NMC OSCE Booking 2026: Dates, Fees and Approved Test Centres

If you’ve passed your CBT and you’re ready to book your OSCE, here’s what matters right now: the fee is £794 for a first attempt (£397 for a resit of seven stations or fewer), you can only book once the NMC has confirmed your eligibility, and  importantly  two of the five OSCE centres that used to run this exam have closed in 2026. Oxford Brookes University stopped taking new bookings on 31 July 2026, and Northumbria University closed on 19 February 2026. If you’re planning around outdated information, this is the first thing to fix.

This guide covers exactly what you need to book with confidence: when you’re allowed to book, which centres are actually open, what it costs, and what happens if you don’t pass first time.

If you haven’t started your NMC application yet  documents, English test, CBT  our full NMC registration process guide covers those earlier stages in detail. This page picks up from the point where you’re ready to sit the OSCE.

What the OSCE Actually Tests

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is the practical half of the NMC’s Test of Competence for internationally trained nurses and midwives. Where the CBT checks theoretical knowledge, the OSCE checks whether you can apply it  assessing a patient, planning and delivering care, communicating clearly, and working to UK clinical and safety standards, all in a simulated ward environment. It runs to around 10 stations and takes roughly three hours in total.

You don’t choose whether to sit CBT or OSCE first  most candidates take the CBT in their home country, then travel to the UK for the OSCE once they’re confirmed eligible.

“OSCE Registration” vs “OSCE Booking”  What’s the Difference?

These two terms get used almost interchangeably in search, but they’re different steps:

• Registration/eligibility happens through the NMC directly. Once your qualifications, English language evidence, and CBT result have all been accepted, the NMC sends you a Test of Competence invitation confirming you’re eligible to sit the OSCE.
• Booking happens with the test centre itself, not the NMC. Once you have that confirmation, you contact one of the NMC-approved centres directly to arrange your date, pay the fee, and receive your booking confirmation.

In short: the NMC clears you to sit the exam; the test centre is who you actually book with.

The OSCE Test Centres That Are Actually Open in 2026

This is where a lot of older guides  including agency blogs still circulating online  get it wrong. As of today, there are only three NMC-approved OSCE centres accepting new bookings:

If you originally sat (or planned to sit) at Oxford Brookes or Northumbria and need a resit, you don’t automatically lose your place in the process. You can transfer to one of the three open centres by emailing them directly and including “Oxford Brookes University Transfer Request” or “Northumbria University Transfer Request” in the subject line. The centre that accepts your resit becomes your new centre for any further attempts.

Because demand at the remaining three centres has increased since the closures, booking earlier rather than later matters more in 2026 than it used to.

How to Book Your OSCE, Step by Step

Step 1  Receive your Test of Competence invitation. After the NMC confirms your CBT pass and finishes reviewing your application, you’ll get an email confirming you’re eligible to sit the OSCE.

Step 2  Choose your test centre. Pick from Northampton, Ulster, or Leeds. Location matters here for practical reasons  travel cost, accommodation, and how comfortable you feel getting there  not because the exam content differs between centres.

Step 3  Contact the centre directly to book. Each centre runs its own booking process and calendar; you’ll register your interest, and once confirmed you’ll be sent a date and a secure payment link.

Step 4  Pay the exam fee. £794 for a full/new attempt, or £397 for a resit covering seven stations or fewer.

Step 5  Prepare with the confirmation details in hand. Once booked, you’ll receive centre-specific guidance on what to bring (your original passport is essential for identity verification) and what to expect on the day.

Most centres recommend booking with some runway before your test date  not because the paperwork takes long, but because rushed candidates who book immediately after passing CBT, without preparation time, are more likely to fail and need a resit.

OSCE Fees in the UK  Full Breakdown

These are the NMC’s own published figures. If a provider quotes you a materially different official exam fee, treat that as a red flag and verify directly with NMC.org.uk.

How Many Times Can You Resit?

You’re permitted up to three attempts in total as part of one NMC application, with at least 10 days required between sittings. If you don’t pass on your third attempt, that application closes  you’d need to submit a fresh NMC application and wait at least six months before sitting the OSCE again. One practical detail that catches people out: resits must be taken at the same centre as your first attempt, so choosing your initial centre carefully (including checking it isn’t affected by a future closure) is worth the extra thought.

When Will You Get Your Result?

Test centres send OSCE results by email, typically within 5 working days of your test date. If you pass, you’ll receive details of what to do next to complete registration. If you don’t pass, you’ll get feedback on exactly which stations or elements fell short  useful, because a resit only requires you to retake the stations you didn’t pass, not the full ten.

Preparing for Your OSCE

The OSCE isn’t primarily a memory test  examiners are assessing safe, structured patient care and clear communication, not textbook-perfect recall. Three things consistently separate first-attempt passes from resits:

• Time under pressure. Reading about the APIE framework (assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation) is different from performing it against a clock. Timed mock stations matter more than extra reading.
• UK-specific clinical standards. Training and clinical experience gained outside the UK doesn’t always map directly onto NMC marking criteria  this is usually the actual gap, not a knowledge gap.
• Communication under scrutiny. Many candidates who know the clinical content lose marks on explaining their reasoning clearly and checking the “patient’s” understanding.

Structured OSCE preparation built around real exam conditions  mock stations, timed practice, and feedback against NMC marking criteria  is where most of this gets fixed. It isn’t mandatory, but it’s the single most controllable factor in whether you need one attempt or three.

If You’re Applying From India, the Philippines, or Nigeria

Booking mechanics and fees are identical regardless of where you trained  there’s no separate NMC process by nationality. The main practical differences are logistical: flight and visa timing around your booked date, and, for some candidates, adjusting from a different clinical documentation style to what UK OSCE markers expect. If English communication under pressure (rather than English test scores) is your main concern, OET-focused preparation that uses healthcare scenarios tends to translate better into OSCE performance than general English study.

What Happens After You Pass

Once you pass, the NMC processes your final registration and issues your NMC PIN  the number that confirms you’re legally able to practise as a registered nurse or midwife in the UK. From there, you’re clear to start work under your employer’s sponsorship. Details on the wider registration steps that lead up to this point are covered in our NMC registration process guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I book my OSCE? Only after the NMC has reviewed your application and CBT result and sent you a Test of Competence invitation confirming your eligibility. You book directly with the test centre, not the NMC.

How much does the OSCE cost in 2026? £794 for a first/full attempt, or £397 for a resit of seven stations or fewer.

Which OSCE centres are open right now? University of Northampton, Ulster University, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Oxford Brookes University closed 31 July 2026 and Northumbria University closed 19 February 2026.

What if my original centre has closed? You can transfer your resit to one of the three open centres by emailing them directly and referencing your original centre in the subject line.

How many times can I resit the OSCE? Up to three attempts total, with at least 10 days between sittings, and all resits must be at the same centre as your first attempt.

How long does it take to get my result? Typically within 5 working days of your test date.

Do I have to use a training provider to book or pass? No,training isn’t an NMC requirement. It’s optional, but candidates who prepare under timed, UK-standard conditions are generally better placed to pass first time and avoid the cost and delay of a resit.

Ready to Book With Confidence?

If you’ve got your Test of Competence invitation and want to make sure your preparation matches what the current OSCE actually expects, speak with the Medax team about a structured OSCE preparation plan before you book your date.