NMC Registration for Internationally Trained Nurses: Test of Competence (CBT + OSCE)

Registering to nurse in the UK is not the same as studying nursing

This guide is for nurses who already qualified outside the UK and want a licence to practise in the UK. That is a registration process run by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) — it is different from doing a UK nursing degree.

To work as a nurse in the UK you must be on the NMC register. For internationally trained nurses, the NMC checks your qualification and identity, your English, and your competence through its Test of Competence, alongside good-health and good-character requirements.

This is general information, not registration advice — confirm every requirement on the NMC's own site before you act.

• Regulator: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) — nmc.org.uk
• Goal: join the NMC register to practise in the UK
• Different from: studying a nursing degree at a UK university

The Test of Competence — Part 1: the computer-based test (CBT)

The NMC assesses overseas-trained applicants through a two-part Test of Competence that is specific to your field of practice. Part 1 is a computer-based test (CBT) that you can sit in many countries, so it is usually the first step you complete before travelling to the UK.

The CBT covers professional nursing knowledge and includes a numeracy element and a clinical element aligned to UK standards. Because the number of questions, timing, the pass approach and how long a CBT pass stays valid can be updated, treat those as details to confirm on the NMC site rather than fixed figures.

Passing the CBT does not by itself register you — it is one component that must be combined with the OSCE, English evidence and the rest of the application.

• CBT can be sat globally — often the first step
• Covers professional knowledge, numeracy and clinical elements aligned to UK standards
• Specific to your field of nursing/midwifery practice

The Test of Competence — Part 2: the OSCE (in the UK)

Part 2 is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) — a practical, station-based test that must be taken at an NMC-approved test centre in the UK. It assesses whether you can apply your knowledge and skills safely in realistic clinical scenarios.

The OSCE is usually taken after you arrive in the UK, often once you have a job offer and a sponsoring employer, because it must be sat in person. Station numbers, timing, resit rules and the window within which you must pass both parts can change, so verify the current OSCE format and rules on nmc.org.uk.

Once you pass both the CBT and the OSCE and meet the other requirements, you can complete your NMC registration.

• OSCE = practical station-based exam, sat in person in the UK
• Usually taken after arrival, often with a sponsoring employer
• Verify station count, timing, resit and validity rules on nmc.org.uk

English language evidence

You must satisfy the NMC's English language requirement. The standard tests are IELTS (Academic) and the OET, each to the level the NMC sets and within an accepted validity window; the NMC also accepts certain other forms of evidence under its rules (for example a qualification taught and examined in English, or recent practice in an English-speaking country).

Exact required scores, accepted combinations and validity periods are updated periodically, so check the NMC's current English language requirements page rather than relying on a figure from elsewhere.

• IELTS Academic or OET to the NMC-required level
• Some qualification/practice-based evidence may be accepted
• Confirm current scores and validity on nmc.org.uk

Working in the UK after registration — the visa is separate

NMC registration lets you practise; it does not give you the right to live and work in the UK. If you are not a UK/Irish citizen you will generally also need an immigration route — commonly employer sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route for a nursing post — which is a separate application to UK immigration and is usually tied to a specific employer.

Many internationally educated nurses complete the CBT overseas, secure a sponsored job, then travel to the UK to sit the OSCE and finish registration. Immigration rules, costs and thresholds change frequently and decisions rest with the authorities.

Verify the current position on the official GOV.UK / UK immigration source before relying on it. This is general information, not immigration advice.

• NMC registration ≠ a visa — you generally also need an immigration route
• Nursing posts are commonly sponsored under the Skilled Worker route (verify on GOV.UK)
• Rules change frequently — verify on GOV.UK; this is not immigration advice

Ireland is a separate regulator with a different process

The NMC covers the UK. To nurse in the Republic of Ireland you register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). NMBI's route for overseas-trained nurses is different: it involves recognition of your qualification, after which many applicants must complete a 'compensation measure' — either a period of supervised adaptation or an aptitude test — rather than a CBT-plus-OSCE model.

So the UK and Ireland are two distinct pathways with different regulators, assessments, fees and timelines. Pick your target country first, then follow that regulator's official guidance.

Confirm Irish requirements on nmbi.ie and UK requirements on nmc.org.uk.

• UK: Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk) — CBT + OSCE
• Ireland: NMBI (nmbi.ie) — recognition plus a compensation measure (adaptation or aptitude test)
• Two separate systems — choose your destination first