Before 1991

Prior to 1991 the Police Service in England and Wales assessed Police Officers' potential for promotion to the ranks of Sergeant and Inspector by one exam. The questions in the exam required an essay style answer and only tested the legal knowledge of the candidate. Potentially, a qualified solicitor in criminal practice could pass the promotion exams!

The Police Service realised that the role of Sergeant and Inspector required management and supervisory skills but these were not being assessed by this system. They therefore produced the Objective Structured Performance Related Examination - better known as OSPRE (pronounced 'Osprey') which is a two part examination.



Part 1

Part 1 of the OSPRE exam involves a 2 hour multiple choice examination to test the candidates' knowledge of the law. The exam takes place once a year - the Sergeants' exam being in March and the Inspectors' in September' and can have from 60 to 120 questions. The pass mark for Part 1 is 75% and candidates need to pass Part 1 before they can take part 2.



Part 2

While part 1 of the OSPRE exam tests the candidates' knowledge of the law, part 2 tests their management and supervisory potential. This is carried out during a two hour exam involving role playing in a variety of situations.

The sort of training required for Part 2 should be carried out in a classroom situation by qualified trainers. The candidates need to practice dealing with possible scenarios they may meet in the exam and get immediate feedback from the trainers.

Make sure you use your vote by answering our poll.scroll down the page and use our voting system in the left hand margin
<<>>

E-mail us now ...
Click here to email us

Web Site:
www.Policeuk.co.uk