Nursing licensing exam (NLE): what the new law says
The Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Act, 2026 makes a National Licensing Examination (NLE) the route to a full licence for nurses and midwives. As of the date below, PN&MC had not yet published the exam's format or dates. This page sets out what the law already fixes.
Checked against the official sources below on 21 October 2026.
At a glance
| The law | Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Act, 2026 (Act No. XXXVII of 2026), dated 4 June 2026[1] |
|---|---|
| Held by | Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PN&MC), on a schedule it approves[1] |
| Who must pass it | Passing the NLE is required for a full licence[1] |
| Until then | New graduates get a provisional licence for one year[1] |
| Attempts | No limit[1] |
| When it starts | The Act gives PN&MC two years to put the NLE in place[1] |
| Format and syllabus | Not published yet: the Act leaves PN&MC to set the exam's structure and standards[1] |
| PN&MC's exam page | As checked, it lists only the 2022 Family Welfare Workers exam, with no NLE dates[2] |
Good to know
- Nurses licensed abroad without a postgraduate qualification the Council recognises must also pass the NLE for a full licence.[1]
- Pakistani graduates of recognised foreign nursing or midwifery programmes take a separate National Registration Examination (NRE) for full registration; its design is to be set by rules.[1]
- PN&MC's registration form currently asks which provincial Nursing Examination Board you qualified from.[3]
Practise nursing MCQs
Fundamentals, medical-surgical, maternal and child health, pharmacology and more, marked instantly with an explanation.
Practise nursing questionsSources
- Pakistan Code: Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Act, 2026 (PDF)
- PN&MC: Licensing exams
- PN&MC: Registration
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