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Open free NMC Nursing CBT prep resources ↗Exam facts & prep options
NMC Test of Competence Part 1 — Nursing CBT
Find the current format, timing, scoring, fees, eligibility, and testing options for NMC Nursing CBT, with direct links to official sources.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions115 questions total: Part A numeracy 15 questions (15 marks) + Part B clinical theory 100 questions (100 marks)
Testing time3 hours total: Part A 30 minutes, Part B 2 hours 30 minutes (optional breaks are taken within the 3 hours)
ScoringPass/fail result for each part (Part A and Part B passed or failed independently); the passing standard is set initially and maintained statistically across test versions, with no published numeric cut score
Exam feeGBP 83 for both parts of the CBT (paid to Pearson VUE at booking); resits GBP 50 Part A only, GBP 70 Part B only, GBP 83 both parts
Prep options
Study resources for NMC Nursing CBT
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NMC
- Category
- Nursing Licensure
- Current version
- Test of Competence 2021 (current version, introduced 2021)
- Where it applies
- United Kingdom — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- Computer-based, delivered at Pearson VUE test centres in most countries around the world; no remote/online option
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment at Pearson VUE test centres worldwide, after the NMC confirms the candidate must take the Test of Competence; CBT and OSCE can be taken in any order
- Results
- Pass/fail result for each part emailed and available in the Pearson VUE account within 48 hours of the exam; the candidate's MyNMC account updates within 48 hours with the overall result
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
Two parts taken together in a single sitting, passed or failed independently: Part A is a 15-question numeracy test of short-answer questions requiring a numerical answer (30 minutes); Part B is a 100-question clinical theory multiple-choice test (2 hours 30 minutes). Booked under one field-specific exam code per nursing field (RNA Adult, RNC Children's, RNLD Learning Disabilities, RNMH Mental Health), all four fields sharing one nursing test specification.
Where rules vary
The Test of Competence is the NMC's UK registration exam: it applies to nurses seeking registration on the UK NMC register. Candidates book one of four field-specific exam codes at Pearson VUE (RNA Adult, RNC Children's, RNLD Learning Disabilities, RNMH Mental Health), but a single shared nursing test specification and one shared CBT structure (115 questions, 3 hours) apply to all four fields, so the exam is uniform across them.
Eligibility
The NMC must first confirm (via the eligibility/application process) that the candidate needs to take the Test of Competence, and the candidate must receive authorisation to take the test (ATT) before booking and paying with Pearson VUE
Retake policy
Up to three CBT attempts per application, minimum 10 days apart, all within one year; only the failed part needs to be resat (Part A resit 30 minutes, Part B resit 2.5 hours); after three failed attempts the application closes and the candidate must wait six months before a new application