Overview
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) is the federal regulator of nursing and midwifery education and practice. It is a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health. This entry is for the registration body, not for one exam. The exams the Council itself sets are its Professional Qualifying Examinations, which students of approved nursing and midwifery schools take at the end of training, before they can be entered on the Council's registers.
Who can apply
You sit the Council's exams as a student of an approved school, not as an individual walk-in candidate.
Your school must be accredited, and you must first be indexed. Indexing records your details with the Council and checks that you met the entry requirements for the programme. It gives you an index number, which you use to apply for the exam.
The Council's indexing page lists the General Nursing entry requirement as five O-level credits in Mathematics, English Language, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, obtained in no more than two sittings from NECO, WAEC or NABTEB.
Applications for each exam come from the schools, not from individual students.
Levels or stages
The Council's Examination Division has three sections, which match the exams it runs.
General Nursing
The Professional Qualifying Examination for General Nurses is held in May, and a combined General and Post Basic Nurses sitting is held in November.
Midwifery
The Professional Qualifying Examination for Midwives is held in March and September.
Post Basic Nursing
The Council lists post basic programmes, such as perioperative, paediatric, critical care and public health nursing, among its approved programmes. Post basic candidates sit with the General Nurses exam in November.
Important dates
The Examination Division says it conducts four exams a year, each starting on a Tuesday:
March: Midwives, second Tuesday.
May: General Nurses, first Tuesday.
September: Midwives, second Tuesday.
November: General and Post Basic Nurses, first Tuesday.
Schools send hard copy applications within four to six weeks of the release of the previous results, with a one-week grace period for late applications, which carry a penalty.
How to apply
Your school handles the application. After the Council checks your index details and the number of times you have sat, the exam e-portal opens for applications. A single application form covers General Nurses, Midwives and Post Basic Nurses.
Marking and results
Scripts are marked centrally, and the Council's Board approves results before they are released to schools. A candidate who has sat twice must do a one-year tutorial before the last attempt. Failing the last attempt leads to dismissal from the programme.
After the exam
Nurses and midwives who pass the Final Professional Qualifying Examination apply to be entered on the Council's register. Foreign-trained nurses who meet the Council's requirements can also be registered. The Council keeps separate registers for general nurses, midwives and the post basic specialities.
FAQs
Can I apply for the exam myself?
No. Applications come through your accredited school, and you need an index number from the Council first.
How many times a year are the exams held?
Four times: March, May, September and November.
How many attempts do I get?
The Council's Examination Division says a candidate who has sat twice must do a one-year tutorial before the last attempt, and failing the last attempt leads to dismissal.