About the NMC Test of Competence (CBT)
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Test of Competence is a mandatory requirement for internationally educated nurses and midwives who wish to join the NMC register and practise in the UK. The test has two parts: Part 1 is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) covering theoretical nursing knowledge, and Part 2 is the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), a practical skills assessment. The CBT must be passed before the OSCE can be sat.
The CBT covers four nursing domains from the NMC Code (2018):
- Professional Values: the NMC Code, professional accountability, duty of candour, maintaining patient dignity, safeguarding, and fitness to practise obligations
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills: effective communication with patients and families, breaking bad news, mental capacity assessment, consent, and documentation standards
- Nursing Practice and Decision-Making: clinical assessment, vital signs interpretation, wound care, infection control (standard precautions), deteriorating patient recognition (NEWS2), basic life support, and common conditions and their management
- Leadership, Management, and Team Working: delegation, supervision, escalation of concerns, handover (SBAR), medicines management (Five Rights), incident reporting, and the role of the Responsible Clinician
The CBT consists of 120 questions: Part A has 15 numeracy questions; Part B has 100 clinical questions. Duration: approximately 4 hours. Pass mark: 100% required for numeracy; approximately 67% for clinical (varies slightly per question set). Retake wait: minimum 10 days. If all 3 attempts within 12 months are failed, a 6-month wait applies before reapplying.
Important: Numeracy requires a 100% pass mark, medicines calculation errors are one of the most serious causes of patient harm, and the NMC treats numeracy as non-negotiable. The clinical section requires approximately 67% but varies slightly per question set. Failing the CBT 3 times within 12 months means a mandatory 6-month wait before you can reapply. You cannot work on the NMC register until both CBT and OSCE are passed.
Key NMC CBT Facts to Know
- Questions: 120 total, 15 numeracy (Part A) + 100 clinical (Part B) + 5 pilot questions (unscored)
- Numeracy pass mark: 100%, all 15 calculations must be correct
- Clinical pass mark: Approximately 67% (varies slightly per question set due to standard-setting)
- Duration: Approximately 4 hours
- Retake wait: Minimum 10 days between attempts
- 3-attempt limit: After 3 fails within 12 months, a 6-month wait applies before reapplying
- NMC Code (2018): The four themes, Prioritise People, Practise Effectively, Preserve Safety, Promote Professionalism and Trust, underpin all professional questions
- NEWS2: National Early Warning Score 2, the standard deteriorating patient scoring system used across NHS England; know the parameters and response thresholds
- Five Rights of Medicines Administration: Right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time, a heavily tested area
- Mental Capacity Act 2005: Applies to England and Wales, the two-stage test for capacity, best interests decision-making, and advance decisions must be understood
The NMC provides a candidate information booklet but no practice question bank for the CBT. Practice Tests UK fills that gap with 100+ realistic CBT-style questions across all four NMC domains with step-by-step explanations for every answer.
| Feature | NMC Candidate Resources | Practice Tests UK |
|---|
| Practice questions | None | 100+ questions |
| Answer explanations | None | Every question |
| Instant feedback | No | Yes |
| Progress tracking | No | Yes |
| Drill by domain | No | Yes |
Free sample: Try 10 free questions below. Use Drill Mode to focus on the domain you find hardest.
