NMC CBT

It sits within the NMC's registration route for internationally trained applicants. The NMC website has a dedicated "International applicants" hub covering registration, and a separate section for "Register as a nurse or midwife" and "Register as a nursing associate." Check your own route on the NMC site, because eligibility and the steps before and after the test depend on your profession and qualifications.

The NMC CBT is a computer-based, multiple-choice test. This study page is organised around four domains: nursing and midwifery practice; professional standards and The Code; communication and interpersonal skills; and safety, ethics and professional accountability. Confirm the current structure, item types and any part-by-part breakdown directly with the NMC, as test design is reviewed periodically.

We do not state a question count or time limit here, because the permitted source material does not give one and outdated figures are a common source of error. Get the current number of items, timing and any breaks from the NMC's own international applicant guidance before you book, and plan your practice sessions around those confirmed figures.

Passing standards and fees are not stated in the source material used for this page, so we have not published a figure. Both are set by the NMC and can change. Check the NMC website for the current pass standard and the fee for the computer-based test, including whether any separate fee applies to other stages of your application.

Retake rules are not confirmed in our source material, so treat any number you see elsewhere with caution. The NMC sets the policy on attempts, waiting periods and any additional fees, and it can be revised. Read the NMC's international applicant pages or contact them directly before assuming you can simply rebook immediately.

It is a professional registration test, so it assumes you already hold a qualifying nursing, midwifery or nursing associate education. The difficulty comes less from obscure facts than from judgement: prioritising competing needs, recognising when to escalate, and applying The Code under pressure. Candidates who only revise clinical content and skip professional standards tend to find it harder than expected.

Start with The Code and the standards for your part of the register, since the NMC publishes standards for nurses, midwives and nursing associates separately. These underpin the professional standards, communication and accountability domains. Then move to clinical practice scenarios and finish with timed mixed practice, so you rehearse switching between domains the way the real test requires.

Three recur. First, ignoring The Code and the professional standards because they feel like common sense. Second, answering what you would do locally rather than what the standards require. Third, poor pacing, where candidates over-invest in a few hard items and then rush the rest. Practise with a timer and review every wrong answer against the relevant published standard.

No. This is independent study material produced by a third-party platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The NMC is the source of record for the test itself. Use its website for registration steps, current standards, fees and test arrangements, and treat this page as supplementary revision support only.