NMC OSCE Test Centres in the UK: Booking, Fees and Resits
Current list checked 5 October 2026. This guide to NMC OSCE test centres in the UK compares the three currently approved providers, their booking routes and date cut-offs. The exam fee is nationally set, but travel, cancellation terms and the centre you may need to return to after a fail can make your first choice consequential.
Key takeaways
- The current NMC list has three approved centres: Northampton, Leeds and Derry/Londonderry. It lists no centre in Scotland or Wales.
- Your first centre usually becomes your resit centre too. Compare the journey for a possible second visit before paying.
- The OSCE costs £794; a partial resit of up to seven failed stations costs £397. Travel, accommodation and missed work are separate costs.
- There is no single published UK booking-wait estimate. Dates and cut-offs vary by provider, and results sent within five working days do not mean a resit date will be available within five days.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for internationally educated nurses across the United Kingdom who have NMC confirmation to take the OSCE and need to compare approved centres, booking dates, fees, resits and travel. It is especially useful if you live in Scotland, Wales or far from the listed centres; need to fit the exam around work, travel permission or a planned start date; or may need to resit. Typical exam-day items include your NMC eligibility details and PRN, appointment confirmation and valid passport. Your first ID check may also involve nursing qualifications, overseas registration or police records, and a marriage or name-change document if names differ. Some records may be in Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Ukrainian; these are examples, not a ranking of applicant languages.
The OSCE is Part 2 of the NMC Test of Competence. The NMC sets the registration and exam rules across the UK; practical differences for candidates are the three-centre map, provider booking processes, travel and cancellation terms. The wider NMC registration process and exam preparation are outside this guide’s scope.
Current NMC OSCE test centre locations
The NMC currently lists University of Northampton, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Ulster University as approved OSCE providers. Oxford Brookes closed on 31 July 2026 and Northumbria closed on 19 February 2026. Check the NMC OSCE page before booking, because the approved list and transfer instructions can change.
| Centre and location | Booking route and date cut-off | Practical planning points |
|---|---|---|
| University of Northampton Competence Test Centre Innovation Centre, Green Street, Northampton NN1 1SY. Phone: 01604 892066. Nurses and midwives: [email protected]. |
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| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Competence Test Centre Suite C5, Joseph’s Well, Hanover Lane, Leeds LS3 1AB. Phone: 0113 392 0752. Email: [email protected]. |
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| Ulster University NMC Competence Test Centre Foyle House, Dunvale Park, Duncreggan Road, Derry/Londonderry BT48 0AH, on the Magee campus. Email: [email protected]. |
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How to choose and book an NMC OSCE centre
- Wait for NMC confirmation and keep your PRN handy. For initial registration, the NMC says you can book with a test provider once it confirms that you need the Test of Competence. The provider will need your correct nursing field and personal details. Read the current NMC booking instructions before selecting a date.
- Check actual dates at each centre. There is no central UK booking calendar. Northampton directs candidates to email for dates within two weeks; Leeds says its bookings close three days ahead; Ulster closes dates 14 days ahead. These are provider processes, not a national wait-time rule.
- Compare the whole journey, not just the exam fee. There is no current NMC-listed centre in Scotland or Wales. Northampton’s station-facing Innovation Centre can be convenient by rail, but entering the university name into a map may take you to Waterside instead. Leeds is at Joseph’s Well. Ulster is in Derry/Londonderry, so a journey from Great Britain involves an additional sea or air crossing and ground transport. Check your arrival route and allow a buffer that fits your itinerary.
- Read the cancellation terms before paying. The NMC exam price is the same across centres, but the provider’s rules for cancelling or changing a booking are not. If you need to move a date, contact the centre and follow its current instructions rather than assuming another provider’s policy applies.
- Save the booking confirmation and plan for a possible resit. Keep the email, the centre’s contact details and your travel receipts. A resit may mean repeating the journey to the same centre.
- Request any reasonable adjustment early. If you need an adjustment because of a disability or health condition, contact your chosen centre before the exam date and ask what evidence it needs. The NMC’s current nursing OSCE information booklet explains the adjustment process.
NMC OSCE fees, cancellation and resit rules
The NMC lists the full OSCE fee as £794. If you fail seven or fewer stations, the reduced resit fee is £397; if you fail eight or more, the full fee applies. The NMC rules allow a maximum of three OSCE attempts in an application, with at least 10 days between sittings. If you fail the third attempt, the application closes; a new application requires a six-month wait and a retake of all 10 stations. Check the NMC’s current fee and resit rules before committing to travel.
The first booking can determine where a later resit happens. NMC rules say resits normally take place at the centre used for the first attempt. The exception is for candidates whose first attempt was at the now-closed Oxford Brookes or Northumbria centres: they can request a transfer to another currently approved centre by emailing their preferred provider and using the relevant transfer-request wording in the subject line. If accepted, that provider becomes the candidate’s centre for later resits. Do not assume that a transfer exception applies to other circumstances.
Cancellation exposure also differs by provider. Leeds states that exams are non-refundable if cancelled and asks candidates to contact the centre to cancel or rearrange. Ulster’s published terms deduct £30 for a cancellation or reschedule requested more than three weeks before the exam, and £250 when requested less than three weeks before; it may consider reducing the latter fee in exceptional, evidenced circumstances. Ulster says no refund is given for non-attendance. Its page does not define the exact three-week boundary, so ask the centre in writing if your request falls on that date. Northampton directs candidates to the booking-system terms for its refund policy. Check the live terms before payment, especially if travel or work dates are uncertain.
Wait times and what candidate experience can tell you
The NMC OSCE page does not give a single UK-wide average booking wait. Provider calendars show live availability, and dates can change; an email from one candidate describing a quick slot does not establish what another applicant can book. The NMC says results are emailed within five working days. That is result turnaround, not a promise about the next available exam date.
Do not choose by an online claim that one centre is easier to pass. The NMC describes a national Test of Competence, and an isolated centre percentage cannot predict an individual candidate’s outcome. If you see a pass-rate figure, check its reporting period and whether it includes first attempts, resits or centres that have since closed before drawing comparisons.
Candidate accounts can illustrate planning pressures, but they are not a reliable way to rank centres. Northampton reports that 99% of candidates who responded to its July–December 2024 survey agreed or strongly agreed that staff treated them with respect and provided support; this is the centre’s own survey, not an independent UK comparison. In a 2023 Reddit discussion, one candidate described returning to the same test centre for a resit and estimated additional travel at about £300. That is one person’s account, not a typical travel-cost estimate. The current same-centre rule is set out by the NMC; use your own route and budget when deciding. Northampton publishes its survey summary, and the individual account is on r/NursingUK.
Where official English translation fits
Translation is not part of the OSCE station fee or clinical assessment. It may matter for your NMC identity and document checks if a requested record is not in English. The NMC calls for an official English translation unless the issuing authority supplies an accepted, signed and sealed multilingual standard form. Its instructions require the source document’s certified copy and translation, and say the translator must be legally licensed and authorised, confirm an exact and direct translation, and provide their full name, address, signature, contact details and stamp. Check the NMC document-submission requirements for your case.
Do not assume every applicant needs a new translation or that notarisation is automatically required. Start with the records NMC has requested and check whether they are already in English or have an accepted multilingual form. For the document-by-document ID check list, use our NMC OSCE ID check and police-clearance guide; for translator wording and certification details, see our NMC official English translation guide.
Commercial translation options for UK NMC documents
Translation companies are separate from the three NMC OSCE test providers. The NMC does not name a preferred commercial translation company on its document-submission page. The examples below are procurement starting points based on published details, not NMC endorsements; ask the assigned translator to confirm the NMC requirements for your specific file before ordering.
| Provider | Published footprint and services | What to verify for an NMC submission |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas Translations Ltd | ATC directory lists it as an Accredited Member, with personal-document and medical/life-sciences sectors. Its listed base is Censeo House, 6 St Peter’s Street, St Albans AL1 3LF; phone 01727 812 725. The profile lists additional UK offices and a broad language service. | Ask who will sign your translation and whether that individual’s details, exact and direct wording and stamp will meet the NMC requirements. Verify language availability and delivery format directly with Atlas via its ATC profile. |
| The Language Corner Ltd | Derby-based. CIOL’s current directory lists its lead translator as a Chartered Linguist, French to English, with civil and academic document work. Public contact details list 33 West Bank Road, Allestree, Derby DE22 2FY and +44 7766 760198. | Confirm that it accepts your language pair and can provide the precise NMC translator information for the document. The professional directory entry is a credential signal for the listed translator, not a promise of acceptance for every NMC file. Check the CIOL profile. |
| CertOf | Online translation ordering for civil and academic records is available through the CertOf upload portal; it is not a physical UK test centre. Its published service uses digital delivery and identifies supported language pairs in the live order flow. | Before ordering for NMC, confirm the assigned translator’s legal authorisation and that the delivered certificate includes the required exact and direct statement and contact details. CertOf is not NMC-approved and cannot book an OSCE or guarantee a registration decision. |
These providers do not have a single comparable, independent review measure for NMC OSCE document acceptance. Compare the named translator, language pair, certification details, delivery method and revision process in writing; directory membership or a general certified-translation claim does not replace checking NMC’s rule.
Official help, complaints and fraud reporting
- Booking or result question: the NMC directs candidates to contact the test centre for booking and results queries. If you believe an irregularity occurred, the nursing OSCE booklet linked above says to submit a Level 1 appeal form to the test centre within five working days of receiving your result. Confirm the current form and submission route with the centre promptly.
- NMC administrative complaint: use the NMC complaints route for a complaint about the regulator’s service, not as a way to change an exam mark. NMC normally investigates complaints made within 12 months.
- Free preparation material: start with the NMC Test of Competence preparation materials before paying a private course. The NMC page also links to candidate booklets.
- Suspected payment or booking fraud: use only booking links reached from the NMC’s approved-centre page. Be cautious of anyone promising a guaranteed pass or an official priority slot. Report fraud through Report Fraud in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; in Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101.
If a recruiter or agency is asking you to pay fees beyond the exam and travel, read our separate guide to UK overseas nurse recruitment fees and complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the current NMC OSCE test centres in the UK?
The NMC currently lists University of Northampton, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Ulster University in Derry/Londonderry. The current list has no centre in Scotland or Wales. Check the NMC page before booking in case the list changes.
Can I choose any NMC OSCE centre?
You can choose a preferred centre from the current NMC-approved providers, subject to its eligibility checks and available dates. Compare the journey, booking calendar and cancellation terms along with the exam date.
How much is the NMC OSCE resit fee?
A resit of seven or fewer failed stations costs £397. If eight or more stations were failed, the full £794 fee applies. Travel and accommodation are not included.
Can I resit at a different NMC OSCE centre?
Usually no: NMC says resits take place at the same centre as the first attempt. Candidates whose first attempt was at closed Oxford Brookes or Northumbria may request a transfer to another approved centre. If accepted, that becomes their centre for any later resit.
How long is the wait for an NMC OSCE date?
There is no single published UK-wide wait estimate. Check each provider’s live booking route. Northampton asks candidates seeking a date within two weeks to email; Leeds says booking closes three days before the exam; Ulster closes dates 14 days in advance.
Can I get an OSCE fee refund if travel or visa plans change?
Do not assume so. Leeds states that cancelled exams are non-refundable; Ulster publishes £30 or £250 cancellation deductions depending on notice; Northampton directs candidates to its booking-system terms. Contact your centre and read the current terms before paying. A personal travel problem does not automatically change the provider’s policy.
Which NMC OSCE centre is easiest to pass?
There is no sound basis for choosing a centre on a claim that it is easier. The OSCE is a national NMC assessment, and a pass-rate difference alone does not establish that a centre is more lenient or better for your circumstances. Choose using available dates, journey and resit implications.
What if my passport name differs from my NMC booking?
Resolve this before exam day. Northampton’s booking guidance says candidates with a passport name different from the NMC authorisation need original evidence linking the names, such as a marriage certificate or legal affidavit. Contact the NMC ID Verification team if your records differ, and review the ID check document guide if any evidence is not in English.
Next steps
First check the NMC eligibility confirmation and PRN, then compare dates, travel and cancellation rules at the centres you could realistically attend. If a requested NMC document is not in English, confirm the translation requirement and translator credentials early. You can submit a document to CertOf for translation or review who signs a CertOf translation certificate; CertOf provides document translation, not OSCE booking, legal representation or an NMC outcome guarantee.
Scope note: Detailed guidance on OSCE appeals and centre complaints, UK-wide travel and accessibility planning, and preparation resources by nursing field are separate topics. This guide focuses on centre selection, booking, costs and resits. Information is practical guidance, not a substitute for the current NMC instructions or the provider’s terms.