- 2 papers — Paper 1 and Paper 2
- 100 MCQs per paper
- 2 hours per paper
- Topics: Community Health Nursing, Maternal & Child Health, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology, Anatomy & Physiology
- 4 papers — Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, and Paper 4
- 100 MCQs per paper
- 2 hours per paper
- Paper 1: Medical-Surgical Nursing & Pharmacology
- Paper 2: Maternal, Child & Community Health
- Paper 3: Mental Health & Psychiatric Nursing
- Paper 4: Research, Management & Professional Issues
- 2 papers — specialty-specific
- 100 MCQs per paper
- 2 hours per paper
- Specialties: Critical Care, Oncology, Renal, Psychiatric, Peri-Operative
- Question navigator grid — shows all questions, flagged questions, and answered/unanswered status
- Flag for review — mark questions to revisit before submitting
- Timer — displayed prominently; auto-submits when time expires
- No back-navigation penalty — you can move freely between questions
- 1Read your notes or a concise summary
- 2Practice 30–50 MCQs on that unit
- 3Review every wrong answer — read the rationale, not just the correct option
- 4Add weak concepts to your flashcard deck
- 1Memorising without understanding — NCK MCQs test application, not recall. You need to understand why an answer is correct.
- 2Skipping pharmacology — Drug calculations and drug mechanisms appear in every paper. Don't neglect them.
- 3Not practising under time pressure — 100 questions in 2–3 hours means roughly 1–1.5 minutes per question. Practice at that pace.
- 4Ignoring community health — KRCHN candidates especially underestimate community health nursing. It is heavily weighted.
What is the NCK Licensure Exam?
The Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) licensure examination is the mandatory assessment that every nursing graduate must pass before practising as a registered nurse in Kenya. It is a computer-based test (CBT) administered through the DigiProctor platform at approved examination centres across the country.
Passing the NCK exam is not optional — it is the gateway to your nursing career. Yet many graduates underestimate its difficulty, especially those who rely solely on classroom notes without structured exam preparation.
Exam Structure by Cadre
KRCHN (Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse)
BScN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)
Higher Diploma
The DigiProctor Interface
DigiProctor is the CBT platform used by NCK. Many candidates lose marks not because they don't know the content, but because they are unfamiliar with the interface on exam day. Key features:
The fix: Practice on a DigiProctor-style interface before exam day. NurseFiti's mock exam module replicates the exact layout, including the dark theme, grid navigator, and countdown timer.
A Proven 8-Week Study Strategy
Weeks 1–2: Diagnostic & Foundation
Take a diagnostic quiz to identify your weakest units. Don't start with your strongest topics — start with the units that carry the most marks and where you score below 60%.
Weeks 3–5: Focused Unit Practice
Work through each unit systematically. For each unit:
Weeks 6–7: Mixed Practice & Mock Exams
Stop studying unit by unit. Switch to mixed-topic practice sessions that mirror the real exam. Take at least 2 full mock exams per week under timed conditions.
Week 8: Review & Consolidation
No new topics. Review your flashcards, revisit flagged questions from mock exams, and focus on high-yield topics. Get adequate sleep the night before the exam.
The Most Common Mistakes
Start Your Preparation Today
NurseFiti gives you everything in this guide in one platform: adaptive MCQ practice, DigiProctor mock exams, spaced-repetition flashcards, and a personalised revision plan built around your exam date.