Registered Nurse Objective Structured Clinical Examination (NMC OSCE) Exam Structure, Format and Marking Syllabus

Exam Structure, Format and Marking syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Exam Structure, Format and Marking in Registered Nurse Objective Structured Clinical Examination (NMC OSCE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Overview of the NMC OSCE

   4 topics

   • Purpose within the Test of Competence
     • Relationship to the Computer-Based Test (CBT)
     • Registration route for internationally educated nurses and midwives
     • Fields of practice: adult, mental health, children's, learning disability, midwifery
   • Approved test centres and providers
     • Booking, fees and resit windows
     • Permitted attempts and the full retake rule
   • The ten-station design
     • Linked APIE scenario stations
     • Four individual clinical skills stations
     • Two values-based and evidence-based practice stations
   • Conduct on the day
     • Identity verification and equipment provided
     • Manikins, simulated patients and assessors' role
2. 2

   Marking and Standards

   3 topics

   • Pass/fail criteria per station
     • Marking grids and weighted items
     • Red-flag (critical) failures and instant fail behaviours
   • Holistic and global judgement
     • Patient safety as overriding criterion
   • Aggregated result and partial passes
     • What can be resat versus full reattempt
3. 3

   The APIE Nursing Process

   5 topics

   • Assessment station expectations
   • Planning station expectations
   • Implementation station expectations
   • Evaluation station expectations
   • Continuity of the linked patient scenario across stations

Exam Structure, Format and Marking flashcards for Registered Nurse Objective Structured Clinical Examination (NMC OSCE)

18 of 50 cards from the Exam Structure, Format and Marking deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the NMC Test of Competence (ToC)?

   A two-part assessment the NMC uses to confirm that internationally educated nurses, midwives and nursing associates meet UK standards for registration. Part 1 is the computer-based test (CBT); Part 2 is the OSCE.

2. What does 'OSCE' stand for and where does it sit within the Test of Competence?

   Objective Structured Clinical Examination. It is Part 2 of the Test of Competence, taken after a candidate has passed the Part 1 CBT.

3. What is the overarching purpose of the OSCE?

   To assess whether a candidate can apply nursing knowledge and skills safely and effectively in simulated clinical scenarios, demonstrating fitness to practise to UK standards.

4. Who is required to take the OSCE?

   Internationally educated nurses, midwives and nursing associates (and some returning registrants) seeking UK registration, after they have passed the Part 1 CBT.

5. Why is the exam described as both 'objective' and 'structured'?

   Objective: performance is marked against fixed, standardized criteria. Structured: every candidate completes the same set of stations under the same conditions, reducing examiner bias and variation.

6. Where is the OSCE allowed to be delivered?

   Only at NMC-approved test centres run by approved education providers (universities), located in the UK and at some approved overseas sites.

7. Name UK universities approved to deliver the OSCE.

   University of Northampton, Oxford Brookes University, and Ulster University (Northern Ireland).

8. Can a candidate sit the OSCE at any venue of their choosing?

   No. It must be booked at an NMC-approved test centre; the exam format is standardized so it is identical across all approved centres.

9. Why must OSCE providers be 'approved' by the NMC?

   The NMC quality-assures centres to ensure consistent delivery, equipment, simulation environments and trained examiners, so that results are comparable wherever the test is taken.

10. How many stations make up the current OSCE?

    $10$ stations.

11. What are the four linked 'APIE' stations of the OSCE?

    Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation of nursing care — all based on one shared patient scenario.

12. Besides the four APIE stations, what other stations make up the ten?

    Two evidence-based practice / professional values stations and four clinical (practical) skills stations, giving $4 + 2 + 4 = 10$.

13. How are the four practical skills stations selected?

    Four skills are drawn from a published list (for example medicines administration and in-hospital resuscitation/BLS) and are each tested as standalone stations.

14. Comparison: which OSCE stations are 'linked' and which are 'standalone'?

    The $4$ APIE stations are linked by one shared patient scenario; the $2$ evidence-based stations and $4$ skills stations are standalone and independent of each other.

15. What must a candidate bring and present on the OSCE day?

    Valid photographic ID matching their booking. They must arrive on time and meet the dress/uniform and infection-prevention requirements.

16. Do examiners give feedback or hints during the OSCE?

    No. Examiners observe and mark silently against the criteria and give no indication of how a candidate is performing during the stations.

17. How does a candidate progress through the OSCE on the day?

    They rotate through each station in sequence within timed slots, completing the instructed tasks at each station before moving on.

18. What conduct is expected toward the simulated patient or manikin?

    Professional, respectful care as if treating a real patient — maintaining dignity, gaining consent, communicating clearly, and ensuring safety throughout.

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