Frequently Asked Questions

Candidates can email the IQNM exam team directly at IQNMexams@Ahpra.gov.au, or contact 1300 419 495 and, if needed, CST can escalate matters to Hannah Lange on x9177.

Where do I go to pay my RN OSCE fee? Payment of the RN OSCE Exam fee is processed via the candidates IQNM dashboard. Candidates are advised to log into their IQNM dashboard to complete this process.  

The fee for the RN OSCE is $4000 and is required to be paid prior to candidates being able to select a date to undertake the examination. Payments can only be made via the candidates IQNM Dashboard

The OSCE Examination fee is not refundable. If you can no longer attend the examination date you have selected and need to re-schedule, please refer to the Changing your scheduled examination section in the RN OSCE Candidate Handbook.  

Candidates can access details of all the payments made by navigating to their transaction page via their online serviced account. .  

The IQNM exam team send out booking selection emails to candidates within 5 business days from when the team are informed that your fee payment has been received. 

Candidate booking confirmation emails can only be sent after the date selection communication has been finalised with the candidate. 

If you have not received your confirmation email and you have finished the exam date booking process, please contact the IQNM exam team via email: IQNMexams@ahpra.gov.au  

How long does the booking process take? Booking selection emails are sent out to candidates within 5 business days of receiving your OSCE fee payment. 

Confirmation emails are sent to candidates once they have selected their preferred examination date

Once you have confirmed the preferred date of your examination, you will be sent a confirmation email of this booking being placed. 

This will include the details of your allocated exam session and date and the details and location of the Examination centre.  

The maximum number of candidates we are able to accommodate at this time is: 40 candidates per exam cycle. Once this number of candidates is reached, you will be offered alternative RN OSCE exam dates to make your selection from.

Candidates who have paid their RN OSCE fee and have been contacted by the IQNM Exam team to select their preferred exam date don’t have a closing date to submit their preferred date response. 

However, places for each cycle are limited to 40 candidates per exam cycle and these spots are expected to fill up fast. Places will be given on a first come, first served basis, if you are delayed in replying to the booking selection email, you risk missing out on a place at the next RN OSCE.  

If upon receipt of your response to the booking selection email, your chosen exam date is full. The IQNM examination team will be in contact to confirm your options for alternative RN OSCE dates.

Each RN OSCE exam cycle does not have waiting lists available. If a spot become available, the next person on the list of registrations may be offered the option of taking the spot. 

The offering of a spot will be determined by the IQNM exam team and will take into account any administrative timelines that are required to be adhered and will be dependent on whether there is enough travel time for a candidate to get to Adelaide to participate.  

Adelaide Health Simulation Centre

Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Overview: This is the original and purpose-built facility for the RN OSCE. It continues to serve as a primary examination site for internationally qualified nurses seeking registration in Australia. .

University of Melbourne – Clinical Education Simulation Centre

Location: Melbourne, Victoria

Overview: In response to increasing demand, a new examination centre was opened in Melbourne. This facility allows Ahpra to conduct up to 20 exam weeks each year across both Adelaide and Melbourne, providing greater flexibility and accessibility for candidates.

Examination dates will be offered to candidates as they become available. Candidates are only eligible to

attend the RN OSCE Exam on the dates offered at the time of the booking . Ahpra does not coordinate

exams for individual candidates’ calendars in mind.

If you are unavailable for the dates you have been provided, the IQNM exam team will be in contact with

you as soon as new dates become available.

If for any reason you are not able to undertake your RN OSCE examination on the selected date, you need to contact the IQNM exam team as soon as possible. 

There is no refund of the RN OSCE examination fee for any reason, including but not limited to: 

• Failure to reschedule and/or cancel an exam appointment more than three full business days before the confirmed exam date 

• Failure to appear for an exam appointment

Requests to reschedule an RN OSCE Examination must be received at least three (3) full business days (72 hours) before your scheduled exam date and time. 

Australian National and State holidays should also be considered when deciding whether to reschedule an examination as offices may be closed. 

NOTE: Leaving a message on an answering machine does not constitute giving the required notice for rescheduling or cancelling your exam appointment. Examination appointments should only be considered rescheduled or cancelled when you have received a confirmation of this being completed by the IQNM exams team.

Am I to arrange travel to and from the exam, or does Ahpra do that for me? Candidates who are not local to Adelaide and required to travel to be able to attend the examination are expected to arrange this at their own cost. 

Ahpra and the IQNM exam team take no responsibility in the coordination of travel or accommodation for candidates.

No, Ahpra does not reimburse any costs incurred to candidates in relation to their ability to travel to and from the examination in Adelaide or Melbourne

Candidates may book into any hotel in Adelaide or Melbourne that they wish too. However, the IQNM exam team do recommend you book into a CBD based location as the exam is held at CBD locations only

Unfortunately, the RN OSCE is not able to be coordinated in any other location or country other than Adelaide or Melbourne Australia.  

Candidates who require to travel into Australia to undertake the OSCE examination are advised to look up

and/or discuss their visa options with the department of immigration by visiting the following website:

Australian Department of Home Affairs - Immigration and citizenship

Candidates may find some more general information relating to this area by visiting the Immigration and

employment in Australia page on the NMBA website.  

It is recommended to not book travel until you have heard from the IQNM exam team. This is to ensure you are able to book the most convenient travel and accommodation in relation to the exam date and session you are allocated to.

Yes, OBA Nursing Academy offers preparatory courses designed to assist internationally qualified nurses in preparing for the RN OSCE exam. Our training programs are tailored to help candidates build clinical competence and confidence through simulation-based practice, mock OSCE stations, and expert-led guidance.  

The details of your allocated examination session and time for your selected examination date will be provided to you in the Candidate booking confirmation email sent to you by the IQNM exam team. This email is sent only when your booking has been confirmed. 

A reminder booking confirmation email will be sent to all candidates 2 weeks prior to their examination date  

Arrival times and exam location details can be found 

included in the candidate booking confirmation email.

Allocations for examination day sessions are randomly assigned and once communicated by the IQNM exam team, they are unable to be changed.

Please refer to the Candidate booking confirmation email and the RN OSCE Candidate Handbook for information regarding exam day requirements and advice regarding what to bring with you.

Although, we ask you to surrender your devices it is important to note that neither the Invigilators, other candidates or yourself will have access to them during the examination. This is done to ensure confidentiality of the examination and its content.  

At registration you will be handed a candidate ID card. This card is what will initiate the reading materials outside of each station as you progress through the examination. If you have any issues with the card during the examination, please put your hand up and ask for assistance from the exam invigilators on the exam circuit.  

How long will the OSCE go for? Candidates will be allocated to either an AM or PM session. Each session will go for approximately 3- 3.5hrs.

 It is recommended to ensure you do not book any travel or accommodation until you know which date and session you are allocated to.  

Each candidate will be expected to participate in 10 individual stations. 

Each station is allocated ten (10) minutes which is allocated as follows: 

• Two (2) minutes – Reading time outside of the exam room 

• Eight (8) minutes – Interaction or performance time inside of the room.

Testing Centres will use a series of bells sounds and announcements to signify the timings during the examination.

The sounds will be as follows;

Bell Start of Examination - begin reading time

Bell End of Reading time – enter station room

Announcement Warning – you have 1 minute left of interaction time.

Bell/Announcement End of Station time – move onto next station and prepare for reading

If you need assistance at any time during the examination, you can do so by requesting this from an examination invigilator. There will be invigilators located on the exam circuit who are there to assist you should you require it.

Most stations will require the use of a simulated patient however, there will be some stations that will use smaller pieces of equipment or manikins to simulate part of the patient. 

It should be noted that there is not a defined number of stations that will include a simulated patient or manikin  

The role of the examiner is that of an observational one for most stations, unless specifically stated as part of your candidate instruction. Candidate should not ask questions of the examiners, unless advised to do so within the reading material before entering the exam room. 

However, there may be times where you are asked to present your findings to the examiner directly, in which case you are advised to address this information to the examiner.

How do I report an Incident that occurred on examination day? 

If you feel there was an incident that may have impacted your performance on examination day, this needs to be reported to the IQNM exam team in writing within 7 calendar days of the examination date. 

Candidate should refer to the Reasonable adjustment and Special Consideration Policy on the NMBA IQNM Examination webpage.

Result are sent to candidates within six (6) weeks of their examination date. 

Candidates will receive a formal notification of their result via email which will detail their result and the next steps in their IQNM journey.

Candidate who pass their OSCE will be eligible to apply for registration and the steps to do this will be available to you on your IQNM dashboard.

Candidates who fail the RN OSCE can apply to re-sit the examination as soon as they have received their result notification. Firstly, by ensuring the fee for their next OSCE has been paid via the IQNM dashboard. 

Once the IQNM exam team are notified of your payment, you will be sent the booking selection email, and this will include the dates of the next available examinations.