NMC Test of Competence for Nurses CBT

Since October 2014, nurses and midwives trained outside the European Economic Area who are seeking UK registration must pass the NMC test of competence. This test consists of two parts and measures applicants against current pre-registration education standards. It assesses the essential professional knowledge, skills and attitudes required for safe and effective nursing or midwifery practice in the UK.

Nursing in the UK is made up of separate and distinct fields of practice, each requiring three years of pre-registration undergraduate education.

The distinct nursing fields of practice are:

• Adult nursing
• Children’s nursing
• Learning disabilities nursing
• Mental health nursing

In the UK, midwifery is a separate and distinct profession, requiring three years of pre-registration undergraduate education.

Overview of the test of competence

The test of competence is specific to the appropriate nursing field or midwifery and always consists of two parts.

Part 1 is a computer based test (CBT). The CBT is multiple choice and can be taken at a Pearson VUE test centre available in most countries around the world.

The NMC set standards for competence for nurses to remain on the register and they can be found in four domains:

• professional values (PV);
• communication and interpersonal skills (CIS);
• nursing practice and decision making (NPD); and
• leadership, management and team working (LMT).

Nurses must also practise in line with the most recent version of The Code:Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2015)

Editor: Dr Ruth Davis BN, RGN, Mphil, PGCE, PhD

The questions have been written specifically to prepare you for this exam by UK nurses, midwives and nurse educators with experience of working with overseas nurses. They are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and fields of practice. Our author group include lecturers responsible for undergraduate pre-registration nursing programmes and also authors of books on nursing practice in the UK, membership include:

• Ms Deborah Botting MSc, MN, BSc, RGN, PGCE(FE), RNT, SFHEA
• Dr Ruth Davis PhD, MPhil, BN, RGN, PGCE
• Mrs Margaret E. Moss MSc, RN, RM, DipN (Lond)
• Dr Robert Jenkins PhD, RN(learning disability) RNT
• Dr Sandy Kirkman PhD (Wales), M.Theol. (Wales) RN, RM