27/09/2026
I acknowledge how frustrating it is when exam requirements change with little warning, especially when you're mid-preparation 🫠😭
However, this is the reality, and something I gently make learners aware of.
Exam content and format decisions come directly from the Nursing and Midwifery Council - NMC. These changes exist to refresh scenarios and keep the exam aligned with current UK practice, not to catch candidates out.
You may not be aware, but as educators, we don't get advance notice or special access to that information. We find out at the same time as everyone else, when it's announced publicly. And I agree that this is the correct way to reduce the risk of an unfair advantage, which ultimately risks patient safety.
Did you know? Many years ago, even the smallest change came with advance warning, and changes themselves were rare. That's not the case now. The NMC typically gives around 4 to 6 weeks' notice ahead of a change, and changes are much more frequent than they once were.
What I can do is check regularly and pass updates on to you the moment they're confirmed, rather than let you find out later than necessary. If you're preparing for OSCE right now, that commitment stands: I'll let you know about anything relevant as soon as it's public, and provide additional materials where needed.
This is exactly where experience matters. Building proper, evidence based resources isn't a quick turnaround job. It takes time, careful review against the updated requirements, and sometimes, further learning on my own part too, so that what I hand to you actually reflects current practice rather than a rushed rewrite.
That's the difference between quality preparation and something quickly released to fill a gap.
It also helps to remember what the NMC OSCE is actually testing. At its core, it's centred around safe practice. If your studying and practicing keeps that principle at the front of your mind, rather than trying to memorise a fixed scenario, you're far better placed to adapt when the detail changes.
OSCE covers Adult, LD, MH, Children & Young People, Midwifery, and Nursing Associate. Not everyone is a specialist across all of those fields, however experienced they are, and I'd rather be upfront about that than overpromise.
Where a scenario sits outside my own experience, I say so and hopefully, point you towards the right support.
If you are preparing for OSCE, I wish you the very best.
Remember, you are already a nurse and/or midwife. Plan, prepare and put the work in and it is highly likely you will pass, whilst recharging your clinical skills and reasoning. Win, win! 🙌
~Olivia
This post is based on broad industry knowledge and my own experience supporting internationally educated and return-to-practice UK nurses. Official sources are cited where possible; any learner perspectives mentioned are for background only, kept unidentifiable, and shared only with consent for direct quotes.
