NMCMATE

The NMC CBT pass mark

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

The NMC publishes a pass mark for each part of the CBT, in the Test Specification it issues for candidates. For Part A, numeracy, it is 87 per cent, which is 13 out of 15 questions. For Part B, the clinical paper, it varies between the nursing fields and is generally set within 60 to 70 per cent. This page used to say that no pass mark was published. That was wrong, and we have corrected it.

What the NMC publishes

  • Part A, numeracy: the current pass mark is 87 per cent, so 13 out of 15 questions correct. You can drop two and still pass.
  • Part B, clinical: the current pass marks vary across the nursing fields to reflect how hard each field's paper is, and are generally set within 60 to 70 per cent. On a 100 question paper that is roughly 60 to 70 correct, and the NMC does not say where in that range your field sits.
  • Both are "current" pass marks. The standard was first set by a panel method called Angoff and is kept steady across different versions of the paper by statistical techniques, so a figure can move when the paper does.
  • The test is 115 questions in two parts, sat in one appointment of 3 hours: Part A is 15 numeracy questions in 30 minutes and Part B is 100 clinical questions in 2 hours 30 minutes.
  • The two parts are passed separately, so you can pass one and resit the other.
  • One mark a question, no negative marking and no partial credit. Your result says pass or fail for each part and does not include your score.

Where candidates come unstuck

  • Reading Part B as one fixed number. The NMC gives a range and says it differs by field, so a site quoting a single clinical pass mark is being more precise than its source.
  • Aiming for exactly the pass mark. 13 out of 15 leaves room for two slips in numeracy and no more, and a practice paper is not the paper you will sit, so a mock score that just clears the line is closer to a coin toss than to a pass.
  • Treating Part A as the easy half. It has the highest pass mark of the two, fewer questions and less time on each, and the arithmetic is unforgiving in a way the clinical paper is not.
  • Leaving answers blank. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so a guess is strictly better than a gap.
  • Relying on an old figure, including ours. The NMC calls these the current pass marks, and the Test Specification is the place to check them before your date.

Common questions

What is the pass mark for the NMC CBT?
For Part A, numeracy, 87 per cent, which is 13 out of 15. For Part B, clinical, it varies by nursing field and is generally set within 60 to 70 per cent. Both figures are from the NMC's Test Specification for candidates, section 6.1.
How many questions do I need to get right in Part A?
13 of the 15, on the NMC's current pass mark of 87 per cent.
Why is the Part B pass mark a range?
Because each nursing field sits a different clinical paper and the papers are not equally hard, so the NMC sets the pass mark per field. It publishes the range rather than each field's figure.
Do I get my score?
No. You are told whether you passed each part. The result does not include a mark or a percentage.
Can I pass one part and fail the other?
Yes. The two parts are timed and passed separately, and you only resit the part you did not pass.
Is there negative marking?
No. One mark a question, nothing taken off for a wrong answer, and no partial credit. Guess rather than skip.
Is the pass mark the same thing as the pass rate?
No. The pass mark is the standard you are measured against. The pass rate is how many people cleared it, which the NMC publishes quarterly: in January to March 2026, 63 per cent of applicants passed both parts.

Where these figures come from

Practise for it

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