Failed the Sergeants Exam?
Your Resit Plan
If you sat the sergeants exam on 6 to 8 October 2026 and did not pass, or think you have not, this is a calm, practical plan for what comes next. October 2026 results are expected by Thursday 29 October 2026. Your feedback report gives your grade, your total percentage and a subject-area breakdown, and that report is the starting point for the resit. There is no national limit on resits. The earliest is 16 to 18 March 2027, registration runs from 18 January to 18 February 2027 (your force may close earlier), and every 2027 sitting uses the 2027 Blackstone's Manuals.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 6 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Wait for your feedback report (expected by 29 October 2026), convert each subject area into marks lost, and work out why you fell short before you plan. You go back to Step One, with a development plan after discussion with your line manager. You can resit in March 2027 (register 18 January to 18 February 2027 through your force) or October 2027, both on the 2027 Manuals. Use a 12 week plan if you were well short, an 8 week plan for a near miss: diagnose, rebuild the weakest area, mixed timed practice, then full 150-question sittings.
A sergeants exam fail at a glance
This page is for one reader: a constable who has sat the NPPF Step Two sergeants exam and not passed, or expects not to. It does not repeat the full rulebook on results and validity, which is in NPPF results, validity and resits, or the general revision method, which is in the sergeant exam revision plan. It turns those into a plan for a second attempt. Facts come from the College of Policing's 2027 candidate handbook (September 2026), its 2026 handbook for the October 2026 sitting, the online examinations candidate guide, the NPPF operating manual (July 2026) and the College's published results, read on 6 October 2026.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| October 2026 results | Expected by Thursday 29 October 2026 (2026 handbook), by emailed link to AIMS |
| What you get | A feedback report: final grading, total percentage, broken down into subject areas. No certificate |
| Remark or appeal on marks | None. Marginal fails are not reassessed under any circumstances |
| Incident reports for October 2026 | By 8pm Sunday 11 October 2026, only for disruption outside your control |
| After a fail | Back to Step One, with a development plan after discussion with your line manager |
| Resit limit | No national limit; your force may set one |
| Earliest resit | 16 to 18 March 2027. Registration 18 January to 6pm 18 February 2027 (force deadlines may be earlier) |
| Next after that | 5 to 7 October 2027. Registration 3 August to 6pm 9 September 2027 |
| Syllabus for any 2027 resit | The 2027 Blackstone's Police Manuals (October 2026 used the 2026 edition) |
| If you held a valid pass when you sat | It was forfeited when you sat, whatever the result |
| March 2027 results | Expected by Thursday 8 April 2027 (2027 handbook) |
In March 2026, 1,333 of the 3,215 sergeant candidates who sat did not pass. Across the seven sergeant sittings from March 2023 to March 2026, 13,345 attempts did not pass. A fail says something about one paper on one day and how you prepared for it. It says nothing about whether you would make a good sergeant.
If you sat on 6 to 8 October 2026 and think it went badly
Candidates who sat on 6, 7 or 8 October 2026 will not know their result for about three weeks. People are often poor judges of their own score on a multiple-choice paper: the questions you agonised over stay with you, and the ones you answered quickly do not. Until the report arrives, the useful things to do are short.
| When | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Within a day or two of sitting | Write your own notes on how the paper went: timing, topics that felt unfamiliar, where you guessed. Not the questions | Memory fades within days, and the report will not tell you this |
| By 8pm Sunday 11 October 2026 | Send an unscheduled incident report only if something outside your control disrupted the exam | The College will not consider it after the deadline |
| Within three days of your exam | Raise a question query through your force exams contact if you think a question was legally wrong. Describe it, never copy it | Unfair questions are removed for everyone |
| Now to results day | Check with your force examinations officer that your AIMS details are correct | Errors in date of birth, email or national insurance number delay your result |
| Now to results day | Rest. Do not start a revision plan for an exam you may have passed | If you passed, you need a Step Three plan, not a resit plan |
Some candidates sit again while holding an earlier pass, to restart the five-year clock. The 2027 handbook is clear that "any remaining time on their validity period will be forfeited from the time that they sit the examination regardless of the result". If that is you and the result is a fail, you no longer hold a valid pass. Speak to your force examinations officer early, particularly if your force has a Step Three process coming up.
On writing notes: record your experience of the paper, not its content. Which areas felt unfamiliar, where you changed answers, how long the first 50 questions took, whether you finished. That is fair to write down and hugely useful later. Writing down, sharing or discussing the questions themselves is a breach of the exam rules, covered in NPPF online exam rules and exam day.
Results day: what arrives and what to do with it
The 2026 handbook gives Thursday 29 October 2026 for the October sergeants' results. Treat it as the expected date: the College tells force examinations officers the release date in advance, and they are the people to ask if it moves. On the day, the candidate guide says, you are sent an email with a link to AIMS (the registration platform, not the exam platform) and must verify your email address, date of birth and national insurance number before the result is released. Your force exams contact sees a pass or fail list but, according to the candidate guide, not your feedback report.
- Download the report and keep it. No certificate is issued, the report is your proof of result, and the College says it cannot reissue it.
- Read the numbers once, then put it down. Results day is not the day to decide anything about your career or your next attempt.
- Within a week, turn it into marks. The next two sections show how.
- Book a conversation with your line manager. The operating manual (para 4.7) says unsuccessful candidates must be supported with a development plan after discussion with their line manager. Take the report and your one-page summary (below). Keep any notes on the content of the paper to yourself: the 2027 handbook lists discussing questions or topic areas in the exam with someone else as a rule breach.
The College's candidate guide says its "Candidate Online Examination Guidance" Knowledge Hub group (login needed) includes feedback report guidance to help candidates interpret results and focus on weaker areas, as well as free practice questions. Join it if you have not already.
How to read your feedback report
The 2027 handbook says the report "can be used by the candidate to identify any strengths and developmental needs" and includes "a summary of candidates' final grading and total percentage score obtained in the examination", which "is also broken down into subject areas". We have not seen a real report, so we cannot say exactly how the areas are labelled. The College's published subject breakdowns sort questions into three courses (crime, evidence and procedure, general police duties), each split into skills such as theft and related offences or stop and search. Whatever the level of detail on yours, the method is the same.
Step 1: turn your percentage into marks
Everyone is scored on 140 questions, after the 10 that performed least well are removed, and the sergeants' pass mark is 77 of 140 (55%). One mark is about 0.7 percentage points. That makes the gap concrete.
| Total on your report | Marks out of 140 | Marks short of 77 | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54% | about 76 | 1 | A near miss: precision and timing, not a rebuild |
| 52% | about 73 | 4 | A near miss: usually one or two weak areas |
| 50% | 70 | 7 | Close: a focused 8 or 12 week plan is realistic |
| 47% | about 66 | 11 | A real gap: the 12 week plan, and an honest look at hours |
| 45% | 63 | 14 | A real gap across more than one area |
| 40% | 56 | 21 | Likely a coverage problem; consider October 2027 |
| Under 30% (low-band fail) | 41 or fewer | 36 or more | Start again from the Manuals; October 2027 is often the realistic target |
Step 2: weight each area by its size
A low percentage in a small area can cost fewer marks than a middling one in a big area. The best guide to size is the College's subject breakdown for March 2026, the most recent sergeants' paper with a published breakdown. The College warns that the breakdown "should not be used to try to work out what will be tested in future examinations", so use it as a rough weighting, not a prediction.
| Course | Scored questions | Share of 140 | Each 10 points you gain is worth | Questions removed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime | 60 | 42.9% | about 6 marks | 6 |
| Evidence and procedure | 31 | 22.1% | about 3 marks | 3 |
| General police duties | 49 | 35.0% | about 5 marks | 1 |
| Total | 140 | 100% | 10 |
Step 3: write a one-page summary
Three lines are enough: marks short, the two areas that cost most marks, and your best guess at the cause (next section). That page is what you take to your line manager for the development plan, and it is what the first week of either resit plan below starts from.
Find the cause, not just the weak area
Two candidates with the same score can need completely different plans. One never reached half of the Manuals; the other knew the law and ran out of time. Before you choose a plan, match your report and your own notes to one of these patterns. Most people find one or two fit.
| What your report and notes show | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Low in all three areas, well under 50% overall | Coverage: you did not get through enough of the Manuals, or read without testing yourself | 12 week plan from the start; consider October 2027 if hours are short |
| One area well below the other two | A topic gap in that area | Rebuild that area first, weighted by its size, then mixed practice |
| Even scores just under 55% | Precision: definitions, exceptions, powers and the detail of who can authorise what | Error log, targeted re-reading, lots of mixed questions |
| Practice scores were well above 55% but the exam was not | Transfer: practice questions you had memorised, too few new questions, or practice that was not timed | New questions only, timed blocks, at least two full sittings |
| You rushed the last 30 to 40 questions or left some unanswered | Pace | Timed blocks of 25 questions in 30 minutes from week 2; full sittings |
| You knew it but froze, or felt unwell | Exam conditions and stress | Full sittings at home in exam conditions; sleep and support; see the wellbeing section |
The longer list of reasons capable officers fail, from studying around night shifts to over-relying on operational experience where the Manuals say something different, is in why good officers fail the sergeant exam. Read it once, pick the two that match you, and build them into your plan rather than trying to fix everything.
- How many hours did I actually study, not plan to study?
- How many practice questions did I answer that I had not seen before?
- Did I sit a full 150 questions in three hours even once before the exam?
- Did I finish the paper with time to spare, just in time, or not at all?
- Which area did I leave until last, or skip?
The honest numbers on passing and failing
These are the College's published results for every sergeants' sitting from March 2023 to March 2026, as collected in our pass mark guide. The October 2026 figures will appear in a College results overview after results day; we will not guess them.
| Sitting | Sat | Passed | Pass rate | Did not pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | 3,215 | 1,882 | 58.5% | 1,333 |
| October 2025 | 3,040 | 1,566 | 51.5% | 1,474 |
| March 2025 | 3,507 | 1,967 | 56.1% | 1,540 |
| October 2024 | 3,842 | 1,831 | 47.7% | 2,011 |
| March 2024 | 4,268 | 2,012 | 47.1% | 2,256 |
| October 2023 | 4,208 | 1,849 | 43.9% | 2,359 |
| March 2023 | 5,641 | 3,269 | 58.0% | 2,372 |
| Seven sittings (our total) | 27,721 | 14,376 | 51.9% | 13,345 |
- Failing is common. Pass rates ranged from 43.9% to 58.5% across these sittings. In five of the seven, more than 1,500 candidates did not pass.
- These are attempts, not people. An officer who failed in October and passed in March appears in both rows.
- There is no published resit pass rate. The College does not publish how many candidates are resitting or how they perform, and we know of no other published source for it. Treat any claim that "most resitters pass" or "resitters rarely pass" with suspicion, including from course providers.
- There are no score distributions. The overviews give bands (exceptional, pass, fail, low-band fail), not marks. In March 2026 only 45 candidates (1.4%) were in the low band, under 30%, so most people who fail are in the main fail band, but nobody can say from published data how many missed by one mark.
- Force matters to the national figure. The Metropolitan Police supplies between about a third and two fifths of sergeant candidates (about 32% to 42% in these sittings) and its pass rate has been well below the rest. Detail in the pass rate by force guide.
The resit rules that actually apply
The 2027 handbook is short on resits: "There is no national restriction on the number of resits that a candidate can have for the exams. Any restrictions regarding the number of resits is a local force decision." Everything else follows from the general NPPF rules.
| Rule | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How many attempts | No national limit. Forces may set one | Handbook 2027, Dates |
| Waiting period | None found nationally. The calendar sets the gap: two sergeant sittings a year | Handbook 2027 and exam hub |
| Eligibility | Back to Step One: your line manager signs the eligibility form again before the closing date | Operating manual 4.7; handbook, NPPF step one |
| Development plan | You must be supported with one, after discussion with your line manager | Operating manual 4.7 |
| Syllabus | The Blackstone's edition for the sitting you resit: 2027 for both 2027 sittings | Handbook 2027 |
| Pass mark | 55% (77 of 140), unless the debrief panel alters it for the whole sitting in exceptional circumstances | Handbook 2027 |
| Validity of a future pass | Five years less one day from the exam, to take part in the final stage of Step Three | Handbook 2027, Validity |
| If you already held a valid pass | Remaining validity is forfeited from the moment you sit, regardless of the result | Handbook 2027, Five-year validity period |
| Rejoiners at sergeant | Two opportunities to pass, the resit at the earliest opportunity | Handbook 2027, Rejoiners |
- Your force's policy is the one to read. A force can set a maximum number of attempts or a gap between attempts. We found no national list of force rules. Ask your force examinations officer or read the promotion policy on your intranet before you plan.
- Step One is not automatic. Your line manager confirms competence in your current rank each time, and eligibility conditions such as no live warnings or written improvement notices still apply. If anything has changed at work since you last registered, raise it early.
- Validity matters only after a pass. A future pass is valid for five years less one day for taking part in the final stage of Step Three. The full rules, extensions and Step Three timing are in NPPF results, validity and resits.
Your next sittings and registration windows
There are two sergeants' sittings a year. For anyone who failed in October 2026, these are the options (College exam hub and 2027 handbook, checked 6 October 2026).
| Sitting | Exam window (8am to 8pm each day) | College registration window | Results expected by | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2027 | Tue 16 to Thu 18 March 2027 | Mon 18 January to 6pm Thu 18 February 2027 | Thu 8 April 2027 | 2027 Manuals |
| October 2027 | Tue 5 to Thu 7 October 2027 | Tue 3 August to 6pm Thu 9 September 2027 | Thu 28 October 2027 | 2027 Manuals |
Laid out against October 2026 results day, the March 2027 timeline looks like this:
| Milestone | Date | Time after results | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Results (expected by) | Thu 29 October 2026 | ||
| 12 week plan starts | Mon 21 December 2026 | about 7.5 weeks after results | Bridge weeks before it: see below |
| Registration opens | Mon 18 January 2027 | about 11.5 weeks after results | Your force may open its own process earlier |
| 8 week plan starts | Mon 18 January 2027 | Same day registration opens | |
| College registration closes | 6pm Thu 18 February 2027 | 16 weeks after results | Your force's date may be earlier |
| Exam window | Tue 16 to Thu 18 March 2027 | about 20 weeks after results | 8am to 8pm each day |
| Results (expected by) | Thu 8 April 2027 | 2027 handbook |
So there are about 20 weeks between results and the March exam, which is enough for the 12 week plan with a gentle run-in. If you fail in March 2027, the next chance is October 2027, on the same 2027 Manuals. Every date for 2027 is in NPPF exam dates 2027.
Force deadlines come before the College's
The College's closing date, 6pm on Thursday 18 February 2027 for March, is the last date for forces to verify and allocate candidates. The handbook says forces "may have earlier closing dates that candidates need to register by" and that you must check your force's date with your force examinations officer. In practice there are two things to get done before your force's date:
- The Step One eligibility form, signed by your line manager (or equivalent) and returned to the force examinations officer ahead of the registration closing date. If your line manager is on leave or nights, that takes time.
- Your AIMS registration, using the link your force examinations officer sends when registration opens. Check your name, date of birth, national insurance number and email address carefully, since errors delay your result later. Take a screenshot of the confirmation page, and do not register twice.
The handbook says late registrations are considered only where exceptional circumstances outside your control can be shown, and that "a heavy workload or being unaware of the registration period will not be accepted". Put a reminder in your diary for the week of 11 January 2027 to ask your force for its own closing date.
The same applies to withdrawing. Your force is charged for every candidate still registered two weeks before the exam and for absent candidates, and the handbook says forces may apply their own penalties for absence. If you register and then decide to wait for October, tell your force examinations officer early. Once you withdraw from a sitting you cannot be re-entered to it.
Should you resit in March 2027 or wait until October?
There is no right answer and no published data showing that either choice works better. Both 2027 sittings use the 2027 Manuals, so waiting does not change the syllabus; it changes how much time you have and how fresh the material is. Use the factors below. If most of yours fall in one column, that is your answer.
| Factor | Points to March 2027 | Points to October 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| How far short you were | Within about 7 marks (50% or more) | More than about 14 marks (under 45%), or a low-band fail |
| Why you failed | Timing, precision or one weak area | Broad coverage: large parts of the Manuals unread or untested |
| Hours you can genuinely find, late December to mid-March | 70 or more | Under about 50 |
| Your force's resit policy | No limit, or a generous one | A strict limit, so each attempt is precious |
| Life and work | A normal few months | A new baby, a house move, a course, a busy posting or ill health |
| Step Three in your force | A selection process expected in mid to late 2027 you want to be ready for | No process expected for a year or more |
| How you feel | You want to go again while it is fresh | You need a proper break first |
- A near miss loses value with time. If you were within a few marks, the knowledge you built is still there in March. By October much of it will need rebuilding.
- A big gap needs time, not urgency. Going again in March on a rushed plan with a large gap risks a second fail and, where your force limits attempts, using one up.
- Christmas sits in the middle of the March plan. The 12 week plan starts on 21 December 2026. If your force's shift pattern or family commitments make late December and early January impossible, the 8 week plan from 18 January or October 2027 may be more honest.
- October 2027 timing. For the 5 to 7 October 2027 sitting, the 12 week plan would start on Monday 12 July 2027 and the 8 week plan on Monday 9 August 2027. Registration runs from 3 August to 9 September 2027.
Whichever you choose, decide by mid-December and tell your line manager, so the development plan can reflect it and any study time you ask for can be arranged.
Moving from the 2026 to the 2027 Manuals
The October 2026 sitting examined the 2026 Blackstone's Police Manuals. The 2027 handbook says the syllabus for every 2027 sitting is "cross-referenced to, and only contained within, the 2027 edition", and that candidates are examined on the law "only as it appears in the 2027 edition". The 2027 Manuals were published by OUP on 7 August 2026.
- You need the 2027 edition. The College's handbook page says police officers and staff in England and Wales can get a discount on the Manuals through College Learn. Check the current terms there.
- Your notes are a starting point, not the answer. Check every note in your weakest areas against the 2027 text before you rely on it. The syllabus appendix of the 2027 handbook lists every chapter, which makes a quick comparison possible.
- Check, do not restart. Unless your report says you need a full rebuild, the job is to check your notes in the areas that cost you marks against the 2027 text, not to start again from page one.
More on editions, including what changes between years, in which Blackstone's edition for the sergeant and inspector exam.
The 12 week resit plan (about 80 hours)
Use this if your report showed you more than about 7 marks short, if your first attempt was mostly reading rather than testing, or if you want room to lose a week to work or illness. Dates are for March 2027; for October 2027 start on Monday 12 July 2027. Hours are a planning figure, not an official requirement.
| Week | Phase | What to do | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (from Mon 21 Dec 2026) | Diagnose | Turn your report into marks lost by area. Sit a cold, timed set of 50 mixed questions on 2027-edition material. Start an error log | 4 to 5 |
| 2 (28 Dec) | Diagnose | Check the 2027 contents for your weakest area against your old notes. Write the list of chapters you will rebuild, largest marks first | 4 to 5 |
| 3 (4 Jan 2027) | Rebuild weakest area | Read actively: a short section, close the book, recall, then 15 to 20 questions on it. Log every miss with the rule you missed | 7 |
| 4 (11 Jan) | Rebuild weakest area | Continue. Re-test week 3 topics after the gap. Ask your line manager about the Step One form now | 7 |
| 5 (18 Jan) | Rebuild weakest area, then the next | Finish the weakest area. Registration opens: register with your force this week | 7 |
| 6 (25 Jan) | Rebuild second area | Second weakest area by marks. Daily: 10 questions from weeks 3 to 5 topics | 7 |
| 7 (1 Feb) | Rebuild second area | Finish it. One timed mixed block of 50 questions in 60 minutes at the weekend | 7 |
| 8 (8 Feb) | Mixed timed practice | Blocks of 25 questions in 30 minutes, all three areas mixed. Error log review twice | 8 |
| 9 (15 Feb) | First full sitting | 150 questions in 3 hours, in exam conditions. Spend as long marking as sitting. College registration closes 18 Feb | 8 |
| 10 (22 Feb) | Fix | Work only from the errors in sitting 1, by area and by type of mistake. Mixed timed blocks | 8 |
| 11 (1 Mar) | Second full sitting | A fresh set of 150. Compare with sitting 1 by area. Fix the top three gaps | 8 |
| 12 (8 Mar) | Third sitting and taper | Third sitting early in the week, then error log and short mixed sets only. No new chapters in the last three days | 6 |
| Exam week (15 Mar) | Sit | Exam window Tue 16 to Thu 18 March. Choose your day and time early |
The bridge weeks: results day to 20 December
There are about seven weeks between results and the start of this plan. Do not try to fill them with a full timetable. Take a week or two off completely, have the development plan conversation, get the 2027 Manuals, and then do two or three hours a week of gentle reading in your weakest area. That way week 1 starts with momentum rather than from cold.
How this differs from a first attempt
- It starts from evidence. The first two weeks are about your report and a cold test, not about chapter 1 of volume 1.
- The order is by marks lost, not by the order of the Manuals. Your strongest area gets maintenance only (daily mixed questions) until the timed phase.
- Full sittings carry more weight. Three full 150-question sittings in the last four weeks, because a resit candidate usually knows more law than the score showed.
The general method behind these plans (testing yourself, spacing, mixing topics) and a first-attempt 12 week plan are in the sergeant exam revision plan. To lay out your own weeks around shifts and leave, our free exam study planner builds a week-by-week timetable to your sitting.
The 8 week resit plan (about 75 hours)
Use this for a near miss (50% or more) where you already know the Manuals and the cause was precision, timing or one weak area. It asks for more hours a week, so be honest about your shifts. Dates are for March 2027; for October 2027 start on Monday 9 August 2027.
| Week | Phase | What to do | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (from Mon 18 Jan 2027) | Diagnose and register | Report into marks lost. Cold timed set of 50 mixed questions on 2027 material. Register with your force. Start the error log | 8 |
| 2 (25 Jan) | Rebuild weakest area | Active reading in short sections, 20 questions a session, misses logged with the rule | 10 |
| 3 (1 Feb) | Rebuild weakest area | Finish it. Re-test week 2 topics. One timed block of 25 in 30 minutes | 10 |
| 4 (8 Feb) | Rebuild second area | Second weakest area by marks, with daily questions on the first | 10 |
| 5 (15 Feb) | Mixed timed practice | Blocks of 25 in 30 minutes across all areas. Confirm your registration before 18 Feb (or your force's earlier date) | 10 |
| 6 (22 Feb) | First full sitting and fix | 150 in 3 hours early in the week; the rest of the week on its errors | 10 |
| 7 (1 Mar) | Second full sitting and fix | Fresh paper. Compare by area. Fix the top three gaps | 9 |
| 8 (8 Mar) | Third sitting and taper | Third sitting early in the week, then error log and short mixed sets. Nothing new in the last three days | 7 |
| Exam week (15 Mar) | Sit | Tue 16 to Thu 18 March |
For each wrong answer in practice, write one line: the area, the rule you missed, and why (did not know it, misread the question, two options looked right, ran out of time). By the first full sitting the log will tell you more than any timetable. If most entries say "misread", the fix is technique, not more reading.
If you want a quick check of where you stand before week 1, our free 20-question timed sergeant mini mock takes about 24 minutes and shows a score by area. It is a short sample, not a full paper, and it is not College material. The College's own free practice questions are in its Knowledge Hub group.
Practice scores, pace and full sittings
The College publishes no practice-score benchmark, and practice papers vary in difficulty, so no practice score guarantees a pass. What the arithmetic does tell you is how much margin you need and how little time each question gets.
| Measure | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Correct out of 150 that guarantees 77 scored, whichever 10 are removed | 87 (58%) | Our calculation: 87 minus up to 10 removed still leaves 77 |
| Seconds per question available | 72 | 180 minutes divided by 150 questions |
| Length of the March 2026 paper | about 24,606 words | College subject breakdown, for the full 150 questions |
| Average words per question (March 2026) | about 164 | Our calculation |
| Time to read the March 2026 paper once at 200 words a minute | about 2 hours | Illustrative reading speed; leaves about an hour for thinking and checking |
- Aim for a margin, not the line. Because you never know which 10 questions are removed, getting 87 of 150 right (58%) is the lowest score that guarantees 77 scored marks. Practising consistently above that on questions you have not seen before is a more sensible target than 55%.
- Pace is a skill you can train. 72 seconds a question includes reading. Timed blocks of 25 questions in 30 minutes build the rhythm; a full sitting tells you whether it holds for three hours.
- Mark as carefully as you sit. A full sitting is wasted if you only look at the score. Spend at least as long reviewing the errors as you spent answering.
- Use fresh questions. Scores on questions you have seen before overstate what you know. Rotate sources if you need to.
Full-length mock exams are available from several providers, including OUP's Blackstone's Q&As Online (quarter, half or full-length mocks, checked 6 October 2026), compared fairly in revision resources compared. Our own exam prep toolkit (paid: £69.99 for 6 months, one payment, 14-day refund, no reason needed) has hundreds of checked practice questions, a timed 150-question sitting weighted like the real paper, spaced review and progress tracking by area. It is not College or OUP material, and it does not replace the Manuals, which are the syllabus. Free options are in free sergeant and inspector exam resources.
What not to do after a fail
| Do not | Why |
|---|---|
| Share, ask for or buy 'recalled' questions | A breach of the exam rules for the sharer, and the College reuses its questions. Any list claiming to be real past questions is not something to trust or use |
| Re-read all three Manuals from page one | Rereading feels productive but tests nothing. Start with your weakest area by marks and test yourself from day one |
| Redo the same practice questions you have already memorised | You end up recognising answers, not applying law. Use questions you have not seen, and change the source if you must |
| Revise from 2026 notes for a 2027 sitting | The 2027 exam tests the law only as it appears in the 2027 Manuals |
| Leave registration to the College's closing date | Forces can close earlier. Late registration is only for exceptional circumstances, and workload or not knowing do not count |
| Hope for a lower pass mark | The debrief panel can alter it only in exceptional circumstances and for everyone. Plan for 77 of 140 |
| Use any AI tool or anyone's help during the exam | Prohibited. A breach can remove your result and bar you for two years or more. Looking things up in notes or the Manuals is not treated as cheating, but the College strongly discourages it and, at 72 seconds a question, it rarely helps |
| Sit while unwell and expect allowance | Illness before or during the exam is on the College's excluded list for incident reports |
| Register 'just in case' and not turn up | Your force is charged for candidates registered two weeks before the exam and for absences, and may apply its own penalties. Withdraw early if you will not sit |
Topic-by-topic help for the areas that most often cost marks is in the sergeants' exam topic guides, for example PACE Code C detention and interviews, theft, robbery and burglary and non-fatal offences and defences. What tends to appear across the paper is in what comes up in the sergeants and inspectors exam.
Wellbeing and conduct
Failing a promotion exam after months of study around shifts and family can hit harder than people expect, especially when colleagues passed. A few honest points.
- Take the break before the plan. A week or two away from the Manuals after results is part of the plan, not a lapse from it.
- Use the development plan. The operating manual says unsuccessful candidates must be supported with one. Ask for what would actually help: protected study time, a mentor who passed recently, or a place in a force or Federation study group if one exists.
- Your result is yours. Your force exams contact sees pass or fail, not your report. You do not have to share your score with anyone.
- If it is affecting sleep, mood or work, confidential support is listed in the police mental health support directory.
- Keep the questions and topic areas to yourself. The candidate guide says discussing the questions or answers with anyone, before, during or after the exam, including on social media, is a breach that can lead to results being removed, a ban and referral to professional standards. "What did you put for the one about...?" in a group chat counts.
If you are also facing a setback at the board stage, or you passed the exam before and missed out at Step Three, read what happens if you fail the promotion board. For the bigger question of whether to go for promotion at all, the promotion and work-life balance guide covers the trade-offs.
Worked scenarios
Illustrative examples, not real cases.
Your resit checklist
- Straight after the exam: write your own notes on how the paper went (not the questions). Incident reports for October 2026 by 8pm Sunday 11 October, only for genuine disruption outside your control.
- Before results: check your AIMS details with your force examinations officer.
- Results day (expected 29 October 2026): download and save the feedback report.
- Within a week: convert each area to marks lost, using the March 2026 weighting as a rough guide.
- Match your report to a cause in the diagnosis table; pick the two that fit.
- Agree a development plan with your line manager, including any study time.
- Read your force's promotion policy for any resit limit or gap.
- Get the 2027 Blackstone's Manuals and check your notes in the weakest areas against them.
- Decide March or October 2027 by mid-December.
- Week of 11 January 2027: ask your force for its own registration closing date; get the Step One form signed.
- Register in AIMS once your force sends the link (College window 18 January to 6pm 18 February 2027). Screenshot the confirmation.
- Start the 12 week plan on 21 December 2026 or the 8 week plan on 18 January 2027.
- Sit at least two, ideally three, full 150-question papers in three hours before the exam.
- No AI or outside help during the exam, no plan to look things up, and no discussing questions or topic areas afterwards.
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.
What we could not verify
- The October 2026 results date. Thursday 29 October 2026 comes from the College's 2026 handbook. The 2027 handbook, which replaced it on the College's handbook page, lists only 2027 dates. Treat 29 October as expected, and confirm with your force examinations officer.
- The exact layout of the feedback report. The handbook says it shows final grading, total percentage and a breakdown into subject areas. We have not seen a real report, so we cannot say whether the areas are the three courses, skills or chapters.
- Resit pass rates. The College does not publish how many candidates are resitting or how they perform. Nothing on this page assumes a resit is easier or harder than a first attempt.
- The October 2026 pass rate. Not yet published. It will appear in a College results overview after results.
- Force resit limits, gaps and closing dates. These are local and we did not survey forces.
- Study hours and the plans. The College publishes no recommended hours. Our hours and weekly phases are planning figures based on general evidence about testing and spacing, not on exam outcome data.
- The 2027 paper's mix. We weight areas using the March 2026 breakdown. The College says that breakdown should not be used to predict future papers.
- Handbook and operating manual wording on resitting while valid. The July 2026 operating manual describes the forfeit rule for retakes "a year or more" before validity expires; the September 2026 handbook says any resit before expiry forfeits remaining validity. We follow the handbook, which is newer and specific to the exam.
- SIPP forces. If your force is testing the SIPP process, its legal exam and rules differ and we found no published SIPP resit rules. See SIPP explained and ask your force.
Frequently Asked Questions
I failed the sergeants exam. What happens now?
You return to Step One of the NPPF. The College's operating manual (July 2026, para 4.7) says unsuccessful candidates return to Step One and must be supported with a development plan after discussion with their line manager. To sit again you register in the next window through your force, and your line manager confirms your Step One eligibility again. The handbook sets no national waiting period, so the earliest resit after an October 2026 fail is 16 to 18 March 2027.
When are the October 2026 sergeants exam results out?
Expected by Thursday 29 October 2026. That date comes from the College's 2026 candidate handbook, which says results and feedback reports are available within three weeks of the exam. Your force examinations officer is told the release date in advance, so ask them if anything changes. The College says the result is sent as an emailed link to AIMS, where you verify your email address, date of birth and national insurance number.
What does the sergeants exam feedback report show?
The 2027 candidate handbook says the report includes a summary of your final grading and the total percentage score you obtained, broken down into subject areas. It does not show which questions you got wrong, and you are never told which 10 questions were removed. There is no certificate, the report is your proof of result, and the College says it cannot reissue it, so save a copy somewhere you control.
Can I appeal a sergeants exam fail or get my paper remarked?
No. The handbook says there is no provision to contest a result once released or to request a remark, and that marginal fails will not be reassessed or awarded a pass under any circumstances. The only routes are an unscheduled incident report (emailed to the College) or a question query (raised through your force exams contact), and both must be made within three days of the exam. For the October 2026 sitting the incident report deadline is Sunday 11 October 2026 at 8pm (2026 handbook).
How many times can you resit the sergeants exam?
There is no national limit. The 2027 handbook says any restriction on the number of resits is a local force decision, so read your force's promotion policy or ask your force examinations officer. Rejoiners at sergeant rank are the exception: the handbook gives them two opportunities to pass.
When is the next sergeants exam I can resit?
Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 March 2027, with registration open from Monday 18 January to 6pm on Thursday 18 February 2027 (College exam hub, checked 6 October 2026). After that, 5 to 7 October 2027, with registration from Tuesday 3 August to 6pm on Thursday 9 September 2027. Your force may close its own registration earlier than those dates.
Which Blackstone's edition do I need for a 2027 resit?
The 2027 edition. The 2027 handbook says the syllabus is cross-referenced to, and only contained within, the 2027 Blackstone's Police Manuals, and that you are examined on the law as it appears in that edition. The October 2026 sitting used the 2026 edition, so anyone resitting in 2027 needs to move to the new Manuals and check their notes against them. Both 2027 sergeant sittings use the same edition.
Should I resit in March 2027 or wait until October 2027?
It depends on how far short you were, why, and how many hours you can genuinely find between Christmas and mid-March. A near miss with a clear cause, such as timing or one weak area, usually suits March. A low score across all areas, a strict force limit on attempts, or a heavy few months at work or home can point to October. There is no published data on resit pass rates either way, so make the decision on your own report and circumstances.
How long should I revise for a sergeants exam resit?
The College does not publish a figure. As a planning assumption, not an official number, our resit plans come to about 80 hours over 12 weeks or about 75 hours over 8 weeks. The 12 week plan suits a score well below the pass mark or a first attempt that was mostly reading; the 8 week plan suits a near miss where you already know the Manuals.
I already had a valid sergeants pass and sat again. If I fail, do I keep the old pass?
No. The 2027 handbook says any remaining validity is forfeited from the time you sit the exam, regardless of the result. If you held a valid pass and sat in October 2026, that pass ended when you sat, so a fail leaves you without a valid pass. If this applies to you, talk to your force examinations officer before you plan anything else.
Do I need my line manager to sign me off again before a resit?
Yes. A fail returns you to Step One, and the handbook says the Step One eligibility form must be signed by your line manager (or equivalent) and returned to the force examinations officer before the registration closing date. Eligibility covers competence in your current rank and conditions such as no live warnings or written improvement notices. Get the form moving early in January for the March sitting.
How many people fail the sergeants exam?
In March 2026, 1,333 of the 3,215 candidates who sat did not pass, a pass rate of 58.5% (College results overview). Across the seven sergeant sittings from March 2023 to March 2026, 13,345 of 27,721 attempts did not pass (our total from the College's figures). Those are attempts, not people, and the College does not publish how many were resits or how resitters perform.
Can I talk to colleagues about the questions to work out where I went wrong?
No. The College's candidate guide says discussing any part of the questions or answers with anyone, before, during or after the exam, including on social media, is a breach that can lead to results being removed, a ban and referral to professional standards. The 2027 handbook also lists discussing questions or topic areas in the exam with someone else as a rule breach. Work from your feedback report and your own private notes on how the paper felt, not on recalled questions.
Something went wrong during my October 2026 exam. What can I do?
If it was a genuine unscheduled incident outside your control, email a report to the College's exams team, copying in your force examinations officer, so it arrives by 8pm on Sunday 11 October 2026 (2026 handbook). The College will not accept reports about your own device, connection or room, illness, workload or lack of preparation. Question queries go through your force exams contact within three days, describing the question without copying it.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 6 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 2027 (PDF, September 2026) — read 6 October 2026: no national resit limit (Dates); 2027 sitting dates and results dates; 150 questions in three hours, 10 removed, scored on 140; pass mark 77 of 140, exceptional 75%, low-band fail under 30%; feedback report wording (final grading, total percentage, subject areas, no certificate, cannot be reissued); validity table (6 to 8 October 2026 pass: Step Three by 7 October 2031); resitting while valid forfeits remaining validity regardless of result; 2027 edition is the only syllabus; withdrawals and charges; forces may set earlier closing dates; no remarks or marginal-fail reassessment; rejoiners' two opportunities; rule breaches include discussing questions or topic areas in the exam, with a possible ban of two years or more (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF step two legal examinations candidate handbook (web page, 2027 version, updated 10 September 2026) — registration periods for 2027, the warning that forces may close registration earlier, late registration only for exceptional circumstances, Step One eligibility form signed by the line manager (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF step two legal examinations candidate handbook 2026 (PDF, September 2025) — October 2026 sergeants' results expected by Thursday 29 October 2026; unscheduled incident reports for the October 2026 sergeants' exam by Sunday 11 October 2026, 8pm; 2026 sittings examine the 2026 Manuals (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Sergeants' and inspectors' NPPF step two legal exams (exam hub) — checked 6 October 2026 (via the College's production mirror, as the main site blocks automated readers): 2027 sergeants' sittings 16 to 18 March (registration 18 January to 6pm 18 February) and 5 to 7 October (registration 3 August to 6pm 9 September); links to results and subject area PDFs (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Online examinations candidate guide — results by email link to AIMS with identity checks; force exams contacts see pass or fail only, not feedback reports; Knowledge Hub group with feedback report guidance and practice questions; no discussing questions before, during or after the exam (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: National Police Promotion Framework operating manual (July 2026, PDF) — para 4.7: unsuccessful Step Two candidates return to Step One and must be supported with a development plan after discussion with their line manager (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Results and analysis overview, NPPF sergeants' step-two legal exam, March 2026 (PDF) — 3,215 sat, 1,882 passed (58.5%), 1,333 unsuccessful; bands: exceptional 387, pass 1,495, fail 1,288, low-band fail 45 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Results and analysis overviews, NPPF sergeants' exam, October 2025, March 2025, October 2024, March 2024, October 2023 and March 2023 (PDFs) — link is the October 2025 overview (3,040 sat, 1,566 passed, 51.5%). Others, as listed with links in our pass mark guide: March 2025 3,507 sat, 1,967 passed (56.1%); October 2024 3,842 sat, 1,831 passed (47.7%); March 2024 4,268 sat, 2,012 passed (47.1%); October 2023 4,208 sat, 1,849 passed (43.9%); March 2023 5,641 sat, 3,269 passed (58.0%) (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Subject area breakdown, NPPF sergeants' step-two legal exam, March 2026 (PDF) — questions listed by course, skill and subject; our count of scored questions: crime 60, evidence and procedure 31, general police duties 49; removed: 6, 3 and 1; full 150-question paper about 24,606 words; the College's warning not to use it to predict future papers (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Oxford University Press: Blackstone's Police Manuals 2027 (product page) — the 2027 three-volume set (Crime, Evidence and Procedure, General Police Duties), published 7 August 2026 (OUP product page, checked 6 October 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
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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 6 October 2026.