Kurokocchi

NMC is closed on Good Friday. Maundy Thursday is not a bank holiday in the UK so all schools and offices remain open.

No, candidates always were allowed up to 3 takes on the OSCE from the start. I think the update just changed the duration they need to wait between takes. IIRC, before now the wait needed to take the OSCE after the second failed attempt was 6 months. And now there's Oxford Brookes University, which is convenient so that more people can take the OSCE. I tell you, it was a pain before when it was just Northampton that accommodated test takers.

A year at least. But that was when nursing wasn't in the SOL (Shortage Occupation List). You people are most definitely lucky now that you don't have to wait as long.

The British Medical Association and Royal College of Nursing are trying to persuade the home secretary to exclude the NHS from the impending skills charge, because this doesn't just affect nurses and doctors, but every non-EU health care worker that are currently employed and will be employed by the NHS. It will also cost the NHS dearly, Trusts and patients alike. Anyway, here is a link to read more details about their lobbying: BMA - Immigration skills charge

There really is no secret to passing the CBT, but if you do put in the work, you'll definitely get results. Many of my colleagues here at work underestimated the CBT both before and during the actual exams saying that it is quite easy, which is why they failed during their first try. Even I didn't pass until my second try so I know how disheartening it feels. As for OSCE, I presume most NHS Trusts help their recruits with how to tackle it. If not, I'm sure your Filipino kuya's and ate's would be very eager to help you guys with it.

NMC normally don't inform candidates that they are in the assessment queue already. You'd have to go out of your way and contact (phone/email) them for them to tell you. They should put in the number and email address that they regularly use, regardless of whether those are home, work, or personal details. The point of putting those in is so NMC can easily contact them in case they have any questions regarding the candidates and their credentials. In short, they should write in contact details that give NMC the best chance of being able to reach them at any given time.

Have you undergone the TB screening at IOM then? Tuberculosis testing in the Philippines - GOV.UK

The next step should be to apply for your visa.

This is true. You cannot just put the word "present" when NMC is asking for a concrete date. If in doubt, put in the date you'll send out the form. With regards to sending out an email or by post, just send the email since it doesn't cost anything. What you have to consider when sending by post/courier is that it may be fast, but it doesn't mean NMC will put your mail ahead of their assessment queue. So it could take NMC about the same time to read your letter and consider it as sending the email and getting a response. At least emailing them is free. If unsure, ask NMC.

Adult nursing is pretty much the only nursing career most people applying could qualify for. Could you tell us why you are confused about choosing the type of exam? Do you meet the qualifications for children's, mental health, or learning disability nursing by any chance?

Exchange rates are quite low right now (GBP to PHP) so it might save you a few hundred pesos while the post-Brexit economy hasn't recovered yet--if it ever does.

Familiarizing yourself with the NEWS system is very important in preparation for the OSCE. Not so much for the CBT.

Congrats. IIRC the CBT pass status is valid for 2 years.

No they don't provide free copies, but you should be able to borrow a copy from any Trust library fairly easily. Once you get a list of text references from Northampton, the library stockpiles many of those useful texts as well.

I think you'll find a lot of people here have taken and passed the CBT already. If you can decode NMC's blueprint then go ahead, but if not then don't bother. The Royal Marsden manual is a good place to start and it also has a copy of the NMC code in one of its appendix, something that you should familiarize yourself with if you hope to pass the test. I also found the adult safeguarding module from the SCIE website quite useful.