A complete guide to the NMC CBT

The process of getting a UK nursing license has to begin somewhere and the CBT will be one of the first steps. If you’re looking for all the essential info about the CBT then you’ll find it here.

There are 2 tests which all American nurses (and most internationally educated nurses) will have to take in order to receive their UK nursing license. They are called the Tests of Competence and they are separated into Part 1 and Part 2.

Test of Competence Part 1 is the CBT (computer-based test). You will be sent an email invite to take the CBT after your Eligibility and Qualification Application is submitted. The Test of Competence Part 2 is the OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) and will be covered in a separate post.

If you would like a bigger overview of the process, start by reading THE SIX STEPS YOU MUST TAKE TO GET YOUR UK NURSING LICENSE.

The Particulars

Find out the most up to date info on the NMC website.

The CBT itself is further separated into 2 parts: Part A and Part B. If it is your first attempt, you should select both parts.

The fee for taking the test (both parts) is £83. If you fail one part, you will only have to resit that part. Resitting Part A costs £50. Resitting Part B costs £70. If you need to resit both parts then it is still £83.

You will be able to take your CBT at a Pearson VUE testing center in your local area – I took mine at an Ivy Tech.

Part	Time	# of questions
A Numeracy	30 minutes	15
B Theory (sometimes called clinical)	2hrs 30 mins	100

Part A – Numeracy

The numeracy section contains 15 questions. As American trained nurses, I feel we get a pretty good education with medication calculations. Just be sure to go over your conversions, your drip rates (it’s not unusual here to see IV meds infusing by gravity), don’t forget to fill in the units box and write mL for milliliters, not ml or mls or mLs. More info on writing numbers and units can be found on the Pearson VUE website.

Part B – Theory

The theory section will test your nursing knowledge. It is 100 multiple choice questions and you will have two and a half hours to complete it. That is more than enough time, I promise. I feel like I always triple checked my tests in nursing school and I took, at most, an hour. Others I’ve spoken to have finished the test within 30 minutes.

You’ll be relieved to know that the test makers decided that creating a test with 3 incorrect answers and 1 correct answer was much easier than the kind we would be used to in the US which gives you 4 reasonable answers out of which you must choose the “most correct”. This means process of elimination is your friend (and the test is much easier than any that you had in school).

How difficult is the NMC CBT?

Any test can be a daunting experience, and when it is the start of a huge transition like moving across the Atlantic, nerves can run high. Perhaps you’re even having flashbacks to the dreaded NCLEX! But fear not! The CBT is not even in the same league as the NCLEX. There is foundational nursing clinical theory, yes, but it isn’t specialist information. We’re all approaching it from different experience levels and length of time out of school, so I would advise you to brush up on general nursing, have a read through the resources listed below, take the practice exams and go ahead and schedule the CBT.

I studied for 2 days before my exam and took it 1 week after an ACL surgery and I passed easily. I can’t think of one American nurse who has told me that they found it to be difficult. While I know I can’t take away your worry, rest assured that most of us found it to be a piece of cake.

Resources

CBT Handbook

NMC webpage about the CBT

Pearson VUE info and Practice Tests

You may also be interested in: A guide to understanding the OSCE

More Questions?

Have more questions about the Tests of Competence? Book a FREE 30 minute chat with me through Calendly. I’d love to meet you and be a sounding board as you work through your plans.