The SNB RN exam is set in Singapore, so the answers follow Singapore rules and national programmes. Learn the SNB Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the Nurses and Midwives Act, the laws on capacity, mental health, advance care planning, medicines and personal data, the national immunisation schedules, Healthier SG and hospital infection control standards. This guide lists each, what to know at exam level and how confident we are in each item. We quote no clause numbers or thresholds that we have not verified.
How to use this guide
Do not try to memorise statutes. The exam tests whether a nurse acts safely and lawfully, and it asks you to choose the best action. For each instrument below you need the principle, who it protects and what you must do or must not do as a nurse. Where we give specific facts, we say where they were verified. Where we only name an instrument, read it on the official site before you rely on it.
We tag each item. Verified means we read it on an official page on 25 October 2026. Established practice means it is well known in Singapore nursing practice but we did not re-read the source for this guide, so check the current text on the official site before you quote details.
The map at a glance
| Instrument or source | Governs | Status in this guide |
|---|---|---|
| SNB Core Competencies and Generic Skills for Registered Nurse (2023) | The basis of the RN test plan | Verified |
| SNB Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct | Ethical and professional standards | Established practice |
| Nurses and Midwives Act 1999 | Registration, practice and discipline | Established practice |
| Infectious Diseases Act | Notifiable disease; compulsory childhood measles and diphtheria vaccination | Verified for vaccination point |
| National Childhood and Adult Immunisation Schedules | Which vaccines are recommended | Verified (disease lists) |
| Mental Capacity Act | Decision-making for those who lack capacity | Established practice |
| Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act | Involuntary admission and treatment | Established practice |
| Advance Medical Directive Act | Advance statements about end-of-life treatment | Established practice |
| Personal Data Protection Act | Handling of personal data | Established practice |
| Poisons Act and Misuse of Drugs Act | Medicines and controlled drugs | Established practice |
| Healthier SG | National preventive-care programme | Established practice |
| Hospital infection prevention and control standards; WHO five moments | Infection control practice | Established practice |
SNB Core Competencies and the Code of Ethics
The test plan is based on the SNB Core Competencies and Generic Skills for Registered Nurse (2023). Read the document if you can: it shows what SNB expects an RN to do. The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct sets the standards you will be held to as a registered nurse. Learn its themes: respect for the dignity and rights of patients, confidentiality, honesty, professional boundaries, accountability for your own practice, safe delegation, and speaking up when care is unsafe.
Exam-level takeaways
- You are personally accountable for what you do and what you delegate.
- Act within your scope and competence, and ask for help when you reach the limit.
- Protect patient privacy, and share information only with those who need it for care.
- Report unsafe practice, incidents and suspected abuse through the proper channel.
- Keep accurate, timely records.
The Nurses and Midwives Act
The Act regulates the registration of nurses and midwives and their practice and discipline. For exam purposes you need three ideas: you must be registered and hold a valid practising certificate to practise, you can be disciplined for professional misconduct, and there are duties about maintaining competence. Read the current Act on Singapore Statutes Online for the detail, and do not rely on a section number from a forum.
Capacity, consent and advance care planning
Consent
Valid consent requires that the person has capacity, has been given adequate information and agrees voluntarily. A patient who has capacity can refuse treatment, even if you think the refusal is unwise. Your role is to ensure they understand the consequences, document the discussion and inform the team.
Mental Capacity Act
This Act sets out how decisions are made for people who lack capacity. The principles most relevant to exam questions are the presumption of capacity, support to help a person decide, and acting in the person's best interests when they cannot. Capacity is decision-specific and time-specific. Do not assume that a diagnosis such as dementia means the person lacks capacity for every decision.
Advance Medical Directive Act and advance care planning
Singapore has a legal framework for advance medical directives, and many hospitals and community providers offer advance care planning discussions. Know the purpose: it lets a person state their wishes about treatment in future illness. As a nurse you recognise a valid directive, follow your institution's procedure, involve the doctor, and never decide on your own to withhold treatment. Read the current Act and your hospital's policy for the formal requirements.
Mental health law
The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act governs involuntary admission and treatment of people with mental disorders. At exam level, remember that involuntary treatment is exceptional, that the least restrictive approach applies where possible, and that doctors make the formal decisions while nurses protect safety, dignity and rights. De-escalation comes before restraint. Our mental health domain page shows how to answer.
Medicines law
The Poisons Act and the Misuse of Drugs Act, administered with health regulators, control how medicines and controlled drugs are stored, supplied and recorded. You need the practical consequences: controlled drugs are stored securely, checked and recorded with a witness according to local policy, wastage is documented, and discrepancies are reported at once. See the medication domain page.
Personal data and confidentiality
The Personal Data Protection Act covers how organisations collect, use and disclose personal data. Your institution's policies apply it in detail. At exam level, share patient information only for care and with the right authorisation, avoid discussing patients in public spaces, and handle records, images and messaging apps safely. Never post patient details on social media.
Immunisation and public health
The Communicable Disease Agency (CDA) vaccinations page, which we checked on 25 October 2026, lists the following.
- National Childhood Immunisation Schedule: 15 diseases. Tuberculosis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, pneumococcal disease, HPV, influenza and COVID-19.
- National Adult Immunisation Schedule: 13 diseases for people aged 18 and above. Influenza, pneumococcal disease, HPV, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella, shingles and COVID-19.
- Compulsory vaccination: measles and diphtheria vaccination are compulsory for children under the Infectious Diseases Act.
The ages at which each vaccine is given are shown in tables on the CDA page that we have not reproduced. Check the national schedules for ages before using them in any answer.
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Healthier SG and chronic disease care
Healthier SG is the Ministry of Health's national programme for preventive care and chronic disease management in the community, with a focus on conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. For the exam, link it to the nursing role: health promotion, client education, screening, self-management support and continuity of care. The CPE domain page covers health promotion questions.
Infection prevention and control
Singapore hospitals apply national infection prevention and control guidance and use the WHO five moments for hand hygiene: before touching a patient, before a clean or aseptic procedure, after body fluid exposure, after touching a patient and after touching patient surroundings. Standard precautions apply to every patient. Add contact, droplet or airborne precautions for known or suspected pathogens that spread by those routes. See the infection control domain page.
Culture and communication in a multiracial society
Singapore's patients come from several ethnic and religious groups and speak different languages and dialects. Questions on culturally appropriate care expect you to ask, not assume. Offer an interpreter, respect dietary and religious practices, involve family as the patient wishes, and respect rites at the end of life. Do not stereotype.
How to check the current text
- Use Singapore Statutes Online for the Acts above.
- Use the SNB website for the Code of Ethics and the Core Competencies.
- Use the Ministry of Health and CDA sites for programmes and schedules.
- Use your employer's policies for how the rules are applied in practice.
- If your source and our wording differ, trust your source and tell us.
Where this appears in the exam
Legal and ethical practice is a named content area, but these rules also appear in medication, mental health, elder care, emergencies and delegation questions. Do not revise them as an isolated block. Add a Singapore question to each study session, as the study plan suggests. For the whole map of content, read the test plan explained, and for the route from offer to result, return to the exam hub.
A one-page revision sheet
Copy this sheet and fill it in from the official sources.
| Topic | Write here |
|---|---|
| Three duties from the Code of Ethics | |
| Registration and practising certificate rule | |
| Consent: three conditions | |
| Capacity: four abilities and the presumption | |
| Advance care planning: what a nurse does | |
| Controlled drugs: storage, check, record | |
| Five moments of hand hygiene | |
| Compulsory childhood vaccines | |
| Purpose of Healthier SG | |
| Three cultural questions you always ask |
If you can complete the sheet from memory a week before the exam, you are in a good position for the legal and ethical strand.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Singapore laws do I need to know for the SNB RN exam?
Learn the Nurses and Midwives Act, the SNB Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and in outline the Mental Capacity Act, the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act, the Advance Medical Directive Act, the Personal Data Protection Act, and medicines law such as the Poisons Act and Misuse of Drugs Act. Read current texts on official sites.
Is the SNB Code of Ethics tested?
Legal and ethical nursing practice is a named content area in the test plan, and the test plan is based on SNB core competencies. Learn the Code's themes: dignity, confidentiality, honesty, boundaries, accountability and safe delegation.
How many diseases are on the Singapore childhood immunisation schedule?
The CDA vaccinations page lists 15 diseases for the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule and 13 for the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (ages 18 and above). Ages are in tables on the page; check them there.
Which vaccines are compulsory for children?
According to the CDA page, measles and diphtheria vaccination are compulsory for children under the Infectious Diseases Act.
What is Healthier SG?
Healthier SG is the Ministry of Health's national preventive-care programme for chronic disease management in the community. For the exam, connect it to health promotion, screening and client education.
Do I need to memorise section numbers?
No. The exam asks for the safe, lawful action in a situation. Learn principles and duties, and read the current Acts for detail.
Does the exam test cultural care?
Yes. Culturally appropriate care is a named category under legal and ethical practice. Expect questions on interpreters, religious and dietary practices, and end-of-life rites.
Where do I check current rules?
Singapore Statutes Online for Acts, the SNB website for the Code of Ethics and core competencies, MOH and CDA sites for programmes, and your employer's policies for local procedures.