Nursing professionals in Kenya are among the few marketable courses students want to pursue year in and year out. The career starts with preparing for nursing courses in the country, which are available either as a diploma or a bachelor’s certificate. These courses at either level take 2 to 3 years for those doing a Nursing Diploma, and for Bachelor students, it takes about 4 years. Upon completing your course, before you proceed with the internship and even think about getting employed, you must take the NCK Exams.
The Nursing Council of Kenya exams are usually advertised at specific Timeframes ( Months) every year. During this period, when the exams period is announced, all Nursing students must take time to register for the exams before the set deadline. The good news for the 2025 period is that NCK has already announced when the examination dates. In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to Know about NCK exams.
Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK)
The National Council of Kenya, better known as the NCK, is a government parastatal body established in 1983 under the Nurses Act, Cap 257. Its main objective is to regulate nursing and midwifery education and practice standards.
Its other functions are:
- Establishing and enhancing standards across all branches of the nursing profession.
- Improving nursing standards and healthcare within the community.
- Providing training avenues and conducting examinations for individuals seeking registration or enrollment, with the approval of the Cabinet Secretary.
- Prescribing badges for registered nurses.
- Recommending institutions for approval by the Cabinet Secretary.
- Overseeing the conduct of registered individuals and maintaining standards of nursing care.
NCK Exam Dates and Deadlines for 2025
For those wondering if the NCK portal is open for 2025? You will be glad that the Portal was open for exam applications starting 2nd of January 2025, with the deadline for the withdrawal from the exam is 21st of March 2025
In addition, the NCK requests all Training institutions in the country ( Colleges and Universities) to Submit the required list of eligible applicants. Also, during this period, you should be aware that Mock rehearsals are mandatory for all, with the 1st mock happening on 1st April 2025, the 2nd Mock on April 21st, 2025, and the last Mock to happen on 20th May 2025.
NCK Examination Schedule for 2025
It is important to note that while the portal is open and students can start applying for exams, NCK is set to release the examination timetable for the 2025 examinations. However, since the Last Mock rehearsals are on the 20th, the Exams will most likely start on the 21st of May 2025
We will update this article with the exact programs and dates when they are out. However, it is also important to note that the NCK exam papers for the entire exam duration usually consist of four individual papers and 3 papers on other sidelines.
The specific Programmes usually done every year are as follows:
| # | Name of Programme | No. of Papers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenya Registered Paediatric Nurse [KRPAEDN] | 1 |
| 2 | Kenya Registered Midwife [KRM] | 1 |
| 3 | Kenya Registered Paediatric Critical Care Nurse [KRPAEDCCN] | 1 |
| 4 | Kenya Registered Palliative Care Nurse [KRPCN] | 1 |
| 5 | Kenya Registered Oncology Nursing [KRON] | 1 |
| 6 | Kenya Registered Nurse Anaesthetist [KRNA] | 1 |
| 7 | Kenya Registered Ophthalmic Nursing [KROPN] | 1 |
| 8 | Kenya Registered Mental Health & Psychiatric Nurse [KRMH&PN] | 1 |
| 9 | Kenya Registered Nurse [KRN] | 2 |
| 10 | Kenya Registered Peri-Operative Nurse [KRPON] | 1 |
| 11 | Kenya Enrolled Community Health Nurse – Basic [KECHN B] | 1 |
| 12 | Kenya Registered Critical Care Nurse [KRCCN] | 1 |
| 13 | Kenya Registered Nephrology Nurse [KRNN] | 1 |
| 14 | Kenya Registered Trauma and Emergency Nurse [KRT&EN] | 1 |
| 15 | Kenya Registered Neonatal Nurse [KRNeoN] | 1 |
| 16 | Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse – Basic [KRCHN B] | 2 |
| 17 | Kenya Registered Nurse Midwife [KRN/M] | 2 |
| 18 | Kenya Registered Nurse/Mental Health Nurse [KRN/MH] | 2 |
| 19 | Bachelor of Science in Nursing [BScN] | 2 |
| 20 | Bachelor of Science in Midwifery [BScM] | 2 |
| 21 | Kenya Enrolled Midwife [KEM] | 1 |
| 22 | Kenya Enrolled Nurse [KEN] | 1 |
Requirements To Sit for NCK Exams
Only candidates meeting NCK exam guidelines can sit for their papers. The examination instructions are as follows:
- Each Paper takes about 2hrs, with Morning sessions starting at 9 Am and afternoon sessions at 2 pm
- The deadline for changing exams is 3 weeks before the announced rehearsal dates
- Candidates must attend rehearsals and sit for the Mock exams at the Exam centres
- Electronic devices and external documents are not permitted in the exam Rooms
- If you are found carrying out exam malpractices, your results will be cancelled, and you will be prohibited from sitting any NCK teams for a year
- All applicants should apply and Pay for the exam fees
How To Register For NCK Exam 2025
The process of registering for the NCK exams is easy as long as you are an eligible student. First, the whole process is done by the institution where you study. They must submit to the cancel for processing. Once they do so, you will receive an email confirmation with a link that you will have to access the NCK Online exam portal.
It is mandatory for exam candidates to register on the NCK exam portal; you can access the Portal using the link https://osp.nckenya.com/register, create your account, and then proceed to log in.
Once you have logged in to your accounts dashboard, navigate to the exams tab and click on the exam application. Choose your exam centre and proceed to make payments of Ksh 8,500 so that you can be booked for the examination dates
Nursing Council of Kenya exam centres
All the Nursing Council of Kenya exams are only done at designated exam centres. As of 2025, the List is as follows:
NCK-APRIL-2024-LICENSING-EXAM-EXAM-CENTER-LISTFAQs
How many times can one sit for NCK Exams?
If you fail your first NCK exams, the body still gives you a maximum of four resits. You should be able to pass all the Papers to apply for enrollment/registration and licensing.
What is the pass mark for NCK?
The Minimum Passmark for all NCK exams is set at 50%
How much is the NCK exam fee?
The registration fee is Ksh 7,000 + Ksh 1,50,0, bringing the whole amount to Ksh 8,500 in 2025
Wrapping-Up
And that is all to know about the NCK exam Registration In Kenya 2025. Nothing can be said anymore, and we hope this guide has taken you through everything you need to Know about the NCK exams in Kenya. So remember to pay earlier to avoid missing the deadline dates, and if you happen to miss the first exam, NCK will give you another chance when the new Exam dates are announced. If you have any questions that you would like to shoot, please comment down below, and we will get back to you ASAP.
