NMC CBT practice questions, every answer explained.
Practise for Part 1 of the NMC Test of Competence: 15 numeracy questions in 30 minutes, then 100 clinical questions in 2 hours 30 minutes. Start with a free 15-question mini mock and see your result by area. Then the full bank: 326 original questions, every option explained, for £29.
- 15 questions free, no account
- Every option explained
- Checked word for word against UK sources
Try one. Then see why each option wins or loses.
Platform 4 · Providing and evaluating care
Mr Chen, 58, is on a surgical ward. His early warning score is 2, but he looks grey and says he feels that something is wrong. The nurse is worried. What should the nurse do?
Show the answer and why
- AThe low score does not cancel the nurse's concern. Waiting 4 to 6 hours could delay treatment of a patient who is deteriorating.
- BWaiting for a score of 5 builds in a delay. The 5 threshold is not a requirement before help may be called.
- CBest answer. A score is a guide, not a limit. When the nurse is concerned about a patient's condition, that concern should override the NEWS, and a timely referral to another practitioner is part of the Code.
- DHanding the observations to a colleague and waiting for the score to rise delays escalation, and the registered nurse remains accountable for acting on a concern.
Checked against: Concern about a patient's clinical condition should always override the NEWS if the attending healthcare professional thinks it necessary to escalate care. [S54] The Code says to accurately identify, observe and assess signs of normal or worsening physical and mental health, and to make a timely referral to another practitioner when action, care or treatment is required. [S7] Stored 2026-10-31.
The CBT in one table.
Two parts in one sitting, 3 hours in all. Each part is passed or failed on its own, and you resit only the part you fail. [S2]
| What | Part A: numeracy | Part B: clinical |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 15 | 100 [S2] |
| Time | 30 minutes | 2 hours 30 minutes [S2] |
| How you answer | Type a number, sometimes with its unit. On-screen calculator. [S5] [S4] | Pick the one best answer of 4 [S5] |
| Pass mark | 13 of 15 (87%) | Varies by field, generally 60% to 70% [S5] |
| Resit fee | £50 | £70 (both parts £83) [S2] |
Pass marks are the ones in the NMC's 2021 test specification. The full test costs £83. You get three attempts in one application, at least 10 days apart and within one year, and the result is a pass or fail per part with no further feedback. [S2] [S2] [S2] Everything about the format
What is inside the bank, counted.
Part B questions follow the NMC blueprint: the same 9 areas, in about the same proportions as a real test. Part A follows its 6 calculation topics. [S5] [S5]
- Being an accountable professional1742
- Promoting health and preventing ill health1025
- Assessing needs and planning care1435
- Providing and evaluating care1538
- Leading and managing nursing care and working in teams1025
- Improving safety and quality of care1025
- Coordinating care1025
- Annexe A: communication and relationship management skills718
- Annexe B: nursing procedures718
- Measuring the correct dose210
- Metric units210
- Oral medications420
- Injections315
- Intravenous infusions315
- Fluid balance15
251 clinical and 75 numeracy questions: 326 in all, every one written for this course. Clinical levels: 96 remember and understand, 80 apply and analyse, 75 evaluate (best or first action). 28 are specific to adult nursing, the rest fit any field, as in the real test. [S5]
How each question is made.
The real test tells you pass or fail and nothing more. [S2] Practice here tells you why.
- Start from the blueprint. Each question tests a statement in the NMC's Future nurse standards, the statements the CBT is built on. [S4] [S6]
- Write an original UK scenario. Ward, GP surgery, care home or community, with UK practice and UK medicine names. Never a real or remembered CBT question: sharing those breaks the test rules. [S4]
- Explain every option. Why the best answer wins and why each of the other three loses in this scenario. Numeracy comes with worked steps and the usual slip.
- Check the deciding fact word for word. Each right answer cites a fact matched word for word against a stored copy of its source, with a SHA-256 fingerprint. A clinical number that is not in its source stops the build.
Written with AI from the official NMC materials, and checked word for word against them. Clinical facts are checked the same way against NICE, the Resuscitation Council UK, the Royal College of Physicians (NEWS2) and NHS medicines information. 59 sources, 362 facts, each listed with the date it was stored.
Free now, and the full bank.
Free now, no account
- A 15-question mini mock: 5 numeracy, then 10 clinical, timed at the real pace
- Your result by area, with every question explained
- Plain guides to the CBT format and the numeracy part
- A 4-week study plan built on the blueprint
The full bank
- 326 original questions across all 9 blueprint areas and all 6 numeracy topics
- 2 full timed mocks: 15 numeracy in 30 minutes, then 100 clinical in 2 hours 30 minutes
- Practice by area, with "only my mistakes", and progress saved on your device
- An on-screen calculator in numeracy, as in the real test
- 12 months' access, one payment, no subscription
What this is not
- Not the NMC or the test provider. The NMC endorses no preparation course or provider. [S4]
- Not real or remembered exam questions.
- Not a promise of a pass. Your score here is practice.
Get the full bank.
One payment of £29, VAT included. 326 questions and 2 full mocks, open for 12 months.
Quick answers about the CBT.
Each answer links to the stored source it comes from.
How many questions are in the NMC CBT?
115: 15 numeracy questions in Part A and 100 clinical questions in Part B, in 3 hours. [S4] [S2]
Is there a calculator in the CBT?
Yes, in the numeracy part: an on-screen calculator and an erasable note board. [S4]
- In the numeracy part you work on an erasable note board and an on-screen calculator is available. [S4]
What is the CBT pass mark?
The 2021 test specification gives 13 out of 15 for numeracy. Clinical pass marks vary by field, generally 60% to 70%. [S5]
- The test specification gives the pass mark for Part A as 87%, which is 13 out of 15. Part B pass marks vary by nursing field and are generally set between 60% and 70%. [S5]
How many times can I sit the CBT?
Three attempts in one application, at least 10 days apart and within one year. After three fails, you wait six months. [S2]