Registered Nurse (NNLE)
Nepal Nursing Council (NNC) Licensing Examination
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Cheat sheet
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Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Nepal Nursing Council (NNC) is the regulatory body established under the Nepal Nursing Council Act 2052 (1996), which came into force on 2053-03-02 (16 June 1996). It sits at Bansbari, Kathmandu, and describes its services as "New Registration / Licensing Exam," "Licence Renewal," and "Institution Inspection." For a candidate, the credential that matters is entry on the NNC register and the licence that follows: the Council's published registration status shows 88,583 Registered Nurses, 37,625 ANMs, 264 BMS, 2,090 Specialists and 858 Foreign Nurse/Midwife registrants, a total of 129,420. The NNC site does not publish the licensing examination's question count, duration, passing score, fee, retake rules, licence validity, or official domain weights, so treat any such figure you see elsewhere as unverified and confirm it with the Council. Preparation should therefore be built on what the Council does publish: the Act and Regulations, the Guidelines, and the Annual Calendar, all linked from the NNC site, plus the notice board for exam announcements. Practical steps: read the Act and Regulations for scope of practice and registration requirements, download the guidelines and forms, watch the notices and results pages, and keep your documents ready for verification and renewal. Independent study material can support revision, but it is not issued or endorsed by the NNC.
What you'll study
About Registered Nurse (NNLE) preparation
What exactly does passing the NNC licensing exam give me?
It is the route to registration and a licence to practise nursing in Nepal. The NNC lists "New Registration / Licensing Exam" among its services, alongside licence renewal and verification. Registration status figures are published on the NNC home page with a last-updated date, so you can see the register itself.
How many questions are on the exam, and how long is it?
The NNC website does not state the number of questions, the duration, or the passing score. Do not rely on numbers circulating in coaching circles. Check the NNC notices page and your exam admit card or official announcement, and plan your timing practice around whatever the Council confirms for your sitting.
What score do I need to pass, and can I retake it if I fail?
Neither the passing score nor the retake policy appears on the NNC site. Because these are set by the Council and can change between sittings, confirm both directly with the NNC office at Bansbari or through [email protected] before you build a study or re-sit plan around any figure.
What topics should I study, and in what order?
Start with the Act and Regulations, since they define registration, scope and professional obligations. Then work through the published Guidelines and Annual Calendar, and read the notices for exam-specific instructions. Clinical nursing content and ethics build on that regulatory base; without it you can answer care questions correctly and still miss the regulatory ones.
How current is the registration data on the NNC website?
The home page shows registration status with a last-updated date of 9/27/2026, listing ANM 37,625, Registered Nurse 88,583, BMS 264, Specialist 2,090, Foreign Nurse/Midwife 858, total 129,420. Treat these as the Council's published snapshot rather than a live count, and check the site for the latest update.
How do I contact the NNC, and when is the office open?
Nepal Nursing Council, Bansbari, Kathmandu; phone 01-4372521; fax 977-1-4377214; email [email protected]. The Registrar's contact is 9747859883 and [email protected]; the information officer is Ms. Rekha Giri, 9866296619. The posted office hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, from Kartik 16, 2083 to Magh 15, 2083.
Who leads the Council, and does that matter for my exam?
The published leadership is President Ms. Sakuntla Prajapati, Vice President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bimala Kumari Sah, and Registrar Parvati Bista. It matters mainly for knowing where to send queries and whose messages to read: the President, Vice President and Registrar messages on the site set out priorities such as transparency and digital transformation.
How do I raise a complaint or get a reply from the Council?
The NNC site provides a grievance form with an anonymous submission option, a grievance QR code, and a search by grievance number to check the reply. It also publishes a proactive disclosure section and a list of frequently asked questions. Use these channels for administrative problems rather than relying on informal advice.
What are the most common ways candidates lose marks?
Two stand out: ignoring the regulatory material (Act, Regulations, Guidelines, notices) because it feels less clinical, and memorising unverified exam facts such as question counts or pass marks instead of checking the Council. A third is missing administrative steps such as verification, renewal or document requirements listed under the NNC's services.