Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a modern type of examination often used in health sciences. It is part 2 of the Test of Competence (ToC) of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration process for nurses and midwives trained outside of the European Union (EU)/ European American Area (EAA). The OSCE will simulate a clinical environment and patient scenarios which Registered Nurses and Midwives are likely to encounter when they assess, plan, implement, and evaluate care. Candidates are expected to utilize a contemporary evidence base and effectively demonstrate the safe practical application of nursing and midwifery skills. The OSCE is made up of six separate stations using simulated patients in a clinical setting. Four stations are designed to test the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care, and the remaining two stations test clinical skills. Each separate clinical examination is known as a station and candidates will visit all the stations within a set time. The test of competence is based on current UK pre-registration standards wherein applicant nurses are set to demonstrate safe and effective practice. In a controlled manner, OSCE presents all candidates with the same clinical tasks, in the same amount of time and marked using a structured checklist. Typically OSCE comprises at least 10 individual assessments or timed ‘stations’. Therefore each candidate will have at least 10 examiners form an opinion on their clinical performance. Stations sample a wide range of competencies such as:
History taking
Physical examination
Communication & explanation skills
Clinical reasoning skills
Practical/technical skills
Each station may last from 5 to 20 minutes and will have either a real patient with real clinical signs or a simulated patient. Candidates read the instructions then enter the station and proceed to perform the clinical task. Examiners observe the candidates performing the clinical task and their performance is scored using a predefined checklist. After candidates have finished in the defined period of time they all then rotate onto the next station in sequence.
Since it is the second part of the Test of Competence of the NMC of the United Kingdom, candidates are allowed to appear for the OSCE only after successfully completing their CBT, receiving the decision letter from NMC, and a visa clearance to travel, work and stay in the UK. Benz Academy stand guides the students to gain the required English language scores and helps to appear for the CBT and OSCE with confidence.
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam) is conducted to determine if it’s safe to begin to practice as an entry-level nurse. NCLEX-RN tests application and analysis using the nursing knowledge they have learned. This test is significantly different from any test that is taken in a nursing school as most of the nursing school exams are knowledge-based. In NCLEX-RN students will be tested on how they can use critical thinking skills to make nursing judgments.
The NCLEX-RN exam is organized according to the “Meeting our Client Needs” framework. It has got four major categories and eight subcategories. Most of the nursing programs are based on the medical model where students take separate medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric, and obstetric classes. However, on the NCLEX-RN exam, all the contents are integrated. Questions are primarily multiple-choice with four possible answer choices. But there are also alternate question types. Alternate question types include multiple-response, fill in the blanks, hot spots, chart/exhibit, and drag and drop. All questions involve integrated nursing content. It has a minimum and a maximum number of questions that it asks in order to determine the score. NCLEX-RN has a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions.NCLEX exams are Computer Adaptive Tests (CAT), which means that the questions a candidate receives are in direct response to the questions previously answered by the candidate. Each time a question is answered the computer assesses the eligibility of the candidate. If an answer is wrong then the next question will be slightly easier. If it is the right answer then the next question will be a little more difficult. With each right answer the computer’s estimate on the candidate’s eligibility becomes more precise. NCLEX-RN questions are organized along four major Client Needs categories as below:
Safe and effective care environment
Health promotion and maintenance
Psychosocial integrity
Physiological integrity
There is no numerical score for the NCLEX-RN exam. It is a pass or fail exam. No marks are awarded for this examination as other such exams. The result will be notified by the respective State Board of Nursing approximately 2-4 weeks after the test date. Benz Academy has formulated an updated course syllabus to help our students to clear the NCLEX-RN without any hassle. In special cases, we also provide guidance to all those who need special help when they prepare later even after their course completion.
Other than this Benz Academy has courses such as MOH, HAAD & Prometric for those who are interested to work in the Middle East countries.
For the nurses who wish to work in UAE need to pass the Ministry of Health (MOH) exam. The five emirates of UAE – Sharjah, Ajman, Um al Quwain, Fujairah, and Ras al Khaimah) require nurses to pass the MOH exam in order to work in their hospitals and medical centers. Candidates with two years of experience after their GNM/B.Sc nursing degree or three years of experience after post-graduation (M.Sc Nursing) can appear for MOH exam. It is the doorway exam every healthcare professional need to be qualified to get licensed. For any healthcare professional who wants to continue their career in UAE, this exam is helpful.
The Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) is the regulative body of the healthcare sector in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi. Those healthcare professionals who are in search of a career in Abu Dhabi need to clear the HAAD exam. We have a unique methodology that we follow in order to help our students crack their HAAD exam.
Prometric is a licensing criterion to ensure the competence and skills of nurses who wish to work in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. Prometric Exam for nurses is the most popular name for Saudi Council Examination. The validity of the Prometric exam is one year.