What happens in the Australian RN OSCE?
The RN OSCE is a practical exam of 10 stations, each lasting 10 minutes: 2 minutes of reading, then 8 minutes of doing1. You perform the skills on an actor or a manikin1, and examiners will not coach or prompt you1.
On this page
The exam at a glance
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who sits it | Internationally qualified RNs seeking registration, after passing the NCLEX-RN12 |
| Stations | 10 clinical scenarios1 |
| Time per station | 10 minutes: 2 reading, 8 performing1 |
| Where | In person in Adelaide or Melbourne only23 |
| Fee | AUD 4,000 per sitting1 |
| Results | Within 8 weeks13 |
What is a station like?
Each is set up as a real place: a hospital ward or emergency department, a GP clinic, aged care or a community setting1. Stations cover three domains: assessment and care planning, care delivery, and evaluation of care1. When time is up you move on, finished or not1.
Which skills can come up?
The handbook's list is not exhaustive, but it includes vital signs, drug calculations, injections, ANTT, resuscitation, sharps, medication administration, wound care, hand hygiene, IV therapy and patient identification1.
Communication is assessed at every station, including consent and written documentation1.
Notes on notepaper are not marked: write in the patient record1.
How is it marked?
A currently registered RN examiner marks each station against criteria written for it and mapped to the standards1. You get an overall pass or fail and a result per station, with no recheck13. A fail means paying the fee again1.
How many people pass?
Neither the handbook nor the NMBA pages we checked publish a figure, so we do not quote one. If someone gives you a number, ask for its source.
What don't I need to know?
State or territory clinical policies. You do need national standards and international infection control standards1.
Next step
Read how to prepare, then try the free check.
Sources
Each number links to the document it comes from. We keep a dated copy of every source with its SHA-256 fingerprint, so we can show what it said on the day we checked.
- Source 1: Registered Nurse OSCE Candidate Handbook, 7 July 2026 (Ahpra and the National Boards). Ahpra / NMBA, checked 27 October 2026.
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD20%2f30349%5bv12%5d&dbid=AP&chksum=krcq6pDijKrhj6TZEQUMIsw0wcbCCWMzB4vo8GYPtPc%3d - Source 2: NMBA: Information for registered nurses (internationally qualified nurses, examination). NMBA / Ahpra, checked 27 October 2026.
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Accreditation/IQNM/Examination/Registered-nurses - Source 3: NMBA: Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) page. NMBA / Ahpra, checked 27 October 2026.
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Accreditation/IQNM/Examination/Objective-structured-clinical-exam
Aptia Skills is an independent private provider. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by any exam body, regulator or government, and it does not guarantee a pass.
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