Police Promotion Boards
Explained
You have passed the legal exam. What comes next is your force's own selection process: usually a promotion board. This guide explains where the board sits in the National Police Promotion Framework, the formats forces use, how answers are scored against the 2024 CVF, how forces differ, and what the new SIPP process changes. Written from College of Policing guidance and force-published documents.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
A promotion board is your force's step three selection under the National Police Promotion Framework, taken after you pass the step two legal exam. Each force designs it: commonly an interview, often with a presentation or other exercise, marked against the Competency and Values Framework at level 2 for sergeant and inspector. If selected you join a pool, then do 12 months' temporary promotion with a work-based assessment before substantive promotion.
Promotion boards at a glance
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| What a board is | Your force's step three selection under the National Police Promotion Framework, after the step two legal exam |
| Who designs it | Each force (senior management with HR), not the College. Forces must advertise the method and the competencies early |
| Common parts | Application or expression of interest, shortlisting, interview, presentation, panel or role-play exercises. Mix varies by force |
| Marked against | The 2024 Competency and Values Framework; College profiles put sergeant and inspector at level 2 for all six competencies |
| Scoring | Force-set. College guidance: structured assessment (ORCE), a rating scale of up to nine points, pass point fixed in advance |
| Timing rule | The final part of step three must fall within five years (less one day) of the exam you passed |
| If selected | A pool for up to 12 months (exceptionally up to 36 in total), then 12 months' temporary promotion and work-based assessment |
| If not selected | Development plan with your line manager, then the next step three while your exam pass is valid |
| Not everywhere a board | Hampshire and Isle of Wight's sergeant pathway has no board; SIPP test forces use a staged process |
The Police (Promotion) Regulations 1996 say promotion from one rank to another "shall be by selection" (regulation 4). For sergeant and inspector in England and Wales, that selection happens inside the College of Policing's National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF), and the board is the selection step. The College's own NPPF page puts it simply: promotion happens only once all four steps are complete.
Everything on this page is general. The NPPF operating manual (July 2026) requires forces to advertise the step three method early, set out the competencies they are testing and tell candidates about changes as soon as possible (5.6). That advert or candidate pack beats any guide, including this one.
Where the board sits: the four NPPF steps
The College describes the NPPF as a four-step process for promotion to sergeant or inspector. The board is step three. Steps one and two decide whether you can apply; step three decides whether you are selected; step four proves you can do the job in the rank.
| Step | College title | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Step one | Competence in your current rank | Eligibility: probation complete; for sergeant two years' service (three on the PCDA); competence shown in your PDR; no live written improvement notice or live written warning; attendance policy followed (manual 3.7) |
| Step two | Legal knowledge examination | Set by the College. A pass is valid for five years (less one day). Our step two guide covers it |
| Step three | Assessment against rank-specific competencies and matching to vacancies | The promotion board or other local selection process. Designed and run by your force |
| Step four | Temporary promotion and work-based assessment | A mandatory 12 months in the rank, assessed against qualification units and your performance, then consideration for substantive promotion |
Two eligibility points catch people out. First, an inspector candidate must be substantive as a sergeant on or before the day of the inspectors' exam, which for NPPF sergeants means the 12-month work-based assessment is complete (manual 3.7 and 3.18). Second, a sergeant who completes the inspector process before reaching two years' service as a sergeant cannot be promoted until they meet that service requirement under regulation 3 of the Promotion Regulations (3.18.2).
For the exam itself, see the sergeant exam guide and the inspector exam guide. For the whole journey, including pay, read how police promotion works.
The national rules for step three
The College does not run your board, but its NPPF operating manual (July 2026, replacing the April 2019 guidance) sets the rules every force works within. In plain English:
- Purpose. Step three has two jobs: to assess your potential to perform at the next rank against the relevant behavioural competencies, and to match the number of successful candidates broadly to the number of expected vacancies (5.1). The second job matters: a board is partly a way of rationing promotion to the posts a force expects to fill.
- The force designs it. Senior management, with HR specialists, decide the structure and techniques (5.2). Forces must also show due regard to the public sector equality duty in choosing their procedures, and are encouraged to use positive action for under-represented groups.
- It must be advertised. The method, the competencies tested and the qualification units used at step four must be advertised early, and changes notified as soon as possible (5.6). If a date moves or the content changes materially, candidates must have reasonable time to adjust (5.6.1). Telling candidates the projected number of vacancies is described as good practice (5.6.2).
- Timing against your exam pass. The date you physically take part in the final part of step three must fall inside your five-year validity period. The result can come later, but if you take part after the anniversary you cannot go on to step four (5.4, 5.5).
- Unsuccessful is not the end. You stay in the framework and can take the next step three while your pass is valid, with a development plan agreed with your line manager that forms part of your PDR (5.7, 5.7.1).
Ask three questions as soon as a process is announced: what exactly is being assessed (exercises and competencies), how many vacancies are expected, and when is the final assessment date relative to your exam anniversary. If your pass expires soon, the last question can decide whether this process is your last chance on that exam.
What a board can include: the formats forces use
The College's guidance for assessing candidates at step three (July 2019) lists the selection methods forces can use, "by themselves or in combination with others". Forces add their own, such as written or briefing exercises. The table sets out what each involves and how to prepare.
| Method | What it involves | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Application, expression of interest or personal statement | Confirms eligibility and gives first evidence against the criteria. Some forces replace the form: the Met uses a PDR rating as its gateway | Write specific, recent examples in the first person; the College suggests shortlisting panels can apply ORCE to the form itself |
| Structured or semi-structured interview | The same questions in the same order (structured), or room to probe further (semi-structured). Questions can cover past and future behaviour | Expect follow-up questions; prepare evidence for each competency and a view on the next rank |
| Presentation | A topic on current and future challenges or priorities for the force, ethical decision making, or the rationale for a decision | See our presentation guide |
| Panel exercise | Working with others on a key issue or force priority, observed by assessors | Contribute, listen, build on others' points and keep to time |
| Work sample exercise | A task that mirrors the role, for example a role play with an actor playing a member of staff or the public | Treat it as real: set the purpose, listen, decide, agree actions |
| Written or briefing exercise | Not in the College table, but forces use them: the Met's 2024 sergeant to inspector process had a meeting or briefing exercise and a written element, scored together | Practise reading a pack quickly and writing a clear recommendation |
The same guidance says the methods chosen should reflect the role profile, give every candidate an equal chance to show the competencies and values, mirror activities critical to the role, resist subjective bias and let assessors tell candidates apart. That is a useful lens: whatever the exercise, the panel is looking for behaviour that predicts how you would do the next rank.
For the two most common add-ons, read our guides to planning a board presentation and forward-facing questions.
Evidence questions and forward-facing questions
College guidance says interview questions "can focus on past and future behaviour, enabling information to be gathered regarding a candidate's current ability and future potential". In practice that gives two families of question, and many boards use both.
The Met describes its main assessment as "a future focused interview, to explore potential for the next rank", so for some forces the forward-facing family is the core of the board. Our worked examples: sergeant board questions and answers and inspector board questions and answers. For a bank of 44 more practice questions with a free marked answer, see the board question bank.
Some boards give you a short scenario ("a constable tells you a colleague has been drinking before shift") and ask what you would do. Treat it as a forward-facing question with a deadline: priorities, decision, actions, then how you would record and review it.
What you are marked against: the 2024 CVF at level 2
The College's Competency and Values Framework (CVF) is the national set of behaviours that forces use for recruitment, assessment and development. The 2024 version replaced the 2016 one, and the College gave forces until 1 May 2025 to move across. It has six competencies, three values and three levels.
| Competency | Level 2 emphasis |
|---|---|
| We are emotionally aware | Monitoring others' wellbeing, helping people learn from their experiences, staying composed in stressful situations |
| We take ownership | Being accountable for your team's decisions and standards, not only your own work |
| We collaborate | Building partnerships inside and outside policing and resolving conflicting priorities |
| We support and inspire | Giving clear direction, developing people and leading through change |
| We analyse critically | Weighing evidence and risk, making and recording justified decisions |
| We are innovative and open-minded | Testing new approaches, learning from mistakes and from outside your team |
The three values are courage, respect and empathy and public service. Values are not split into levels. The competency levels are level 1 practitioner, level 2 supervisor or middle manager and level 3 senior manager or executive. They are cumulative, and the College says they can be used flexibly rather than tied rigidly to rank.
| Rank | CVF level in the profile | Role in one line |
|---|---|---|
| Sergeant | Level 2 for all six competencies | First line-management tier: supervising and developing team members, coordinating policing activity |
| Inspector | Level 2 for all six competencies | Leads teams, plans and monitors operations, manages risk |
| Chief inspector | Level 2 for all six competencies | Leads large teams of inspectors, sergeants, constables and staff; plans, deploys and manages risk |
| Superintendent | Level 3 for emotionally aware, ownership, collaborate, support and inspire; level 2 for analyse critically and innovative | For contrast: the first core rank where the profile moves most competencies to level 3 |
So for both sergeant and inspector boards, the reference point in the College profiles is level 2. What changes between the two ranks is the scale and scope of your evidence, covered in the sergeant vs inspector section below.
The 2016 CVF had four values (integrity, impartiality, public service and transparency) and competency names such as "we are collaborative" and "we deliver, support and inspire". The 2024 names are "we collaborate" and "we support and inspire". If your force's pack still uses the older names, answer to the pack, but the behaviours are largely the same.
How boards are scored
There is no national board pass mark. Each force sets its own scheme. The College's step three guidance gives the principles most forces follow:
- ORCE. Assessors observe and record what you say and do, classify each piece of evidence into one competency or value, then evaluate its quality, including anything that detracted. Each assessor rates independently before any discussion.
- Rating scales. Generally no more than nine points, and often five or seven points is enough to tell candidates apart fairly.
- A pass point fixed in advance. The point that separates "met the standard" from "not met", and the way scores from several exercises combine, should be confirmed before the process runs.
- Feedback for everyone. Successful and unsuccessful candidates should get clear, timely feedback that reflects only what they said or did.
Published force criteria show what that looks like. The Met disclosed its success criteria for 2017 to 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act. Recent examples:
| Process | Published criterion |
|---|---|
| Constable to sergeant, 2022 | Total score of 30 or above |
| Sergeant to inspector, 2023 | Total score of 26 or above, and at least 2 in each competency or value |
| Inspector to chief inspector, 2022 | Total score of 38 or above |
| Chief inspector to superintendent, 2023 | Total score of 41 or above, and at least 2 in each competency or value |
Two lessons travel to any force. Totals change from year to year with the exercises used, so a number from one process tells you nothing about another. And minimum-per-area rules mean one very weak competency can sink a strong overall score: cover every competency, not just your favourites. More on the Met in our Met promotion process guide.
Because assessors write down what you say before they judge it, clear, specific statements score more reliably than general claims. "I briefed the team, set two standards and checked them at the next three handovers" can be classified and evaluated. "I'm a strong communicator" cannot.
How forces differ: four published examples
Because each force designs step three, two officers in neighbouring forces can face very different processes in the same year. These are examples from documents the forces have published; they may have changed since, and your own force's process is the one that counts.
| Force | What its documents say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police | Gateway is a PDR rating of at least 'at the standard' with 'ready for promotion' or above, then an expression of interest. Assessment usually a future focused interview plus one additional exercise. Successful candidates go on a select list | Met officer promotion overview |
| West Yorkshire Police | Step three is 'in-force Promotion Boards'. Officers on the promotion list may decline one or two postings but must accept the third offer, unless exceptional circumstances apply | WYP postings and promotions policy |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight | Sergeants promotion pathway sits in step three: up to six months acting, monthly reflective journals, action learning sets, a two-page 'Why Me, Why Now' letter after three months, panel decision of pass or fail. 'Officers are not required to undergo a board' | HIOW pathway guidance, June 2024 |
| Avon and Somerset | A SIPP test force. Three stages: development, selection, temporary promotion and work-based assessment. Officers are expected to evidence their development in their PDR | Avon and Somerset promotions page |
The variety goes beyond format. Forces differ on whether there is a written application, whether your exam score plays any part, how many candidates are taken forward, how postings are made after selection and how appeals work. West Yorkshire's policy, for example, gives all officers a right of appeal and lets them bring a Federation or union representative to the appeal panel.
Do not assume your board looks like any of these. Ask your force's promotions or resourcing team for the current candidate pack, and ask a recent successful candidate in your force what the day actually involved.
SIPP: the new sergeant and inspector process
SIPP is the College's Sergeant and Inspector Promotion and Progression process. The College announced the test on 23 May 2024. It has three stages: development, selection and promotion. Candidates show readiness through a successful PDR, completion of specified leadership training and practice-based evidence, and sit a legal knowledge exam with questions specific to the role applied for.
- Test forces: Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Avon and Somerset.
- Test period: April 2024 to March 2026.
- Status: the College said "no decision has been made about the future promotion process" and that the evaluation would inform recommendations.
- July 2026: the Police Leadership Commission report (page first published 6 July 2026) said promotion processes to sergeant and inspector "are broken" and that the new process "should be rolled out nationally as soon as possible".
Avon and Somerset describes itself as a test force "with a view to becoming an early adopter", with stages of development, selection, and temporary promotion with work-based assessment, and an emphasis on officers evidencing their own development in their PDR. Our SIPP explainer has more background.
Whether your force uses a board or a staged process, the same habits help: a PDR that records real supervisory evidence, examples mapped to the CVF, and practice at explaining your decisions aloud. If your force adopts SIPP, it will tell you how selection works there.
After the board: pools, temporary promotion and step four
Passing the board does not make you a sergeant or inspector. It puts you in line for temporary promotion. The operating manual sets out what happens next:
| Situation | What the NPPF operating manual says |
|---|---|
| Selected, vacancy available | Temporary promotion for a minimum of 12 months, posted with regard to skills, training needs and location (manual 5.8) |
| Selected, no vacancy yet | A pool. Forces should aim not to keep anyone there more than 12 months; exceptionally a further 24 months (36 in total), then reapply at step three if the exam pass is still valid (5.8, 5.8.1) |
| During step four | Registered with an awarding body; assessed against qualification units and on performance and attendance over the full 12 months; extension of up to 12 months in extenuating circumstances (6.3, 6.4.1) |
| Step four not passed | Return to step three, with a meeting, feedback and usually a development plan (6.5) |
| Step four passed | Considered for substantive promotion, taking account of service length (usually two years), PDR, attendance, conduct and your commander's recommendation (6.8) |
| Not selected at step three | Stay in the framework; development action plan agreed with your line manager and recorded in your PDR; retake step three while the exam pass is valid (5.7, 5.7.1) |
Acting up is different. Officers who have passed the exam may be given chances to act up in the next rank, but the manual says they cannot be temporarily promoted outside the framework (6.10). Acting up can still give you strong board evidence: our acting-up evidence guide shows how to use it.
If you are not selected, our guide to what happens if you fail the board covers feedback, the development plan and the next attempt.
Appeals, reasonable adjustments and extenuating circumstances
Section 9 of the operating manual covers what happens when something goes wrong. The key points for a board candidate:
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Every step must have an appeals route | Forces must have an appeals procedure at each step for unsuccessful candidates, in addition to fairness at work or grievance procedures (9.5) |
| Independent of your line management | Run centrally in the force; staff associations help design it but do not decide appeals (9.5) |
| Grounds published in advance | When a step three process is advertised, forces should say how to appeal and on what grounds an appeal will be accepted (9.10) |
| The College does not hear appeals | It manages the framework but cannot review or overturn a chief officer's selection decision, or comment on the quality of your evidence (9.2, 9.3) |
| Validity during an appeal | An accepted appeal counts from your participation date for validity purposes; time when you were prevented from preparing or applying may be returned (9.11.1, 9.11.2) |
| One part at a time | While your appeal is live you cannot take part in a new step three process unless you withdraw it (9.11.3) |
Reasonable adjustments. The manual says candidates who need adjustments at any part of the NPPF must tell the force in good time so they can be made at each step (for step two, the College as well). As an example of how this works in practice, the Met told an FOI requester that candidates can ask for an adjustment when they apply, attach supporting evidence and mention adjustments agreed before; requests are reviewed by its medical team or occupational psychologists and agreed with the candidate case by case (FOI 01.FOI.24.039835).
Extenuating circumstances. The manual describes these as serious events such as a family bereavement or serious illness, your own illness or injury, or long absences that need consideration under the Equality Act 2010, and encourages candidates to raise them as early as possible, preferably before an assessment, rather than relying on an appeal afterwards (9.4, 9.6).
An issue flagged in advance can often be fixed: a different date, extra time, a quieter room. The same issue raised after a poor result has to go through an appeal, which is slower and less certain. Speak to your Federation representative if you are unsure.
Sergeant boards and inspector boards: what changes
Both ranks sit at CVF level 2 in the College profiles. The difference is the scale of leadership the panel expects to hear about. The sergeant profile describes the first line-management tier; the inspector profile describes a manager who leads teams, plans and monitors operations and manages risk.
| Sergeant board | Inspector board | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Your team: standards, wellbeing, briefing and deploying, quality of investigations | Several teams and their sergeants: resources, risk, performance, partners, public confidence |
| Typical evidence | Times you led a shift or a job, challenged behaviour, developed a colleague, owned a mistake | Times you led sergeants, changed a process across a team, managed demand or a budget pressure, handled a complaint pattern |
| Forward-facing angle | Your first months as a new sergeant: expectations, relationships, quick wins | How you would set direction for a department, use data and hold sergeants to account |
| Common weakness | Answering as a constable: describing your own actions only | Answering as a sergeant: describing doing the work rather than leading those who do it |
For the next step up, read the inspector promotion process, and beyond that the chief inspector promotion process, where there is no national exam at all.
How an answer is marked: a worked ORCE example
To see why specific answers score better, follow one sentence through the ORCE stages the College describes. The example is ours and is simplified; real forces use their own indicators and scales.
| Stage | What the assessor does | Applied to a sergeant answer |
|---|---|---|
| Observe and record | The assessor writes down what you say, close to word for word, without judging it yet | "I spoke to her privately that afternoon, told her what I had seen and that it fell below the standard, and asked for her side." |
| Classify | Each piece of evidence goes into one competency or value only | Private, prompt challenge of a standard: we take ownership. Asking for her side first: we are emotionally aware, or respect and empathy |
| Evaluate | The assessor rates the quality against the rank's indicators, including anything that detracted | Strong if you also recorded it, agreed a follow-up and checked it; weaker if the story ends with "and it was fine after that" |
Three things follow. First, the assessor can only score what they can write down, so say the decision, the words you used and the action, not a summary of your qualities. Second, because each piece of evidence goes in one box only, an answer that covers several competencies needs several distinct pieces of evidence. Third, the evaluate stage looks for what detracted: blaming others, vagueness about your own part, or a result you cannot describe.
Read one of your answers back and underline every sentence that starts with "I" and contains a verb you could see someone doing: briefed, challenged, recorded, decided, checked. If fewer than half the sentences qualify, the assessor has little to classify.
Build an evidence bank before you need it
Most board preparation goes wrong at the same point: candidates try to remember good examples under pressure. Keeping a simple record as you go, especially while acting up, avoids that. This template is ours; adapt it to the competencies in your force's pack.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Competency or value | Which of the six competencies or three values the example mainly shows (one primary, one secondary at most) |
| When and where | Month and year, your role at the time (acting, tutoring, substantive). Recent examples are stronger |
| Situation in one line | Enough for the panel to picture it, no more |
| Your decision | What you decided, including options you rejected |
| Your reasons | Why: risk, people, standards, the Code of Ethics, force priorities |
| What you did | Three to five actions, each starting with "I" |
| Result | What changed, with a number or specific outcome where you can |
| Learning | What you would do differently, and whether you have since |
| Likely follow-up | The question you would least like to be asked about it, and your answer |
Aim for two or three entries per competency, with at least one example where something went wrong and you put it right. Recency matters: examples from acting up or recent supervisory work usually show level 2 behaviour more clearly than old constable-level jobs. Our acting-up evidence guide covers how to capture it while it is fresh.
Write entries in your own words without personal data about victims, suspects or colleagues. You need enough to remember the example, not a copy of the record.
If your force has no board: preparing for a pathway
Not every force runs a board at step three. Hampshire and Isle of Wight's sergeants promotion pathway guidance (June 2024) says officers "are not required to undergo a board". Instead they are assessed on evidence gathered while acting. The published design:
| Element | What the guidance says |
|---|---|
| Where it sits | Within step three, replacing the board for sergeant candidates |
| Development period | A maximum of six months in an acting sergeant role, with monthly line manager reviews |
| Evidence | Monthly reflective practice journals, line manager feedback, action learning set lead feedback, and a two-page 'Why Me, Why Now' letter after the first three months |
| Assessed against | Force priorities, the Code of Ethics, the CVF, and two learning outcomes from the level 4 police management qualification (briefings and tasking; supervising investigations) |
| Panel | Two senior leaders of superintendent rank or above and an independent member from People and Development or staff networks |
| Outcome | Pass or fail, considered in the round on the balance of probabilities. The guidance says the panel looks for quality evidence, not a particular style or buzzwords |
| If unsuccessful | Feedback with an explanation, and a development plan set by the line manager before the officer can re-enter |
The preparation is different in timing but not in substance. Instead of rehearsing for one day, you build the evidence over months: keep your reflective journals specific, ask your line manager for feedback you can use, and write your letter around the best evidence of your performance rather than polished prose. The evidence bank template above works for journals too. If your force adopts SIPP, expect a similar emphasis on development evidence recorded in your PDR.
How to prepare: an eight-week plan
No plan guarantees selection and we have no data that any one method works better. This is a practical order of work that fits around shifts. Compress it if your process is announced late.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks out | Get the candidate pack. List the competencies, the format and the dates. Book time with a recent successful candidate and your line manager |
| 7 weeks out | Build an evidence bank: two or three recent examples per competency, each with your decision, your reasons and the result |
| 6 weeks out | Read your force plan, the College profile for the rank and any recent HMICFRS report on your force. Note three priorities and what they mean for the rank |
| 5 weeks out | Practise evidence questions aloud, timed. Record yourself or use the mock interview's promotion board set |
| 4 weeks out | Practise forward-facing questions: a plan, a reason, a past example, a measure of success |
| 3 weeks out | If there is a presentation, draft it to time and rehearse it at least five times, then prepare for follow-up questions |
| 2 weeks out | Full mock board with a colleague acting as panel, including probing questions. Fix the weakest competency |
| Final week | Light review only. Re-read the pack, plan logistics and rest |
Practising aloud matters more than people expect: written notes rarely survive a follow-up question. Our mock interview has a promotion board question set with original sergeant and inspector questions, scored by an AI marker against CVF level 2, with a number of free answers each day.
If you want structured practice across the exam and the board, our promotion exam and board prep toolkit (a paid PolicePay product) includes board scenarios with an AI tutor alongside exam practice. It is optional: the guides and the question bank on this site are free.
Before the day, read our list of common board mistakes.
Questions to ask your force before the board
Forces must advertise the method and competencies, should tell candidates the appeal process and grounds, and the manual describes sharing projected vacancy numbers as good practice. If your candidate pack does not answer these, ask the promotions or resourcing team:
| Topic | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Format | Which exercises are there, how long is each, and is there preparation time or a pre-read? |
| Criteria | Which competencies and values are assessed, at what level, and in which exercise? |
| Scoring | What rating scale is used, and is there a minimum score per competency as well as a total? |
| Numbers | How many vacancies are expected, and how many candidates are likely to be taken forward? |
| Dates | When is the final assessment, and is it inside my exam validity? |
| Adjustments | How and by when do I ask for reasonable adjustments? |
| Feedback and appeals | How will feedback be given, and what are the appeal grounds and deadlines? |
| Afterwards | How are postings decided after selection, and how long might I wait in a pool? |
Then talk to two people: an officer who passed your force's last process, and your line manager, who will need to support your application and may be asked about your readiness.
Myths about promotion boards
| Myth | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| A good exam score carries you through the board | Step two and step three test different things. How a force uses exam scores, if at all, is set locally |
| There is a national board question list | There is not. Forces design step three and set their own questions within the CVF |
| The board is a memory test of model answers | College guidance on structured interviews allows probing, and panels record what you actually say and do. Rehearsed scripts tend to fall apart on the follow-up |
| Use 'we' to sound like a team player | Assessors classify your behaviour. Say what you did and decided, then credit the team |
| Passing the board means you are promoted | It puts you in line for temporary promotion when a vacancy arises; substantive promotion follows step four |
| Everyone uses boards now | Some forces use pathways without a board, and SIPP test forces use a different structure |
Scotland, Northern Ireland and other forces
This guide covers the NPPF in England and Wales. Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland run their own promotion processes, and forces outside the Home Office structure may have their own arrangements. If you serve outside the territorial forces of England and Wales, ask your own service for its promotion policy rather than relying on the steps above.
Glossary of promotion board terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NPPF | National Police Promotion Framework: the College's four-step process for promotion to sergeant and inspector |
| Step three | Assessment against rank-specific competencies and matching to vacancies: the board or equivalent |
| Step four | Temporary promotion and work-based assessment, a mandatory 12 months |
| CVF | Competency and Values Framework: six competencies, three values, three levels (2024 version) |
| Evidence question | A question about what you have done, usually answered with situation, task, action and result |
| Forward-facing question | A question about what you would do at the next rank; the Met calls its interview future focused |
| ORCE | Observe, record, classify, evaluate: the structured assessment model in College step three guidance |
| Pool | Where selected candidates wait for a vacancy; forces should aim for no more than 12 months |
| Select list | The Met's term for successful candidates awaiting a vacancy |
| Acting up | Performing the duties of the next rank without being temporarily promoted |
| SIPP | Sergeant and Inspector Promotion and Progression: the College's tested new process |
| PDR | Performance and development review: often part of eligibility, and in the Met the gateway itself |
What we could not verify
- Current board formats for most forces. We found public documents for only a few forces. Thames Valley, Kent, Essex and West Midlands documents were not publicly available to us. Your candidate pack is the authority.
- What happened to SIPP after March 2026. We found no College statement on an evaluation or national rollout after the test period ended, beyond the Leadership Commission's recommendation.
- Board pass rates. We know of no national figures for step three. We have not used any.
- How each force uses exam scores at step three. This is a local decision and we have not verified any force's practice.
- Whether every force has moved fully to the 2024 CVF wording. The College set 1 May 2025 for the transition, but some force documents still use 2016 names such as 'we are collaborative'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after you pass the sergeant or inspector exam?
You move to step three of the National Police Promotion Framework: your force's own selection process, which the College calls assessment against rank-specific competencies and matching to vacancies. If you are selected you wait in a pool for a vacancy, then do 12 months' temporary promotion with a work-based assessment (step four). Promotion is only substantive once all four steps are complete.
Who decides what the promotion board looks like?
Your force. The College's NPPF operating manual (July 2026) says it is the responsibility of the force's senior management, with HR specialists, to decide the structure and techniques used at step three. Forces must advertise the method early and set out the competencies they are testing, so your force's candidate pack is the document to read first.
Is a promotion board just an interview?
Often an interview is the core, but not always alone. The College's step three guidance lists presentations, structured or semi-structured interviews, panel exercises and work sample exercises such as role plays, used alone or together, sometimes after a written application or expression of interest. The Met says its processes usually include a future focused interview plus one additional exercise.
What CVF level is a sergeant or inspector board marked at?
The College's professional profiles for sergeant, inspector and chief inspector list all six competencies at level 2 (supervisor or middle manager). Superintendent moves four of them to level 3. Your force may describe its criteria differently, so check the candidate pack.
How are promotion boards scored?
There is no national marking scheme. College guidance recommends a structured method such as ORCE (observe, record, classify, evaluate), a rating scale of no more than nine points (often five or seven is enough), and fixing the pass point before the process runs. Published Met criteria, for example, have used a total score plus a minimum score in each competency or value.
What is a forward-facing question?
A question about what you would do in the future, at the next rank, rather than what you have done. College guidance says interview questions can focus on past and future behaviour, and the Met describes its main assessment as a future focused interview. Good answers give a specific plan and back it with something you have actually done.
How long does an exam pass last for the board?
Five years (less one day) from the date you sat the exam. The final part of your force's step three process must take place within that period, or you go back to step one. If you are unsuccessful at the board, you can try again at the next step three while your pass is still valid.
What is SIPP?
The Sergeant and Inspector Promotion and Progression process, a College of Policing test of a new route in three stages: development, selection and promotion. The College named Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Avon and Somerset as test forces, with the test running from April 2024 to March 2026. The College said no decision had been made about the future process; the Police Leadership Commission (July 2026) recommended rolling it out nationally.
Do all forces still use promotion boards?
No. Hampshire and Isle of Wight's sergeants' promotion pathway (June 2024) says officers are not required to undergo a board: they spend up to six months acting, with reflective journals and a 'Why Me, Why Now' letter assessed by a panel as pass or fail. SIPP test forces run their own staged process. Ask your force which applies to you.
What happens if I fail the promotion board?
The NPPF operating manual says an unsuccessful candidate can stay in the framework and take the next step three while their exam pass is valid, and must be given the chance to develop through an action plan agreed with their line manager, recorded in their PDR. Ask for feedback; College guidance says feedback should go to all candidates.
Can I be promoted to sergeant without a board once I have passed the exam?
You can be given chances to act up in the next rank, but the operating manual says officers who have only passed the exam cannot be temporarily promoted outside the framework. Temporary promotion under the NPPF follows selection at step three.
Is there a promotion board for chief inspector?
There is no national exam above inspector. The NPPF covers sergeant and inspector only, and forces run their own selection for chief inspector and above. West Yorkshire's policy, for example, says the NPPF does not apply and its chief officer team decides the process; Avon and Somerset lists an application, eligibility check, shortlisting and an in-person interview.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 18 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 Police Promotion Framework (career learning page) : the four steps, and that promotion happens only once all four are complete (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF operating manual, July 2026 (PDF) : eligibility (3.7, 3.18), step three purpose and procedure (5.1 to 5.9), validity and step three timing (5.4, 5.5), pools (5.8, 5.8.1), step four (6.1 to 6.9), acting up versus temporary promotion (6.10) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Guidance for assessing candidates at step three of the NPPF, July 2019 (PDF) : ORCE model, application and shortlisting, selection methods table, rating scales, decision making and feedback. Written against the 2016 CVF (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework (page first published 8 May 2024) : six competencies, three values, three cumulative levels used flexibly (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework for policing 2024 (PDF) : replaces the 2016 version; forces had until 1 May 2025 to transition; level 2 example behaviours (paraphrased here) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Sergeant, inspector, chief inspector and superintendent professional profiles : CVF levels by rank (level 2 for sergeant, inspector and chief inspector; four competencies at level 3 for superintendent) and role purpose (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Testing a new process for promotion and progression of sergeants and inspectors (23 May 2024) : SIPP stages, evidence, legal exam, test forces, April 2024 to March 2026, no decision made (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Police Leadership Commission report (page first published 6 July 2026) : recommendation to roll out the new process nationally, and a standardised approach above inspector (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police: Officer promotion overview : PDR gateway, expression of interest, future focused interview plus one exercise, select list (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police FOI 01.FOI.23.032096: pass marks for each promotion process by rank : published success criteria 2017 to 2023 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police FOI 01.FOI.24.039835: police officer promotion process : reasonable adjustments process; assessment centre as step three, based on the CVF and Met values (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police FOI 01.FOI.24.039068: sergeant to inspector process launched 29 January 2024 : interview, meeting or briefing and written elements; briefing and written scored together (accessed 18 October 2026)
- West Yorkshire Police: Police officer postings and promotions policy : step three as in-force promotion boards; posting offers; chief inspector and above outside the NPPF (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary: Sergeants promotion pathway guidance (June 2024, PDF) : no board; up to six months acting; reflective journals; 'Why Me, Why Now' letter; panel of two superintendents or above and an independent member; pass or fail (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Avon and Somerset Police: Police promotions process : SIPP test force; three stages; five steps for chief inspector and above (accessed 18 October 2026)
- The Police (Promotion) Regulations 1996, regulation 4, legislation.gov.uk : promotion from one rank to another shall be by selection (accessed 18 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 any police force. Promotion processes are set locally and change from year to year, so your force's own candidate information is the source to rely on. Practice questions and example answers on this site are original PolicePay material, not real or recalled board questions, and no answer structure guarantees a result. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 18 October 2026.