A nurse from across the globe helped a University of Northampton (UON) centre mark a big milestone, as their 50,000th first-time examination candidate.
The University’s Competence Test Centre (CTC) was the first to be established in the UK, opening in 2015 and has been run by the University since that time.
At the CTC, nurses, midwives and nursing associates who either qualified overseas or apply to rejoin the NMC Register after a long period away from practice take the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
The OSCE is a practical assessment used to evaluate healthcare practitioners’ ability and knowledge in areas such as conducting physical examinations and their decision-making skills.
Candidates must pass the OSCE to practise in the UK, pending approval from regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
This means the CTC contributes to – and helps shape – the NHS workforce with valued staff providing effective and professional care for UK patients.
One of those health professionals is Daniel Chukwu, originally from Nigeria but now based in Grimsby, Lincolnshire who is also the 50,000th OSCE candidate welcomed by the CTC team.
Daniel says: “It’s exciting to find out I am the Competence Test Centre’s milestone candidate. The CTC team were all amazing and their friendly welcome made me feel at ease before my OSCE exam.
“I’ve lived in the UK for about two years now after working as a Senior Healthcare Assistant but now look forward to a new professional future and role within Adult Nursing.”
Each year, CTC Northampton welcomes around 7,800 first-time OSCE candidates looking to enhance patient care across the country.
Candidate numbers have grown steadily year-on-year, reflecting a reputation for quality, efficiency, and service excellence. Even during the Covid pandemic, the Northampton Centre continued to deliver critical assessments to thousands of international nurses.
Other key figures and milestones include:
- Candidates come from 123 countries, with the ‘top three’ being India, Philippines and Nigeria.
- 96% of candidates “strongly agree” they had a positive experience at University of Northampton CTC.
- CTC Northampton has had two different locations. Its first base was at the University’s former Park Campus; its present home is the University’s Innovation Centre.
- The CTC employs 92 staff, some of whom are qualified nurses and midwives who supervise and ‘grade’ the OSCEs.
- The Centre welcomed the first candidates for the Nursing Associate OSCE in 2019.
- Last year, visitors from the Nursing Council of New Zealand jetted to the UK to meet with their British counterparts. Their visit included a tour of Northampton’s CTC and best practice discussions and information sharing.
Dr Jacob Saranga, Dean of the Faculty of Health, Sport and Behavioural Science, says: “Many congratulations to Daniel on being our Competence Test Centre’s 50,000th OSCE candidate. I wish him all the best with his new career, supporting the health and wellbeing of patients.
“Our CTC team see many candidates each week and ensure each, like Daniel, receives a friendly welcome and are made as comfortable as possible during their time in Northampton. It is heartening to read candidate comments about how beneficial this supportive approach is.”
Lesley Maslen, Executive Director of Professional Regulation at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), adds: “Reaching the 50,000th candidate is a great milestone for the University of Northampton. It highlights the central role the OSCE plays in ensuring that internationally educated nurses, midwives and nursing associates have the knowledge and skills to practise safely in the UK.
“We are grateful to the University of Northampton for facilitating these tests and supporting candidates through a robust and fair assessment process – that’s essential to maintaining confidence in the professions we regulate.”