Training

The IELTS Academic is the test accepted by the NMC as evidence of your ability to communicate effectively in English. If you have completed an IELTS examination you must provide an IELTS certificate that confirms at least 7.0 in the listening and reading sections, at least 6.5 in the writing and speaking sections, and at least 7.0 overall. 

You can achieve the required mark across two test sittings if you sit the tests within six months of each other, and you are tested in all four skills at the same time, and if you take an IELTS test, all scores in both sittings are above 6.5 and you achieve 7.0 or higher in all four fields when the results of both sittings are viewed together.

Occupational English Test (OET) is another test accepted by the NMC as evidence of your ability to communicate effectively in English. If you have completed an OET examination you must provide a certificate that confirms at least a B grade in listening and reading, and at least a B grade in writing and speaking. 

You can achieve the required mark across two test sittings if you sit the tests within six months of each other, and you are tested in all four skills at the same time, and if you take the OET, all grades in both sittings are above Grade C+ and you achieve Grade B or higher in all four fields when the results of both sittings are viewed together.

The NMC only accept results from OET tests taken from February 2016 onwards.

This is a test of your theoretical practice-based knowledge. The test format is a multiple choice test and can be taken in test centres around the world. You’ll have two attempts at this test and you’ll need to pass within six months of completing your eligibility. If you’ve not completed the CBT within six months of completing your eligibility it will expire and you’ll need to complete the online self- assessment again.
If you’re unsuccessful in both your CBT attempts, you’ll need to wait six months in order to restart the application process. The result is either a pass or fail.

The OSCE will assess your clinical knowledge and can only be completed in the UK. The test will be administered by one of our approved university test centres who will administer their own test fee in agreement with us. You’ll need to contact the university directly to book and pay for your test.

The OSCE simulates a clinical environment and patient scenarios which all registered nurses and midwives are likely to encounter when they assess, plan, implement and evaluate care. The OSCE contains nursing or midwifery scenarios along with separate skill stations. Each separate clinical examination is known a ‘station’ and you’ll circulate through all the stations within a set timeframe.

Each of the six stations has standardised marking criteria against which everyone is assessed. Everyone is assessed by a panel of examiners and will be filmed for quality assurance purposes.

It appears that those nurses taking the OET are able to achieve the required scores set by the NMC because OET uses real health care scenarios in the examination and because of this you’ll have more confidence in taking the test which helps your ability to perform better.