NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Exam Guide: October 18, 2026, Format, Pass Rates

NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Exam: Complete Guide

The NAPOLCOM PNP Entrance Examination (PNPE) is the National Police Commission's written exam for people who want to join the Philippine National Police. Passing gives you the police eligibility required for appointment to the rank of Patrolman/Patrolwoman (the rank once called PO1, renamed under RA 11200).

NAPOLCOM holds the exam twice a year, in April and October. Each sitting draws roughly 31,000–41,000 examinees, and in recent sittings 24–35% passed.

1. Dates

• April 19, 2026: held. 38,022 examinees; 9,224 passed (24.26%). Results came out June 24, 2026.
• October 18, 2026: the second 2026 PNPE. Online registration ran August 17–21, 2026, with application processing until September 17. NAPOLCOM hasn't announced the results date; the October 2025 results came out about two months after the exam.
• 2027: not yet announced. NAPOLCOM usually holds the first sitting of the year in April, so expect April 2027 and watch napolcom.gov.ph and your NAPOLCOM regional office's page.

Registration is through the NAPOLCOM Online Scheduling System, followed by in-person processing at the regional office.

2. What the exam tests

The PNPE is a 3-hour (8:00–11:00 a.m.), pen-and-paper, objective multiple-choice test. You shade answers with a No. 2 pencil. NAPOLCOM lists four areas:

1. General Information/Uprightness — the Philippine Constitution, PNP laws, the criminal justice system, social awareness and value judgment, and values
2. Verbal Reasoning — vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms), comprehension (paragraph organization, reading comprehension) and grammar (correct usage)
3. Quantitative Reasoning — percentage, fractions, number series, and problem solving including bar-graph interpretation
4. Logical Reasoning — verbal and non-verbal

There is no clerical subtest and no separate "police knowledge" subtest; PNP laws sit inside General Information. NAPOLCOM doesn't publish the number of items or any area weights, so treat the item counts you see on reviewer sites as guesses and prepare all four areas.

Start with a free diagnostic: the NAPOLCOM PNPE readiness test gives you a quick baseline across the areas before you plan your review.

3. Passing mark, fee and eligibility

• Passing mark: 70% general rating.
• Fee: ₱400.
• Who can take it: civilians with a bachelor's degree who are 21 to 30 years old on the day of the exam. Temporary Patrolmen/Patrolwomen have no age limit but also need a bachelor's degree.
• What to bring to processing: your transcript or diploma, a valid government ID, passport photos and the other items listed in NAPOLCOM's announcement. Check the current announcement before you go.
• Cheating means a permanent bar from NAPOLCOM exams.

Passing the PNPE is one requirement for appointment. The PNP also has its own recruitment screening, and appointment requires the height standard under RA 11549: 1.57 m for men and 1.52 m for women.

4. Pass rates

Source: NAPOLCOM results, as reported by news outlets citing NAPOLCOM. More on this in the PNPE passing rate breakdown.

Roughly three out of four examinees don't reach 70%, so give yourself a real review period rather than walking in cold.

5. The 8-week prep plan

Built for a college graduate or working applicant with 2–3 hours a day. If you're studying full time you can compress it to 6 weeks; if you're working long hours, stretch it to 12.

Weeks 1–2: Diagnose

Take one full practice test under exam conditions: 3 hours, pencil and answer sheet, no calculator, all four areas. Use a reviewer book's practice set or build one from practice questions. Bucket your wrong answers by area and pick your two weakest.

Weeks 3–6: Targeted drill

Rotate your two weakest areas:

• Mon/Wed/Fri (90 min): Area A
• Tue/Thu (90 min): Area B
• Saturday (3 hrs): Mixed timed practice across all four areas
• Sunday: Rest or wrong-answer review

For Quantitative Reasoning: percentages, fractions, number series, word problems and reading bar graphs, all by hand. A short daily set beats one long weekend session.

For Logical Reasoning: syllogisms, conditional statements, analogies, and non-verbal figure series. Work through many pattern types until you recognize them quickly.

For General Information: the Constitution (especially the Bill of Rights), RA 6975 and RA 8551 (the PNP laws), the five pillars of the criminal justice system, and values and situational-judgment items.

For Verbal Reasoning: synonyms and antonyms, grammar and usage, paragraph organization, and reading comprehension. One English editorial a day helps all of it.

Weeks 7–8: Full practice tests and taper

One or two full timed practice tests per week, with a wrong-answer review after each. In the last 3 days before the exam, rest and review flashcards only.

6. What it costs

The exam fee is ₱400. Beyond that, review costs are up to you: reviewer books, online reviewers, or a review center. Review centers charge a one-time fee for a fixed season, so check each center's current rates.

NAPOLCOM does not publish past exam papers. Exam material is confidential, and leaking it leads to a permanent bar, so be wary of anything sold as "actual NAPOLCOM questions."

7. Pay after you're appointed

Police are not on the civilian Salary Grade table; they follow the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) base pay schedule. Under EO 107 (s. 2025), 2026 monthly base pay is:

• Patrolman/Patrolwoman: ₱31,151
• Police Corporal: ₱32,410
• Police Master Sergeant: ₱35,082
• Police Lieutenant: ₱52,004

Base pay rises again in 2027 and 2028. On top of base pay there's a subsistence allowance of ₱350 a day (from January 1, 2026) and other allowances. See the PNP salary 2026 guide for the full rank table, and the PNP rank progression tool for the ladder.

8. If you don't pass

• Close to 70%: you need more timed practice, not new content. Six to eight weeks of focused drill on your two weakest areas is a sensible plan.
• Further below: go back to content first. Rebuild your weakest area before timing yourself again.

The PNPE runs twice a year, so the next chance is usually about six months away.

9. PNPE vs AFPSAT

More detail in the AFPSAT vs NAPOLCOM PNPE comparison.

The PNPE is not the route into the Philippine National Police Academy. PNPA cadets are selected through PNPA's own Cadet Admission Test (PNPACAT); see the PNPA admission guide.

Practice with Super Tutor

Super Tutor's NAPOLCOM PNPE reviewer covers the general subjects (Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, Analytical Ability including logical reasoning, Filipino, and General Information including the Constitution, government and RA 6713) plus PNP Knowledge (RA 6975, RA 8551, PNP ranks, duties and career). You get lessons in 11 study formats, practice quizzes at three difficulty levels, an AI tutor that explains any question step by step, and a study planner. There are no full PNPE mock exams, so run your own timed practice tests as described above.

Start free — 5-day trial, no card.

Sources: NAPOLCOM exam announcement (April 2025) and regional office advisories for 2026; NAPOLCOM results as reported by news outlets; DBM National Budget Circular No. 600 (2026 MUP base pay); RA 11200; RA 11549.