Instructions for joining the NMC register in the United Kingdom

10. September 2019.

The new blog brings you information on how you can join the NMC Register and get started on the world’s most famous island, whether you have completed your education within the EU/EEA or outside of it.

The NMC is the regulatory body for all nurses and midwives requesting to work in the United Kingdom.

To be eligible for registration, regardless of which group you belong to, you must pass an English language test (unless you have worked for one year in the country where English is native). NMC recognizes IELTS and OET language tests and requires a minimum overall grade of 7 for IELTS (requires at least 6.5 for writing and 7 for reading, listening and speaking), while for OET minimal accepted grade for all categories (writing, reading, listening and speaking) is B.

If you have completed your education and work outside the EU / EEA but have EU citizenship

You need to contact the NMC directly, since the process itself is extremely complex and unique to any combination. You can find the contacts at the link.

If you have completed your education and work in an EU / EEA environment

You start the application process through the official site.

Once you have signed up, you get your Personal Reference Number (PRN), which indicates specifically your application and is used in the process for easier and secure identification.

The next step, if you have not already done so, is to apply for a European Professional Card (EPC), which you can request via the link.
Once you have received the EPC, you need to contact eu.enquiries@nmc-uk.org to assess whether your qualification meets the requirements for automatic recognition and whether you qualify for recognition. If your qualifications do not meet the registration requirements, the NMC will refer you to additional programs or tests that must be passed to practise nursing and midwifery in the UK.

If you have completed your education and work outside the EU / EEA environment

Before beginning the registration process, all applicants must complete an online self-assessment of their qualifications, which assesses the eligibility of the registration.

Every professional nursing field, including adolescent (general), infant, midwifery, and others, is tested by a competency test.

The first part of the test covers multiple-choice questions called CBT, and the second part is a practical exam called the OSCE (Observed Structured Clinical Examination).

Aptitude test
In the United Kingdom, there are five areas of nursing and midwifery that are separated.

  • Adult (general) nursing
  • Children’s nursing
  • Learning disabilities nursing
  • Mental health nursing
  • Midwifery

Each of these areas requires three years of specialist education and practice to register at all. The competency test itself requires the extensive preparation required to ensure that you can work at the required level, and the test questions and implementation are up to the standards and competencies of all UK nurses, technicians and midwives. To be able to work for example in the care of children, it is necessary to pass a test that is focused solely on that branch of nursing. All nurses and technicians are expected to be able to care for people throughout their lifespan and respond to a range of needs. For example, a child nurse should also be able to respond to the needs of pregnant and postnatal women and people with learning disabilities.

he first part of the Aptitude Test (CBT) is a computer-based test of theoretical knowledge based on practice. The testing format will be multiple-choice and can be taken at testing centres around the world. Applicants will need to contact Pearson VUE, a specialist test provider, to book their placement and pay for the test. For more information on how to do the same, see the link.

It may not take more than two years from the CBT test to complete the registration process. Otherwise, the CBT test will have to be repeated.

The second part of the test, OSCE, is observed structured clinical examination. In this part of the test, there are various fictional scenarios that nurses and midwives will encounter in the workplace and will be evaluated by a panel of examiners. The exam is divided into 6 different “stations” that the candidate will meet separately, and each station has standardized evaluation criteria according to which all candidates are evaluated.

OSCE is taken at one of the following colleges and, after NMC approves you for it, you need to contact them directly and arrange the test.
https://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/services-and-facilities/nmc-test-of-competence/
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/nmc-test-of-competence/
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/faculties/life-and-health-sciences/nmc-competence-test-centre

While starting the OSCE test, you will need to bring the original documentation you previously provided in the electronic form to verify your identity.

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