Find your NMC OSCE gaps before exam day.
The NMC OSCE is the practical part of the Test of Competence: 10 stations [S1], and you must pass every station [S3]. This free check gives you one original scenario for each kind of station, on its real timing, a checklist that explains every point, and a report of your gaps.
- Free, no account
- Answers stay on your device
- A reason for every point
- Every exam fact sourced
Scenario 1 of 620 min station
A hot, breathless man with a red leg
Mr Peter Hall, 71, was admitted this morning with cellulitis of his left lower leg. He has type 2 diabetes. No known allergies.
At 08:00 his NEWS2 was 1. At 14:00 he says he feels shivery and short of breath.
Your observations now: respiration rate 23, SpO2 94% on air, blood pressure 98/60, pulse 118, alert, temperature 38.9 °C. The redness on his leg has spread above the pen line drawn this morning.
Your task. Part A: total his NEWS2. Part B: describe your assessment, in order, and what you do next.
Then you tick what your answer included:
- Ticked: Works through A to E in order: airway, breathing (rate, effort, SpO2, chest), circulation (pulse, blood pressure, capillary refill, urine output), disability (alertness, new confusion, blood glucose), exposure (temperature, the leg, skin).
- Ticked: Safety-criticalRecognises suspected sepsis at high risk: a known infection with a NEWS2 of 7 or more.
- Not ticked: Safety-criticalEscalates at once and stays with him: asks for an emergency medical review and tells the nurse in charge, using SBAR with the numbers.Why it matters. A NEWS2 of 7 or more needs an emergency response, not the next ward round.
The ten stations at a glance.
One patient runs through the four APIE stations; the skills come in two pairs; the last two stations are written, in silence. Each bar is drawn to its real length.
- Assessment20 min
- Planning14 minwritten
- Implementation15 min
- Evaluation8 minSBAR handover
- Two pairs of skills6 to 21 min each21 adult skills can come up
- Professional values10 minwritten
- Evidence-based practice10 minwritten
What is inside the free check.
6 scenarios, one for each kind of station, with 52 checklist points. 16 of those points are safety-critical, and every one comes with the reason it matters.
| Scenario | Station type | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1A hot, breathless man with a red legAssessment · 20 min | Assessment, 20 min | 10 3 safety-critical |
| 2A care plan after a fall at homePlanning · 14 min | Planning, 14 min | 8 2 safety-critical |
| 3The 08:00 medicines, and one to queryImplementation · 15 min | Implementation, 15 min | 9 3 safety-critical |
| 4Handing over to the night nurseEvaluation · 8 min | Evaluation, 8 min | 8 2 safety-critical |
| 5A wound dressing with ANTTSkills · 21 min | Skills, 21 min | 9 3 safety-critical |
| 6A patient tells you a colleague was rough with herValues · 10 min | Values, 10 min | 8 3 safety-critical |
- Two calculations checked for you, with the working shown: a NEWS2 total and a medicine dose.
- An optional station timer on the real length of each kind of station, with the prompt where the NMC puts it.
- Time: about 45 minutes without the timer (our estimate), or the full station times with it.
- Your report: gaps by station type, missed safety points first, a practice plan, and a copy you can save as a PDF.
How the check works.
Read the scenario
Switch on the timer for the real length of that kind of station.
Answer your way
Type it, or say it out loud as you would in the station. Nothing you type leaves your device.
Tick the checklist
See every point a safe answer covers and why it matters. Safety-critical points are flagged.
Get your report
Your gaps by station type, missed safety points first, and a plan for what to practise next.
The NMC OSCE, from the official sources.
The Test of Competence is set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the OSCE is run at test centres the NMC has approved. Every line below comes from an NMC page or document, with its source. Last checked . If an official page changes, trust it over this one.
What is the NMC OSCE?
- The OSCE is part two of the NMC Test of Competence: a practical exam of your clinical and communication skills. [S1]
- The Test of Competence has two parts, a multiple-choice computer-based test (the CBT) and the OSCE, and you can sit them in either order. [S2]
- You must pass the CBT and the OSCE within two years of each other. [S2]
- Once you have passed both the CBT and the OSCE, your Test of Competence stays valid for five years. [S2]
- There are three NMC competence test centres: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Ulster University and the University of Northampton. [S3]
- The OSCE is set at the level expected of a newly registered nurse, at the point of registration. [S3]
What are the ten stations?
- The OSCE has 10 stations: four linked around one scenario (assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation, the APIE), four testing skills in two pairs, and two on values and behaviours and on evidence-based practice. [S1]
- The total testing time is about 3 hours. [S3]
- In adult nursing the APIE stations last 20 minutes (assessment), 14 minutes (planning), 15 minutes (implementation) and 8 minutes (evaluation). [S6] [S4]
- Each pair of linked skills stations lasts up to 21 minutes in total, with 4 minutes between the pairings. [S3]
- The two written (silent) stations, professional values and evidence-based practice, are 10 minutes each. [S5]
- One station assesses professional accountability and the related communication skills, and one assesses critical appraisal of research and evidence. Both are written stations. [S3]
- You get a prompt 5 minutes before the end of an APIE station and 3 minutes before the end of a skills station. [S5]
- Adult nursing skills stations and their timings: administration of inhaled medication 12 minutes, administration of suppository 10, anti-embolism stockings 10, blood glucose monitoring 8, bowel assessment 8, catheter specimen of urine 8, fine-bore NG tube 12, fluid balance 14, intramuscular injection 12, IV flush and VIP score 12, MSU and urinalysis 12, nutritional assessment 8, oral care plan 8, oxygen therapy 10, pain assessment 6, peak expiratory flow rate 8, pre-operative check 12, pressure area assessment 8, removal of urinary catheter 8, subcutaneous injection 12, wound assessment and ANTT 21. [S4]
How is it marked?
- Each station has its own criterion-based assessment sheet, mapped to the NMC standards for pre-registration nursing programmes and to the Code. [S3]
- To pass the OSCE you must pass every station. Pass scores are set station by station. [S3]
- Each station is marked against up to 20 statements, and its pre-set pass mark is generally between 60% and 90%, depending on the station. [S6]
- Unsafe practice raises a red flag, and an agreed red flag always means the station is failed. [S3]
- Communication is assessed throughout. With a manikin, say your actions and the reasons for them out loud, as you would with a real patient. [S3]
- The booklet expects you to show the 6 Cs throughout the OSCE: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. [S3]
What can you prepare with?
- The NMC publishes the charts and forms that may be used in the OSCE, including the NEWS2 chart, a hospital medication prescription and administration record, MUST, the Braden risk assessment chart, a phlebitis score, the Bristol stool chart, a fluid balance chart and a pre-operative checklist. [S8]
- The NMC's adult mock OSCE sets out the expected standard of performance and the criteria for its sample stations. [S7]
What does it cost, and what if you fail a station?
- The OSCE fee is £794. A resit of 7 or fewer stations costs £397; failing 8 or more stations means a resit at the full £794. [S1] [S3]
- You can take the OSCE at most three times, at least 10 days apart, and every resit is at the centre of your first attempt. You resit only the stations you did not pass. [S1]
- If you do not pass on your third attempt, your application closes, and you must wait at least six months before sitting all 10 stations again. [S1]
- Test centres email your results within 5 working days, with feedback on the stations and elements you did not pass. [S1]
What do the official rules say about courses like this?
Which skills can come up, and for how long.
Two pairs of skills come up in each OSCE, chosen from this adult nursing list. Practise all of them: you will not know which until the day.
| Skill | Minutes | Our station |
|---|---|---|
| Administration of inhaled medication | 12 | Station 9 |
| Administration of suppository | 10 | Station 10 |
| Anti-embolism stockings | 10 | Station 11 |
| Blood glucose monitoring | 8 | Station 12 |
| Bowel assessment | 8 | Station 13 |
| Catheter specimen of urine | 8 | Station 14 |
| Fine-bore NG tube | 12 | Station 15 |
| Fluid balance | 14 | Station 16, free |
| Intramuscular injection | 12 | Station 17 |
| IV flush and VIP score | 12 | Station 18 |
| MSU and urinalysis | 12 | Station 19 |
| Nutritional assessment | 8 | Station 20 |
| Oral care plan | 8 | Station 21 |
| Oxygen therapy | 10 | Station 22 |
| Pain assessment | 6 | Station 23 |
| Peak expiratory flow rate | 8 | Station 24 |
| Pre-operative check | 12 | Station 25 |
| Pressure area assessment | 8 | Station 26 |
| Removal of urinary catheter | 8 | Station 27 |
| Subcutaneous injection | 12 | Station 28 |
| Wound assessment and ANTT | 21 | Station 29 |
Timings from the NMC's nursing station timings, updated September 2026 [S4].
What this is, and what it is not.
| This is | This is not |
|---|---|
| Original practice scenarios we wrote | Real, recalled or shared exam content. Candidates must not disclose OSCE content [S3] |
| Our own practice checklist, with a reason for every point | The NMC marking criteria. The NMC's mock OSCE shows its own criteria [S7]: read it too |
| A self-check: you tick what your answer covered | An assessor, or an AI, marking you |
| Practice that builds skills and habits | A guarantee of a pass. We do not publish or claim any pass rate |
| Independent | Affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the NMC, the test centres or any exam body. The NMC says third-party preparation courses are not endorsed or approved [S3] |
| Practice material for the exam | Advice for caring for real patients. Follow your employer's policy and the NMC Code |
How it was written. Written with AI from the official NMC materials, and checked word for word against them.
The full course: 33 practice stations.
Two complete APIE scenarios, every adult skill on the NMC's current list and the written stations, each on its real timing, with a checklist mapped to the Code and a model walkthrough. £99, one payment.
What you get
- 8 APIE stations, 21 skills stations and 4 written stations, 373 minutes of timed practice.
- 334 checklist points, 102 safety-critical, each mapped to the standards of proficiency and the Code.
- 33 minute-by-minute walkthroughs and 150 common mistakes with fixes.
- A report by platform, Code theme and station type, and a study plan with a full mock OSCE.
How we built this check.
- Facts checked word for word. Every exam fact on this page is matched against a stored copy of the NMC page or document it came from. Last checked .
- Original scenarios. We wrote the scenarios and checklists, with AI, from the NMC's OSCE materials, the Code and the standards of proficiency. We do not copy NMC marking criteria or exam content, and please do not send us any.
- Clinical numbers with a source. NEWS2 bands come from the Royal College of Physicians chart, sepsis timings from NICE, each matched word for word.
- Our own rubric. The checklist points and their weights are ours. Real stations are marked against the NMC's own criteria and pass marks.
- Corrections welcome. If a point does not match current UK practice, write to [email protected] and we will look at it.
Sources: the NMC
- [S1] NMC: OSCE, Test of Competence for nurses and midwives (web page). Nursing and Midwifery Council. Page shows 'Last updated: 02/10/2026'. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S2] NMC: Test of Competence for all nursing fields and midwives (web page). Nursing and Midwifery Council. Page shows 'Last updated: 11/08/2026'. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S3] Test of Competence, Nursing (all fields): OSCE candidate information booklet, V2.4. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Booklet V2.4, updated October 2026. Linked from the NMC OSCE page (S1). Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S4] Nursing station timings (updated September 2026). Nursing and Midwifery Council. Five-page table of station durations for every nursing field. Linked from the NMC preparation materials page. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S5] Test of Competence 2021, Nursing: Preparing for your OSCE, V2. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Handbook V2, updated October 2023. Linked from the NMC OSCE page (S1). Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S6] Test of Competence 2021: Nursing test specification for candidates, V1.1. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Test specification V1.1, all nursing fields. Linked from the NMC preparation materials page. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S7] Adult nursing mock OSCE, ToC 2021, V1.9 (updated July 2024). Nursing and Midwifery Council. The NMC sample APIE and skills stations for adult nursing. Linked from the NMC preparation materials page. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S8] Test of Competence: OSCE supporting documents (updated June 2026). Nursing and Midwifery Council. The charts and forms that may be used in the OSCE (69 pages). Only the contents list is text; the charts are images. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S9] The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Updated 10 October 2018 (effective from 31 March 2015). Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk - [S10] Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (Future nurse). Nursing and Midwifery Council. Originally published 17 May 2018. The NMC link redirects to the 2024 file. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nmc.org.uk
Sources: clinical numbers
Every clinical number in a checklist, walkthrough or common mistake comes from the patient's own data in the scenario or from one of these, matched word for word.
- [S11] NEWS2 Chart 1: The NEWS scoring system. Royal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2, RCP 2017. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on rcp.ac.uk - [S12] NEWS2 Chart 4: Clinical response to the NEWS trigger thresholds. Royal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2, RCP 2017. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on rcp.ac.uk - [S13] NICE NG253: Suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Published 19 November 2025, last updated 23 September 2026 (full guideline PDF). Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nice.org.uk - [S14] NICE NG89: Venous thromboembolism in over 16s. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Full guideline PDF, last updated 2025. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nice.org.uk - [S15] NICE CG179: Pressure ulcers, prevention and management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Full guideline PDF. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nice.org.uk - [S16] NICE CG32: Nutrition support for adults. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Full guideline PDF. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nice.org.uk - [S17] NICE CG139: Healthcare-associated infections, prevention and control in primary and community care. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Full guideline PDF. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nice.org.uk - [S18] NICE NG17: Type 1 diabetes in adults. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Full guideline PDF. Checked 2026-10-31.
Open it on nice.org.uk
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- The waitlist: we collect your email, and if you choose, the stage you are at and your area scores (never your written answers). If you arrived from an ad, we also note the campaign name in the link. Opus Vault keeps the list in its own database at Cloudflare, the company that hosts this site; Cloudflare may store it outside the UK. The list does not record your IP address, and we do not sell or share it. We use it only to email you about the launch, and we delete it one year after you join if the full course has not opened. To be removed, write to [email protected].
- The practice stations: your ticks and results are saved in this browser, on this device only, like the free check. They feed your report and study plan and are never sent to us.
- Buying the course (once it opens): Stripe, the payment company, takes your card details and email address; we never see your card. We keep an order number, the date, the amount and a scrambled copy of your private course link, so the link can be checked and switched off after a refund.
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