The Nursing and Midwifery Council's computer-based test, the first part of the Test of Competence required for internationally educated nurses and midwives seeking registration to practise in the United Kingdom. The CBT is followed by a separate practical assessment (OSCE), but the CBT itself is a knowledge-based exam covering the four domains of the NMC's Standards of Proficiency, testing whether a candidate understands UK nursing practice, professional standards, and the NHS context well enough to practise safely.
Who it's for
Internationally educated nurses and midwives applying for NMC registration to work in the UK, most of whom trained and practised in a different country's healthcare system and need to demonstrate their knowledge translates to UK-specific standards, terminology, and the NHS care context.
What's covered
- Professional Values (20%) — the NMC Code, professional accountability, consent, confidentiality, and safeguarding within a UK regulatory framework
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills (20%) — person-centred communication, therapeutic relationships, and communicating within a multidisciplinary UK healthcare team
- Nursing Practice & Decision-Making (40%) — applying clinical knowledge and decision-making to scenario-based questions reflecting UK nursing practice and the NHS care setting
- Leadership, Management & Team Working (20%) — delegation, working within the UK multidisciplinary team, and understanding the nurse's leadership responsibilities within NHS structures
What to expect
The NMC CBT is typically a multiple-choice exam of around 125 questions over roughly 3 hours, requiring a high pass mark. Because it's specifically testing UK-context nursing knowledge, candidates from other countries often find that clinical knowledge alone isn't sufficient — the exam expects familiarity with UK terminology, the NMC Code, and how nursing roles and multidisciplinary teams function specifically within the NHS.
How to prepare
Because many candidates are highly experienced nurses in their home country, the main preparation gap is usually UK-specific context rather than core clinical knowledge — the NMC Code's specific language, UK safeguarding terminology, and how scope of practice and delegation work within NHS structures. Reviewing the NMC Code directly, alongside UK-specific scenario-based practice questions, tends to close this gap faster than reviewing general nursing knowledge alone.
Certification details
- Administering body: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), UK.
- Eligibility: Internationally educated nurses/midwives who have completed the NMC's application and qualification comparability process; candidates should verify current eligibility requirements directly with the NMC.
- Exam format: Computer-based multiple-choice test covering the four domains above, followed by a separate practical OSCE assessment (Part 2 of the Test of Competence).
- Next step after passing: Candidates proceed to the OSCE (objective structured clinical examination), the practical component of the Test of Competence, before final NMC registration.