Promotion Board
Presentation
Some forces add a presentation to the sergeant or inspector board. This guide covers what College guidance says presentations are for, how to read the brief, how to plan to time, four structures that suit common topics, a worked six-minute outline and how to handle the questions afterwards.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Answer the question in your first sentence, then use a simple structure such as problem, options, recommendation, with two or three main points. For each point say what you would do at the rank, why, and how you would know it worked. Cover risks and ethics, plan for slightly less than the time allowed, rehearse aloud, and prepare for follow-up questions on your rationale. Your force's brief sets the topic, time and rules.
What a board presentation tests
The College's guidance for assessing candidates at step three describes the presentation exercise like this, in summary: bespoke topics that relate to current and future challenges or priorities the force is likely to face, ethical decision making, and criteria defined as essential to the role. The topic can include an ethical dilemma or focus on the rationale for a decision, which lets assessors judge whether your values match those the role requires.
| Topic type | What the panel wants to know | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Current and future challenges | Can you see what the force is facing and what it means at the next rank? | Use your force plan, recent inspection findings and local data |
| Ethical decision making | Do your choices match the Code of Ethics and the CVF values? | Name the ethical tension and how you resolved it |
| Rationale for a decision | Can you explain why, not only what? | Give options you rejected and why |
| Criteria essential to the role | Can you think and communicate like the rank you want? | Link every point to what you would do as sergeant or inspector |
Presentations are marked against the same competencies and values as the rest of the board. For sergeant and inspector, the College profiles set the 2024 CVF at level 2. See promotion boards explained for the framework.
Reading the brief
Forces must advertise the step three method and the competencies tested (NPPF operating manual 5.6), so the brief should tell you most of what you need. Before you plan anything, write down:
- the exact question, word for word, and the rank it asks you to speak as;
- the time allowed, and whether questions are inside or after it;
- whether slides, handouts or notes are allowed;
- when you get the topic: in advance, or on the day with preparation time;
- which competencies and values the presentation is marked against.
The most common way to lose marks is answering a different, easier question. If the brief asks what you would do as a sergeant, a force strategy talk misses it; if it asks for the biggest challenge facing the force, a list of team-level tips misses it.
Planning to time
Whatever the length, a simple split keeps you on track. These proportions are our suggestion, not a rule:
| Part | Share of time | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | 10% | Your answer to the question in one or two sentences, and the structure |
| Context | 15 to 20% | The problem or challenge, with one or two facts that matter |
| Main points | 50 to 60% | Two or three points, each with what you would do, why and how you would know it worked |
| Risks and ethics | 10% | What could go wrong, who could be affected and how you would manage it |
| Close | 5 to 10% | Restate your answer and the first thing you would do |
Write your answer sentence first: the one or two sentences you would say if you only had thirty seconds. Everything else supports it. Then cut. Most first drafts have five points; three is usually the most that can be made well in the time.
Four example structures
These are planning frameworks, not templates to recite. Pick the one that fits the question:
| Structure | Best for | Outline |
|---|---|---|
| Problem, options, recommendation | Topics that ask you to solve something: demand, a crime problem, a performance gap | Problem and evidence; two or three options with pros, cons and risks; your recommendation and why; how you would implement and measure it |
| Now, next, measures | "Your first 100 days as a sergeant" or "how would you improve your team" | Where things are now; what you would do in sequence; how you would measure progress and when you would review |
| People, process, partners | Leadership and culture topics: wellbeing, standards, inclusion, retention | What you would do with your people; what you would change in process; who outside the team you would work with |
| Challenge, impact, response (force priority) | "What is the biggest challenge facing the force and what would you do about it?" | Name the challenge and why it matters; impact on public, staff and your team; your response at your rank; risks and ethics |
Whichever you use, each main point should contain three things: what you would do, why, and how you would know it worked. That mirrors what College guidance says the presentation can test: the rationale for a decision.
A worked six-minute outline
An illustration for a sergeant presentation on the topic "How would you improve the service your team gives to victims?". The figures and details are invented; the timings show how the plan above works in practice.
| Time | Part | What you say |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 to 0:40 | Opening | "The question is how I would improve victim satisfaction on my team. My answer is three things: faster first updates, better quality updates, and making it part of supervision. I will cover each, the risks, and how I would measure progress." |
| 0:40 to 1:40 | Context | One local fact (for example the share of overdue victim updates on the team) and one point on why it matters (confidence and the Victims' Code). Keep it short |
| 1:40 to 3:00 | Point one: first updates | A simple end-of-shift handover flag for updates due on rest days, allocated by the next sergeant. Why it works; how I would test it for four weeks |
| 3:00 to 4:00 | Point two: quality | Short guidance on what a good update includes, dip-sampled by sergeants, with feedback to individuals |
| 4:00 to 5:00 | Point three: supervision | Overdue updates reviewed in one-to-ones; good practice recognised at briefings |
| 5:00 to 5:40 | Risks and ethics | Extra admin for officers (keep the flag to one line); data used to support, not to blame; vulnerable victims prioritised |
| 5:40 to 6:00 | Close | "So: faster, better, supervised. On day one I would agree the handover flag with the other sergeants." |
Notice what it does not do: it does not spend two minutes on background, it does not list ten ideas, and it ends on a concrete first action. The Victims' Code reference shows awareness of the wider framework without turning into a lecture.
Delivery
| Point | Advice |
|---|---|
| Notes | Use cue cards or a one-page outline, not a script. Panels can tell when you are reading |
| Slides | Only if allowed. Few words, large text, one idea per slide. Have a version that works without them |
| Pace | Plan for slightly less than the time allowed. Nerves speed you up; questions may cut you short |
| Eye contact | Speak to the whole panel, not only the chair |
| Ending | Finish on your answer, not on "any questions?" |
Rehearse aloud at least five times, timed, and at least once in front of someone who will ask awkward questions. Record yourself once: most people find they speak faster and say "um" more than they think.
Handling the questions afterwards
Questions after a presentation are often where the marks are made, because they test whether you understand your own plan. Expect these kinds:
| Question | What to give |
|---|---|
| "Why that option rather than...?" | Your rationale. Have a sentence ready on the options you rejected |
| "What would you do if it did not work?" | Review and adapt. Say what you would measure and when you would change course |
| "How does this fit the force's priorities?" | Link to the force plan without reciting it |
| "What have you done like this before?" | A real example. This is where evidence earns marks |
| "What are the ethical risks?" | Name a specific one and how you would manage it |
If you do not know, say so and say how you would find out. Bluffing is easy to spot. Practising forward-facing answers out loud is the best preparation for this part: see forward-facing questions explained.
Topics given on the day
If you get the topic with limited preparation time, use this order: write the answer sentence (two minutes), choose a structure (one minute), pick your three points with a reason and a measure for each (most of the time), then the opening and close. Leave slides or a neat outline until last, if at all.
You can prepare for short-notice topics in advance by knowing three things well: your force's current priorities, one or two recent challenges in your area with the facts behind them, and two examples from your own experience you can link to almost any topic.
Presentation checklist
- I have the exact question, the time, the rules on slides and notes, and the competencies assessed.
- My first sentence answers the question.
- I have no more than three main points, each with what, why and how I would know it worked.
- I cover risks and at least one ethical consideration.
- I speak as the rank I am applying for.
- I have rehearsed aloud, timed, at least five times, and finished under time.
- I have answers ready for "why that option?" and "what have you done like this before?".
For the interview part of the board, see the sergeant and inspector example answers.
What we could not verify
- How many forces use presentations, and typical lengths. We found no national data and few published force formats.
- Real presentation topics. Forces do not publish them; the worked topic here is our own.
- How presentations are weighted. This is set by each force.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all promotion boards include a presentation?
No. Each force designs its own step three process. College guidance lists a presentation exercise as one of several methods forces can use alone or in combination; others include interviews, panel exercises and role plays. Your force must advertise the method it has chosen.
What topics come up in board presentations?
College guidance says presentation topics can relate to current and future challenges or priorities for the force, ethical decision making, and criteria essential to the role, and can include an ethical dilemma or the rationale for a decision. Exact topics are set by forces and are not published.
How long is a promotion board presentation?
It varies by force and we have not verified a national norm. Use the time in your force's brief. If none is given, ask.
Can I use PowerPoint?
Only if your force allows it. Check the brief. Plan a version that works without slides in case of technical problems or a rule change.
Will I be asked questions after the presentation?
Often, though it depends on the force. Expect questions on your rationale, risks, what you would do if it did not work and what you have done before.
Is the presentation scored separately?
That depends on your force's scheme. College guidance recommends deciding in advance how scores from several exercises are combined. Some forces score exercises together; the Met's 2024 sergeant to inspector process scored its briefing and written exercises as one.
What if I get the topic on the day?
Use one of the structures on this page, write the answer sentence first, and spend most of your preparation time on two or three strong points rather than on the slides or the introduction.
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: Guidance for assessing candidates at step three of the NPPF, July 2019 (PDF) : presentation exercise description; methods used alone or in combination; combining scores decided in advance (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF operating manual, July 2026 (PDF) : forces choose and must advertise the step three method (5.2, 5.6) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework for policing 2024 (PDF) : competencies and values a presentation is marked against (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police FOI 01.FOI.24.039068 : briefing and written exercise scored as one in the 2024 sergeant to inspector process (accessed 18 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Practice and tools
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.