Failed One Part of the NMC CBT? Attempt Limits, Resit Fees and a Repair Plan

The rules in one place

These rules come from the NMC CBT page and the CBT information booklet. Read them before you book a second attempt, because the one-year and three-attempt limits are firm.

The rules do not say how the one-year window is counted, such as from the first attempt or from the date of your ATT. Confirm the start date in your NMC Online account or with the NMC, because it determines your last bookable day.

Resit fees

The fees below were on the NMC page on 25 October 2026. The NMC states its fees rise on 1 October each year, and we could not confirm whether the CBT amounts changed after 1 October 2026, so confirm the price on the booking screen.

The fee reflects the part you choose to sit. If you pass one part, your pass counts, and you resit only the other. The passed part does not need to be repeated. Read the booking options carefully, because the Pearson VUE booking should match the part you failed.

What the data says about resits

Resits are harder than first attempts in the NMC data we read. This is not a reason for fear; it is a reason to change the plan before a second sitting.

• Part A. In January to March 2026, the pass rate was 77% on a first attempt, 63% on a second and 59% on a third.
• Part B. In October to December 2025, the pass rate was 77% on a first attempt, 64% on a second and 54% on a third.
• Overall. The share of candidates passing both parts was 76% in January to March 2025 and 65% in October to December 2025. In January to March 2026, 63% of 2,967 applicants passed both, and first-attempt candidates passed at 76% (2,150 candidates).

The NMC does not publish reasons for the gap. One fair reading is that candidates who need a resit often repeat the same preparation. Another is that some are weaker on the content tested. We cannot tell which, so we plan against both.

Diagnose before you rebook

Your NMC Online account shows only the overall result. Your Pearson VUE account shows the Part A and Part B breakdown within 48 hours. Use that breakdown first.

1. Identify the failed part. Part A, Part B or both. The plan is different for each.
2. Write down what you remember about the sitting. Timing, topics that surprised you and where you felt unsure. Do not record or share actual questions. Candidates must not copy or recall the exam.
3. Review your practice data. Check your error log. Did the exam match your mock scores, and which domain was weakest?
4. Classify the cause. Knowledge gap, UK practice gap, calculation process, reading speed or exam stress. More than one can apply.
5. Choose the fix. The fix must differ from your first preparation.

A plan if you failed Part A

Part A is 15 questions with a 2021 standard of 87% (13 of 15). Failing means at least three errors. The fix is process, not content.

• Do a Part A set every day for the gap, starting untimed. Do not move on until you can score 15 of 15 untimed.
• Write the unit beside every number. Estimate each answer first.
• Practise typed answers, not multiple choice, using the free Pearson VUE Part A practice test and the format rules.
• Rebuild the topic that cost marks: oral medications (4 questions), injections (3) and intravenous infusions (3) carry the most.
• Book a date 3 to 4 weeks away if you can, since numeracy responds quickly to practice. The minimum gap is 10 days.

See the Part A guide for the method.

A plan if you failed Part B

Part B is 100 questions, four options each, with a standard that varies by field and is generally 60% to 70% in the 2021 specification. You will not get a raw score, so you rebuild on the blueprint.

• Return to Platform 1, Platform 4 and Platform 3 first: together they are 46 of 100 questions.
• Rework every Code standard and the Mental Capacity Act principles. Do the high-yield list again from memory.
• Replace passive reading with timed mixed sets of 25 questions at 1.5 minutes each.
• For each wrong answer, write why the right answer is the most appropriate under UK practice.
• Book 6 to 8 weeks out if work allows, but not so late that the third attempt falls outside the one-year window.

A plan if you failed both

Treat Part A first, because it is shorter, then add Part B. Resitting both parts costs £83. Choose a date that gives you time for both plans, normally 8 to 12 weeks, and use the study plan structure, starting at the numeracy block.

Counting your attempts

Three attempts is the ceiling, not the plan. Count the calendar before you rebook.

Staying inside the registration window

After eligibility is confirmed, the NMC gives you two years to complete registration, which includes the CBT and the OSCE. A string of CBT attempts shortens the time left for the OSCE. Count backwards from the end of the two years, and leave room for an OSCE partial resit, which the NMC costs page lists at £397. The NMC pages we read do not state a validity period for a CBT pass; ask the NMC how your own dates interact.

Employers and recruiters often set their own start dates. If your job offer depends on registration, tell your recruiter early and plan the attempts around it. The NMC is the only source for decisions on your application, so confirm anything unclear in writing.

Common mistakes on a second attempt

• Rebooking the same week. The minimum gap is 10 days, but the minimum is not a plan. A week of cramming rarely changes a pattern.
• Studying everything again. You resit one part. Spend the time on what the breakdown tells you needs work.
• Ignoring exam technique. If you ran out of time or rushed numeracy, practise under the exam time limits, not just content.
• Skipping a mock. A full timed mock a week before the resit shows whether the repair has worked.
• Booking a different exam code by accident. Check that the code on the rebooking is the same field as before.

Questions to settle with the NMC

• The exact date your one-year window began.
• How many attempts you have already used on your application.
• Whether the six-month wait after a closed application has any exceptions.

Write the answers in your records. A miscounted attempt is a costly mistake because there is no appeal route in the pages we read.

Keep a simple tracker with the date of each attempt, the part sat, the result and the date of the earliest possible next attempt. It takes a minute to update and prevents the two commonest planning errors: booking inside the 10-day gap and losing count of how many attempts remain.

If your application is close to the one-year limit, tell your employer or recruiter early, because a closed application means a six-month wait and a fresh set of fees.

Looking after yourself

A failed result is common in the published figures: in late 2025 more than a third of candidates did not pass both parts. It does not say you cannot be a good nurse. It says you did not meet the standard on that sitting. Take a few days, then work from the data. The pass mark and scoring guide explains what the standard is and is not.

Return to the NMC CBT hub for the whole exam picture, and to booking and fees to rebook.