The KMTC Final Qualifying Exam (FQE)
Every KMTC and college nursing student sits the Final Qualifying Exam before anything else. It is the exam that says you have finished and passed your training. Students often confuse it with the NCK licensure exam, but they are two different things at two different stages. This clears up what the FQE is and how to pass it.
What the FQE actually is
The Final Qualifying Exam is your college's own end-of-course exam, set by KMTC or another NCK-accredited school. Passing it means you have completed and passed your training. It is not the national licence exam. Once you clear the FQE, the Nursing Council of Kenya sends you a message with a link to register for the licensure exam.
How it differs from the NCK exam
The FQE is internal and comes first. The NCK licensure exam is national, run by the Council, and comes after. The FQE proves you finished your course. The licensure exam is what actually lets you register and practise. You sit the college exam, pass it, then the national one.
What it covers
The FQE tests the clinical subjects you studied across your course: medical-surgical nursing, midwifery, community health and the rest, using multiple-choice, short-answer and long-answer questions. Because it covers the same clinical ground as the licensure exam, the revision you do for one carries straight into the other.
How to prepare
Do not revise from notes alone. Practise questions in the formats you will face, and read the reasoning behind each answer instead of memorising it. Cover every subject, then put extra hours into your weakest ones. Preparing well for the FQE is also a head start on the NCK exam, so treat it as one continuous run rather than two separate crams.
Frequently asked questions
Is the KMTC Final Qualifying Exam the same as the NCK exam?
No. The FQE is your college's internal end-of-course exam. The NCK licensure exam is a separate national exam you sit afterwards to be registered and licensed to practise.
What happens after I pass the FQE?
The Nursing Council of Kenya sends you a link to register for the licensure exam. You register on the NCK portal, sit the exam, and once you pass you apply for your practice licence.