NMC OSCE mock test and practice test

What a good NMC OSCE practice test copies

A useful practice test copies the shape of the exam, not remembered content. The real OSCE has 10 stations and takes about 3 hours. APIE stations run 20, 14, 15 and 8 minutes, written stations run 10 minutes, and skills run from 6 to 21 minutes (see the NMC OSCE station timings).

Spoken stations are assessed with a simulated patient, an actor or a manikin. The NMC tells candidates to speak to a manikin as if it were a real patient, so practise that out loud, even alone.

How to run a full mock

1. Pick one patient and run assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation back to back, as four separate stations.
2. Write the care plan by hand in 14 minutes, with two problems, aims, dates and no abbreviations.
3. Do four skills in two linked pairs, with a short break between pairs.
4. Finish with the two written stations, 10 minutes each.
5. Mark yourself station by station. The real exam needs a pass in every station, so one weak station matters.

Practise one station or all ten

The AI patient station on this page is free to try, with no sign-up. Feedback is estimated and for practice only. It is not a prediction of your result. Our stations are original. We do not publish real exam papers, and the NMC OSCE scenarios page explains why.

If you are short of time, start with the stations that carry most failures for you: the written ones if you dislike writing, the APIE chain if you lose time. Check pricing when you want more than the free station.

Habits worth drilling

The NMC's public marking material shows the kind of habit assessors look for: hand hygiene, introducing yourself, a two-identifier check against the wristband, an allergy check, consent, and legible, signed, dated documentation. Read the marking criteria guide and the NMC's own PDF, then drill them until they are automatic.

Common questions

Is there a free NMC OSCE mock test?

Yes. You can try one practice station with an AI patient free, with no sign-up, on this page.

How long is a full NMC OSCE mock?

About 3 hours, the same as the real test, if you run all 10 stations to time.