NMC Test of Competency - Part 1 "The CBT Exam"

Okay so in my last post, I talked about the steps you must follow for the UK Nursing registration. In this one, I'm going to share some in-depth details about the First NMC exam that you need to clear in this process: The CBT Exam. I will be discussing this topic under the following subtopics.

1. what is the CBT Exam and its structure.

2. How to book the exam.

3. How to study and what are the suitable materials.

4. Some tips, tricks, and some common mistakes.

Hope this will help you in your journey, make sure to read till the end I will be attaching some useful links for you to go and check out. 

1. The CBT exam.

The CBT exam is part one of the test of competence of NMC registration. You will have to complete this test to continue your registration. It assesses the essential professional knowledge, Skills, and attitudes required for safe and effective Nursing or Midwifery practice in the UK. This exam is a computer-based test where you have to go to the test center and complete the whole exam through a computer. There are two parts to this exam. Part one is called the numeracy part and part two is called the clinical part. You will have 180 minutes to complete the whole Exam which is plenty. 

For the Numeracy part, you will get 15 questions which you have to complete in 30 minutes. In this section there are the following question types:

1. Calculating the volume of a drug that has drowned in a syringe or in a measuring cup.

2. Calculate the amount of tablets according to the dosage prescribed.

3. Calculating the dosage that is needed for the patient either volume of the drug or weight.

4. In put Out put charts.

5. Calculating IV fluid rate and volume.

There are sample tests in person vue site for the numeracy test which you can practice and get an understanding of the exam.

In the Clinical Part, you will get 100 Multiple choice questions which you have to answer in 150 minutes. These questions will test your knowledge of professional skills and attitude toward patient safety and care. There are many question types in this part so you will have to study to find out what are they.

To pass this exam you must get 68% correct answers from all 115 questions( This can be changed). To pass the exam you should meet the following criteria as well.

1. You need to get 14/15 correct in the Numeracy part.

2. There are 20 Critical Questions scattered in the clinical part which you have to get 15/20 correct To pass the exam.

If you do not meet any above-mentioned criteria you will fail the exam. The exam is held by the person VUE exam centers only. You will only need your passport only for the exam entrance.

2. How to book the CBT exam.

Once you open an NMC online account they will send an Email to your Nursing council. As I explained in the previous post you will have to send an email to the nursing council attached with the CNO recommendation letter, Police clearance certificate, and Medical officer fit to work letter. Then nursing council will reply to that email which is sent by the NMC. Then you will receive three emails, one from the NMC and the other two from the Pearson VUE. The Email from the NMC will say that your details were confirmed and you can book the CBT exam.

Email from the NMC

The emails from Pearson Vue will contain the link for you to go to your CBT account on their site. The account will already be created by the person VUE and the account name and password will be contained within the email itself. You can change the account name and password after you log in to your account.

Email from the Pearson VUE

Email from the Pearson VUE

After you create your account you can book a date for the CBT exam and choose an exam center. I will attach a YouTube video so you can go there and watch it to know exactly how to book the exam.

3. How to Study and What Materials.

first of all, you should visit the NMC website and read their section regarding the Test of Competency also they have explained what to do and what sort of materials you should use to study. And they have some webinars as well you can watch them if you want to get a better understanding of the exam. Following materials is crucial for studying.

1. The NMC code.
2. Nursing Blueprints.
3. Sample MCQ with answers.
4. Pearson VUE sample tests.
5. Mobile apps.
6. The Royal Marsden Manual.
7. Ms. Karen Faye's The Note Book.
8. The NMC CBT Reviewer New edition.

The code can be downloaded through the NMC website. You don't need to memorize it all but you have to read it and understand the ideas of it very well. The best option for you to is just practice as much as MCQs you can again and again. Some of these sample mqc answers might be wrong but if you have the CBT reviewer you can find out the proper answer through there. Studying the Royal Marsden is not practical if you don't have the time because it is a big book but if you can find a PDF you can clarify information only when you need to. There are tons of apps in mobile app stores for CBT exams you can practice through them as well. I will attach some links for google forms with some questions you can practice make sure to check them out I think they will help you greatly in your exam.

Jay Sir's Google Docs Sample Questions Part 1  

Jay Sir's Google Docs Sample Questions Part 2 

Jay Sir's Google Docs Sample Questions Part 3

Jay Sir's Google Docs Sample Questions Part 4

PearsonVUE Sample Tests

NMC recommended materials

Click here to download THE CODE

4. Some Tips & Tricks.

• Read the questions carefully.
• In numeracy tests make sure to put the correct unit. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make and a cause of exam failure.
• When you give the answer in the numeracy test make sure to give it with the proper decimal points.
• When you type the unit type is as it is in the questions. ( for example, if the question says "mL" when you type the answer type it as "mL" )
• Double-check the answers. use the flagging methods to mark difficult questions and come back to those questions at the end and check them again.
• Use the given calculator no matter how simple the calculation may seem.
• Make sure to practice those sample tests in Pearson VUE and the link I gave. Practice them well again and again.
• Keep updated materials all the time because questions can be changed yearly so keep an eye on that too.   

So I hope this will help you guys in your exams. I got these materials and tips from many helpful people thanks to them I was able to pass my exam I hope this helps you guys as well. If there is anything just leave a comment I will reply to each comment as soon as I can. See you in the next post. Good luck.

Cheers,

Hasitha Senarathna