The 10 NMC OSCE stations, explained

The OSCE is sat in the UK after you have passed the CBT, and it is 10 stations rather than one long exam. They fall into three groups, and knowing which group you are walking into changes how you should prepare for it.

The three groups of stations

• APIE (4 stations). Four stations linked by one scenario, taken in order: assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. You meet the same patient throughout, so what you find in the assessment is what you plan and act on.
• Clinical skills (4 stations). Four practical skills, set as two pairs of two. These are performed on manikins and equipment rather than discussed.
• Values, behaviours and evidence-based practice (2 stations). Two stations on professional values and behaviours and on evidence-based practice.

Where candidates come unstuck

• Treating the four APIE stations as four separate exams. They share one patient and one scenario, so a detail missed in assessment follows you into planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Preparing only for the clinical skills. The values, behaviours and evidence-based practice stations are part of the same sitting and carry the same weight per station as anything else.
• Rehearsing procedures silently. Assessors cannot mark what they cannot observe, so saying what you are doing and why is part of doing it.
• Learning a script. The scenario varies, and a candidate reciting a memorised order of questions tends to stop listening to the answers.

Common questions

How many stations are in the NMC OSCE?

10. 4 apie, 4 clinical skills, 2 values, behaviours and evidence-based practice.

What does APIE stand for?

Assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. They are four linked stations built around a single patient scenario rather than four unrelated tasks.

How long does each station last?

The NMC does not publish station timings on its OSCE page, so we do not state any. Your confirmation and the test centre briefing are the sources to rely on, and anyone quoting exact minutes is guessing.

Can I practise the OSCE online?

Partly. Every account gets one OSCE station a week, free, with the full marked report. No card needed. Our simulator covers one station of the 10: an assessment-style conversation with a simulated patient, marked against criteria we wrote ourselves. It is not a substitute for practising the clinical skills stations, and its result is a simulated verdict, not a prediction of how an NMC assessor would mark you.