As the Police Sergeants National Police Promotions Framework Step 2 Legal examination and National Investigators examinations approach us, I thought I would post this blog. The NPPF Sergeants exam, which is the same as the old OSPRE Part 1 is scheduled for 9th March 2021 and the first of this year’s NIE is on 2nd March 2021. That’s come around quickly and hopefully all of you that are taking the exams are feeling confident and your preparation has been satisfactory. The current Covid-19 situation has no doubt impacted on your studying in a number of ways and our lives are far more stressful, which is not conducive to trying to learn the wealth of material you need to know to pass the exams.
So, you have about 4 weeks to go. What can you do in those few weeks to increase your chances of success. This obviously depends on how well your preparation has gone to date. I suggest that those of you who have already covered the material, should consider on revisiting your areas of weakness and make them an area of strength. Interestingly, over the years I have helped many candidates who have made the mistake of over confidence in their knowledge which is directly connected to their roles. For example, traffic officers believing they are subject matter experts and skimming the traffic section. Detectives doing the same with the crime section. This is a dangerous approach. I have seen many officers achieve poor results on their own areas of expertise, because they have not committed themselves to fully studying those sections. As a consequence, they miss essential detail. So, my advice is revisit those sections and ensure you have not fallen into this mistake.
Set time aside for your revision and try to stick to it. Make it a daily ritual. Practice multiple-choice questions every day. Check the rationale for your correct answers as well as your wrong ones. This is because you may have gotten the answer right, for the wrong reason.
I have added some extra Silver workshops to help you pass. These workshops focus on multiple-choice exam technique. This is essential and helps you apply your knowledge and understanding without falling into the various traps that cause so many to fail. I have numerous tips and guidance based on my experience of training colleagues and helping them achieve success. This will increase your confidence, reduce your stress levels and enable you to progress your careers.
Good luck and hope to see you on one of my workshops.