NMC CBT Part B clinical guide
What the 100 clinical questions cover and how to approach them.
Part B has 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes. Each has four options and one correct answer. The NMC advises choosing the answer you believe is the most correct, so expect more than one option to sound reasonable.
The NMC's test specification spreads the questions across the Future Nurse platforms:
| Area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Platform 1: Being an accountable professional | 17 |
| Platform 2: Promoting health and preventing ill health | 10 |
| Platform 3: Assessing needs and planning care | 14 |
| Platform 4: Providing and evaluating care | 15 |
| Platform 5: Leading and managing nursing care and working in teams | 10 |
| Platform 6: Improving safety and quality of care | 10 |
| Platform 7: Co-ordinating care | 10 |
| Annexe A: Communication and relationship management skills | 7 |
| Annexe B: Nursing procedures | 7 |
| Total | 100 |
Platform 1 has the most questions. That means knowing the NMC Code (prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, promote professionalism and trust), consent and capacity, the duty of candour, confidentiality, and raising concerns.
How to answer
- Answer as a newly registered nurse in the UK following UK law and guidance, not your home country's.
- Prioritise patient safety: think ABCDE, and escalate deterioration promptly.
- Watch for words like "first", "most appropriate" and "priority" in the question.
- At about 1.5 minutes per question, flag hard ones and come back to them. There's no negative marking, so never leave one blank.
Practise by topic in study mode, where every answer comes with an explanation.
Is NMC CBT Part B different for each nursing field?
Partly. The NMC's test specification says 90% of the content is generic and could be assessed in any field, and 10% of the Part B questions are specific to your field, for example the Mental Health Act 1983 for mental health nursing or the Children Act 1989 for children's nursing.
What is the pass mark for NMC CBT Part B?
Part B pass marks vary across the nursing fields to reflect the difficulty of each test, but the NMC says they are generally set between 60% and 70%.
What standards is Part B based on?
The NMC's Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (2018). Questions are spread across its seven platforms, plus Annexe A (communication and relationship management skills) and Annexe B (nursing procedures).
Put this into practice with free questions and timed mock exams.
Start practising