NMC Registration Process and Requirements to the UK From Kerala and Abroad 2024
No matter where nurses study nursing in the world, Nurses can work as nurses in the UK. In general, 130 countries with Nursing councils affiliated with the International Council of Nurses are eligible to work as a Nurse in the UK, including the major country’s nursing workforce willing to work overseas, like Kerala, India, Philippines, and Africa.
Let’s check the criteria for overseas Nurses who studied outside the UK to get an NMC PIN. You may know most of the registration process to the UK to work as a nurse. However, I presume you are looking for a deep understanding of one of the NMC requirements in this detailed blog. I have mentioned each process in the table of contents below. So, you can skip over and read through your relevant process.
First Stage of the NMC Registration Process
Prepare your documentation to complete the NMC registration process in a short period
We consider passing IELTS or OET the most important part of the NMC registration process. However, each step is as crucial as an IELTS or OET score. This includes Proof of identity and its expiry date (Passport), English language competency and its expiry date (IELTS or OET), Professional Educational qualification and its expiry date (Nursing certificate and council’s foreign verification), Post qualification registration (Good standing certificate), Employer reference, Good Character from a colleague, Police clearance certificate (PCC) and Good health certificate from your Doctor, Test of competencies (ToC) like The Computer Based Test (NMC CBT) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The Test of competency result is not a requirement for creating an account with NMC.
So, during IELTS or OET Training, you should ensure that all your documents are intact and have enough validity. This will help you to complete the initial NMC registration quickly and to book an NMC CBT date.
Create an Account Online
The first stage of the UK NMC registration process is creating and verifying an NMC account online. It is as simple as creating an account to buy anything online. You can track your NMC application process and the stages of becoming a fully registered nurse in the UK. Check the NMC requirement, Any updates from NMC, and Correspondence to the NMC request and requirements. Besides, for the second stage of the UK NMC registration process, you will get an account invitation to book your test of competency (ToC), NMC CBT and OSCE. In the third and final stage of the NMC application process, you will receive an NMC PIN to work as a Registered Nurse in the UK. Besides, you can renew the NMC PIN for this account.
NMC Online Registration Fee for Overseas Nurses
When you’re ready to submit your eligibility and qualification application, you’ll need to pay the £140 qualification evaluation fee. By paying this fee, you can submit your application online. This fee is non-refundable, even if the UK NMC determines that you are not eligible to apply or do not gain registration. You must review all the details of your application to avoid any delays.
Third-Party Verification to the UK NMC or Nursing Council Foreign Verification
Firstly, you must confirm to the UK NMC that you are a registered Nurse or Midwife in your country. Secondly, your country’s nursing council should confirm your registration with the UK NMC. UK NMC considers this as a Third Party Verification.
You can upload a copy of your original Nursing council registration certificate and fill out college details for the first step. For the second step, you can contact your Nursing council, pay the fees, and request to confirm your registration with the UK NMC.
Once your Nursing council verify your registration to NMC, NMC accepts and confirms your Nursing education qualification by email. Besides, you will get two more emails; one is NMC Pearson VUE account details with your user ID and NMC candidate ID. The second one is the password for the same. You can book the NMC CBT through your Pearson VUE account.
For some candidates, NMC UK requests College verification too. This commonly happens when someone is trying to register for additional qualifications like post-graduation and basic Nursing registration together.
Suppose you have doubts about the verification process for the UK NMC; You can read our detailed blog about KNMC Foreign Verification, or KSNC Foreign Verification
Second Stage of the NMC Registration Process
Step by step on the second stage
During this second stage of the nmc registration process, you must provide evidence that meets other nmc registration requirements. These are Health evidence, Character evidence, Police clearance certificate (PCC), IELTS or OET result and pay registration fees.
Anyhow, CBT results are automatically handover to the NMC. Then NMC UK contacts your nominated referees to verify your information. After receiving all the supporting documents and information, NMC UK will evaluate your application.
If you or your referee(s) provide incomplete or conflicting information, NMC may ask for more information via email. You can give more details to nmc to reply to the email for your application.
Once UK nmc receives all the necessary information from you, NMC UK will assess your application within 30 days. NMC UK will then contact you with the decision and what to do next.
Provide Health Evidence to the UK NMC
The NMC UK must ensure that people applying to join as a registered nurses are healthy. That way, they can work safely and effectively.
Declaring a health condition or disability doesn’t automatically mean you cannot join the NMC register. The NMC UK need to be sure you have taken the necessary steps to practise safely as a Nurse so that your illness won’t affect your ability to work.
This NHS UK health and character guidance provides detailed information about how the NHS approaches your health concerns.
Provide character evidence to the NMC
Complete a self-declaration
The NMC need to secure that people who apply for registration with the Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) UK are of good enough character to practice safely and effectively. So, you should self-declare if you have received any police charges, caution, conviction or conditional discharges. And determinations made by any regulatory body in the UK (other than the NMC) or overseas.
Upload Police clearance certificates (PCC)
You’ll need to provide police clearance from each country you have lived in for a year or more, up until 10 years ago. These don’t need to be in sequence.
Character declaration to the NMC
The NMC UK ask every Nurse to provide a supporting character declaration. In India, we call it Good Standing Certificate, and you can get it from your current registered nursing council. It could be Kerala Nursing Council, Karnataka Nursing council or any other Nursing council if you are working in India. Someone who works in Dubai, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, it will be Dubai health authority (DHA), Saudi Arabia Nursing Council and Kuwait Nursing Council, respectively. The purpose of the character declaration is that you’re capable of safe and effective Nursing practice.
The UK NMC Test of Competence; NMC CBT and OSCE
The UK NMC assess the competence of each candidate through the Test of Competence (ToC) to ensure that all registered practitioners have the necessary skills and knowledge to practice safely. This applies to overseas nurses who can join the UK NMC. This Test of Competence (ToC) is divided into two, Computer Based Test (CBT) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
New NMC CBT Structure and Pass Mark
The new NMC CBT has two parts. Part A contains numeracy, and Part B has clinical questions for nurses and midwives.
Each adult nursing candidate must achieve an overall passing score of 68% to pass the new NMC CBT two-part exam. Besides, NMC CBT has patient, and public safety-focused 20 critical questions in Part B. Moreover, each candidate should score 90% in this section to pass Part B NMC CBT. That means 18 out of 20.
Part A numeracy, generally called medication calculation, has 15 questions, and each candidate should score 90%. So you need 14 correct answers out of 15 to pass Part A numeracy. In conclusion, out of 115 questions to answer, you need to score 90% from 32 (Part A 14 + Part B 18) questions and 57 out of 83 (115-32) to pass the new NMC CBT.
New NMC CBT Fees
The fee for sitting both parts of the new CBT will stay at £83. If you need to resit the new CBT, the following fees will apply. Resit Part A and Part B: £83, Resit Part A only: £50 and Resit Part B only: £70.
NMC CBT Exam Booking
Once NMC UK confirms your nursing education qualifications, NMC will create a Pearson Vue account and send a temporary password to log in. Once you have confirmed and changed the password, you can log in, book and pay for your NMC CBT exam.
After you log into your Pearson Vue account: you can click on the ‘view exams’ button to select the correct exam that matches your application type. You can see the individual prices for each module. However, it is mandatory for you to choose both modules (Part A and Part B) for your first attempt. Besides, you will be charged a final fee of £83 at checkout when you book both modules.
Selecting the Proper NMC CBT Exam and Module
Suppose your CBT doesn’t match the type of application you’re applying for. You won’t be able to proceed with that application and will need to retake the right CBT.
The exam codes that correspond to each application type are:
- Adult nurse – RNA
- Mental health nurse – RNMH
- Learning disabilities nurse – RNLD
- Children’s nurse – RNC
- Midwife – RM
For example, if you’re applying to the adult nursing part of our register, you should select:
- Exam: RNA 2021: Adult nurse
- Module 1: RNA 2021: Adult nurse – Part A: Numeracy only
- Module 2: RNA 2021: Adult nurse – Part B: Clinical only
Appealing UK NMC Decision
Suppose UK NMC refuse your application for entry, renewal or readmission to the register due to your good health or character or a requirement to write an English language test. In that case, you can be able to appeal.
All appeals need to be lodged within 28 days of the decision of the UK NMC. They must include all the reasons for judgment and any necessary evidence to back up your grounds for appeal.
However, there are no appeal rights if you fail to pay the application fee or submit an incomplete application.
Single & Combined IELTS & OET Test Scores for Nurses NMC Registration Requirements in 2024
NMC accept two English language tests as evidence of your ability to communicate in English, the IELTS Academic and the Occupational English Test (OET). Besides, NMC is accepting combined IELTS and OET scores for the same.
IELTS Score for UK NMC Registration
The NMC will accept an IELTS Academic certificate that confirms your score of at least 7 in the writing section and at least 7 in the listening, reading and speaking sections.
Combined IELTS Score for UK NMC Registration
If you have not obtained the required standard in IELTS, don’t worry! It’s possible to achieve this across two test sessions as long as:
- You have done the tests within six months of each other.
- You take the test in all four sections at the same time.
- You have achieved at least 6.5 in writing and 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections in either test sittings.
OET Score for UK NMC Registration
The NMC requires that you get an OET grade of C+ in the writing section and at least a B in the reading, listening and speaking sections.
Combined OET Scor for UK NMC Registration
There is still hope if you have not obtained the minimum scores in the OET! If you achieve the below conditions, you can pass the required mark across two test sittings.
- You have done the tests within six months of each other.
- You take the test in all four sections at the same time.
- You have achieved at least a C+ in the writing section and a B in the reading, listening and speaking sections in either test sittings.
Nurses Job Vacancies in the UK
Nurses Recruitment to the Private Hospitals & Nursing Homes UK by Nursing Recruitment Agency
Senior Care Visa to the UK by Nursing Recruitment Agency HRstride.COM
UK NHS Trust Nurses Recruitment Agency Conducting Free Nurses Recruitment in Kerala
