NPPF step two legal examinations candidate handbook

To be eligible to enter the NPPF step two legal examination to the rank of sergeant or inspector, officers must meet the eligibility criteria for the NPPF step one.

NPPF step one confirms that candidates have:

• demonstrated competence in their current rank through their professional development review (PDR), their student officer learning and assessment portfolio (SOLAP) or an acceptable equivalent
• no live written improvement notices issued under the Police (Performance) Regulations 2020 and no reduction in rank under those procedures in the previous 12 months, beginning with the date of the notice
• no live written warning, final written warning or extended final written warning issued under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020
• adhered to the attendance management policy, taking full account of the Police Advisory Board guidance on attendance management
• met the specific eligibility criteria for that exam as detailed in the following

Sergeants’ specific eligibility criteria

Admission to the NPPF step two legal examination to the rank of sergeant is restricted to regular constables (those appointed to office of regular constable) who, by the date of the NPPF step two legal examination, have:

• completed two years’ service
• completed their probationary service
• not previously obtained a pass in a recognised police promotion examination (for example, they are not already an OSPRE parts I and II qualified sergeant)

Candidates nearing completion of their probation may only register for the examination if they are supported by their force and will have achieved substantive rank by the date of the NPPF Step two legal examination.

Candidates and forces must ensure that candidates have met these criteria. Officers who apply early but are not substantive in the rank of constable will not be permitted to take the examination under any circumstances. Any officer who takes the examination before they are substantive for any reason will have their result voided.

Inspectors’ specific eligibility criteria

OSPRE parts I and II qualified sergeants

OSPRE parts I and II qualified sergeants are eligible to apply for the Inspectors’ NPPF step two legal examination from the commencement (day one) of their sergeant posting, provided that they have not previously obtained a pass in a recognised police promotion examination (for example, they are not already an OSPRE parts I and II qualified inspector).

All officers (OSPRE and NPPF qualified) are required to complete a minimum of two years as a substantive sergeant before they can be substantively promoted to inspector under Regulation 5 of the Police (Promotion) Regulations 1996 (as amended). OSPRE qualified officers are required to complete a probationary period of one year (or longer) in the role of sergeant as part of their mandatory two years as a substantive sergeant before they can be substantively promoted to inspector.

However, any candidate who holds the substantive rank of sergeant is immediately eligible to commence step one of the NPPF process and take the NPPF step two legal examination during this probationary period. OSPRE qualified sergeants are therefore entitled to take the NPPF step two legal examination for promotion to inspector at any time following promotion to sergeant because they are a substantive sergeant from day one. 

NPPF qualified sergeants 

NPPF qualified sergeants are eligible to take the inspectors’ NPPF step two legal examination for promotion to the rank of inspector once they have successfully completed the NPPF route and been made substantive as a sergeant. Step four of the sergeants’ NPPF process is a mandatory 12 months, which cannot be reduced in any circumstances. Officers cannot be substantive as a sergeant until the full 12 months has been completed and are not eligible to take the exam before they are substantive in rank.

Only candidates who hold the rank of sergeant are eligible to take the inspectors’ NPPF step two legal examination.

Candidates nearing completion of their temporary promotion to sergeant may only register for the examination if they are supported by their force and will have achieved substantive rank by the date of the NPPF step two legal examination. Candidates and forces must ensure that candidates have met these criteria. Officers who apply early but are not substantive in the rank of sergeant at the time of the exam are not permitted to take the examination. Any officer who takes the examination before they are substantive for any reason will have their result voided and there is no right of appeal regarding this.

Fast Track programme

Candidates participating in the Fast Track programme should refer to the guidance for Fast Track officers.

Fast Track candidates will take the examination in accordance with their programme timescales. Entry into the examination is not automatic and the responsibility remains with the participating force and the programme member to register for the NPPF step two legal examination to ensure attendance at the Inspectors’ knowledge examinations. Candidates must register in the same way as other candidates for the examination (see NPPF step two).

Direct entry for inspectors

Candidates participating in the direct entry inspectors programme should refer to the guidance for this.

Candidates will take the examination in accordance with their programme timescales. Entry into the examination is not automatic and the responsibility remains with the participating Force and the programme member to register for the NPPF step two legal examination to ensure attendance at the Inspectors’ knowledge examinations. Candidates must register in the same way as other candidates for the examination (see NPPF step two).

Rejoiners to the police service

Officers rejoining the police service sits outside of the NPPF. However, officers who are returning to the police service at a higher rank than they left and to the ranks of sergeant and inspector are required to comply, in part, with the NPPF.

Unlike all other officers, rejoiners to the ranks of sergeant and inspector will recommence their service at the rank to which they applied to rejoin. Rejoiners will not undertake the NPPF steps in the usual order. However, they will still be required to undertake the step two legal examination for the relevant rank at the earliest opportunity as well as to complete the step four work-based assessment. Rejoiners are provided with two opportunities to pass the relevant step two legal examination. If the officer fails to attain the required standard, there may be grounds to invoke Regulation 13 of The Police Regulations 2003, to dispense of the officer’s services.

Rejoiner members will be considered as meeting the step one eligibility criteria. Candidates must register in the same way as other candidates for the examination (see NPPF step two).

Rejoiner members required to undertake the knowledge examination at rank of sergeant or inspector, will hold that rank at point of re-entry. Officers meeting the required standard for the knowledge examination will move to NPPF Step four. Those rejoiner members failing to meet the required standard in the examination will be afforded one opportunity to resit, which must be done at the earliest opportunity.

Career breaks

There is provision for officers to take the NPPF step two legal examination while on a career break, providing that the terms and conditions of the career break agreed by their chief officer allow for this.

The force must inform the College's exams team of any such requests by the closing date for entry to the NPPF step two legal examination in question, together with confirmation from the chief officer confirming their approval.

Overseas duties

Because of restrictions on firewalls and browsers, as well as the stability of internet connections, the College cannot guarantee that candidates will be able to take the examination outside of the UK. If a currently serving officer is supported by their force or organisation to take the examination while on deployment in another country, this candidate should contact their force examinations officer. The College cannot provide support to officers who wish to take the examination abroad while on holiday.

Suspension

Candidates who are suspended from duty will be required to have chief officer sign-off allowing them to take the NPPF step two legal examination. Force examinations officers must ensure that this sign-off has been obtained before the candidate sits the examination.

Pregnant officers

If the NPPF step two legal examination falls within a period of pregnancy, an officer may choose to still take the examination. It may be possible to provide accommodations to assist with an officer’s attempt at the NPPF step two legal examination while pregnant. Applications should be made as early as practicable (See reasonable adjustments and accommodations for more information). If a force provides a testing centre, additional accommodations may need to be arranged directly with the force.

A copy of the most recent pregnancy related force risk assessment may need to be submitted to your force examinations officer prior to sitting the NPPF step two legal examination, to allow any appropriate provision of accommodations to be made for pregnant officers. Every effort will then be made to ensure that reasonable accommodations are provided and that any hazards identified within the risk assessment are minimised by adequate control measures.

Maternity leave

The NPPF governance board and the College of Policing shall not act or encourage candidates to act contrary to Section 72 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which specifies that an employee must not work – or be permitted by their employer to work – while on compulsory maternity leave during the two-week period from the date of childbirth.

However, an officer may, if they so wish, take the NPPF step two legal examination if it falls within a period of maternity leave. It may be possible to provide accommodations to assist with an officer’s attempt at the NPPF step two legal examination while on maternity leave. If a force provides a testing centre, additional accommodations may need to be arranged directly with the force.

Any application for accommodation requests should be made no later than the closing date for entries for the NPPF step two legal examination.

Paternity leave

If the NPPF step two legal examination falls within a period of paternity leave, an officer may choose to still take the examination. It may be possible to provide accommodations to assist with an officer’s attendance at the NPPF step two legal examination while on paternity leave. 

Any application for accommodations should be made no later than the registration closing date for the NPPF step two legal examination.

Reasonable adjustments – disability related requests

Candidates who can demonstrate that they have any form of disability, as defined by the Equality Act 2010, may apply for reasonable adjustment. This includes candidates with a neurodivergence, such as dyslexia. 

Candidates should inform their force examinations officer of their request for a reasonable adjustment when registering.

The candidate must complete the reasonable adjustment request form, detailing their disability and adjustments requested. The candidate must also provide a report containing a diagnosis of their disability, as well as recommendations for any reasonable adjustments from an appropriate specialist in the area of their disability. The candidate may wish to discuss options with their local force occupational health department prior to sourcing a specialist.

In making their recommendations, it is helpful if the specialist has a clear understanding of the format of assessment that the candidate will be undertaking.

Please note that registering an intention to submit a request for reasonable adjustment on AIMS at registration is not a formal request.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they provide the necessary documentation and request form to their force examinations officer in sufficient time.

Accommodations – non-disability-related requests

Candidates with conditions that fall outside of the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability – for example, conditions that are short-term and/or do not have a substantial adverse effect on the candidate’s day-to-day activities – may be eligible to apply for an accommodation. We aim to provide all candidates with a fair assessment and we will aim to support requests for accommodation where these are appropriate.

However, in considering whether an accommodation is appropriate, it is important to ensure that the accommodation does not change the standard that the candidate is being measured against, and that the candidate is not provided with an unfair advantage over other candidates.

Candidates who require an accommodation in the examination should contact their force examinations officer in the first instance. Candidates may need to obtain a specialist report, although this may not be necessary in all cases, depending on the nature of the request. 

Please note that a candidate whose force or organisation is not aware of their disability, and who wishes to maintain the confidentiality of it, can approach the exams team at the College of Policing directly. Candidates should, however, be aware that confidential requests for reasonable adjustments may diminish the extent to which reasonable adjustments can be made.

Offering reasonable adjustments and accommodations

Forces will consider the recommendations within the report or request, supported by psychologists from the College of Policing. Where a candidate has a disability and this is evidenced by their report, the force will confirm what would constitute reasonable adjustment for the specified assessment process. Candidates will be advised prior to the examination of any adjustment or accommodation that is being offered.

Candidates are required to sign a reasonable adjustment agreement form that gives full details of the adjustment before the adjustment will be applied to their examination.

Any adjustments or accommodations offered will be applicable to the examination applied for. If a candidate is re-entering the examination and has previously submitted and accepted a reasonable adjustment, there is no need to resubmit the evidence if they are content to receive the same reasonable adjustment as previously.

However, please note that candidates will still need to notify their intention to request a reasonable adjustment.

Further information on reasonable adjustments and accommodations

Candidates should refer to the reasonable adjustments policy for further details on applying for reasonable adjustments and accommodations. Candidates and force examinations officers should refer to this document before obtaining a report or making a request for an accommodation or reasonable adjustment. 

The report must be submitted to the force no later than the closing date for registrations.

Failure to submit in accordance with this closing date could affect the College's ability to coordinate the request with the candidate’s force or agency in time for the examination.

Applications for reasonable adjustments and accommodations received after the notified closing date will therefore not be accepted, unless extenuating circumstances can be provided in writing. It is the candidate’s responsibility to plan ahead to ensure that the closing date for reasonable adjustment and accommodation applications is met.

Candidates must refer to the online examinations candidate guide. This is also available from force examinations officers. This provides a comprehensive guide for preparing for the examination, accessing the examination on the day and what to expect when taking the examination.

Testing environment

There is no national requirement for candidates to take the examination at a testing centre or under supervision. Candidates are responsible for ensuring they have a suitable testing environment, as per the guidance in the online examinations candidate guide.

The College of Policing cannot accept appeals regarding an unsuitable testing environment, so candidates must ensure they take the time to plan appropriately for this. Some forces may wish to provide an optional testing centre for their candidates and forces should refer to the online examinations force guide for advice on setting up a suitable centre.

Accessing the examination

Prior to sitting the examination, candidates will be asked to test their device and will be offered the chance to familiarise themselves with the platform.

It is very important that candidates schedule time to check their device and browser before the exam, to ensure that they don't encounter issues on the day. Candidates are also strongly advised to take the time to complete the familiarisation exercise, even if they have taken an examination with the College before, as changes to the platform and/or functionality may have been made.

A few days before the examination, candidates will receive details of how to access the examination platform on the day of the examination, as well as information about how to log in to the examination. 

Declaration notice

The decision to take the NPPF examination is that of the candidate. All candidates must read and agree to the declaration notice, which will be provided on the online examination platform, before being permitted to take the examination. This is to confirm that candidates agree to abide by all rules of the examinations and are fit and suitably prepared in relation to their knowledge, understanding and application of the law and procedure contained within the syllabus.

Any candidate who declines to agree to the declaration for the NPPF examination will not be eligible to take part.

Attempting to gain an unfair advantage

Candidates must not gain, or attempt to gain, any unfair advantage during the examination. All officers are expected to act with integrity and in line with the principles and standards of behaviour set out within the Code of Ethics. Candidates must not help, or accept help from, anyone else during or after the examination. This includes attempting to gain assistance from using artificial intelligence applications.

The design of the examination and mechanisms that have been introduced into the delivery of the examination mean that attempts to cheat are likely to be ineffective. Any candidate who is suspected of cheating or disclosing the content of the examination in any way will be investigated and could have their examination result nullified and/or be banned from entering the examination in future.

Candidates suspected of cheating or disclosing the content of the examination will also be referred to their force’s professional standards unit. This includes discussing question content on social media or any other format before, during or after the examination.

Candidates must not allow another person to gain access to AIMS or the examination using their login details, nor must they attempt to gain access via anyone else’s login details. Any attempts to do so will be classed as a breach of the rules and reported to the candidate’s professional standards unit.

The exam must be completed in one sitting. Candidates may take a comfort break during the exam, but this is not counted as a valid reason to pause the timer. Candidates must not attempt to pause, restart or stop the timer once they begin. The timer will continue as it would at a physical exam venue, unless an agreed reasonable adjustment is in place that allows scheduled breaks to be taken during the exam.

Any attempts to pause the timer are logged on the system and will be recorded as unusual activity. Unusual activity will be reviewed after the examination and reported to the reports and disqualification panel, if applicable. Attempting to pause the clock is a breach of examination rules and could mean the result is nullified.

If candidates have an exceptional reason to close the browser, candidates must report this to the College of Policing via their force contact officer after the exam and within three days of the exam date.

Disclosing content of examination questions

Making and/or keeping copies of the questions in any format is prohibited. The questions remain the intellectual property of the College of Policing and we reserve the right to reuse questions. If people keep and share copies of questions, this affects the future integrity of examinations.

Candidates can take the examination within a 12-hour window on the examination day. If the examination content is shared before a candidate has chance to take the examination, this could lead to them having an unfair advantage and could affect the integrity of the examination. It is therefore paramount that you do not discuss examination content with anyone after the examination, including comments or pictures on social media, as this is likely to provide others with an unfair advantage.

Discussing the content of questions is prohibited and presents a huge personal risk for that candidate and their future career. Any candidate who is suspected of disclosing the content of the examination in any way will be investigated and could have their examination result nullified and/or be banned from entering the examination in future.

Candidates suspected of keeping or sharing the content of the examination will also be referred to their force’s professional standards unit.

Candidates must not take screen shots of questions (or any part of a question) under any circumstances. Any candidate found to have done this will be referred to their force’s professional standards unit for a breach of examination rules.

Code of Ethics and conduct

The Code of Ethics applies to all officers, staff and volunteers across the police service in England and Wales. Candidates will be expected to: 

• take personal responsibility for promoting and reinforcing the principles and standards set out in the Code
• actively seek to embed the Code by ensuring regular reference to it in their day-to-day decision making and professional responsibilities within policing

The highest standards are expected from all police officers and staff (or equivalent) and this is especially important for those in roles where greater autonomy and decision making is expected. It is therefore essential that candidates participate in the NPPF examination with the Code fully supporting their actions, contributions and decision-making.

Candidates who are found to have acted in a manner that contravenes the Code or any of its principles may be removed from the promotion process by their force or agency.

Any information entrusted to you during your examination, including the questions within the examination paper, has been disclosed to you in the course of your duties as a police officer or equivalent. In accordance with the standards expected of all officers and staff, this information must not be used for personal benefit, nor should it be divulged to other parties, except in the proper course of police duty.

The use of artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, is strictly prohibited.

The College regards the improper disclosure of such information as a serious breach of confidentiality and will ensure that any reported instances are fully investigated under the police complaints procedure.

NPPF debrief panel

The NPPF debrief panel will review the delivery of each NPPF step two legal examination prior to the results being issued. The panel consists of:

• a moderator nominated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC)
• a member of the Police Federation for England and Wales
• a member of the College of Policing legal services team 
• a representative from the College of Policing workforce development unit
• a representative from the College of Policing occupational psychology unit

Before we can issue results, the NPPF debrief panel will:

• consider the impact of any unscheduled events that occurred during the administration of the NPPF step two legal examination
• inform any candidate who is suspected of irregular behaviour (for example, attempting to gain unfair advantage during the NPPF step two legal examination, breaching confidentiality) that their result will be withheld until the NPPF reports and disqualification panel has considered the circumstances
• ratify the results prior to their release

The NPPF debrief panel will not consider any reports of extenuating circumstances.

To progress within the NPPF, candidates will be required to demonstrate a standard of performance that indicates that they have a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding of the syllabus. As always, the NPPF debrief panel will compare the results of this year’s examination with previous years to ensure that the delivery of the exams has been fair.

Pass mark

The pass mark is:

• 55% (77 correct answers out of 140) for the sergeants’ examination
• 65% (91 correct answers out of 140) for the inspectors’ examination

Candidates scoring 75% and above in the sergeants' examination and 85% and above in the inspectors' examination will be awarded an exceptional grade in the exam.

Low-band fails will be given to candidates scoring less than 30% in the sergeants' examination and less than 35% in the inspectors' examination.

The NPPF 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 – whether higher or lower – and/or if they have evidence to show that a change in the pass mark would result in a fairer outcome. 

Feedback reports

Force examinations officers will be able to access a full list of results via AIMS within three weeks of the examination date.

All results and feedback reports will be available to candidates within three weeks following the examination. The College will notify the force examinations officer of the date of the results release, and candidates will be sent a link to access their own feedback report via AIMS. Candidates will be required to verify their date of birth, national insurance number and email address to access their result. Any errors in inputting these at registration will result in a delay to being able to access feedback.

The candidate feedback report can be used by the candidate to identify any strengths and developmental needs in the areas that have been examined and assessed. 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. Candidates are not issued with certificates following the examination.

The feedback report also acts as proof of the candidate’s result and must be retained by candidates for future reference. We are unable to reissue feedback reports.

Candidates can expect to receive their results by:

• Thursday 4 April 2024 for the March sergeants’ examination
• Thursday 6 June 2024 for the May inspectors’ examination
• Thursday 24 October 2024 for the October sergeants' examination
• Thursday 28 November 2024 for the November inspectors' examination

Appeals of unscheduled incidents

Unscheduled incidents are defined as disruptions that are unforeseen and outside of the candidate's control, and that can be considered to have a direct and substantial impact on the candidate's result. 

The College will not, under any circumstances, accept appeals of unscheduled incidents relating to any of the following.

• A force-provided testing environment. Any appeals of unscheduled incidents relating to a force-provided testing environment should be discussed directly with the force.
• A candidate-provided testing environment. Candidates should follow the online examinations candidate guide to ensure they have a suitable testing environment for the exam. 
• Local connection issues, such as not having a strong enough connection to load the exam or experiencing connection issues during the exam that are outside of the national exam platform. Candidates must follow the guidance sent before the exam to ensure that their connection is strong and to limit their chances of experiencing issues. Guidance is also provided for candidates to follow during the exam if any issues do occur.
• Device issues. Candidates are provided with extensive information before the exam regarding suitable devices and must check that their device meets the criteria before taking the exam. Candidates should speak to their force if they do not have a suitable device.
• Lack of preparation and/or a heavy workload prior to attendance.
• Sickness through illness or injury before or during the exam. It is the candidate's choice if they choose to agree to the declaration and take the exam. 
• Issues known to the candidate at the time of taking the exam. 

Queries relating to the content of the examination questions will be considered separately and not accepted as an appeal (see the section on question queries). 

Submitting an appeal

Any candidate who wishes to report an unscheduled incident must do so in the form of a written report or email. It is the candidate's responsibility to provide the supporting evidence at the time of writing and to make it clear in their email that they wish to report an unscheduled incident. 

The report does not need to be countersigned by the candidate's line manager or above. The report must be submitted by the candidate to their force examinations officer and received by the College's exams team no later than three days after attending the examination. 

The deadline for appeals for each exam is as follows.

• March sergeants' exam – Sunday 17 March 2024 by 8pm.
• May inspectors' exam – Sunday 19 May 2024 by 8pm.
• October sergeants' exam – Sunday 6 October 2024 by 8pm.
• November inspectors' exam – Sunday 10 November 2024 by 8pm.

This will be the only opportunity for candidates to submit reports. Reports that are not received within the specified time scale will not be considered further under any circumstances.

The exams team will acknowledge receipt of reports to candidates via their force examinations officer. Any reports submitted that relate to one of the factors outlined in the section on appeals of unscheduled incidents will be rejected and not considered further.

All reports accepted will be considered by the marking panel for special considerations (see the section on special considerations).

Reports from candidates who are unsuccessful candidates will be sent to the NPPF reports and disqualifications panel. Please be aware that the panel cannot change a fail result into a pass or add additional marks under any circumstances, so the result will not be changed.

However, the panel may recommend the candidate’s force or organisation to not take that examination attempt into account, and to allow the candidate to have an additional attempt at the examination where local policy (for example, the number of retakes) would have otherwise prevented this from being an option. The panel can also make recommendations for the delivery of the exam to the College and/or force.

Reports from candidates who are successful will not be considered further by the panel.

Special considerations

The marking panel, in consultation with the NPPF debrief panel, will consider applying special considerations to any candidate who submits an appeal of unscheduled incidents that is accepted by the College. Special considerations will not be applied automatically for each appeal and will only be applied in exceptional circumstances where the marking panel and debrief panel are in agreement that it is warranted and fair to do so.

The College of Policing will not apply special considerations under any circumstances for incidents relating to any of the points listed in the section on appeals of unscheduled incidents.

Applications for special consideration should be submitted in accordance with existing timescales for submission of reports as detailed in the section on submitting an appeal. Applications received after this time will not be considered.

The NPPF marking panel also have the discretion to apply the special considerations policy in circumstances in which evidence has been brought to their attention – for example, by a force or candidate – that is likely to have had a direct and substantial impact on one or more candidates’ results, but where a report has not been submitted.

If the NPPF marking panel determines, in conjunction with the NPPF debrief panel, that awarding special consideration is appropriate, the candidate will be notified via their force examinations officer. If special considerations are deemed appropriate, this would be applied to all candidates affected by that specific issue and not to just those who appealed.

The NPPF debrief panel cannot change a fail result into a pass. However, the marking panel will apply special consideration, if it is deemed to be appropriate, by awarding an allowance of 1% of the total raw marks available within the examination to affected candidates. In some cases, this may make the difference between a pass and a fail for candidates. The marking panel will conduct a thorough analysis of the candidates’ results to ascertain the impact that the issue is likely to have had before the policy is considered.

This will only be applied in very exceptional circumstances that are deemed to be significant, out of the candidate’s control and likely to have had a substantial and prolonged impact on a candidate’s performance during the examination. The decision of the NPPF marking panel, in conjunction with the NPPF debrief panel, is final. Once results have been ratified and released, results will not be reviewed again under any circumstances.

Question queries

On occasion, the exams team may receive a query regarding the legal accuracy or fairness of a question included within the examination from a candidate. The examinations are subject to a rigorous design process.

All items used within each administration of the NPPF examination go through several review stages to ensure that they meet the necessary psychometric criteria required to confirm they are fair for inclusion in the exam. Items in the examination are reviewed legally on several occasions.

This is to ensure that the item is legally accurate and a fair test of candidates’ knowledge of the syllabus. This means that before any item is included in an exam, the exams team can be confident that it is suitable for use.

During the marking process, the marking panel reviews any queries raised by candidates in relation to specific questions, as well as any questions that have not performed as expected. This is to ensure that the questions are wholly correct and fair for inclusion within the exam. Any questions deemed to be unfair for inclusion in any way will be removed from the marking procedure for all candidates.

Queries must be submitted to the College’s exams team no later than three days after attending the examination. Please note that queries received after this date will not be considered. The item will also be reviewed by the College’s Legal Services team to provide a post-examination legal review if needed.

Remarking examination papers

There is no provision for candidates to contest their result once results have been released, or to request to have their examination remarked. The occupational psychology unit adopts a very rigorous and thorough marking process to ensure that all exams are accurately marked and checked. All unscheduled incidents reported in line with the guidelines above will be considered when marking.

Once the results have been released, these are final. The College's exams team will not remark exams.

There is no provision to add additional marks for candidates who score just below the pass mark. The pass mark for the exam is a standard agreed with the NPPF governance board and ratified by the NPPF debrief panel after each exam. This will therefore not be lowered for individual candidates in any circumstances.

The NPPF reports and disqualifications panel will formally consider the reports based on unscheduled incidents and reported cases of irregularity or breaches of the rules. The panel consists of:

• a chief moderator nominated by the NPCC
• a representative from the College of Policing workforce transformation unit
• the head of the College of Policing occupational psychology unit
• a member of the College of Policing legal services team

The NPPF reports and disqualifications panel will consider any reports after the results have been notified. Once a decision has been reached, the College of Policing, on behalf of the chair of the panel, will notify the candidate of the decision. 

The panel cannot change a fail result into a pass or add additional marks under any circumstances. Once the scoring has taken place and has been signed off by the debrief panel, the results will stand. Any adjustments made to the scoring will render the results invalid and the marking team will not endorse an adjusted result.

Unsuccessful candidates who have previously submitted reports have claimed that an event or series of events has contributed to their result because they were unable to perform to their best. However, in behavioural terms, it is not possible to make assumptions about what candidates would and would not have done had those circumstances not arisen. Different circumstances have different effects on people, and it is not appropriate to attempt to predict what that effect may or may not have been.

Other examining bodies, such as universities, are usually willing to consider both marginal fail results and the possibility of converting such results to a pass. However, they have the benefit of other evidence to consider – such as coursework and portfolios – that may support a conversion to a pass for a candidate that has achieved a lower-than-expected result.

Due to other evidence not being available, it is not possible to reconsider the marks awarded at the examination against any other information. Marginal fail results will therefore not be reassessed or awarded a pass mark. Rigorous marking procedures are used following the examinations.

Disqualification procedure

Any candidate found to be in breach of the rules will be liable to disqualification.

If a candidate’s behaviour reduces the reliability of their examination scores, their result may be nullified by the marker, notwithstanding any disqualification decision.

In cases of irregularity and misbehaviour, the panel can:

• fail the candidate
• disqualify the candidate from the current attempt and bar them from further attempts for a period of several years
• refer the candidate to their chief officer and their relevant professional standards department

Right of appeal

Candidates have the right of appeal to the chair of the NPPF governance board against the decision of the NPPF reports and disqualifications panel where there:

• are reasonable grounds for believing that the panel did not act in compliance with its rules
• is fresh evidence, that was not available at the time of the original report, for further consideration

Appeals must be made by email to the chair of the NPPF governance board at [email protected]. 

Appeals must be countersigned by the candidate’s line manager or above. The countersigned appeal must then be submitted by the candidate, and received by the exams team unit, within 21 days of the date of the letter in which the candidate is notified of the decision of the NPPF reports and disqualifications panel.

The exams team will forward the appeal to the chair of the NPPF governance board. The chair of the NPPF governance board will consider whether there are adequate grounds for appeal and will notify the exams team.

The candidate and relevant force examinations officer on behalf of the chief officer will be advised by the exams team in writing of the chair of the NPPF governance board’s decision. The chair of the NPPF governance board cannot convert a fail into a pass but can vary or confirm the decision of the NPPF reports and disqualifications panel.