NPPF Sergeants' Exam Pass Mark, Results and Pass Rate

The 2027 candidate handbook sets the results rules for both 2027 sergeants' sittings: one pass mark, four result bands, a report by subject area and no remarking. This guide sets out each rule in the College of Policing's words, with the pass rate from the March 2026 results overview, the sergeants' overview linked from the College's step two page on 21 October 2026. ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not part of the College of Policing or any police force.

NPPF candidate handbook 2027 and the March 2026 results and analysis overview, read 21 Oct 2026.

The handbook gives the sergeants' pass mark as "55% (77 correct answers out of 140)". The 140 is not a typo: the paper has 150 questions, but "10 questions are removed from the marking process and not included in the candidate's overall score". They are the 10 that "performed least well in the exam", chosen by the marking panel and ratified by the debrief panel, and you are not told which they were.

The pass mark is a standard, but not untouchable: the debrief panel "reserves the right to alter the pass mark in exceptional circumstances if they see a significant deviation in the success rate for exams" or if a change would be fairer. In March 2026 the College reports that "an absolute cut score of 55% was applied to all candidates." And there is "no provision to add additional marks for candidates who score just below the pass mark."

Because 10 questions are removed after the exam and you are not told which, you cannot know while sitting it which of your answers will count, so treat every question as if it will. At 55%, you can get up to 63 of the 140 marked questions wrong and still pass.

The College's results and analysis overview for the March 2026 sergeants' exam, dated April 2026, reports:

By ethnicity, the overview reports 54.1% success for candidates from an ethnic minority group (320 candidates) and 59.6% for white candidates (2,712). Where candidate numbers are low, the figures are removed so that no candidate can be identified.

Pass rates varied widely between forces, from 40.8% in the Metropolitan Police (468 of 1,148 candidates) to more than 80% in some forces, such as Thames Valley (85.5%, 53 of 62) and Merseyside (83.8%, 57 of 68). The College adds that "Comparison between force pass rates should be done with caution, due to the differences in the number of candidates taking the examination per force." By sex, 62.3% of female and 56.8% of male candidates passed.

Before results are issued, the NPPF debrief panel reviews the delivery of the exam and ratifies the results. It is made up of a moderator nominated by the National Police Chiefs' Council, a member of the Police Federation for England and Wales, a member of the College's legal services team, and representatives of its workforce development unit and occupational psychology community. The panel considers the impact of any unscheduled events during the exam and compares results with previous years "to ensure that the delivery of the exams has been fair." It does not consider extenuating circumstances. The pass mark itself is "a standard agreed with the NPPF governance board and ratified by the NPPF debrief panel after each exam."

The handbook's rule: "All results and feedback reports will be available to candidates within three weeks following the examination." For 2027 it gives these dates:

Your force examinations officer is told the release date, and you receive a link to your own feedback report on AIMS. To open it you verify your date of birth, national insurance number and email address, and errors in entering these at registration delay your access. The report "includes a summary of candidates' final grading and total percentage score obtained in the examination. This is also broken down into subject areas." There is no certificate, and the report cannot be reissued, so save it: it is your proof of the result.

The October 2026 sergeants' exam ran from 6 to 8 October. For 2027 sittings the handbook promises results within three weeks; ask your force examinations officer when the October 2026 results are released. If the result is a fail, the next sergeants' sitting is 16 to 18 March 2027, with registration from 18 January to 6pm on 18 February 2027 (forces may close earlier). There is no national restriction on the number of resits; any restriction is a local force decision, so ask before you plan around a resit. Start from your feedback report: it is broken down into subject areas, which tells you where your revision should go first.

There is no remarking: "Once the results have been released, these are final. The College's exams team will not remark exams." Two routes are open after the exam, both with a three-day limit. A query about a question's legal accuracy goes to the College's exams team, and the marking panel reviews such queries. An unscheduled incident (a disruption that is unforeseen, outside your control and can be considered to have a direct and substantial impact on your result) is reported to your force examinations officer and must reach the College's exams team within three days; for March 2027 the deadline is 8pm on Sunday 21 March 2027. A candidate-provided testing environment, device or local setup issues, a heavy workload and sickness are among the excluded grounds. Where special consideration is granted, the marking panel may award "an allowance of 1% of the total raw marks available" to affected candidates. Beyond that, the handbook says "The NPPF debrief panel cannot change a fail result into a pass."

A pass "is valid for five years (less one day) from the date of taking the examination." The date of the Step Three process must fall within that period. The handbook's table gives the deadlines; for example, after a pass on 17 to 19 March 2026 the final stage of Step Three must be undertaken by 18 March 2031, and after a pass on 6 to 8 October 2026 by 7 October 2031. Extensions are considered for maternity, paternity and adoption leave, shared parental leave, a career break for care, and long-term sickness absence, applied for via your force examinations officer; never for a lack of promotion opportunities.