How much does an NMC OSCE resit cost?

The reduced resit fee is £397 when you resit 7 stations or fewer. The full OSCE fee is £794.

How many times can I sit the OSCE?

Up to 3 times within one application, with at least 10 days between sittings.

What happens if I fail the OSCE three times?

Your application closes. You wait at least 6 months, then sit again and retake all 10 stations.

How long do I have to wait between attempts?

At least 10 days between sittings. That is a minimum rather than a recommendation, and since the resit is at the same test centre as your last attempt, booking early is worth it.

Where can I sit the OSCE now that two centres have closed?

The NMC lists 3 approved providers: University of Northampton, Ulster University, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The centre run with Northumbria University closed in February 2026 and the one at Oxford Brookes University closed in July 2026. If you attempted at either and have not resat, you email the provider you would rather move to, and that centre becomes yours for any later attempt. Check the NMC's own OSCE page before you book, because this list has changed more than once.

OSCE resits, attempts and fees

Written and checked against the NMC’s published sources by The NMCMATE editorial team.Last checked 25 August 2026.

If you have just had bad news, this is the page you need, and there is more room than it feels like right now. The rules are fixed and knowing them exactly is the difference between a plan and a panic.

The rules, as the NMC publishes them

You may attempt the OSCE up to 3 times within one application.
You must wait at least 10 days between sittings.
The full fee is £794. The reduced resit fee is £397, and it applies when you are resitting 7 stations or fewer.
A resit is booked at the same test centre as your previous attempt, which matters if you have moved or are travelling. The exception is a centre that has since closed: Northumbria University and Oxford Brookes University both closed in 2026, and a candidate who sat at either one chooses from the 3 remaining providers instead.
If the third attempt is unsuccessful your application closes. You then wait at least 6 months before sitting again, and you retake all 10 stations.

Where candidates come unstuck

Rebooking as fast as the 10 days allow, without changing anything about how you prepare. The wait is a minimum, not a recommendation.
Practising only the station you failed. Stations you passed before must be passed again if the application closes and you retake all of them.
Not asking your employer what support exists. Many trusts sponsoring international nurses run OSCE preparation, and it costs nothing to ask.
Assuming you can resit somewhere more convenient. It is the same test centre, unless that centre has closed.

Common questions

How much does an NMC OSCE resit cost?: The reduced resit fee is £397 when you resit 7 stations or fewer. The full OSCE fee is £794.
How many times can I sit the OSCE?: Up to 3 times within one application, with at least 10 days between sittings.
What happens if I fail the OSCE three times?: Your application closes. You wait at least 6 months, then sit again and retake all 10 stations.
How long do I have to wait between attempts?: At least 10 days between sittings. That is a minimum rather than a recommendation, and since the resit is at the same test centre as your last attempt, booking early is worth it.
Where can I sit the OSCE now that two centres have closed?: The NMC lists 3 approved providers: University of Northampton, Ulster University, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The centre run with Northumbria University closed in February 2026 and the one at Oxford Brookes University closed in July 2026. If you attempted at either and have not resat, you email the provider you would rather move to, and that centre becomes yours for any later attempt. Check the NMC's own OSCE page before you book, because this list has changed more than once.

Practise an assessment station

Talk to a simulated patient and get a marked report against the station criteria.

Simulator attempts come with every access plan, 4 of them with the 99 days plan, which is a full APIE sitting, and in larger packs on their own.

Stations are added and rewritten as the exam guidance changes, and every attempt runs against the current version, so a revision reaches your next station rather than a later edition of something you bought.

Watch a marked station See pricing

This page is one part of the exam. Work through the whole thing with the NMC OSCE pages.