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The River Thames winding through London in daylight, with Tower Bridge in the foreground
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United Kingdom

Your journey, step by step

Confidence: high, checked on official pages

Your route to United Kingdom

Your route to United Kingdom

Regulator: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Last checked 29 Oct 2026Confidence: high, checked on official pages

Language test · Minimum scores

IELTS Academic

listening
7
reading
7
writing
6.5
speaking
7

Only IELTS Academic and OET are accepted. Two sittings of the same test within 12 months may be combined if each meets the floor; scores valid 2 years at assessment.

SourceChecked 29 Oct 2026

OET (Nursing)

listening
B (350)
reading
B (350)
writing
C+ (300)
speaking
B (350)

Same combination and 2-year validity rules as IELTS; IELTS and OET cannot be mixed.

SourceChecked 29 Oct 2026

Licensing exam

Test of Competence part 1: CBT (numeracy + clinical)

  • NMC test provider (Pearson VUE centres)
  • Computer-based test in two parts, numeracy and nursing theory; taken from home country before travel
  • Attempts: Partial resits allowed (numeracy only or clinical only)
SourceChecked 29 Oct 2026

Test of Competence part 2: OSCE

  • NMC-approved UK test centres
  • Objective structured clinical examination in the UK, usually after arrival with an employer
  • Attempts: Partial resit if up to seven stations failed; full resit if eight or more failed
SourceChecked 29 Oct 2026

Your steps

  1. Score IELTS Academic (L/R/S 7, W 6.5) or OET (B, writing C+)
  2. Open NMC Online, submit eligibility and qualification application, pay GBP 167
  3. Pass the CBT (numeracy + clinical) at a test centre in your country
  4. Get a UK job offer and Health and Care Worker visa
  5. Pass the OSCE at a UK test centre
  6. Face-to-face ID check, pay GBP 182 registration fee, receive your PIN

Practise now

Try 5 free questions for United KingdomNo sign-up needed.
IELTS Academic readingOET readingClinical nursing knowledgeDrug dosage calculationsDestination rules and safety

Official fees

Fees as listed by the regulator on the date shown. Visa, travel and test fees are not included.

  • Qualification evaluation fee: GBP 167 · Checked 29 October 2026 · Source
  • CBT first sitting: GBP 83 (Resits: full 83, clinical only 70, numeracy only 50) · Checked 29 October 2026 · Source
  • OSCE first sitting: GBP 794 (Resit: full 794, partial 397) · Checked 29 October 2026 · Source
  • Registration fee (on joining): GBP 182 · Checked 29 October 2026 · Source
  • Annual registration fee: GBP 143 (Was GBP 120 before 1 Oct 2026) · Checked 29 October 2026 · Source

Recent changes

  • : NMC fees increased; annual fee GBP 120 to GBP 143. Costs page now shows evaluation GBP 167 and registration GBP 182 (total about GBP 1,226 with CBT and OSCE). · Source
  • : International joiners fell 49.6% (6,321 in Apr-Sep 2025 vs 12,534 a year earlier); India 2,467, Nigeria 931, Ghana 779. · Source
  • : Current Test of Competence launched (CBT split into numeracy and clinical; new OSCE). · Source

Costs page says fees increased on 1 Oct 2026 but does not label old vs new; amounts shown are those listed on the page today. Visa fees, flights and NHS surcharge not included.

General information from official sources, not legal or immigration advice.