OSCE – Everything You Need To Know

If you are an overseas nurse or have a nursing qualification, you will eventually take the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). It’s a competency test required as part of the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) registration process for nurses and midwives educated outside the EU/EEA.

What Is The OSCE Exam?

The Objective Standard Clinical Examination or OSCE assesses your UK pre-registration practical nursing skills. The OSCE consists of 10 independent stations, each lasting 10-17 minutes. Each station is unique and is meant to evaluate a specific skill of a patient or, if necessary, a model. The candidate’s expertise and knowledge of assessment, planning, implementation, and care evaluation are tested at four stations. Four stations will test the clinical skills, and the final two will evaluate the candidate’s values and behaviours. 

The OSCE will assess your readiness for the clinical aspects of the medical profession. A physician’s everyday tasks include fundamental skills that cannot be tested via theoretical or written exams, which is why actual clinical exams are so important. Written tests can measure your academic competence to become a nurse, but they need to determine your real preparedness.

How Much Does It Cost?

The fee for OSCE is £794, whereas the resit charge is £397. Depending on whether you have found an employer who is willing to cover the cost, you may or may not have to pay exam fees yourself. This is a benefit that many NHS hospitals and private healthcare providers offer to their internationally qualified nurses. However, if you intend to earn your license before searching for jobs, you may have to make the payment.

Where Can I Take The OSCE?

You must “sit” the OSCE in the UK. There are just five authorized testing locations. Following is a list of NMC-approved OSCE providers as of 2023:

1. Oxford Brookes University
2. University of Northampton
3. Ulster University
4. Northumbria University
5. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The OSCE NMC APIE

APIE is an acronym for Assessment, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. For this part of the test, you will have one patient who will remain the same throughout. You must do an A-E assessment and check their vital signs at the Assessment station. You must complete two nursing care plans at the Planning station. The drug round at the implementation station needs you to review the written medication chart and dispense the required medications. Finally, your patient will be verbally handed over at the Evaluation station.

After the APIE test, the exam centre may ask you to demonstrate various skills during your OSCE. Fortunately, you will only have to complete four of them out of that long list – mainly two pairs of skills. The OSCE includes two new stations, both of which are ‘written stations’. The first part focuses on evaluating your abilities to interpret research and put it into practice (evidence-based practice). The second centre tries to gather insight into your professional values and behaviours by having you comment/reflect on a specific circumstance.

OSCE Results

You will receive your results via email within 15 working days after your OSCE. If you pass your OSCE, you will receive an email with instructions on what to do next. On the other hand, if you fail your OSCE, you will receive an email with information on which stations and aspects you failed. This insight will assist you in preparing for your resit attempt, as you will only need to retake the stations you did not pass the first time.

Retaking the OSCE

As part of your application, you can take the OSCE up to three times, but you must wait at least ten days between sessions. If you fail the OSCE on your third try, your application will be closed. You need to start a new application to register with NMC again. However, you must wait at least six months before taking the OSCE.

The OSCE exam administered by the NMC is the last step in earning your complete registration; thus, you must conduct thorough research and prepare to ensure you achieve your goal.

Suppose you are a pre-registered nurse in the UK or a senior care assistant with a nursing background and looking to achieve complete registration. In that case, the Denizns have a team of qualified and expert professionals who will answer your questions and guide you.