Checkmate Training - Crammer course for OSPRE Part I Sergeants and Inspectors exams

by Paul Connor

The Study/Revision Plan

This Study/Revision Plan will ensure that you get through the whole syllabus in time for the Sergeants' examination on the 15th March 2011 and will afford you an opportunity to review the examiners favourite subject areas - those consistently tested to a substantial degree in the Sergeants' Part I examination. Download a detailed copy of those areas (contained in the 'Hot List' by clicking here. There are periods when you will have to read more material than in others but this cannot be avoided; in fact in some weeks I want you to spend more time and focus more of your attention on the subjects that are tested year in, year out e.g. Theft and Related Offences (Crime).

The order of the Study/Revision Plan is designed to ensure that all subjects are given the time they deserve without leaving you 100+ pages of text to scrutinize and understand in a 1-week period. The starting point of the plan is in Crime - this is because any logical analysis of law begins with the study/revision of state of mind (mens rea) and criminal conduct (actus reus) along with an examination of other basic legal principles and defences. Please observe that these subjects are connected to every offence and activity in the syllabus, including those dealt with in Evidence & Procedure, Road Policing and General Police Duties. Study/revision carried out from any other point is plainly running before you can walk.

Revision

Studying and revision are two separate processes. When you study you will largely be learning topics for the first time. Revision is returning to and re-examining that material. How you study/revise will be your preference. If you want some ideas, why not have a look at the Revision Methodology article on this web site? (click here to read this article).

The one piece of advice I would give to every candidate no matter how they study/revise is to use the weeks immediately before the exam to revise the most important topics again. I have chosen these topics for revision on the study plan because they are tested on the exam more often than any others.

Although there can be no guarantee given here, those topics contained in weeks 25 to 27 are, on average (over the last 7 PC to PS Part I examinations), worth approximately 84 marks in your examination (60%). Wouldn't it be a good idea to take a look at them? To know them as well as you possibly can? Even if you feel your knowledge of these topics is of a good standard you must look at them again and again at this stage.

Taking a Break

The revision plan includes a 2-week break over the Christmas period. I thoroughly recommend that you take that break. It is important to take a break as if you do not stop and rest your mind at some point then you are in serious danger of burning out before 15th March. Take that well-earned break and go NOWHERE NEAR anything to do with Part I when you do so. After your break, return with renewed enthusiasm to the study/revision process.

The Last 3 weeks

The subjects I have set out for revision in weeks 25 and 27 are, statistically, the most commonly tested areas from the last seven examinations (data via Centrex/NPIA feedback). There is very little point, at this stage of the revision process, of revising a subject that has only ever had one question asked about it or possibly never even have been tested at all. However, don't feel obliged to only look at those subjects. If you want to go over something else then do so - the choice is yours.

Manuals

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE OUT OF DATE MANUALS TO STUDY

I have made significant changes to the 2011 Blackstone's Manuals (they have been extensively edited since last year) Please note that all areas of the Manual, including those that are blacklined in Road Policing are potentially testable in the 2011 Sergeants' examination (Appendices are only testable if they are referred to in the body of the Manuals). Using old Manuals is an incredibly dangerous practice and in my opinion, a totally unwarranted gamble that can often lead to failure. For the sake of the price of a set of Manuals I ask you - 'Is it really worth the risk?' For example, a candidate studying 'Classifications and Concepts' from the 2010 Manuals will think they have to learn all those definitions (enjoying trying to remember what a 'Heavy Locomotive' is when they do not need to) or perhaps attempting to commit to memory the 'Special Defences' to murder (but being unaware of the changes to them!) Apart from hundreds of other modifications where 'old' law has been updated or has been replaced with 'new' law, over 40 pages of material were completely removed from the 2010 Manuals and not replaced in their 2011 counterparts. There have been significant changes to the organisation of the Manuals, 'Firearms & Gun Crime' has been re-structured and is now contained in the Crime Manual, GPD has had huge changes to its composition that should hopefully make life study/revision a little more bearable...I could go on. On the basis on such knowledge or lack of it, exams are passed and failed.

If you have any questions regarding the Revision Plan call me, Paul Connor at Checkmate Training Ltd on 01827 874600.

Downloads

Click on the following links for your free downloads:

Study Plan (html format)
Sergeants' Hotlist (Microsoft Word format)

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