time runs out, answers so far submit automatically. Finishing early by mistake cannot be undone, and there is no confirmation email, only the on-screen confirmation.
Reporting a problem within three days
An unscheduled incident is a disruption that was unforeseen, outside your control and had a direct and substantial impact on your result. To report one, send a written report or email to examsinvestigator@college.police.uk, copying your NIE liaison contact, saying clearly that you are reporting an unscheduled incident and including all your evidence. It must arrive within three days of the exam, by 8pm. It is the only opportunity: late reports are not considered under any circumstances.
| Ground | Outcome |
|---|---|
| A force-provided testing environment | Take it up with the force |
| Your own room or testing environment | Not accepted |
| Local connection problems outside the national platform | Not accepted |
| Device issues | Not accepted; check the specification before the exam |
| Lack of preparation or heavy workload | Not accepted |
| Illness or injury, yours or a family member's, before or during the exam | Not accepted; sitting is your choice |
| Issues you knew about when you started | Not accepted |
| Not following guidance or not contacting the College first | Not accepted |
| Starting without checking your adjustment | Not accepted |
| Disagreeing with a question's content | Not an appeal; use a question query |
If a report is accepted, the marking and debrief panels may apply special considerations: one extra raw mark for every affected candidate, only in very exceptional circumstances. If you report and then fail, the reports panel may recommend your force does not count the attempt. More on what happens next in NIE results day.
Question queries are separate. If you think a question was legally wrong or unfair, raise it within three days (the guide says through your force exams contact). Describe it; do not copy it or debate it online. Questions found unfair are removed for everyone.
Reasonable adjustments and accommodations
- Reasonable adjustments are for disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010, including neurodivergence such as dyslexia. You tell your NIE liaison contact when registering, complete the request form and provide a specialist report. Ticking the box on AIMS is not a formal request.
- Accommodations are for conditions outside that definition, such as short-term ones. A specialist report may or may not be needed.
- Deadline. The handbook says the report must reach your force by the registration closing date (Wednesday, 21 October 2026 for November 2026). Later requests may limit what can be offered.
- Confidentiality. If your force does not know about your disability, you can approach the College exams team directly, although that may limit what can be arranged.
- Examples in the guide include additional time, multiple short breaks, a single longer break and a reader where appropriate. The support agreed may differ from what you asked for.
- Agreement form. You must sign and return it before the adjustment is applied, and check it on the platform before starting. You cannot appeal afterwards because you did not understand how it was applied.
- Resits. The handbook says you may not need to resubmit evidence for the same adjustment but must still submit a request form. The newer guide says a new request is needed for each exam or resit.
Things you can do without any request: choose your room and start time, use noise-cancelling headphones, a larger screen, text to speech, overlays and colour software, and the platform's display options.
Illness, leave and other circumstances
- Off sick or on limited duties when registering: you need a certificate of fitness from your force medical examiner (or equivalent), submitted at registration, even to sit at home. Without it you may not sit.
- Unwell on the day: your decision whether to sit. If you become unwell during the exam, your decision whether to continue. No alternative date is offered and illness is not accepted as an unscheduled incident.
- Pregnancy: you may sit; accommodations may be possible, and a risk assessment may need to go to your liaison contact.
- Maternity leave: not during the two weeks of compulsory maternity leave after childbirth (Employment Rights Act 1996, section 72); you may sit during other maternity leave, and during paternity leave.
- Career break: possible if the break's terms allow and your force crime training manager approves by the registration closing date.
- Suspended: needs force crime training manager sign-off.
- Abroad: access outside the UK is not guaranteed; officers on supported deployment should speak to their liaison contact. No support for sitting on holiday.
Pacing 80 questions in two hours
120 minutes for 80 questions is 90 seconds each. You do not know which 10 questions will be removed, so treat every question as scored. The College publishes how the 70 scored questions split by part, not the full 80; if the full paper is split in similar proportions, a time budget looks like this:
| Part | Scored (September 2026) | Estimated of 80 | Time at 90 seconds each |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Powers and procedures | 30 of 70 | About 34 | About 51 minutes |
| Part 2: Serious crime | 19 of 70 | About 22 | About 33 minutes |
| Part 3: Property offences | 11 of 70 | About 13 | About 20 minutes |
| Part 4: Sexual offences | 10 of 70 | About 11 | About 17 minutes |
- Check the clock at the end of each subject section in the left-hand panel, not after every question.
- Flag and move on from anything taking more than about two minutes; come back with the time you saved.
- Leave ten minutes to review flags and catch unanswered questions. There is no negative marking stated in the handbook, so never leave a blank.
- Practise at this pace: untimed topic quizzes do not prepare you for 90 seconds a question.
For full timed sittings at this pace, our NIE exam prep toolkit (our own paid product) runs 80-question mocks in two hours, weighted like the College's published breakdown. For a free start, try the NIE mini mock. Our questions are original, never real or recalled exam questions.
The night before and the morning of
None of this is a College rule; it is what the rules above imply in practice.
- The night before: install updates and restart; charge and plug in the device; open the exam email so you can find it; set the room up; tell the household your start time and that the internet is yours for two hours.
- If you are on shift: the handbook offers no alternative dates, so if your rota puts a night shift before the exam, ask now about swapping or leave rather than hoping to start late.
- The morning of: run the system check again; close everything except the browser; switch on do not disturb; have water within reach so a break is not needed for a drink.
- Before Start Test: check your display scheme, zoom and any adjustment; you cannot change the display scheme once in the exam.
- Light revision only. Re-reading the PACE Code points you find slippery is fine; starting a new chapter is not.
After you submit
- Check you saw the on-screen confirmation. There is no email. If you did not see it, contact the College.
- Write down, privately and for yourself only, anything that went wrong outside your control: times, error messages, what you did. Do not record question content.
- If you need to report an incident, closure or question query, do it well before 8pm on day three (Friday, 20 November 2026 for November 2026).
- Expect an invitation to a candidate feedback survey through your force exams contact. The guide says it is not a formal appeal.
- Say nothing about questions or topic areas, on any channel, to anyone. Colleagues may still be sitting that day, and questions are reused.
- Results come through AIMS within three weeks: see NIE results day.
Worked scenarios
Illustrative examples built from the College's rules, not real cases.
Common myths about the NIE online exam
Exam day checklist
- Familiarisation exercise completed, password changed and remembered, confirmation screen seen.
- Device passes the system check; browser updated; not in private or incognito mode; pop-ups allowed.
- Cache not restricted; security software will not clear temporary files.
- Device plugged in; ethernet if possible; household asked to keep bandwidth free.
- Software updates done the day before.
- Room with a closed door; nobody else present; notifications and other apps off.
- Exam email or URL and username to hand; username copied and pasted.
- examsinvestigator@college.police.uk noted.
- Adjustment (if any) checked under Time Allowed before Start Test.
- Start time chosen so you finish within support hours.
- Pacing plan: about 90 seconds a question, review time at the end, no blanks.
- After submitting: confirmation screen seen. Then say nothing about the content to anyone.
- Anything outside your control written down the same day and reported by 8pm on day three.
What we could not verify
- How cheating is detected. The College describes built-in mechanisms and activity logging but does not publish details.
- How the 80 questions split by part. The College publishes the split of the 70 scored questions only; our pacing table assumes the 10 removed questions follow similar proportions.
- Negative marking. The handbook does not mention any; we found nothing suggesting wrong answers lose marks.
- The Knowledge Hub videos and RA guidance on the exam environment and how breaks work. Login required; we did not access them.
- Which adjustment rule applies to resits. The handbook and the newer guide differ; follow the guide and ask your liaison contact.
- 2027 rules. The 2027 handbook was not published when we checked on 11 October 2026; rules may change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sit the NIE at home?
Yes. The handbook says there is no national requirement to sit at a testing centre or under supervision, and the College's online exams guide says you can choose where to sit, such as your home or a force location. You are responsible for the room, device and connection, and the College will not accept appeals about an unsuitable testing environment or local connection problems.
What time can I start the NIE?
Any time between 8am and 8pm on the exam day, and you must start before 8pm. College support runs from 8am to 8pm on exam days and the guide recommends finishing before 8pm. With 2 hours on the clock, start by 6pm at the latest if you want support for the whole exam, and earlier to leave a margin.
Can you take a break during the NIE?
Yes, a comfort break, but the clock keeps running. The handbook says a comfort break is not a valid reason to pause the timer and must be taken while the exam clock continues to count down, unless you have an agreed reasonable adjustment for scheduled breaks. Trying to pause, restart or stop the timer is logged and can lead to your result being removed.
Can I use ChatGPT or other AI during the NIE?
No. The handbook says the use of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT is strictly prohibited, that using or trying to use an AI application during the exam is treated as getting help from another person, and that adding any part of a question to an AI application or search tool is a rule breach. Penalties include removal of the result, a ban of two years or more and referral to professional standards.
Can I use the Blackstone's Manual during the NIE?
The College's online exams guide says it expects you to sit the exam as if invigilated, without reference materials, and strongly discourages it. It also says that if you do refer to reference materials such as the Manual, it will not be reported to professional standards or classed as cheating, because it is unlikely to help. Searching for answers online, copying questions and handwritten notes are breaches.
Can I make notes during the NIE?
Only in the platform's built-in workings function, which nobody sees and which is deleted when you submit. The online exams guide says making notes in any other format, including handwritten notes or another word processing program, is prohibited.
What devices can I use for the NIE?
A laptop, desktop computer or tablet; the platform does not support mobile phones. The College's technical support page lists Windows 10 or later, macOS Big Sur or later, iPadOS 15 or later and Android 12 or later, with Chrome 100+, Edge 100+ or Safari 15+, a minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 720 and at least a 2 Mbps connection. It says macOS Catalina is known to cause problems.
What happens if my internet drops during the NIE?
The platform saves answers after each question and continues offline. If you reconnect, answers resync. If not, at the end the platform asks you to download an encrypted file, which you email unaltered to examsinvestigator@college.police.uk with your candidate number, exam date and a description. This only works if your device is not clearing its cache, so do not use private or incognito mode.
Can I talk about the NIE after I have sat it?
Not about its content. The handbook lists sharing questions, any part of a question or topic areas, and discussing questions or topic areas, including on social media, as rule breaches. Candidates sit at different times across a 12-hour window and the College reuses questions. You can say how you felt it went; you cannot say what came up.
How do I report a problem with the NIE?
In writing, to examsinvestigator@college.police.uk, copying your NIE liaison contact, within three days of the exam, with all your evidence. For the November 2026 sitting the deadline is Friday, 20 November 2026 at 8pm. Problems with your own room, device, connection, health or preparation are not accepted. Question queries also have a three-day limit: describe the question, never copy it.
How do I get extra time in the NIE?
Through a reasonable adjustment (for a disability under the Equality Act 2010, including dyslexia) or an accommodation (for shorter-term conditions). Tell your NIE liaison contact when registering, complete the request form and provide supporting evidence. The handbook's deadline for the report is the registration closing date. Once agreed you sign an agreement form, and you must check the adjustment shows on the platform before you start.
What happens if I am caught cheating in the NIE?
You are referred to the NIE reports and disqualifications panel, which can fail you, disqualify you and bar you from further attempts for two years or more, and refer you to your chief officer and professional standards department. Your force may also remove you from PIP2 for acting against the Code of Ethics. You can appeal the panel's decision only on limited grounds within 21 days.
Can I sit the NIE on a work laptop?
Yes, if it meets the minimum specification, but you will go through your force's VPN and its bandwidth, the exam URL must be approved by force IT, and some force laptops restrict the cache that protects your answers if the connection drops. The College suggests using a personal device if a force device has limits that cannot be changed.
Is there negative marking in the NIE?
The handbook does not mention any, and it describes scoring simply as the number of correct answers out of the 70 scored questions. So an unanswered question can only cost you. Always choose an answer, flag it and come back if time allows.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 11 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.
- College of Policing: National investigators' examination (NIE) candidate handbook 2026 (PDF, published November 2025) — 2026 dates and the 8am to 8pm window; overseas, suspension, pregnancy, maternity and paternity; registration; reasonable adjustments and accommodations with deadlines; 80 questions in two hours; testing environment; system check and familiarisation exercise; declaration; Code of Ethics and the AI ban; unfair advantage list; comfort breaks with the clock running; browser closure reporting; disclosure of questions and topic areas; withdrawals; sickness and FME certificates; unscheduled incidents, the excluded grounds and the 8pm deadlines; special considerations; question queries; disqualification procedure and the 21-day appeal (accessed 11 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online examinations candidate guide (updated 5 August 2026) — applies to the NIE; must start before 8pm; support 8am to 8pm; Civica Assess; devices, force devices and VPNs, cache, restricted content, browsers; venue and no supervision; display schemes, zoom and overlays; timer, navigation, flagging, strikethrough, workings; subject order; reference materials; notes; collusion; logging in and the 18-month password rule; connection loss and encrypted file; submission; adjustments and the agreement form; support available to all candidates. Read on the College's production mirror because the main site blocked our reader (accessed 11 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Technical support for exam day (page updated 19 December 2025) — supported operating systems (Windows 10+, macOS Big Sur+, iPadOS 15+, Android 12+; macOS Catalina not supported), browsers, 1280 x 720 resolution, 2 Mbps, cache and security software, force devices and whitelisting, pop-ups and the assessment player update, three failed logins lock the account, the encrypted answer file and the NIE email address. Read on the College's production mirror (accessed 11 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National investigators' exam (exam page) — 2026 dates and links to the handbook, the online examinations candidate guide, the technical support guide and the accommodations and adjustments policy (accessed 11 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Reasonable adjustments and accommodations policy — the overarching policy the online exams guide tells candidates to read alongside it (accessed 11 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NIE subject area breakdown, September 2026 (PDF) — scored questions by part: 30, 19, 11 and 10 (of 70); used only for the pacing estimate (accessed 11 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or produced by the College of Policing or Oxford University Press (Blackstone's). Exam rules, dates, the syllabus and prices change, so check the College of Policing's current NIE candidate handbook and exam page before you register or buy. Practice material on this site is original and is not real or recalled exam content. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 11 October 2026.