Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET) 2026

After you’ve submitted the application form and are accepted, you’ll be invited to take part in what’s called the Police Scotland Entrance Test (PSET). The PSET is undertaken in an assessment centre within the division you are applying to.

This article covers all the essential information you need to understand, prepare for, and successfully pass the Police Scotland Entrance Test.

To advance to the next phase of the recruitment process, candidates must pass all three elements of the test. As a result, thorough preparation for this assessment is crucial for success.

We always recommend practising the test beforehand. The test is written in a style that not many people have seen before. You can get a free PSET practice paper here. Practice, practice, practice!

The PSET is a single paper comprised of three elements:

• Language
• Numbers
• Information Handling

Police Scotland Entrance Test

The Police Scotland Entrance Test is one exam paper which covers 3 main areas: Language, Numbers and Information Handling. The test is 60 minutes and you will answer 49 questions. You will need to pass all 3 elements in order to pass the exam.

It is not a multiple choice test. In the official mock paper published by Police Scotland, you write your answers on the paper: you mark statements as true, false or “not possible to say” in the language element, and you write figures, percentages or categories in the numbers and information handling elements.

How To Pass the Police Scotland Entrance Test

To pass the entire Police Scotland Entrance Test, it is necessary to pass all three parts of the exam. All divisions of Police Scotland utilise the PSET, and no matter which division you’re applying to, you’ll need to pass it to progress in your recruitment.

Most candidates pass. Figures obtained under Freedom of Information show the pass rate rising from 78% in 2022/23 to 87% in 2023/24 and 94% in 2024/25, when 2,130 candidates sat the test and 132 failed. Do not read that as a reason to skip preparation: one weak element is enough to fail the whole paper, and your application cannot move on to the fitness test and assessment day until you pass.

To help you with this test, we have broken down the elements below. Let’s begin by going through the language section.

The Sections Of The Police Scotland Entrance Test

Language Questions

The language element checks how well you read and understand written English. Writing and reading skills are incredibly crucial when you are an officer, so Police Scotland wants to ensure you are up to scratch before recruiting you.

In the official mock paper, you read a passage and then decide whether each statement about it is true, false or not possible to say from the text. The trap is the third option: a statement can sound sensible and still not be stated in the passage. Answer only from what is written, not from what you know or assume.

Numbers Questions

The next element of the PSET is a numeracy test. Alongside information handling, this is where candidates who are out of practice tend to struggle. If you’re not familiar with maths, or you haven’t practised it in a while, give this element most of your revision time.

The mock paper uses short, practical calculations of the kind an officer meets on duty: how far over a speed limit a vehicle was, a ratio of officers to a crowd, a combined weight, a weekly total, a sentence reduced by a percentage, or a distance from a speed and a time. You write the answer as a figure, in the unit the question asks for, so read every question to the end before you calculate.

Information Handling Questions

The third component of the PSET is the Information Handling assessment. Alongside numbers, this is the element applicants typically find the most difficult.

There are many reasons this test is tough, but the most common is that the test style is one that many people aren’t used to. In the mock paper you work from a table of offences and outcomes and answer with a number, a percentage or a category taken from it. Some answers are simply read off the table; others mean combining two or three values first.

Although the test is challenging, you can prepare for it. People generally find the read-off questions more straightforward than the calculations; however, you must concentrate your efforts equally on both.

What Police Scotland Does Not Publish

You will see precise figures quoted elsewhere online. Police Scotland does not publish any of the following, so treat any number you find with caution:

• The pass mark, overall or for each element.
• How many of the 49 questions fall in each element.
• How long you must wait to re-sit after a fail, or how many attempts you get.
• How long a pass remains valid.
• Whether a calculator is allowed. An older Police Scotland careers sheet (2021) said a calculator may be used for the numbers paper, some guides say the opposite and the current force pages say nothing. Follow the instructions in your test invitation, and practise without one so you are ready either way.

After the PSET: Fitness Test and Assessment Day

Passing the PSET moves you on to the rest of the selection process:

• Fitness test: a multi-stage bleep test over 15 metres, with a pass standard of level 5.4. Your fitness test must have been completed within 6 months of being given a start date, otherwise you will be asked to take it again.
• Group task (50 minutes): 10 minutes reading a short policing scenario, a 30-minute group discussion and briefing to the assessors, then 10 minutes of questions from the assessors.
• Situational judgement exercise (60 minutes): unfolding policing scenarios presented verbally, with no reading time; each candidate is asked what they would consider and do.
• Competency-based interview (20 minutes): four questions, each linked to a competency from the Police Scotland Competency and Values Framework.

No policing or legal knowledge is needed for the assessment day. Read our fitness test guide to prepare for the bleep test.

Preparation tips for the Exam

In order to perform on the Police Scotland Entrance Test, it’s essential to follow a few general test preparation tips. First, set aside dedicated time each day to study and practice for the exam, ensuring you have a consistent routine that allows you to focus on the questions.

Next, take an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses within the three elements of the test (language, numbers and information handling) so that you can tailor your preparation accordingly. Make sure to spend more time on areas where you need improvement while maintaining proficiency in your stronger areas. Then sit full timed papers: 49 questions in 60 minutes leaves you just over a minute per question, and pacing is a skill of its own.

Finally, getting adequate rest before the test is crucial for optimal cognitive function and mental clarity. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep the night before the exam to ensure you’re well-rested and ready to perform at your best.

Police Scotland Entrance Test FAQS

Continue to our Fitness test guide

Sources: Police Scotland, our recruitment process; Police Scotland officer selection process (candidate portal) and PSET mock questions and answers (July 2025); 1919 Magazine, pass rate figures obtained under Freedom of Information (7 October 2025). Last checked 13 October 2026.