The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) will conduct the NLE exam at the national level.
NLE stands for National Licensing Examination.
The National Medical and Dental Academic Board has prepared the whole format and guidelines for the National Licensing Examination (NLE).
According to Pakistan Medical Commission and Dental
“The NLE Exam will be administered to gauge the ability of MBBS graduates’ competence to practice independently.”
Passing the NLE (both the theory and clinical skills examination components) is mandatory for obtaining a full license to practice as a general practitioner. You should go through the NLE Exam Syllabus and cover all topics.
Eligibility
- Graduate MBBS from PMC-approved Pakistani medical colleges
Important Characteristics
| Point | Description |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Twice in a year |
| Attempts | Unlimited |
Structure
The NLE has following parts:
(a) Theory component
(b) Clinical Skills Examination (CSE)
Theory component
The theory component has almost 200 MCQs, as follows:
Clinical sciences: upto 70%
Basic sciences: upto 30%
Keep in mind that this will be computer-based.
Clinical Skills Examination (CSE)
The format of the CSE will be similar to that of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
Passing criteria
Candidates will have to pass both the theory and the CSE components separately in order to be declared successful in the NLE.
70% passing percentage is required for both the theory component and the clinical skills examination.
The candidate with 70% aggregate or more in CSE will be considered a fail and if he fails in one necessary area, he will be considered a fail in the entire CSE.
Candidates who pass the theory (MCQs) component but fail the CSE will have to reappear in the CSE component only. Such candidates will re-register for the CSE only.
If a candidate fails in 3 attempts at CSE, he or she can give an exam of the theory (MCQs) and CSE components on the 4th attempt.
After 3 unsuccessful attempts at CSE, it is mandatory for Canidiate to give the whole NEL exam.
Validity
| Description | Validity |
|---|---|
| The passing theory component of NLE | 5 Years , Must Pass CSE within 5 Years |
| CSE attempts after passing theory component of NLE | Total 3 attempts within 5 Years |
APPLIED BASIC SCIENCES DISCIPLINES IN NLE Exam
The basic sciences disciplines in NLE 2021 will include the following:. However, the content of the Basic Sciences content of the theory examination will be largely, but not exclusively, based on applied aspects of the following subjects:
- Applied Anatomy
- Applied Physiology
- Applied Biochemistry
- Applied Pathology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Community Medicine
- Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
WEIGHTAGE OF APPLIED BASIC SCIENCES IN NLE Exam
Weightage of Applied Basic Sciences disciplines in the theory (MCQs) component of NLE will be as follows:
| Basic Sciences weightage: 30% Total MCQs: 60 | # of MCQs |
|---|---|
| Applied Pathology | 16 |
| Applied Anatomy | 12 |
| Applied Physiology | 10 |
| Clinical Pharmacology | 8 |
| Applied Biochemistry | 6 |
| Community Medicine | 6 |
| Forensic Medicine & Toxicology | 2 |
| Total | 60 |
CLINICAL SCIENCES DISCIPLINES IN NLE Exam
Clinical sciences disciplines in NLE will comprise the following:
- Medicine and allied
- Surgery and allied
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Paediatrics
- Ophthalmology (Eye)
- Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
WEIGHTAGE OF CLINICAL SCIENCES DISCIPLINES IN NLE
Weightage of clinical sciences disciplines in the theory (MCQs) component of NLE will be as follows:
| Clinical Sciences weightage: 70% Total MCQs: 140 | # of MCQs |
|---|---|
| Medicine and allied | 52 |
| Surgery and allied | 48 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 14 |
| Paediatrics | 14 |
| Ophthalmology (Eye) | 6 |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | 6 |
| Total | 140 |
CLINICAL SKILLS EXAMINATION (CSE)
The CSE Exam includes the interpretation of clinical data, including diagnostic data, the formulation of diagnoses, and the development of management plans.
CSE consists of exam skills and practical skills.
The format of the CSE will be similar to that of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
The duration of CSE is 3 hours and 30 minutes and will be conducted at almost 20 stations.
3 stations are mandatory; if someone fails to appear, they will be considered failed in the entire CSE.
The passing criteria is 70%. , candidate must pass three mandatory stations.
Duration, number of stations, mandatory stations, and passing criteria will be subject to PMC Directions.
Provided that any such change is notified and displayed on the PMC website at least 12 weeks prior to the date of commencement of the CSE.
Distribution of disciplines for CSE
The distribution of disciplines for stations for CSE will be as follows:
| Discipline | number of stations |
|---|---|
| Medicine and allied | 7 |
| Surgery and allied | 7 |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology | 2 |
| Paediatrics | 2 |
| Ophthalmology (Eye) | 1 |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | 1 |
| Total stations | 20 |
Mandatory stations in CSE:
We have already explained that three stations are mandatory, and failure in any one of them will affect the whole exam, and the candidate will be considered a fail candidate. The three mandatory stations will be from each of the following disciplines:
- Medicine and allied
- Surgery and allied
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, or Pediatrics
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