The NMC CBT pass mark

This is the most searched question about the CBT and it has an unsatisfying answer, so most sites give a satisfying one instead. The NMC does not publish a pass mark. What follows is what it does say, and what that means for how you should prepare.

What the NMC does publish

• The test is 115 questions in two parts, sat in one appointment of 3 hours.
• Part A is 15 numeracy questions in 30 minutes. Part B is 100 clinical questions in 2 hours 30 minutes.
• The two parts are timed separately and passed separately, so you can pass one and resit the other.
• One mark a question, no negative marking and no partial credit, so there is never a reason to leave anything blank.
• The standard is set statistically and held steady across different versions of the paper, which is why it is not a fixed percentage.
• You are told pass or fail for each part. You are not given a score.

Where candidates come unstuck

• Believing a specific number you read online. If a site tells you the pass mark is a particular figure, it did not get that from the NMC, and you should discount everything else on the page accordingly.
• Aiming at a number instead of at competence. Because the standard moves with the difficulty of the paper you get, a percentage you hit in practice is not a promise about the day.
• Treating Part A as the easy half. It is fewer questions with less time 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.

Common questions

What is the pass mark for the NMC CBT?

The NMC does not publish one. It sets the standard statistically and keeps it consistent across versions of the test, so it is not a fixed percentage and it can differ between papers. Any site quoting an exact figure is guessing.

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.