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United Kingdom · Registration test

After the CBT: getting on the UK register with the NMC

Passing the computer-based test (CBT) doesn’t put you on the UK register by itself. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) first checks your qualification, then asks for the Test of Competence (ToC) if you need it, and then for evidence of your health, character and English. Getting from the CBT to the UK register means finishing every step in MyNMC, the NMC’s online account.

  • 14 daysNMC aim for your qualification outcome
  • 30 daysNMC aim to decide a complete application
  • 2 yearsTo finish once you’re eligible
Start your NMC application

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How do you get on the UK register after the CBT?

  1. Take the route assessment and create your MyNMC account. Applications with no activity for three months are closed.
  2. Send your eligibility and qualification application and pay the qualification evaluation fee. The NMC aims to tell you the outcome within 14 days of having everything it needs.
  3. If the NMC asks, take the Test of Competence: the CBT and the OSCE (objective structured clinical examination).
  4. Complete the registration application: health, character and English language evidence, a professional indemnity arrangement and the registration fee.
  5. Have a face-to-face ID check at a Test of Competence centre.
  6. Wait for the decision. The NMC aims to consider a complete application within 30 days.

Once the NMC confirms you’re eligible, you have two years to finish your registration, and that includes the CBT and OSCE.

NMC: Step-by-step guide for applicants trained outside the UK ↗The Test of Competence and its time limits →

What the NMC charges

ItemFee
Qualification evaluation£167
Registration fee£182
Total with first CBT and OSCE£1,226

The NMC’s fees went up on 1 October 2026, and its costs page has these amounts. Its page for internationally trained applicants lists the same £167 and £182 but gives an older £1,170 total; the costs page is the one to go by. The evaluation fee isn’t refundable, and the registration fee can be refunded in some cases.

The total is the NMC’s own figure and includes the CBT and OSCE at a first sitting. Resits add to it. Visas, flights, travel and accommodation in the UK aren’t included, and English test fees are set by the test providers.

NMC: How much is it going to cost? ↗CBT fees and resit fees →

The English language requirement

The NMC accepts two English tests: IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic and OET (Occupational English Test). For IELTS you need at least 7 in reading, listening and speaking and 6.5 in writing. For OET, the Nursing test, you need at least grade B in reading, listening and speaking and C+ in writing. You can combine two sittings of the same test taken within 12 months of each other, and your test dates must be no more than two years old when the NMC assesses your complete application.

A test isn’t the only evidence. The NMC also accepts a nursing, midwifery or nursing associate qualification taught and examined in English, or a year of recent practice in a country where English is the majority language, and some applicants can add supporting information from a UK employer.

NMC: Accepted English language tests ↗OET in the UK: NMC grades and combining sittings →IELTS band scores explained →

MyNMC, the NMC’s online account

MyNMC, which the NMC also calls NMC Online, is where you send your application, upload evidence and track progress. When you’re on the register, you use the same account to keep your registration up to date.

The CBT and OSCE centres check that the passport you bring is the one the NMC has on file. If you get a new one, tell the NMC before your test.

NMC: Begin your application ↗NMC: ID check process and requirements ↗
Sources: NMC and 11 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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