As part of the ongoing development of the Test of Competence OSCE for midwifery, we have made some changes to the existing assessments and released a small number of new stations which will come into use from Monday 26 June. These changes will ensure a wider coverage of the standards, code of practice and blueprint and forms part of our routine maintenance to keep the test valid and reliable. Read the instructions carefully before you enter the station. It sounds silly, but people have been known to do the wrong examination in OSCEs (e.g. upper limb instead of lower limb neurological examination). If you don’t do what you’ve been asked, you just won’t get the marks.

These booklets give an overview of the CBT and OSCE, what candidates should expect on the day and how they can prepare. Don’t worry about making mistakes during the OSCE – you haven’t got time to panic. Stay calm, take a deep breath and continue as you were. Our comprehensive OSCE revision guide has over 50 clinical examination guides across 12 chapters, including:It can be easy to just wipe all memories of a bad OSCE out of your brain. However, if you write those errors down you can review them for your next exam and ensure you don’t make the same mistakes again. Talking to your coursemates about their experience can help too – no one said that you can only learn from your own mistakes. You may not be feeling very confident during your OSCE, but pretend you are! Stand up straight, smile when appropriate and speak loudly and clearly – being too apprehensive can give the impression you don’t really know what you’re doing and make the patient nervous too. Always begin and end a station with washing your hands! Not only is it just good clinical practice, this gives you vital and easy marks. The test specification for all nursing fields apply to adult nursing, children’s nursing, learning disabilities nursing and mental health nursing pathways.

All candidates who sit their assessment prior to 26 June 2023 will not be presented with the updates covered above. All candidates who sit on or after 26 June will experience the changes we have made. Dress professionally and accordingly to NHS dress code. Looking neat might not give you extra marks, but it does help you make a good first impression. Remember to tie up long hair, roll sleeves up above the elbows and take off your wristwatch.Grab a fellow medic/friend/flatmate and practice regularly until your examinations are fluent and confident. Exam nervousness can affect your performance, so it’s better to be a bit overprepared than under. If your medical school allows you to practice with their equipment, then take advantage of those opportunities. If not, things like reflex hammers, blood pressure cuffs and penlights can be bought off the internet for a decent price. Remember to practice with a timer too as the minutes fly by in the real thing.

OSCEs or Objective Structured Clinical Exams are the ‘practical’ exam of medical school. It aims to prepare you for the clinical and communication aspects of becoming a doctor. They can seem really difficult and stressful, but with enough practice, you are likely to score well. I hope these tips are helpful and make you feel a little less worried!

Test specifications show how the test is designed, what it will assess and how, and how results will be produced and presented. Once you finish your examination you may have some spare time; don’t let this go to waste. Look around to see if there’s any equipment in the room you’ve not used. The CBT and OSCE information booklets for all nursing fields apply to adult nursing, children’s nursing, learning disabilities nursing and mental health nursing pathways. As part of our ongoing review and maintenance of the test, the following documents have been updated. Pease note the changes made are minor and should not impact on the preparation that candidates complete ahead of sitting their test. Candidates should continue to read the full exam instructions, and apply their skills and knowledge to the station or scenario that they are presented with.