Australian nursing registration
The RN OSCE exam
in Australia.
A practical examination for internationally qualified registered nurses on the Stream B pathway. Here is what to expect, what to prepare and where to check your next step.
Last checked 2026-10-30 · NMBA exam information · RN Standards for Practice
10 stations, each with 2 + 8 minutes
The examination has ten clinical scenarios. Each gives you two minutes to read the instructions and eight minutes to carry out the task. You move on when the station time ends.
Three areas of nursing practice
Stations cover nursing assessment and care planning, care delivery, and evaluation of care. Our 12 preparation categories organise practice within those areas; they are not a prediction of your ten exam stations.
Skills you may need to demonstrate
Prepare for observations, focused and risk assessment, medication administration and calculations, injections, IV fluids, transfusion, pain management, BLS, aseptic technique and wound care. Communication, consent, identity checks, infection prevention, documentation and evaluation belong throughout your care.
Settings and people
A scenario may place you in a ward, emergency department, GP clinic, residential aged care or community care. You may meet a simulated patient, a manikin, a caregiver or a person acting as a colleague. Address the manikin as your patient even when the examiner supplies its responses.
Reading time and clinical records
Read the candidate instructions outside the station and use the new reading note paper for your plan. Notes can be written during reading time only. Clinical documentation belongs in the station’s patient folder; personal reading notes do not replace it.
Demonstrate care, then explain it
In the examination you must perform the required practical care. Saying you would do something does not replace performing it. Examiners do not coach you or provide feedback. Prepare using national professional and infection prevention standards. Online say-and-do rehearsal complements supervised physical practice.
Four station performance bands
Your results include an overall outcome and separate information for each station: its name, result, candidate score, station pass mark and one of four performance bands. Those bands are Above standard, Meet standard, Below standard and Well below standard. There is no public universal percentage to memorise. Read the results guide →
Results within eight weeks
Ahpra sends results by email within eight weeks after the examination. If you pass, the next step is to apply for registration; the handbook specifies submitting that application within 90 days of the result. Passing an OSCE alone does not grant registration.
The examination fee is A$4,000
The RN OSCE costs A$4,000 for each sitting, paid through the IQNM dashboard. An unsuccessful candidate pays another fee to restart the scheduling process. This is separate from any preparation service you choose to purchase.
Attend in Adelaide or Melbourne
The examination takes place in person at Adelaide Health Simulation in Adelaide or RANZCOG in Melbourne. Your allocation email confirms the venue, date and session. Do not assume that online preparation means you can take the exam overseas.
120 days to pay; 180 days to complete
The payment window is 120 days from the IQNM dashboard moving to the OSCE stage. After payment, you have 180 days to sit and complete the OSCE. Allocation confirmation is sent four to eight weeks before the exam. Follow your dashboard and correspondence for your own dates.
Prepare for the candidate rules
Read the current candidate rules and your allocation instructions before attending, including identification, attendance, permitted belongings, confidentiality and required agreements. Arrange any reasonable adjustment through the examination team. Do not share or practise recalled confidential exam content.
Prepare a complete station
Use the reading card to identify the task, rehearse a clear opening, explain your assessment, complete the records and finish with a review plan. Use supervised training for physical skills.