The NMC CBT catches a lot of well-prepared candidates out on Part A — not because the maths is hard, but because it's timed, calculator-based, and entirely metric, with no room for a rounding mistake. This page is a starting point: the current exam format, a handful of practice questions, and links to the two free tools on this site.
What's actually on the NMC CBT
The CBT is Part 1 of the NMC's Test of Competence — the route into UK registration for internationally educated nurses and midwives. It's sat in one 3-hour session at a Pearson VUE test centre, and it's really two separate exams under one roof: Part A (numeracy) and Part B (clinical). They're graded independently, so a strong Part B score won't rescue a failed Part A, and you only need to resit whichever part you failed.
| Part | Questions | Time | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — Numeracy | 15 | 30 min | Drug and fluid calculations: doses, oral medicines, injections, IV infusions, fluid balance |
| B — Clinical | 100 | 2 hr 30 min | Professional practice, medicines management, safeguarding, deteriorating-patient recognition |
An on-screen calculator is provided for the numeracy section, and every calculation is in metric units only — no household measures. You get three attempts per application, at least 10 days apart; fail all three and you're waiting six months before you can reapply, with no passes carried over. The exact pass mark for each paper isn't published as a fixed percentage — the NMC sets it per exam version — so treat any specific number you see quoted online as an approximation and check your own candidate documentation for the current standard.
Home-trained UK nursing students don't sit this particular CBT — their numeracy is assessed within their degree programme instead. But the underlying maths is identical either way, which is why our drug dosage calculator works for both audiences: formula reference, a practice mode with your own numbers, and a quiz that never repeats the same values twice.
Try five practice questions
Click a question to reveal the answer and a short rationale.
1. A patient is prescribed paracetamol 1 g PO. Stock tablets are 500 mg. How many tablets should be given?
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2. 1 litre of fluid is to run over 8 hours via a giving set with a drop factor of 20 drops/mL. What is the rate in drops per minute?
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3. A child weighing 18 kg is prescribed amoxicillin 40 mg/kg/day, divided into 3 doses. How many mg per dose?
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4. The safe range for a drug is 25–50 mg/kg/day. A patient weighing 20 kg has an order for 1,200 mg/day. Is this order safe?
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5. Using NEWS2, a patient's respiratory rate rises from 16 to 24 breaths/minute and their oxygen saturation drops to 93% on room air. What should the nurse do first?
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Free tools on this site
Drug dosage calculator
Formula reference, a practice calculator for your own numbers, and a self-checking quiz covering basic dosage, drip rates, weight-based dosing, safe dose range checks, and more — all in metric.
Open the calculator →Full practice tests
Complete NMC CBT-style practice questions organised by topic, with full worked answers and explanations.
See all practice tests →A note on how to actually use practice questions
Getting a question right for the wrong reason is worse than getting it wrong for the right reason — the first teaches you nothing, the second tells you exactly what to fix. Read the rationale even when you got it right, and if one calculation type keeps catching you out, go back to the formula rather than just drilling more questions on it.
Frequently asked questions
Who actually has to sit the NMC CBT?
It's Part 1 of the NMC's Test of Competence, required for internationally educated nurses and midwives applying to join the UK register. Nurses trained in the UK don't sit this specific exam — their numeracy and clinical competence are assessed within their nursing degree instead.
How many questions are in the NMC CBT numeracy paper, and how long do I get?
Part A (numeracy) has 15 questions with a 30-minute time limit, sat in the same session as the 100-question, 2-hour-30-minute Part B (clinical) — 3 hours in total for both.
Is a calculator allowed in the numeracy section?
Yes — an on-screen calculator is built into the Pearson VUE exam software for Part A. You don't need to bring your own, and you won't be doing the arithmetic by hand.
Are the numeracy and clinical sections scored separately?
Yes. Part A and Part B are graded independently, and you must pass both — a high score on one doesn't offset the other. If you fail one part, you only need to resit that part, not the whole test.
How many attempts do I get at the CBT?
Three attempts within a single NMC application, with at least 10 days required between sittings. If you fail the third attempt, your application closes, previous passes don't carry over, and you must wait six months before submitting a new application.
Does the NMC numeracy test use metric units only?
Yes. Every calculation is in metric — milligrams, micrograms, millilitres, litres, kilograms — with no household measures (teaspoons, ounces, pounds) anywhere on the paper.