Fast Track
Challenges
Some officers on the Fast Track constable to inspector programme find parts of it hard. This page sets out what the published evidence says about why, and where it stops: a small College evaluation from 2014 to 2019 and the Police Leadership Commission's July 2026 comments. It makes no claim that goes beyond them.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 6 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
The documented reasons are the exam (failing the inspectors' exam within two attempts accounted for eight of 14 internal leavers in 2014 to 2019), the workload of combining the programme with the job, uneven support in force, and the Commission's finding that chief constables can withdraw support at any time. Seven per cent of internal members left before completion. This evidence is small, dated and produced by the College itself.
The documented challenges at a glance
An earlier version of this page made sweeping claims about culture, psychology and legitimacy, some with invented percentages. We have removed them. What follows is limited to what we could read in primary sources on 6 October 2026. For the decision itself, read our Fast Track decision page.
| Challenge | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Why people left (2014 to 2019) | Of 14 internal members who left before graduating, eight failed the inspectors' exam within two attempts and six resigned or were removed. Seven per cent of internal members left before completion. |
| Exam | The ordinary inspectors' Step 2 exam, with 65% needed to stay on (2022 handbook; July 2024 manual). |
| Workload | Internal members mainly linked pressure to fitting the programme around existing work, and to being counted in team resourcing. |
| Support in force | Varied considerably. The evaluation found delivery lacked a uniform structure. |
| Step up to sergeant | Most internal members felt ready (39 of 43 respondents in cohort 2). Much stronger anxiety was reported by external members. |
| Force support | The Commission (6 July 2026): the schemes depend on chief constables' goodwill, who can withdraw support at any time. |
| What is not known | Current attrition, pass rates, wellbeing outcomes and later careers. No current data was found. |
What this page covers, and what the evidence is
There are two sources. The first is the College of Policing's five-year evaluation of the Fast Track Inspector programme, 2014 to 2019, published in July 2020. It drew on over 360 survey responses and 38 one-to-one interviews with programme members and a sample of their line managers and mentors, along with focus groups and selection and assessment data. The second is the Police Leadership Commission's report of 6 July 2026.
| Limit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Whose report | The College of Policing evaluated a programme it runs. We found no independent evaluation. |
| Which years | 2014 to 2019. The qualitative work centred on cohorts 1 and 2, which were the only ones to complete during the evaluation period. |
| How many people | The report cites small cohort numbers, few objective measures, and survey response rates and interview samples that are small. A comment from one person is not a rate. |
| Two programmes | The evaluation covered an internal programme for serving constables and an external programme for graduates. Several of its strongest findings on pressure and peer reaction concern the external programme. We separate them here. |
| How long afterwards | The report says its timescale limited what it could learn about experience after graduation. |
Why people left the programme
The evaluation reports that failing programme assessments, including the exam, accounted for almost all attrition from the internal programme.
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Internal members who joined (cohorts 1 to 5) | 252 over five annual rounds from 2015 | To June 2019 |
| Graduated (cohorts 1 and 2) | 98 | As at June 2019 |
| Left before graduating (cohorts 1 to 4) | 14 | As at June 2019 |
| Of those 14: failed the inspectors' exam within two attempts | 8 | As at June 2019 |
| Of those 14: resigned or removed for other reasons | 6 | As at June 2019 |
| Share of internal members (cohorts 1 to 4) who left before completion | Seven per cent | 2014 to 2019 |
| Mean length of service of those who left early | Seven years, the same as the mean for all 252 members | 2014 to 2019 |
The report also found no evidence that length of prior police experience influenced attrition, which suggests, in its words, that other causes were also at play. It does not say what they were. We therefore do not offer a theory of who leaves.
The exam
Fast Track candidates sit the ordinary NPPF Step 2 inspectors' legal knowledge exam, not a separate one. According to the July 2024 operating manual and the 2022 handbook, they need 65% or more to stay on the programme.
| Situation | Consequence (2022 handbook and July 2024 manual) |
|---|---|
| Failing the exam | Failing 65% at the second attempt means exit and reversion to the substantive rank (2022 handbook; July 2024 manual). 55% to under 65% may stay with chief officer approval and a retake in year two. |
| Failing another assessment or the Promotion Assessment Report | Exit and reversion to the substantive rank, on a standard track career path. Appeals exist at each stage. |
| Force concerns | A force can end participation on consistent performance or conduct concerns (2022 handbook). |
| Programme demands | College modules, force-delivered NPPF learning, a mandatory custody attachment, a community project, Step 4 work-based assessment at sergeant and inspector. |
For context, the inspectors' exam in May 2026 had 1,739 candidates, 644 passes and a 37.0% pass rate across all candidates, with a cut score of 65. In the evaluation, 83% of internal members (cohorts 1 to 4) passed against 45% nationally, but these are different periods and different groups, so neither figure predicts your result. Preparation guidance is on how to pass the inspector exam.
Workload and pressure
Surveys, interviews and exit interviews in the evaluation revealed that most programme members found the programme demanding, and some found it extremely challenging at certain points, particularly those who did not feel adequately supported in force. Concerns included how much had to be learnt in short timescales, balancing home life, and the level of responsibility. For internal members the evaluation says the pressure mainly related to combining the programme with existing work commitments.
| Pressure | What the report says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Combining the programme with the day job | For internal members this was the main source of pressure. Many found it hard to devote work time to the programme if counted as essential team resourcing, not supernumerary. | Evaluation, internal findings |
| Being expected to perform as an experienced officer | Some reported being expected to perform as an experienced officer on their sergeant and inspector rotations. | Evaluation, internal findings |
| Challenging roles because of the Fast Track label | Some perceived they could be deliberately given challenging roles or extra responsibilities. A small number, and some line managers and mentors, felt this could be for organisational benefit or because of under-resourcing. | Evaluation, internal findings |
| Assumed to cope | Interviewees said managers could assume they could cope and did not need help with workload. For a small number at least, the report says this could put them under considerable pressure and affect wellbeing and job satisfaction. | Evaluation, internal findings |
| Flexibility helps | Pressure was reduced for those who were supernumerary and for those with a supportive line manager who allowed flexible working. | Evaluation, internal findings |
| Wellbeing check-ins | Programme member feedback suggested not all felt someone in force was taking an interest in how they were coping. | Evaluation, 4.5.4 (both programmes) |
Support in force
The evaluation reports that how the programme was delivered varied between forces and individuals.
| Area | What the report says |
|---|---|
| Structure in force | A prominent view across cohorts and all sample groups was that delivery in forces lacked a uniform structure. Seven of 13 interviewed line managers and mentors said there was a lack of clarity about expected development opportunities and timing. |
| Mentoring | In both cohorts most members would have preferred more mentoring opportunities. Some had not been appointed a mentor; others reported mentors not finding time to meet. |
| Line managers | Some described line managers who did not understand the programme or disagreed with it. Others described flexible, supportive line management that reduced pressure. |
| Tailoring | Some reported their force tailored their development well; experiences varied considerably. |
| Chief officers | The report records mixed signals from the top in some forces, including one reported remark that the officer would get the opportunity but 'it's all on you'. It is a single reported remark, not a rate. |
The programme's own materials say each force chooses whether to take part. The point for a candidate is that quality of support is a local matter, and our decision page lists questions to put to your force.
The step up to sergeant
The evaluation reports that some of the strongest feedback on the pressures concerned the step up to sergeant roles. It found a sharp difference between internal and external members.
| Measure | Internal programme | External programme |
|---|---|---|
| Felt ready for the sergeant rotation | 39 of 43 respondents (cohort 2) agreed; 24 strongly | About half of external members (both cohorts) |
| Anxiety about stepping up to sergeant | Not expressed to the same level as some external respondents | The strongest anxiety was reported by some external members |
| Colleagues' reactions | Very few raised concerns about perceptions; a few perceived jealousy; no hostility described | Tensions about being associated with the programme were described |
| Programme pass rate for the inspector exam | 83% (cohorts 1 to 4) | 98% (cohorts 1 and 2) |
| Left before completion | Seven per cent (cohorts 1 to 4) | 18 of 62 left without completing |
The report suggests this may be because internal members were more familiar with the roles and had a wider range of police experience, and that some had already passed the sergeants' exam or acted at the rank. It also notes that 11% to 12% of internal members had only one year as a constable before they applied, and that these officers still did not describe the same level of apprehension, so it says the relationship between time served and difficulty is not straightforward.
Experience and readiness
There was a common view among both internal and external members that the programme could not fully compensate for more lengthy policing experience and that it was important to keep learning on the job. Line managers and mentors were almost evenly split between those confident that their Fast Track officer was ready for inspector rank at completion and those who felt it would take time to develop the knowledge and skills to be fully effective. The report adds that the second point is potentially applicable to any newly promoted inspector. It also says interviewed line managers and mentors generally described their Fast Track officers as very capable and motivated.
Most internal members said at the end of the programme that they felt ready for substantive inspector roles. We do not have later data on how graduates have performed.
Colleagues' reactions
The evaluation says that, unlike external members, very few internal Fast Track officers raised concerns about negative perceptions of the programme in force, and that internal participants seemed to have avoided many of the tensions described by external members. It says none described anything as strong as hostility, a few perceived a bit of jealousy, and a couple of cohort 1 members said they had been treated early on as inexperienced because they were mistaken for external recruits.
The report also notes that, where the experiences of internal and external members overlapped, it was in the high expectations attached to the Fast Track label. A quote elsewhere in the report describes resentment within the force from fellow sergeants as overbearing, and the report mentions two programme members who met hostility from peers. In both places the report does not say whether the speaker was internal or external, so we do not assign them to a strand. This is from members of cohorts 1 and 2 (started 2014 to 2016), not from today's programme.
Force support: what the Commission says
The Police Leadership Commission's report (6 July 2026) is the most recent comment on the schemes. It describes them as small and fragile.
- On goodwill. The schemes are 'run entirely on the goodwill of local chief constables who can choose to remove their support at any time. This gives participants no guarantee of progression, even if they meet requirements'.
- On what it heard. Participants were 'pulled from the scheme very close to the end of their programme when a newly appointed chief constable withdrew their force'.
- On scale. Only around 100 officers are involved in the two Fast Track schemes at any one time, and the schemes open to new applicants only every other year. Seven forces take part in neither scheme.
- On data. The data available on development schemes is very limited, so the Commission's account cannot be checked against published figures on how often forces withdraw.
This is the Commission's finding. We have not seen the underlying evidence and do not know how many participants this has affected. The 2022 handbook, separately, lets a force end participation for performance or conduct concerns.
After the programme
The evaluation reported a strong view among evaluation participants that Fast Track inspectors, particularly but not exclusively external members, would benefit from post-programme support. It records a thought that, without ongoing input, they could stall in their careers because of the unique barriers they may face. It also said the fieldwork did not uncover a common sense of urgency around the next promotion. That is the whole of the published picture we found. There is no later outcome data in the sources we read, apart from five Fast Track officers having been promoted beyond inspector by June 2019.
The positive findings, for balance
A page about challenges can mislead if it leaves out the rest of the evaluation. The report's conclusion says a strong finding was how positively most internal programme members viewed their experience overall, and in particular the opportunities it afforded them.
- Confidence. At the end of the programme, cohort 1 and 2 members, internal and external, were almost unanimously confident in their operational and leadership skills and ability for inspector rank, with internal officers more strongly so.
- Competence. All members who graduated were deemed operationally competent, having passed all programme assessments, with line manager recommendation and chief officer sign-off.
- Line managers and mentors. Interviewed line managers and mentors generally described their Fast Track officers as very capable and motivated.
- Who joined. The report says the scheme recruited a diverse range of members in terms of ethnicity, gender and length of prior police experience, and that it could be a career-enhancing opportunity for people who had not previously thought they had potential for senior positions.
These are also self-reported and from a small, selected group. They do not show that the programme works for everyone, any more than the challenges above show that it fails for many.
What has changed since the evaluation
The evaluation is now several years old. These are the changes we could verify from the College and the Commission, and what we could not.
| Area | Then (2014 to 2019) | Now (as of 6 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Application windows | Annual rounds from 2015 | Every second year from 2026; Cohort 13 expected May 2028 (College page) |
| External programme | Ran for two cohorts; closed to recruitment after 2015 | Closed. The Commission describes direct entry at inspector as an experiment of the late 2010s |
| Scale | 252 internal members over five rounds, 39 forces | The Commission reports roughly 70 to 80 on the constable to inspector programme, 31 forces taking part, seven forces in neither scheme |
| Force support | Varied considerably | The Commission says it depends on chief constables' goodwill |
| Programme rules | Described in the evaluation | 2022 handbook and July 2024 manual are the latest we found; we could not find a 2026 handbook |
| Outcomes and attrition | Seven per cent internal attrition; 83% exam pass | No published current figures |
From each challenge to what you can check
| Documented challenge | What you can check yourself |
|---|---|
| Exam failure ended participation for eight of 14 internal leavers | Your readiness for the inspectors' exam, and the current College rule on thresholds and retakes. |
| Pressure from combining the programme with the job | Whether your force offers protected or supernumerary time and flexible working. |
| Uneven structure and mentoring in force | Whether your force has a named contact, a mentor and written development plan. |
| Force support depends on chief constables | What your force commits to in writing, and how long its Fast Track participation has run. |
| Programme could not fully replace experience | Your own acting-up and supervisory experience, and your plan to keep learning in role. |
| Post-programme support was thought thin | What development and mentoring your force provides to graduates. |
What we do not claim
A short list, because this topic attracts claims that the evidence does not support.
- That most Fast Track officers struggle. No source gives such a figure.
- Any percentage of Fast Track officers who are stressed, burned out or affected in their wellbeing. The evaluation reports no such rate.
- That Fast Track officers are treated badly, or well, by colleagues in 2026. The evidence is mainly from cohorts 1 and 2 (started between 2014 and 2016), and mostly from small samples.
- That Fast Track officers are more likely to be involved in misconduct or professional standards matters. We found no data.
- That the programme makes officers worse or better at command decisions than officers who took the standard route. The evaluation reported that line managers were almost evenly split on readiness at completion and that this could apply to any newly promoted inspector.
- That Fast Track officers retreat into back-office roles or leave policing after the programme. We found no data on roles after graduation.
- Any cultural or psychological explanation, such as a legitimacy gap, for why a Fast Track officer might find things hard. We found no source that supports one.
Practical questions to ask before you commit
- Ask how your force structures the programme, and what is in writing about protected time, mentoring and line management.
- Ask whether you would be supernumerary during rotations or counted as part of a team's numbers.
- Ask how your force would handle a change of chief constable during the two years, and what the Commission's description means locally.
- Check the current exam rule with the College: the 65% threshold, the retake provision and the consequence of failing.
- Plan exam preparation early. It is the same inspectors' exam as the standard route, and preparing for it is useful either way.
- If you have caring responsibilities or other commitments, talk to your line manager about the workload before you apply, since the evaluation recorded pressure about balancing programme demands with home life.
- Use the next window. Applications are expected to open in May 2028, so there is time to gather the information above.
For the programme itself, see our Fast Track explainer, and for pay scales and time to rank use the pay and time-to-rank planner. The wider balance of promotion and home life is covered in promotion and work-life balance.
What we could not verify
Last checked 6 October 2026.
- Current attrition and pass rates. The only published attrition and pass figures we found are for 2014 to 2019. We found no Cohort 11 or 12 figures.
- Attribution of some quotes. The evaluation prints survey and interview quotes in boxes beside its text. For quotes such as the one on internal resentment from fellow sergeants, we could not tell from the layout of the report whether the speaker was an internal or external member, so we do not assign it to a strand.
- The 2022 and 2024 rules. Consequences of failure are from the 2022 handbook and the July 2024 operating manual. We could not find a 2026 handbook.
- What happens when a force withdraws. The Commission describes participants being pulled from the scheme. We found no published rule on what it means for their rank.
- Wellbeing, culture and outcomes. Beyond the evaluation's qualitative statements, we found no data on the wellbeing, culture or career outcomes of Fast Track officers, and we make no claim about them.
- The Commission's underlying data. The Commission cites College and NPCC data that is not published. We rely only on what the report itself says.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Fast Track officers leave the programme?
In the College's 2014 to 2019 evaluation, 14 internal members from cohorts 1 to 4 left before graduating: eight failed the NPPF inspectors' legal exam within the maximum two attempts and six resigned or were removed for other reasons. The report says failing programme assessments, including the exam, accounted for almost all internal attrition, and that seven per cent of internal members left before completion. We have no current attrition figure.
Is the Fast Track exam harder than the normal inspectors' exam?
It is the same exam. Fast Track candidates sit the ordinary NPPF Step 2 inspectors' legal knowledge exam, according to the July 2024 operating manual. The difference is the consequence: 65% or more is needed to stay on the programme, and the 2022 handbook says failing it at the second attempt means leaving and reverting to the substantive rank. Whether those rules still apply in 2026 we could not confirm.
Is it true that most Fast Track officers struggle?
We found no data that says so. The evaluation found 83% of internal members (cohorts 1 to 4) passed the inspector exam against 45% nationally, that internal attrition was seven per cent, and that most found the programme demanding with some finding it extremely challenging at points, especially those who felt unsupported in force. Those are mixed findings from 2014 to 2019, not a measure of how many struggle today.
What did the evaluation say about the step up to sergeant?
It reported that the strongest pressures concerned the step up to sergeant, but that most internal members felt ready for it: 39 of 43 respondents in cohort 2 agreed they were ready. It was the external programme members, who were graduates recruited from outside policing, of whom only about half felt ready. The report says no internal members expressed anxiety about the step to the same level as some external respondents.
Do Fast Track officers face hostility from colleagues?
The evaluation reports that very few internal Fast Track officers raised concerns about negative perceptions of the programme, that none described anything as strong as hostility, and that a few perceived some jealousy. Stronger comments came mainly from the external programme. One programme member is quoted as saying that resentment within the force from fellow sergeants was overbearing; the report prints it in a box without saying whether the speaker was on the internal or external programme, so individual experience varied. The fieldwork centred on cohorts 1 and 2 (internal cohorts started 2015 and 2016, external 2014 and 2015), and we have no current data.
What does the Police Leadership Commission say about Fast Track?
The Commission's report of 6 July 2026 says the schemes run entirely on the goodwill of local chief constables who can choose to remove their support at any time, giving participants no guarantee of progression even if they meet requirements. It heard of participants pulled from the scheme very close to the end when a newly appointed chief constable withdrew their force. It also says data on development schemes is very limited.
What happens if I fail an assessment on Fast Track?
The 2022 College handbook says failing an assessment, the exam or the Promotion Assessment Report results in exiting the programme and reverting to the substantive rank achieved at that point, on a standard track career path. Appeals exist at each stage. The handbook also allows a force to end participation for consistent performance or conduct concerns. A 2026 handbook was not found, so check the current rule.
Is Fast Track bad for wellbeing?
We cannot say that. The evaluation recorded that some internal members felt considerable pressure, with a small number affected in wellbeing and job satisfaction, and that not all felt anyone in force was taking an interest in how they were coping. It gave no rate, and it did not compare Fast Track officers with others. We make no claim about wellbeing outcomes of Fast Track officers today.
Does Fast Track guarantee support from my force?
No. The evaluation found that in-force delivery lacked a uniform structure and varied considerably, with some officers well supported and others not. A prominent view across cohorts was that forces had no uniform structure. The Commission says the schemes depend on chief constables' goodwill. Ask your force what it commits to in writing.
Can the programme fully replace years of policing experience?
The evaluation reported a common view among internal and external members that the programme could not fully compensate for more lengthy policing experience and that it was important to keep learning on the job. Line managers and mentors were almost evenly split between those confident the officer was ready at completion and those who thought it would take time to be fully effective, which the report says could apply to any newly promoted inspector.
Is there support after the programme ends?
The evaluation reported a strong view among participants that Fast Track inspectors would benefit from post-programme support and a risk that, without some ongoing input, they could stall in their careers. That view was mainly about external members but was not limited to them. We have no data on what support exists now or on graduates' later roles.
Where should I read about whether Fast Track is worth it?
Our decision page sets out the pay scales from 1 September 2026, the overtime rule, the pension bands, the evidence and the timing, including that applications are not expected to open until May 2028. It is at /officers/promotion/is-police-fast-track-worth-it/. Our Fast Track explainer covers how the programme works.
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: Fast Track Inspector (internal and external) programme, five-year evaluation report 2014 to 2019 (July 2020) — executive summary; section 3.3 limitations; 4.2 operational competence; 4.5 learning for future implementation (support, pressures and wellbeing); 5.1 numbers; conclusions on the internal programme. Read in full on 6 October 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- Police Leadership Commission report (PDF, created 6 July 2026), paragraphs 156 to 158 — goodwill of chief constables, participants pulled from the scheme, scale of the schemes, limited data, roundtable contributor quote (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Fast Track programme handbook, 2022 (PDF) — failure and reversion, exam consequences, force decisions, custody attachment, community project. A 2026 handbook was not found (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF Operating Manual, July 2024 (PDF), section 11 — Fast Track candidates sit the inspectors' Step 2 exam; 65% to stay; Promotion Assessment Report replaces Step 3 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Fast Track Constable to Inspector (FTCI) programme page (read via the College production host, 6 October 2026) — programme description, two-year duration, application window every second year, Cohort 13 expected May 2028 (accessed 6 October 2026)
- PolicePay data: NPPF exam results (College result publications) — inspectors' exam May 2026: 1,739 candidates, 644 passed (37.0%), cut score 65 (accessed 6 October 2026)
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