Blackstone's Q&A
and Mock: Worth It?
Blackstone's sells four practice products for the NPPF step two legal exam alongside the Manuals: print Q&A books, a single Sergeants' and Inspectors' Mock Examination Paper, Q&As Online, and a combined online package with the Manuals. This guide sets out what each one is, what it cost when we checked on 4 October 2026, who it suits and where its limits are, then shows common combinations and what they add up to.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 4 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
The Manuals are not optional: the College says the syllabus is only contained in them. On top of that, one good question source is worth having, and Blackstone's is the reference choice because it is written to the Manuals. Q&As Online (£75 to £105 plus any tax) gives the most questions, full mocks and saved scores; the print Q&As (£89.99 for three volumes) suit paper learners but become familiar on a second pass; the single Mock Paper (£34.99) is best kept as one final rehearsal. Most candidates do not need all of them.
Every Blackstone's product at a glance
All prices below were checked on 4 October 2026. Print book prices are shown as the publisher's recommended retail price (RRP) and the Amazon UK price that day; printed books are zero-rated for VAT in the UK. Oxford University Press lists the online subscriptions with the note that tax will be added where applicable, so budget for the possibility of VAT on top. Prices change, especially on Amazon, so check before you buy.
| Product | Price | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone's Police Manuals 2027 (print, 3 volumes) | RRP £89.00; Amazon £84.99 | The syllabus itself. The College endorses these and nothing else | Everyone sitting a 2027 exam |
| Blackstone's Police Q&A 2027 (print, 3 volumes) | £89.99 pack; £29.99 each (Amazon £27.25 each) | 'Hundreds' of single-best-answer questions per volume, answers cross-referenced to the Manuals | Paper learners who want a one-off purchase |
| Sergeants' and Inspectors' Mock Examination Paper 2026 (print) | RRP £34.99; Amazon £32.42 | One 150-question paper, 3 hours, sealed answers and marking matrix, referenced to the 2026 Manuals | A single full rehearsal near the end; 2026 sittings |
| Q&As Online | £105 / 12 months; £90 / 8; £75 / 3 (plus tax where applicable) | Over 2,000 questions, topic practice, short tests, quarter, half and full mocks, saved results | Most candidates who want volume and tracking |
| Manuals Online | £85 / 12 months (plus tax where applicable) | Searchable text of the three Manuals | People who study on screen or want search |
| Manuals and Q&As Online Combined | £175 / 12 months; £130 / 8 (plus tax where applicable) | Both of the above, with answer links straight to the Manual text | Screen-first learners who want one login for everything |
PolicePay is independent and is not affiliated with the College of Policing or Oxford University Press. We sell our own exam practice toolkit, which competes with some of the products on this page, so we say where it fits and where it does not later on, and we have not put any book affiliate links on this page. Everything said about Blackstone's here comes from the publisher's own pages, the College's candidate handbook and Amazon UK listings, all linked in the sources.
Start here: the Manuals are the syllabus, the rest are practice
Before weighing up any practice product it helps to be clear about what is compulsory and what is not. The College of Policing's candidate handbook (updated 10 September 2026) says the syllabus is cross-referenced to, and only contained within, the 2027 edition of the Blackstone's Police Manuals, that exam questions are drawn solely from them, and that candidates are examined on the law only as it appears in that edition. It also says the College endorses only the Manuals, and that other products, including the Blackstone's Q&As, are not affiliated with it.
So the honest structure of any study budget is:
- The Manuals for your sitting. Not optional. Print (RRP £89 for the 2027 set) or online (£85 for 12 months, or inside the combined package). The College handbook says officers and staff in England and Wales get 30% off the Manuals through College Learn.
- At least one source of practice questions. This is where the Q&A books, Q&As Online, the Mock Paper, the College's own free questions and other providers compete.
- At least one full-length rehearsal. 150 questions in 3 hours is a stamina test as well as a knowledge test. You can get this from the Mock Paper, the online mocks or another provider.
Nothing on this page replaces step 1. A practice product written to the Manuals, which is what Blackstone's Q&As are, has the advantage that every answer points you back to the exact paragraph you are examined on. For the full picture of what the exam involves, see the NPPF step 2 exam explained, and for which Manuals to buy, see which Blackstone's edition for your exam.
The print Q&A books
What they are
Three paperback volumes that mirror the three Manuals: Volume 1 Crime, Volume 2 Evidence and Procedure, and Volume 3 General Police Duties. The 2027 editions were published on 13 August 2026 and run to 272, 176 and 352 pages respectively. The publisher's description says each contains hundreds of multiple-choice questions in the "Type A" format (one correct answer per question, the only format used in the exam), that every answer explains why the right option is right and why the others are wrong, that each answer is cross-referenced to the relevant Manual paragraphs, and that a question checklist helps you track your progress. It also says each 2027 volume includes new questions from across the 2027 syllabus, in line with legislative and case law updates.
What they cost
- Three-volume pack: £89.99 on Amazon UK (checked 4 October 2026).
- Individual volumes: RRP £29.99 each; Amazon UK £27.25 each that day, which made three single volumes (£81.75) cheaper than the pack.
- The Blackstone's service says a discounted upgrade to the online service is available on eligible purchases of selected print editions, with details on the inside covers. We could not see the size of that discount.
Who they suit
- People who learn better on paper, or who revise on commutes, on breaks or anywhere a screen is awkward.
- Candidates who want a one-off purchase with no access period to manage.
- Anyone who wants to work through the syllabus in Manual order: read a chapter, then answer that chapter's questions.
Honest limits
- A fixed set becomes familiar. On a second or third pass you start to recognise questions and remember answers. That feels like progress but partly measures memory of the book. See the memorising problem.
- No timing or scoring for you. The checklist helps, but building a timed, weighted sitting from a book is down to you.
- No published total. The publisher says "hundreds" per volume but gives no exact figure, so you cannot compare question counts precisely.
- Edition-specific. The 2027 books follow the 2027 Manuals. For the October and November 2026 sittings, the 2026 books are the matching edition.
The Sergeants' and Inspectors' Mock Examination Paper
What it is
A single printed exam paper. The publisher's description of the 2026 edition: 150 exclusive questions in the Type A format, a 3 hour time limit, the paper split into a mock exam booklet with answer sheet and a second, sealed pack containing the answers and a detailed marking matrix. The answers explain both the correct response and why the others are wrong, cross-referenced to the 2026 Manuals. It says the paper tests all areas of the syllabus and includes what it calls "verification questions" to simulate exam conditions; the description does not say how those are marked.
- Edition: 2026, published 18 November 2025, by Paul Connor, 160 pages.
- Price: RRP £34.99; Amazon UK £32.42 and Dandy Booksellers £33.24 on 4 October 2026.
- 2027 edition: not listed when we checked. The 2022 to 2026 editions were published on 30 November 2021, 30 November 2022, 5 December 2023, 21 November 2024 and 18 November 2025. If that pattern holds, a 2027 edition would appear around late November or early December 2026, but that is an inference, not an announcement.
Who it suits
- Candidates who have covered the whole syllabus and want one honest rehearsal on questions they have never seen.
- People revising mainly from the print Q&As, who have no other source of a full 150-question sitting.
- Anyone who wants to practise on paper the pacing they will need on screen: 150 questions in 180 minutes is 72 seconds a question.
Honest limits
- One sitting. Once you have seen the questions and answers, a second attempt mostly tests memory. Its value is concentrated in the first attempt.
- Cost per question. At £34.99 for 150 questions it is the most expensive Blackstone's product per question (about 23p each).
- Format. It is a paper exercise; the real exam is sat online. That matters less than it sounds for knowledge, but practise the on-screen experience too (see online exam rules and exam day).
- Edition match. The 2026 paper is referenced to the 2026 Manuals. For a 2027 sitting, check whether a 2027 edition has been published before buying.
A single paper of 150 questions gives a useful snapshot, but one score can move several points either way depending on which topics happen to come up. The College's March 2026 sergeants' paper had 60 scored questions on Crime, 31 on Evidence and procedure and 49 on General police duties. Treat any one mock as a guide to your weak areas rather than a forecast of your result, and look at your score by subject area, not just the total.
Blackstone's Q&As Online
What it is
An online question bank at blackstonespoliceservice.com. The service's NPPF page says it has over 2,000 multiple-choice questions based on the Manuals, and offers three ways to use them:
- Revision: practice questions by chosen subject area, with detailed answers and cross-references after each question.
- Tests: short practice tests across chosen subject areas.
- Mock exams: quarter, half or full-length, with progress monitoring.
Since 2025 it has run on a new platform (powered by Learnosity) where a personal profile stores your test and mock results so you can return to them, and the publisher describes detailed feedback on performance and a full user history showing where your strengths and weaknesses lie. It works on PC, iOS and Android devices. When we checked, the service offered separate 2026 and 2027 revision, test and mock options.
What it costs
- 12 months: £105. 8 months: £90. 3 months: £75 (Oxford University Press, checked 4 October 2026).
- The price page says tax will be added where applicable. If UK VAT at 20% applies at checkout, £105 would become £126 and £75 would become £90. We did not go through checkout to confirm.
- No personal free trial. Forces and institutions can ask for a free trial and can buy institutional access, so your force may already have it.
Who it suits
- Candidates who want plenty of questions, a bank big enough that repeats come round less often, and full mocks on demand.
- Anyone who wants to see scores over time and target the subject areas where they are dropping marks.
- People revising in short bursts on a phone.
Honest limits
- Access ends. It is paid for a period. Choose a length that covers your sitting. The FAQ says subscriptions that run past the final exam of the year are moved onto the new edition automatically, which helps resitters.
- Screen only. If you do not like revising on screen, the volume of questions will not help much.
- A large bank still repeats eventually. Over 2,000 questions is a lot, but heavy users will meet familiar questions in the final weeks. Blackstone's itself suggests a maximum of five mock exams.
- Manual links need the combined package. Answers are cross-referenced in Q&As Online, but clicking straight through to the Manual text is a feature of the combined subscription.
Manuals Online and the combined package
Manuals Online (£85 for 12 months, plus tax where applicable) is the full searchable text of the three Manuals: search by subject, legislation, case name or an A to Z index, with the PACE Codes of Practice built in. The publisher says it is fully updated every October in line with the new syllabus. It is the syllabus, not a practice tool.
Manuals and Q&As Online Combined (£175 for 12 months, £130 for 8, plus tax where applicable) bundles both. The selling point is that each Q&A answer links straight to the relevant section of the Manual, so checking why you got something wrong takes one click.
- Versus buying separately online: £85 + £105 = £190 for 12 months, so the combined package saves £15.
- Versus print Manuals plus Q&As Online: £89 + £105 = £194, or about £167 with the College's 30% Manuals discount. Before any tax, the combined online package (£175) is £19 cheaper than that pair at full price but about £8 more than the pair with the discount, and you end up with no book and lose access when the subscription ends.
- Who it suits: people who will genuinely read the syllabus on screen for months. Many candidates still prefer a physical Manual to annotate and tab.
The College handbook describes its 30% discount as applying to the NPPF Manuals, obtained through College Learn. We could not see whether it can be used on the online packages, the Q&As or the Mock Paper. If you are choosing between print Manuals and the combined online package, get the discount code first and compare the real numbers.
Print Q&A, Mock Paper and Q&As Online side by side
| Feature | Print Q&A (2027) | Mock Paper (2026) | Q&As Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question count | 'Hundreds' per volume; no exact total published | 150 (one paper) | Over 2,000 |
| Format | Single best answer (Type A), as in the exam | Type A | Type A |
| Answer explanations | Yes, why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong | Yes, in a sealed answer booklet | Yes, with Manual cross-references |
| Manual cross-references | Yes, to paragraph level | Yes, to the 2026 Manuals | Yes; clickable links into the Manual text with the combined subscription |
| Full-length sitting | No (you can build one yourself) | Yes, one | Yes: quarter, half and full mocks |
| Tracking | Paper checklist (also free to download) | Marking matrix for that paper | Saved test and mock results in a personal profile |
| Fresh questions on a second pass | No | No | Likely more than print, given over 2,000 questions (no print total is published) |
| Editions | Annual; 2027 published 13 August 2026 | Annual; 2026 published 18 November 2025, 2027 not yet listed | 2026 and 2027 both available when we checked |
| Paying once or for a period | One-off | One-off | 3, 8 or 12 month access |
| Works offline, no screen | Yes | Yes | No |
Two points stand out. First, all three products share the same strength: they are written to the Manuals and point back to them, which matters because the exam tests the law as it appears in the Manuals for your sitting. Second, they do different jobs. The print Q&As are a companion to reading, the Mock Paper is a single rehearsal, and the online service is the one that does volume, full mocks on demand and tracking.
Common combinations, and what they cost
A typical study budget is the Manuals plus one or two practice products. The totals below use the RRPs and list prices checked on 4 October 2026. The discounted column assumes the College's 30% discount applies to the £89 RRP of the 2027 Manuals (£26.70 off) and nothing else, which is how the handbook describes it. Online prices are before any tax.
| Combination | Total at list price | With Manuals discount | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Manuals only, plus free College questions | £89.00 | About £62 if the 30% College discount applies to the RRP | The minimum. Light on practice volume |
| B. Manuals + print Q&As | £178.99 | About £152 with the Manuals discount | The traditional all-paper set |
| C. Manuals + print Q&As + Mock Paper | £213.98 | About £187 with the Manuals discount | All-paper, with one full rehearsal |
| D. Manuals + Q&As Online (3 months) | £164.00 plus any tax on the online part | About £137 plus tax | A short, focused run-in |
| E. Manuals + Q&As Online (12 months) | £194.00 plus any tax on the online part | About £167 plus tax | Long revision period, or a possible resit |
| F. Combined online only (12 months) | £175.00 plus any tax | No print Manuals discount needed | Screen-only learners; no physical books |
| G. Combined online (8 months) | £130.00 plus any tax | As above | One sitting with a run-up of under 8 months |
| H. Manuals + print Q&As + Q&As Online (12 months) | £283.99 plus any tax | About £257 plus tax | Rarely needed; check the print upgrade offer first |
Cost per question, roughly
- Mock Paper: £34.99 / 150 = about 23p a question.
- Q&As Online, 12 months: £105 / 2,000 = about 5p a question before tax, and less if you count "over 2,000" as more.
- Q&As Online, 3 months: £75 / 2,000 = about 4p a question, if you can get through them in that time.
- Print Q&As: cannot be calculated, because no total is published.
Cost per question is a blunt measure. A question you have never seen, answered under exam conditions in the last fortnight, is worth more than one you are reading for the third time. That is the case for the Mock Paper even at the higher price per question.
Putting it against the pay rise
On our own data for the 1 September 2026 scales, the top of the constable scale is £52,015 and the top of the sergeant scale is £58,175, a difference of about £6,160 a year. From the top of sergeant to the top of the inspector scale outside London (£71,396) the difference is about £13,220. Against those numbers, the difference between a £164 and a £214 study budget is small; spending on something you will not use is the bigger waste. Promotion also depends on the board, not only the exam. See the promotion hub.
The memorising problem, and how to avoid it
Any fixed bank of questions has the same weakness: work through it enough times and you start answering from memory of the question rather than knowledge of the law. This is not a fault peculiar to Blackstone's. It applies to every book and every question bank, including ours. Blackstone's own service makes the point in its hints for users: do not use the Q&As to revise or "learn the questions"; study a section of the Manual, then test your understanding, then go back to the Manual to debrief.
Candidates who are resitting are most exposed to this. If you used the 2026 print Q&As for a previous attempt, the 2027 books contain new questions according to the publisher, but it does not say how many are carried over. Plan on needing some genuinely fresh material. Our guides on how to pass the sergeants exam and how to pass the inspector exam cover the study method in more depth.
What reviewers say, and how little it tells you
We looked at the Amazon UK listings on 4 October 2026. The first thing to say plainly is that review volumes are small. Each annual edition starts again with no reviews, the 2027 Q&A books have none yet, and the most reviewed edition of the Mock Paper we found (2022) has 47 ratings. Treat the themes below as a handful of opinions, not a verdict. We have paraphrased rather than quoted, and covered every edition we checked rather than picking the most critical.
| Product and edition | Rating | Themes in the written reviews (paraphrased) |
|---|---|---|
| Mock Examination Paper 2026 | 3.5 from 4 ratings | The two written reviews were disappointed with the format (one paper, loose sheets in a folder) and wanted fuller answer notes. The other two were star ratings without a visible written review |
| Mock Examination Paper 2025 | 4.3 from 11 ratings | Mostly 4 and 5 stars. One short review found it useful; one 1-star review questioned buying a single paper when online question apps exist |
| Mock Examination Paper 2023 | 4.5 from 34 ratings | The most detailed review describes using it in the final two weeks after finishing the online Q&As, because the questions were new and gave a realistic test of timing |
| Police Q&A 2027 volumes | No ratings yet | Each annual edition starts with none |
| Police Q&A 2026 volumes | 1 rating across the three volumes (5 stars) | Too few to draw anything from |
Read together, the reviews point to the same trade-off this guide describes:
- Reviewers who valued the Mock Paper used it as intended: once, late, under exam conditions, as a test on questions they had not memorised.
- Reviewers who were disappointed were judging it as a study resource for its price, where one paper compares poorly with a question bank.
- The publisher's description says the 2026 answer booklet gives full explanations of correct and incorrect responses. Two 2026 reviewers expected more detail than they found. With four ratings in total, we cannot say which experience is typical.
We did not find reviews of Q&As Online with enough volume or verifiability to summarise, so we have not tried.
Edition and timing: buy for your sitting
The exam examines the law as it appears in the Manuals edition for your sitting, and the College handbook advises candidates not to rely on previous editions. Practice products follow the same yearly cycle. The Blackstone's FAQ says the print and online Manuals and Q&As are updated each year in August, with both the current and new editions available online from August until the following January.
| Sitting | Manuals edition | Matching practice material | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeants, 6 to 8 October 2026 | 2026 Manuals | 2026 print Q&As, 2026 Mock Paper, or the 2026 material online | A final mock belongs in the weeks before the exam (the 6 to 8 October 2026 window started on 6 October 2026) |
| Inspectors, 3 to 5 November 2026 | 2026 Manuals | 2026 print Q&As, 2026 Mock Paper, or the 2026 material online | Do not switch to 2027 books for this sitting |
| Sergeants, 16 to 18 March 2027 | 2027 Manuals | 2027 print Q&As (published 13 August 2026), 2027 material online, and a 2027 mock if one is published | A 2026 mock paper is referenced to the 2026 Manuals |
| Inspectors, 11 to 13 May 2027 | 2027 Manuals | As above | Plenty of time to see whether a 2027 mock appears |
| Sergeants 5 to 7 October and inspectors 2 to 4 November 2027 | 2027 Manuals | As above | A 12-month online plan bought in October 2026 would run out around the October 2027 sitting and before the November one |
Dates are from the College's exam pages; see NPPF exam dates 2026 and NPPF exam dates 2027. For the inspectors' November 2026 sitting, College registration closed at 6pm on Monday 5 October 2026 (forces may have set an earlier date), so the next inspectors' sitting for anyone not entered is May 2027, on the 2027 Manuals.
Older Q&A books and mock papers are often sold cheaply second-hand. Their questions follow an earlier Manuals edition, so an answer that was right then may not match what your edition says. They can still be useful for exam technique, but check every answer you rely on against the Manuals for your sitting, and do not count them as your main question source.
How to decide: a short decision table
| Your situation | Likely best fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| You learn best on paper and want one purchase | Manuals + print Q&As (B) | Add the Mock Paper or a different question source for the final weeks |
| You want lots of questions and to see your scores over time | Manuals + Q&As Online (D or E) | Pick the length that just covers your sitting |
| You study on a phone or laptop and do not want books | Combined online (F or G) | Check you are happy reading the syllabus on screen for months |
| You already know the print Q&As well (for example after a previous attempt) | A source of fresh questions: Q&As Online, a mock, or another bank | Re-reading answers you remember adds little |
| Your exam is within weeks and you have the Manuals | Q&As Online for 3 months, or the print Q&As if you have not started them | Do not buy a 12-month plan for a 3-week run-in |
| Your force or Federation branch already subscribes | Use that access first | Ask your force examinations officer, library or training team |
| Budget is the main constraint | Manuals with the College discount + College free questions + one question source | Spend on the Manuals before anything else |
Three questions settle most choices:
- Paper or screen? If you will not actually revise on a phone or laptop, the online service's extra volume will not help you. If you will, it is the strongest single Blackstone's practice product.
- How long until your sitting? Under three months: a 3-month subscription or the print Q&As. Six months or more, or a likely resit: 8 or 12 months online, or print plus a fresh-question source later.
- Where will your full rehearsal come from? If you buy print Q&As only, you have no full-length timed sitting. Add the Mock Paper or another mock. If you have Q&As Online, you already have full mocks and the print Mock Paper is optional.
Using them together: an example sequence
However you combine the products, the order of use matters more than the brand. A pattern that gets the most out of each, assuming about 12 weeks or more:
- Weeks 1 onwards: read, then test. Read a Manual chapter, then answer that chapter's questions the same day or the next, from the print Q&As or the online revision mode. Mark every miss and every guess.
- Every week: go back to the misses. Re-read the Manual paragraph for each one before re-answering. The cross-references in every Blackstone's answer make this quick.
- Once all three areas are covered: short mixed tests. Online short tests or a mixed set of 30 to 50 questions across all areas, to practise switching between topics as the real paper does.
- About 4 to 6 weeks out: a half or full mock. Look at your score by subject area. Weight your remaining time towards the weakest area and the ones that carry most questions.
- Final 2 to 3 weeks: one unseen full paper. Sit it in one go, in 3 hours, ideally at the time of day you plan to sit the real exam. Then debrief every wrong answer against the Manual.
The College's March 2026 sergeants' paper had 60 scored questions on Crime, 31 on Evidence and procedure and 49 on General police duties, out of 140. The weighting varies by sitting and by rank; see what comes up in the exam.
Where other tools fit
Blackstone's is not the only practice option, and it is worth knowing what else exists before you spend. In rough order of cost:
- The College of Policing's free material. The candidate handbook says practice questions, exam tips and a revision technique guide are in the Candidate Online Examination Guidance group on the Knowledge Hub (login needed). They are free, and they come from the body that sets the exam, so start there. More in free sergeant and inspector exam resources.
- Free sample questions elsewhere. Several providers offer free samples. Ours are on the sergeant and inspector sample question pages, and there is a free timed 30-question mini mock scored against the pass mark. These are original questions, not real exam questions.
- Other commercial question banks and courses. A number of providers sell subscriptions, question banks, mocks and crammer courses at a range of prices. We compare them with dated prices in revision resources compared. Check whether any bank you buy says which Manuals edition it follows.
- Our own toolkit (disclosure: we sell it). The PolicePay exam prep toolkit has hundreds of checked practice questions, a timed 150-question sitting weighted like the real paper, spaced review of what you got wrong, progress tracking and 16 promotion board scenarios, for £69.99 for 6 months as a one-off payment (£99.99 for AI Pro, which adds an AI tutor for revision and an AI board answer assessor).
Our questions are written from the primary law (legislation, the PACE Codes and official guidance) and checked as at October 2026. They are not cross-referenced to Manual paragraph numbers, and the exam tests the law as it appears in the Manuals, so where the two ever differ, go with the Manual. Our bank is smaller than Blackstone's 2,000-plus online questions, and it is not written by the Manuals' author team. It is not endorsed by the College of Policing or Oxford University Press. It does add things Blackstone's does not sell: a revision plan counted back from your sitting and promotion board practice. AI tools are a revision aid only: the College prohibits using AI during the exam.
Whichever route you choose, the Manuals remain the syllabus. A sensible pattern for many candidates is the Manuals plus one main question source, plus a fresh full-length sitting near the end from a different source than the one they have been drilling.
Worked scenarios
Illustrative examples using the prices checked on 4 October 2026. They are not recommendations for any individual, and online prices are shown before any tax.
Common myths about Blackstone's practice products
Before you buy: a checklist
- Confirm your sitting and therefore your Manuals edition (2026 for October and November 2026; 2027 for every 2027 sitting).
- Ask your force examinations officer, library or training team whether the force already subscribes to the Blackstone's online service, and ask your Federation branch about any funded courses or discounts.
- Get the College's 30% Manuals discount code through College Learn before buying the Manuals.
- Join the College's Candidate Online Examination Guidance group on the Knowledge Hub for the free practice questions and revision guide.
- Decide paper or screen honestly, based on how you actually revise.
- Pick one main question source. If it is print Q&As, plan where your full-length timed sitting will come from.
- If buying online, choose the shortest access period that covers your sitting, and allow for tax being added.
- If buying print Q&As, check the inside covers for the online upgrade offer.
- Keep one unseen full-length paper for the last two to three weeks.
- Check prices on the day: everything on this page was checked on 4 October 2026.
For a week-by-week structure that fits these tools together, see the sergeant exam revision plan or the inspector exam revision plan. For how the pass mark works on the day, see the pass mark explained.
What we could not verify
- Exact print question counts. The publisher describes each print Q&A volume as containing "hundreds" of questions and does not publish a total.
- Overlap between print and online. We could not confirm how many of the print Q&A questions also appear in Q&As Online, or how many 2027 questions are carried over from 2026.
- How the online mocks are set up inside the service. The public pages describe quarter, half and full mocks with saved results and feedback. We did not subscribe, so we could not confirm details such as how the timer works or how questions are spread across the three subject areas in a full mock.
- Tax on online subscriptions. The price page says tax is added where applicable. We did not reach checkout, so the final price including any VAT is unconfirmed.
- The print upgrade offer. The size of the discounted upgrade to the online service for print buyers is printed inside the books; we have not seen it.
- Scope of the College discount. The handbook describes 30% off the NPPF Manuals. Whether it extends to the Q&As, the Mock Paper or online access, and exactly how it is applied at checkout, we could not see without a College Learn login.
- A 2027 Mock Paper. None was listed on 4 October 2026 by Oxford University Press or Amazon UK. The late November to early December publication pattern of earlier editions suggests one may follow, but nothing has been announced that we could find.
- Reviews of Q&As Online. We found no body of verifiable reviews large enough to summarise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Blackstone's Police Q&A worth it for the sergeants exam?
For most candidates, yes, as long as it is used to test what you have just read in the Manuals rather than as a set of answers to learn. The Q&As are written to follow the Blackstone's Police Manuals, use the same single-best-answer format as the exam and cross-reference every answer to a Manual paragraph. The 2027 print set costs £89.99 for three volumes (Amazon, checked 4 October 2026). Their main limit is that a fixed set of questions becomes familiar on a second pass.
Are the Blackstone's Q&As endorsed by the College of Policing?
No. The College's NPPF step two candidate handbook (updated 10 September 2026) says it only endorses the Blackstone's Police Manuals and that other products, including the Blackstone's Q&As, are not affiliated with it. Oxford University Press says the same on its Q&A pages: the product is not endorsed by the College. That does not make the Q&As less useful; it means they are a revision aid, not part of the syllabus.
How many questions are in the Blackstone's Police Q&A books?
The publisher does not give an exact count for the print books. Each 2027 volume is described as containing 'hundreds' of multiple-choice questions, and the three volumes run to 272, 176 and 352 pages (Crime, Evidence and Procedure, General Police Duties). The online Q&A service is described as having over 2,000 questions.
What is the Blackstone's Sergeants' and Inspectors' Mock Examination Paper?
A single 150-question paper designed to be sat in 3 hours, with an answer sheet and a separate sealed answer booklet containing explanations, Manual cross-references and a marking matrix. The current edition is the 2026 paper (RRP £34.99, published 18 November 2025), referenced to the 2026 Manuals. When we checked on 4 October 2026, no 2027 edition was listed.
Is the Blackstone's mock exam paper worth £35?
It depends on what you already have. As a one-off, full-length sitting on fresh questions near the end of revision it does a job a familiar question book cannot. As a source of practice volume it is expensive: £34.99 for 150 questions is about 23p a question, against roughly 5p a question for a 12-month Q&As Online subscription before any tax. If you already subscribe to Q&As Online, which includes full mock exams, the print paper adds less.
How much is Blackstone's Q&As Online?
Oxford University Press listed personal subscriptions at £105 for 12 months, £90 for 8 months and £75 for 3 months when we checked on 4 October 2026, with tax added where applicable. Manuals Online was £85 for 12 months, and the combined Manuals and Q&As Online service was £175 for 12 months or £130 for 8 months.
Does Blackstone's Q&As Online have mock exams and progress tracking?
Yes. The service offers topic revision questions, short tests, and quarter, half and full-length mock exams. With a personal profile it saves test and mock results so you can track progress over time, and the publisher describes detailed feedback on performance and a full user history showing strengths and weaknesses.
Do I need the Q&A books if I have Q&As Online?
Usually not for content. The online service has over 2,000 questions (no print total is published, so we cannot say for certain it is the larger bank), plus tests, mocks and saved results. The print books suit people who prefer paper, want to revise without a screen, or want a one-off purchase. We could not confirm how much the print and online question sets overlap, so do not assume the print books give you questions the online service lacks.
Which edition of the Q&A should I buy?
The one that matches the Manuals edition for your sitting. The October and November 2026 sittings use the 2026 Manuals; every 2027 sitting uses the 2027 Manuals, which the College says are the only place the syllabus is contained. The 2027 Q&A books were published on 13 August 2026. The online service held both the 2026 and 2027 material when we checked.
Can I pass the sergeants exam with just the Manuals and the Q&As?
Many candidates prepare that way, and the Manuals plus a question source covering all three subject areas is a complete toolkit in principle. Whether it is enough for you depends on how well you understand the law rather than recognise answers. Blackstone's own guidance tells users not to 'learn the questions' but to study a section of the Manual and then test themselves.
Is there a discount on Blackstone's for police officers?
The College of Policing handbook says a 30% discount on the NPPF Manuals is available to all police officers and staff in England and Wales, with the code obtained through College Learn (login needed). Oxford University Press also mentions a discounted upgrade offer to the online service for buyers of selected print editions, with details on the inside covers of the printed copy. We could not confirm whether the 30% discount applies to the Q&As or the Mock paper.
Are the Blackstone's mock exam questions real past exam questions?
No. The publisher describes them as 150 exclusive questions written across the syllabus. The College of Policing does not publish its exam questions: they are College intellectual property and get reused, and copying or sharing them is a breach of the exam rules. No legitimate product contains real past papers.
When should I sit a full mock exam?
A full 150-question sitting in exam conditions is most useful in the last two to three weeks, once all three subject areas have been covered at least once. Blackstone's own advice for its online service is not to overuse mock exams and to sit no more than five. A single print paper can only be sat fresh once, so save it for when the result will tell you something.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 4 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: NPPF step two legal examinations candidate handbook (updated 10 September 2026, the 2027 version) — syllabus only contained within the 2027 Manuals; law examined only as it appears there; 30% Manuals discount via College Learn; College endorses only the Manuals and the Blackstone's Q&As are not affiliated; free practice questions on the Knowledge Hub; 150 questions in 3 hours, 140 scored; pass marks and the debrief panel's power to alter them; ban on copying questions and on AI. The main site can block automated readers; the same page is on the College's production mirror (accessed 4 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF step two exam hub, results overviews and subject area breakdowns — sitting dates; March 2026 sergeants' results (3,215 sat, 1,882 passed, 58.5%) and subject area breakdown (60 Crime, 31 Evidence and procedure, 49 General police duties of 140 scored questions) (accessed 4 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF sergeants' subject area breakdown, March 2026 (PDF) — we counted the rows by subject area (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Oxford University Press: Blackstone's Police Q&As Online, product page (UK pricing) — £105 for 12 months, £90 for 8, £75 for 3, tax added where applicable; topic practice, quarter, half and full mocks, feedback and user history; not endorsed by the College. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Oxford University Press: Blackstone's Police Manuals Online, product page — £85 for 12 months, tax added where applicable; searchable text of the three Manuals; updated every October. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Oxford University Press: Blackstone's Police Manuals and Q&As Online Combined, product page — £175 for 12 months, £130 for 8, tax added where applicable; direct links from Q&A answers to the Manual text. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Blackstone's Police service: NPPF Q&A landing page — over 2,000 multiple-choice questions; revision, short tests and quarter, half or full mock exams; separate 2026 and 2027 options. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Blackstone's Police service: FAQ — annual August update of print and online; both editions online from August to January; subscriptions running past the final exam move to the new edition; hints: do not 'learn the questions', maximum of 5 mock exams; free Q&A checklists for print buyers; no personal trials, institutional trials available (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Blackstone's Police service: Subscribe page and home page news — discounted upgrade offer for buyers of selected print editions; 30-day free trial for eligible institutions; Q&A moved to a new Learnosity platform in 2025 with saved results in a personal profile (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Amazon UK: Blackstone's Police Q&As 2027 three-volume pack and individual volumes — pack £89.99; individual volumes RRP £29.99, Amazon £27.25; published 13 August 2026; 272, 176 and 352 pages; publisher description ('hundreds' of Type A questions, Manual cross-references, question checklist, new questions in 2027). No ratings yet. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Amazon UK: Blackstone's Police Manuals 2027 three-volume set — RRP £89.00, Amazon £84.99, published 7 August 2026. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Dandy Booksellers: Blackstone's Police Sergeants' and Inspectors' Mock Examination Paper 2026 — publisher description: 150 exclusive Type A questions, 3 hour limit, sealed answer booklet with explanations and cross-references to the 2026 Manuals, marking matrix, verification questions; RRP £34.99; published 18 November 2025. Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Amazon UK: Mock Examination Paper 2026, 2025 and 2023 editions (ratings and reviews) — 2026 edition: 3.5 stars from 4 ratings, Amazon £32.42; 2025 edition (dp/0198936001): 4.3 stars from 11 ratings, published 21 November 2024; 2023 edition (dp/0192883739): 4.5 stars from 34 ratings, published 30 November 2022. Search results also showed the 2024 edition (4.5 stars from 20 ratings, published 5 December 2023) and the 2022 edition (4.6 stars from 47 ratings, published 30 November 2021). Checked 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- PolicePay: police pay scales (1 September 2026 scales) — top of constable scale £52,015, top of sergeant scale £58,175, top of inspector scale outside London £71,396, from our own pay-scales dataset (accessed 4 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, syllabus editions and prices change, so check the College of Policing's current candidate handbook and exam pages before you register or buy. Practice material on this site is original and is not real exam content. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 4 October 2026.