1.2 Cadres, Indexing, Eligibility, Examination Windows & Fees

1.2 Cadres, Indexing, Eligibility, Examination Windows & Fees

Quick Answer: N&MC Ghana conducts licensing examinations for Nurse Assistants, Nurses and Midwives. Students are indexed by the Council through their training institution and receive an index number that is used for the licensing examination. To sit, a candidate must have completed the required theory and clinical experience, passed the college examination, performed satisfactorily in clinical nursing and paid the fee. Examinations are held in February/March, June/July, August and November/December every year. Under the Council's approved fees effective 22 May 2024, whole examinations cost GH¢640 (basic), GH¢495 (post-basic) and GH¢401.50 (auxiliary), and every candidate also pays GH¢13 to check results.

---

Cadres Examined by the Council

The Council's Examination and Licensing page lists these cadres and training routes:

A 2018 presentation by the Council's then Registrar described four programme levels—nurse assistant, basic, post-basic and postgraduate specialisation—and said the Council was then examining 22 nursing and midwifery programmes for more than 18,000 students from 88 schools.

[!NOTE] Scope of this guide: Chapters 2–14 teach the shared professional, adult, maternal-child, community and mental health content examined across the basic cadres, much of which also applies to nurse assistants. Post-basic specialty papers (ophthalmic, ENT, peri-operative/critical care, public health) are examined separately and need specialty texts in addition to this guide.

Indexing: How a Student Enters the Council's Records

Indexing is the Council's recording of each admitted student's details in its database, to confirm that admission met the entry requirement the Council sets with the Ministry of Health. The process:

1. The training institution submits indexing forms to the Council;
2. The Council checks each student's documents against the entry requirement;
3. Students who meet every requirement receive a unique index number, which is used for the Council's licensing examination.

Requirements: a completed indexing form and the prescribed fee. The Council's student FAQ adds that names and other details must be the same on every document; any inconsistency must be reconciled through a gazette.

Entry requirement (student FAQ): for basic nursing and midwifery programmes, a minimum of a credit in three core subjects (English, Mathematics and Integrated Science) and credits in three electives from the accepted Science, General Arts, Agricultural or Home Economics combinations.

The approved fee list shows that indexing has institutional deadlines: colleges pay escalating penalties for late indexing and for entering candidates late for an examination. For candidates the lesson is simple—your index number is a prerequisite for the examination, so problems with names or certificates must be fixed early.

Eligibility for the Licensing Examination

The Council lists four conditions. A candidate must have:

1. Completed the required theoretical instruction and clinical experience set out in the rules for the programme;
2. Passed the examination conducted by the college;
3. Attained satisfactory performance in clinical nursing; and
4. Paid the stipulated examination fee for that examination.

Candidates register through the Council's online Examination Registration portal; the Council publishes a registration tutorial on its website.

Annual Examination Windows

The Council states that licensing examinations "for the various programmes" are held in February/March, June/July, August and November/December every year. That page does not assign a fixed window to each cadre, so check the timetable released to your school. The written examination for foreign-trained applicants is organised twice a year, in June and December.

Approved Fees (effective 22 May 2024)

Other items on the same schedule:

• Checking of examination results: GH¢13.00, payable by all candidates in addition to examination fees;
• Foreign-trained examination: GH¢569.00;
• Indexing (Ghanaian students): GH¢85.00 indexing fee, or GH¢372.00 including the required books (clinical schedule book, code of ethics, the Council's rules on licensing-examination irregularities and others);
• Remarking of scripts: GH¢2,200.00.

Fees are reviewed from time to time; confirm the figure on the current schedule before paying.

Exam Traps at a Glance

• Indexing happens during training, not after graduation—without an index number you cannot be entered for the examination.
• Passing the college examination is an eligibility condition, not a substitute for the licensing examination.
• The GH¢13 results-checking charge is separate from the examination fee.