NMCMATE

Mistakes to avoid on the NMC CBT

Written and checked against the NMC’s published sources by The NMCMATE editorial team.Last checked .

We cannot tell you which mistakes are most common, because nobody outside the NMC and the test provider has that data and a site that quotes it is guessing. What can be said honestly is which mistakes the published rules make expensive. Those come straight from how the test is built: 115 questions in two parts, one mark each, passed separately.

What the rules make costly

  • Leaving a question blank. There is no negative marking and no partial credit, so a blank scores exactly what a wrong answer scores. Answer everything, and use the review screen to come back to the ones you are unsure of.
  • Letting one part carry the other. The two parts are passed separately and you are told pass or fail for each, not a score. A strong clinical paper cannot rescue numeracy, and a resit covers only the part you did not pass.
  • Using one pace for both parts. The NMC's candidate booklet advises a maximum of 2 minutes on each numeracy question and 1.5 on each multiple-choice question, on separate clocks. A pace that suits clinical questions is slow for a calculation you have done many times, and the reverse is also true.
  • Choosing the answer that is true rather than the one that is best. The booklet tells candidates to select the answer they believe is the most correct, which means more than one option can be defensible. The question is asking what you should do first, or do safest, in that situation.
  • Answering from the practice you trained in. The paper tests UK standards: the Future Nurse proficiencies and the NMC Code. A choice that is normal on your old ward can still be the wrong answer here.
  • Typing the right number in the wrong form. Part A takes a typed number, worked on the erasable note board. Read what unit the question asks for and whether it says to round before you type.

Where candidates come unstuck

  • Practising only the categories you already do well in, because they feel good. Your weakest category is the one that fails you.
  • Reading the explanation only when you got the question wrong. A right answer reached by a guess teaches you nothing, so read it then too.
  • Leaving timed practice until the last week. Sitting a timed paper is a skill in its own right and it is not learnt by untimed question sets.
  • Memorising the answers to practice questions rather than the reason behind them. The paper is a different set of questions and the reason is what transfers.

Common questions

Should I guess if I do not know the answer?
Yes. The NMC does not use negative scoring for an unanswered or incorrect answer, so a guess can only help. Narrow the options first if you can, and come back to it in the review if time allows.
What is the most common reason people fail the NMC CBT?
The NMC publishes how many candidates passed each part at each attempt, and not why anyone failed, so nobody outside it can give you a reliable answer. Anyone who names one reason is guessing.
Is it a mistake to spend a lot of time on one question?
It can be. The booklet advises a maximum of 1.5 minutes on each multiple-choice question, so one that has taken several minutes has cost you the time of several others. Make your best choice, move on and use any time left to review.
Can I change an answer once I have moved on?
Yes. The NMC's candidate booklet says you can review answers and change them if you wish. The screen layout on the day is decided by the NMC and the test provider, so read the booklet before you sit.

Where these figures come from

Practise for it

Questions weighted the way the NMC weights the real paper, with a worked explanation on every one. Ten free a day, no card needed.

Start free See the question bank

This page is one part of the exam. Work through the whole thing with the NMC CBT study guide.