Sergeant vs Inspector Exam
Same paper shape, same subject areas — one number does almost all of the real work in making Inspector harder.
| Factor | Sergeant exam | Inspector exam |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 150 | 150 |
| Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Subject areas | Crime, Evidence and procedure, General police duties | Same three areas |
| Cut score | 55% | 65% |
| Most recent pass rate | 58.5% | 37% |
| Eligibility | Substantive Constable | Substantive Sergeant |
Why A 10-Point Cut Score Gap Feels Like More Than 10 Points
A 55% to 65% jump in the required score doesn't translate to "10% more revision" — it removes almost all of the margin for the kind of mistake every candidate makes: confusing two similarly worded provisions, second-guessing a correct first instinct, or running short on time on the harder third of the paper. At the Sergeant cut score, those mistakes are individually survivable. At the Inspector cut score, they routinely aren't.
This is reflected in the numbers: the gap between the two pass rates (58.5% vs 37%) is noticeably wider than the gap between the two cut scores alone would predict, which is one reason candidates who found Sergeant comfortable are sometimes caught off guard by Inspector.
Practice Against Whichever Bar Is Yours
One toolkit, one rank toggle — every score is measured against the real cut score for the rank you're actually sitting for.
Try The Free Sample →Frequently Asked Questions
Do Sergeant and Inspector candidates study different material?
Almost, but not quite. Both draw on the same three subject areas from the current edition of the Blackstone's Police Manuals: Crime, Evidence and procedure, and General police duties. The College's candidate handbook says all areas of the syllabus apply to both exams except chapter 1.8 of the Manuals, which is for the sergeants' examination only. The balance of questions differs between the two papers, and so does the pass mark (55% for sergeants, 65% for inspectors).
Can I skip the Sergeant exam and go straight for Inspector?
No — you must be a substantive Sergeant before you can sit the Inspector legal exam (NPPF step two) and go through the rest of the process. There's no route that bypasses Sergeant rank for a direct-service officer.
If I passed the Sergeant exam comfortably, will the Inspector exam feel similar?
Many candidates are surprised it doesn't. The subject matter is familiar, but the higher cut score removes the margin for the small mistakes that a Sergeant-level pass could absorb — comfort at 55% doesn't reliably predict comfort at 65%.
Results day: what to do next
Leave your email and we will email you ourselves around results day with what to do next, whether you passed or not: the resit plan and dates if you need them, the next steps if you passed. Also exam dates and rule changes as they happen. No automatic emails.