Pick the plan that matches the time before your booked date: 8 weeks if you already work in a UK-style ward setting, 12 weeks for most candidates, 16 weeks if you study part time around shifts or have not used metric drug calculations for years. All three plans follow the same order: format and framework, numeracy, Part B by weight, mixed timed blocks, then two full 115-question mocks. Numeracy starts in week 1 because Part A needs 13 of 15 correct on the 2021 standard.
Before you choose a plan
The NMC CBT is one sitting of 115 questions in 3 hours. Part A is 15 numeracy questions in 30 minutes. Part B is 100 four-option clinical questions in 2 hours 30 minutes. The parts are passed or failed separately, so your plan needs two tracks: a numeracy track that aims for near-perfect accuracy, and a clinical track that aims for broad, reliable coverage of nine blueprint domains.
Count your real study hours before you pick a length. A nurse on rotating shifts who can protect 6 hours a week needs the 16-week plan. Someone who can give 15 hours a week can do the 8-week plan. Work backwards from your Pearson VUE date, not forwards from today, and leave a spare week. The NMC allows three attempts at least 10 days apart within one year, but you should plan to pass the first time because resit pass rates are lower in the data we checked.
| Plan | Weekly hours | Total hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | 12 to 15 | about 100 to 120 | Recent UK-style ward experience, strong calculation skills |
| 12 weeks | 8 to 10 | about 100 to 120 | Most working nurses |
| 16 weeks | 6 to 7 | about 100 to 110 | Long shifts, career break or weak numeracy |
The hour totals are our planning estimates, not NMC guidance. The NMC does not say how long you should prepare.
The structure all three plans share
- Baseline. Sit the free Pearson VUE practice tests: the 50-question Part B test (1 hour 15 minutes) and the 15-question Part A test (30 minutes). Note your score by domain, not only overall.
- Framework. Read the headings of The Code and the Standards of proficiency. These organise the exam, and the Platform 1 block alone is 17 of 100 clinical questions.
- Numeracy block. Daily short sets, untimed first, then timed at 2 minutes per question.
- Clinical blocks by weight. Platforms 1, 4 and 3 first, then the 10-question platforms, then the two annexes.
- Mixed timed practice. Interleave domains at 1.5 minutes per question.
- Full mocks. Two or three complete 115-question sittings in 3 hours.
The 8-week plan
Use this if you can study almost daily and your nursing practice already uses UK-style drug charts and early warning scores.
| Week | Numeracy track | Clinical track |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline Part A. Metric units and tablet and liquid doses | Baseline Part B. Read The Code and the seven platform headings |
| 2 | Injections, weight-based doses, percentage strengths | Platform 1: Code, consent, capacity, confidentiality, candour |
| 3 | Infusion rates, drip rates, duration and volume remaining | Platform 4: medicines, oxygen, diabetes, wounds, catheters |
| 4 | Fluid balance, syringe pumps, unsafe-dose checks. First timed Part A set | Platform 3: NEWS2, sepsis, ABCDE, risk tools |
| 5 | Mixed Part A sets, aim for 14 or 15 of 15 | Platforms 2, 6 and 7: prevention, infection control, safety, discharge |
| 6 | Timed Part A every second day | Platform 5, Annexes A and B. Weak-domain repair |
| 7 | Full mock 1 (numeracy first), error log review | Mixed 25-question blocks, daily |
| 8 | Full mock 2, then light formula review | Code, MCA, NEWS2 recap. Rest the day before |
The 12-week plan
This is the default for most candidates. It gives each domain a full week of attention and separates learning from timed practice.
| Weeks | Focus | Output by the end |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline tests, format, The Code themes and the seven platforms | One-page map of the exam and your baseline by domain |
| 2 to 3 | Numeracy foundations: units, tablets, liquids, injections, weight-based doses | 100% on untimed sets of 15 |
| 4 | Platform 1 accountable professional | Code standards 10, 11, 13 to 18 summarised from memory |
| 5 | Platform 4 providing and evaluating care. Numeracy: infusions and fluid balance | Medicine check routine and oxygen targets recalled cleanly |
| 6 | Platform 3 assessing and planning care | NEWS2 thresholds and responses from memory |
| 7 | Platforms 2, 6 and 7 | Screening, immunisation, infection control and discharge summaries |
| 8 | Platform 5 and Annexes A and B. Numeracy timed | Delegation, SBAR and procedure checklists |
| 9 | Weak-domain repair from error log | Each domain above your own target |
| 10 | Mixed timed blocks of 25, numeracy timed daily | Pace of 1.5 minutes per clinical item |
| 11 | Full mock 1 and mock 2 with review | Two logged sittings |
| 12 | Light review, logistics, rest | Documents checked, formulas rehearsed |
The 16-week plan
Use this if you work long or night shifts, if you are returning after a career break or if numeracy is a weak spot. The longer plan adds repetition rather than new material.
- Weeks 1 to 4: foundations. Baseline tests, The Code, and Part A basics at a slow pace. Do 20 minutes of calculations daily. Short daily contact beats a long weekly session for numeracy.
- Weeks 5 to 10: one domain per week, in blueprint order. Platform 1, Platform 4, Platform 3, then Platforms 2, 6 and 7, then Platform 5 with the annexes. Keep numeracy running three times a week alongside.
- Weeks 11 to 13: spaced repetition. Revisit every domain with 20-question mixed sets. Rewrite your error log as flash cards.
- Weeks 14 and 15: timed practice. 25-question blocks, then full 115-question mocks in 3 hours.
- Week 16: taper. Light review, travel to the test centre in your head, rest.
How to run a numeracy session
Part A answers are typed numbers, so accuracy has to be exact. Treat each session as process practice, not speed practice, until the process is automatic.
- Write the units. Put the units beside every number before you calculate.
- Convert first. Bring prescribed dose and stock strength into the same unit before you divide.
- Estimate. Decide whether the answer should be bigger or smaller than the stock volume. This catches inverted fractions.
- Calculate once, check once. Use the calculator, then redo the calculation a second way.
- Type with the rules. Enter the number only, with correct digits and the standard abbreviation as the Pearson VUE practice test requires.
Our guide to Part A numeracy gives the formulas and worked examples.
How to run a clinical session
Part B is four options with one most correct answer. About 62% of items are at application or higher level, so recall alone is not enough. For each topic, do three things.
- Learn the rule. Write the UK rule or tool in one line, for example the two-stage test of capacity or the NEWS2 response bands.
- Learn the first action. Most items ask what the nurse should do first, or what is most appropriate. Write the first action beside each rule.
- Learn the distractor. For every wrong answer you choose, write why it is wrong in UK practice. Home-country habits are the commonest source of wrong answers.
Use the high-yield topic list and the UK guidelines guide as checklists, and the domain pages for depth.
Try NMC CBT practice questions free
Free account, no card needed. Answer sample questions with full explanations before you pay anything.
The error log
An error log is the cheapest improvement in any plan. After each practice set, record the question topic, the option you chose, the correct option, and the reason for the gap. Tag each reason as knowledge, reading, calculation, UK practice or timing. After two weeks, count the tags. If most errors are reading or calculation errors, more content revision will not help; change your method. If they are UK practice errors, you need to relearn the local rule.
Mock sittings
Hold two or three full mocks in the final fortnight. Use 115 questions in 3 hours, with numeracy first and a calculator and note paper only. Decide in advance whether you will take a break, because the NMC booklet says breaks are optional and count towards the 3 hours. Afterwards, review every item, including the ones you got right by guessing.
Judge a mock by two numbers: Part A score out of 15 and Part B percentage. The 2021 specification gives 87% (13 of 15) for Part A and generally 60% to 70% for Part B, varying by field. The figures are from 2021 and we found no 2026 re-confirmation, so aim well above them. A practice score is not a prediction, because every bank differs from the real exam.
Sit a timed NMC CBT mock exam
Blueprint-weighted questions under exam timing, then a breakdown of your result by domain.
If your date moves
If your appointment changes, keep the order but stretch the middle. Do not compress numeracy: it is the cheapest section to fix and the least forgiving to leave. Check cancellation and rescheduling terms with Pearson VUE before you change the booking, and read our booking and fees guide for what we could verify.
If you have already failed a part, do not simply repeat this plan. Read resits and attempts and rebuild around the failed part, using your Pearson VUE breakdown.
Return to the NMC CBT hub for the full blueprint and the exam facts this plan is built on.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the NMC CBT?
The NMC gives no recommended study time. Our planning range is about 100 to 120 hours, spread over 8, 12 or 16 weeks depending on your weekly hours. Work back from your Pearson VUE date and leave a spare week.
Should I start with numeracy or clinical topics?
Start both in week 1, but give numeracy daily short sessions. Part A is 15 questions with a standard of 87% (13 of 15) in the 2021 specification, and it is passed or failed separately from Part B.
Which Part B domain should I revise first?
Platform 1, Being an accountable professional, is the largest block with 17 of 100 clinical questions. Platform 4 has 15 and Platform 3 has 14. Revise those three first, then the 10-question platforms and the two annexes.
Are the free Pearson VUE practice tests enough?
They show the format: a 50-question Part B test in 1 hour 15 minutes and a 15-question Part A test in 30 minutes. They are a good baseline but cover far fewer items than the 115-question exam, so you will need more practice volume.
How many full mocks should I do?
Two or three full 115-question sittings in 3 hours in the final two weeks is a sensible target. Do numeracy first, use only a calculator and note paper, and review every item afterwards.