1.4 Examination Format: Computer-Based Papers, Practical Component, Results & Re-sits

1.4 Examination Format: Computer-Based Papers, Practical Component, Results & Re-sits

Quick Answer: N&MC Ghana runs its licensing examinations as computer-based multiple-choice papers plus a practical examination. The Council's 2018 description of the Registered Mental Nursing examination listed a practical examination, Paper I (180 MCQs, 3 hours), Paper II (180 MCQs, 3 hours) and Paper III (100 MCQs, 1 hour 40 minutes). The Council's online-examination FAQ says answers are saved at every stage and candidates may change answers, and that in the practical the care plan stays paper-based, the case study is written and submitted, and examiners score component tasks on tablets. Candidates who fail may rewrite until they pass, with no limit on re-sits.

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The Move to Online Examinations

At a 2018 regional meeting in Kigali, the Council's then Registrar explained why N&MC moved away from paper-based licensing examinations: it had to organise examinations throughout the year for 22 programmes, more than 18,000 students and 88 schools. With technical support from CINOP Global (Netherlands), KNUST and local partners, the Council built a model computer laboratory at its head office, trained its staff and its first 70 practical examiners, and ran mock examinations.

Rollout plan presented in 2018:

The same presentation listed the expected benefits: no printing of question papers, no residential marking of scripts, fewer invigilators, and results released in about 10 days instead of 70.

Official Paper Structure: What N&MC Has Published

Components of the 2018 Registered Mental Nursing licensing examination (N&MC):

1. Practical examination;
2. Paper I: 180 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours;
3. Paper II: 180 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours;
4. Paper III: 100 multiple-choice questions, 1 hour 40 minutes.

The Council's current public pages do not publish a paper-by-paper blueprint or item counts for every cadre, and its fee schedule prices re-sits by the number of papers (one, two, three or more than three for basic programmes). Candidate-preparation sources describe a similar three-MCQ-paper pattern for RGN—Paper 1: medicine and medical nursing; Paper 2: surgery and surgical nursing (including gynaecology, urology and orthopaedics); Paper 3: General Paper (basic sciences, ethics, law, leadership and health education)—plus the practical and a care study. Treat those paper titles as candidate reports and confirm the current structure for your cadre with your school or the Council.

Computer-Based Examination Rules (N&MC FAQ)

The Council also posts short orientation videos (instructions, login, navigation, starting and submitting the examination, and a practice exercise) and notes that the live system may look slightly different from the videos while keeping the same functions.

The Practical Component

The FAQ describes how the practical examination was digitised:

• The nursing care plan remains paper-based;
• The case (care) study is still written and submitted as before;
• Component tasks are loaded on a tablet that examiners use to score candidates during the practical.

The Council publishes Nursing and Midwifery Procedure Manuals online (General Nursing, Midwifery, Community Psychiatric Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Public Health Nursing, Paediatric Nursing and Pain Management, with a separate manual for post-basic programmes). Those manuals set the standard for how procedures are performed. Section 4.5 of this guide explains how to prepare the care plan, care study and component tasks.

Results, Irregularities and Re-sits

• Results checking: every candidate pays GH¢13 to check results, and the Council runs an online Results Checker.
• Remarking of scripts: listed on the approved fee schedule at GH¢2,200.
• Irregularities: indexing packs include the Council's Rules and Regulations for Dealing with Licensing Examination Irregularities. Read them; the Council does not publish its sanctions on its website, so this guide does not guess at them.
• Re-sits: the Council states that candidates who fail "are allowed to re-write until they pass"—there is no limit on the number of re-sits. Because the fee schedule prices re-sits by number of papers, confirm with your school exactly which papers or components you must re-register for.

How This Guide Organises the Content

N&MC does not publish topic weights. This guide groups the examined content as follows:

Exam Traps at a Glance

• You can change answers in the online examination until you confirm submission.
• The care plan is still handwritten on paper; practise writing one legibly under time pressure.
• Unlimited re-sits do not mean free re-sits: each re-sit paper has a fee.