NMC CBT Exam 2026: Fee, Format, Pass Mark, and Booking Guide for Indian Nurses

The NMC CBT exam is the first of two tests that overseas nurses and midwives must pass to join the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register. CBT stands for Computer Based Test. It checks whether you have the clinical knowledge and numeracy skills needed to practice safely in the UK before you move on to the practical OSCE.

If you trained as a nurse or midwife in India and want to work in the UK, this exam is one of the compulsory steps in your registration, alongside an accepted English test (OET or IELTS) and the OSCE. You cannot skip it, even if you already have years of clinical experience in India. The NMC CBT exam for nurses and midwives applies equally, whether you are an adult nurse, a mental health nurse, or a midwife, though the exact module you book will differ.

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It is delivered on a computer at a Pearson VUE test centre and has two parts, each scored separately:

That means you will answer about 115 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours. You can take Part A and Part B in the same sitting, and you will receive an independent result for each. If you fail just one part, you only need to resit that part, not the whole exam.

The clinical section (Part B) tests UK-specific nursing practice: the NMC Code, consent and confidentiality, safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act, NEWS2 escalation, and UK medication administration procedures. This section is the part Indian nursing graduates often underestimate, because it leans on UK systems and legislation your Indian nursing course would not have covered in depth.

Before you can book it, you need:

• A nursing or midwifery qualification that NMC accepts as part of your initial application.
• A passing score in OET or IELTS, since NMC will not issue your Authorization to Test (ATT) until your English language requirement is cleared.
• Confirmation from NMC that your qualification has passed its initial checks.

Once NMC sends the ATT, Pearson VUE lets you create an account and book your test slot. It’s important to wait for the ATT to arrive before attempting to book, as your application needs to clear this stage first.

Counselor insight: A common mistake Indian applicants make is to assume they can rush OET and CBT preparation together in the final weeks. In practice, NMC will not release your ATT until your English test result is verified, so clearing OET or IELTS early gives you a longer, calmer runway to prepare for the CBT itself.

The NMC CBT exam fee is £83 (approximately Rs. 10,540) for booking both Part A and Part B together through Pearson VUE. This is a combined booking fee, not a per-part charge, as long as you book both parts at once.

If you need to resit only one part, the fee is lower:

• Part A only: £50 (approx. Rs. 6,350)
• Part B only: £70 (approx. Rs. 8,890)
• Both parts again: £83 (approx. Rs. 10,540)

The INR figures above use an exchange rate of £1 = Rs. 127. This rate moves daily, so check the live GBP to INR rate before you make the payment, and carry a small buffer for currency fluctuation.

This fee does not include your NMC application fee, OSCE fee (£794), or the final £153 registration fee you pay after passing both exams. Budget for the full sequence, not just the CBT, when planning your registration costs.

1. Complete your NMC application and clear your English language requirement (OET or IELTS).
2. Wait for NMC to issue your Authorization to Test (ATT) to Pearson VUE.
3. Create your Pearson VUE account once you receive the confirmation email.
4. Log in, select the exam code that matches your registration category (for example, RNA for Adult Nurse), and choose both modules for your first attempt.
5. Pay the fee and confirm your test centre and slot.

Double-check that you have selected the correct exam and module before paying. If you book the wrong category, NMC cannot accept that attempt toward your registration, and Pearson VUE will not refund the fee.

India is one of the top three countries by CBT volume worldwide, alongside Nigeria and the Philippines, according to NMC's own test-centre tender documentation. Pearson VUE runs test centres in multiple Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, and other major centres depending on current availability.

Exact centre locations change based on Pearson VUE's network at any given time, so always confirm your nearest centre in your Pearson VUE account when you book, rather than relying on a list from a blog or forum.

Part A and Part B do not share one pass mark. Part A's (Numeracy) pass mark is fixed and published at 87 percent, meaning you need 13 of 15 questions correct, which is notably higher than most candidates expect given the section's tight 30-minute limit. Part B's (Clinical) pass mark is not fixed, it is standard-set after each sitting and varies by nursing field, typically estimated in the 60 to 70 percent range.

You will know your result for each part within 48 hours, visible in your Pearson VUE account and later reflected in your NMC application status.

The exam syllabus for Part B spans four broad domains tied to the NMC Code: being an accountable professional, promoting health and preventing ill health, assessing and planning care, and leading and managing care. Part A tests nursing-relevant numeracy: drug calculations, fluid balance, and similar practical maths you would use on a ward.

To prepare:

• Study the NMC's own Test of Competence handbook and sample questions first, since third-party mock tests vary widely in accuracy.
• Focus extra time on UK-specific content your Indian training did not cover directly, such as the Mental Capacity Act and NEWS2.
• Practice numeracy questions under timed conditions, since Part A's 30-minute limit leaves little room to double-check calculations.
• Use mock tests only as a confidence check once you have covered the syllabus, not as your primary study material.

Unlike entrance exams in India that run on a fixed national calendar, it does not have set annual sittings. Searches for "NMC CBT exam dates 2026" usually come from this exact confusion: there is no single national date to look up. Once your ATT is issued, you choose a slot based on Pearson VUE's test centre availability near you, and you could, in theory, book and sit the exam within days, subject to seats being open.

If you see a blog or forum post quoting specific exam dates for a given year, treat it with caution. The only dates that matter are the ones available in your Pearson VUE booking screen.

Passing this exam is one step in a longer process. After you clear it, you move on to the OSCE (the practical exam), and once you pass both, you pay the final registration fee to receive your NMC PIN and begin practicing in the UK. You can read the full UK nursing registration process if you want to see where the CBT fits alongside the OSCE, visa, and documentation steps.

Once registered, Indian nurses typically see a meaningful jump in pay compared to roles back home. If you are weighing whether the registration process is worth it financially, it helps to look at what you can earn once registered before you commit the time and fees.

Three things to act on before you book your NMC CBT exam:

1. Clear your OET or IELTS first, since NMC will not issue your Authorization to Test until your English score is verified.
2. Budget Rs. 10,540 (£83) for the combined CBT fee, but check the live GBP to INR rate on the day you pay.
3. Don't wait for a "fixed exam date"; book your slot as soon as your ATT and Pearson VUE accounts are ready.

Not sure how NMC CBT fits into your UK nursing registration timeline? Talk to a LeapScholar counselor to map out your CBT, OSCE, and visa steps before you apply.