Oman Nursing Exam 2026: OEN Blueprint, Fee & Steps
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Oman Nursing Exam Quick Summary
Registered nurses with a BSN sit the Omani Examination for Nurses (OEN), run by the Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB). It has 100 single best answer MCQs in 2 hours 30 minutes, costs USD 200, and is taken at OMSB in Muscat or at Pearson VUE centres worldwide. Results are emailed within 24 hours.
This guide covers who can sit the OEN, how to register and book, OMSB's official blueprint and reading list, and how to prepare, with five sample questions from our MOH Oman Registered Nurse QBank.
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Who can sit the Oman nursing exam
OMSB's OEN booklet sets the exam for nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a recognised college. A separate version exists for diploma nurses.
The Ministry of Health and your employer set the licensing requirements that follow the exam, such as experience, registration and verification, so confirm these with your recruiter before you book.
How to apply, step by step
Go to Professional Competence Affairs, then Occupational Classification Testing, then Online Services, and apply for the OEN.
Book a seat at a Pearson VUE centre worldwide, or at OMSB's centre if you live in Oman.
Bring the identification named in your booking. Results are emailed within 24 hours.
Your employer uses your result for the Ministry of Health licensing steps.
Exam format
| Item | Details (OMSB OEN booklet) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 single best answer MCQs, four options each |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Fee | USD 200 |
| Where | OMSB test centre in Muscat or Pearson VUE centres worldwide |
| Result | Emailed within 24 hours |
The booklet does not state a pass mark; 60% is widely reported for the BSN exam.
Official OEN blueprint
OMSB's booklet sets these weights, each of which may vary by up to 5%:
A 6-week study plan
| Weeks | Focus | Daily target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Adult health (30%) and principles of care (20%) | 40 MCQs, then read every explanation |
| 3 | Community health, gerontology and mental health | 40 MCQs |
| 4 | Maternal and child health | 40 MCQs |
| 5 | Research and epidemiology; one full timed mock of 100 questions | Review the mock the next day |
| 6 | Weak areas and a final mock | Book when you score comfortably above 60% |
Official reading list
OMSB's booklet recommends these texts:
| Area | Books |
|---|---|
| Adult and critical care | Brunner and Suddarth's Medical-Surgical Nursing (14th ed.); Sole, Klein and Moseley, Introduction to Critical Care Nursing (7th ed.) |
| Principles and assessment | Kozier and Erb's Fundamentals of Nursing; Weber, Health Assessment in Nursing; Marquis and Huston, Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing |
| Maternal and child | Pillitteri, Maternal and Child Health Nursing (7th ed.); Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing |
| Mental health | Townsend, psychiatric mental health nursing; Gorman and Sultan, Psychosocial Nursing for General Patient Care |
| Community and older adults | Allender, Rector and Warner, Community and Public Health Nursing; Eliopoulos, Gerontological Nursing; Savage, Public/Community Health and Nursing Practice |
| Research | Polit and Beck, Nursing Research; Webb and Bain, Essential Epidemiology |
Sample Oman Registered Nurse MCQs
These five questions come from the free trial of our Oman Registered Nurse QBank, across the OEN blueprint. Tap a question to see the answer and explanation.
A 61-year-old man with chronic kidney disease is to start a 24-hour urine collection for creatinine clearance on a medical ward. The nurse plans to begin at 07:00. Which instruction is correct?A. Collect the urine passed at 07:00 as the first sample, and stop collecting at 07:00 the next dayB. Collect urine from 07:00 until bedtime, then restart the next morningC. Pass urine at 07:00 and discard it, then save all urine, including urine passed at 07:00 the next dayD. Save the first urine of the morning on 2 consecutive days
Answer: C. Pass urine at 07:00 and discard it, then save all urine, including urine passed at 07:00 the next day
Explanation: At the start time the patient empties his bladder and that urine is discarded, because it was made before the collection period began. The nurse records the exact start time. All urine passed over the next 24 hours is saved in the labelled container, kept cool (on ice or refrigerated) and with any preservative the laboratory requires.
A 55-year-old man is sedated and ventilated in the ICU. He is receiving an IV insulin infusion at 3 units/h by protocol and IV fluids, and his enteral feed is running. The hourly blood glucose is 3.3 mmol/L (59 mg/dL). His previous reading was 5.6 mmol/L. What is the nurse's priority action?A. Stop the insulin infusion, give IV dextrose as per the hypoglycaemia protocol and recheck the glucose in 15 minutesB. Halve the insulin infusion rate and recheck the glucose in 1 hourC. Give 15 g of oral glucose gel into his mouthD. Give glucagon 1 mg IM and continue the insulin at the same rate
Answer: A. Stop the insulin infusion, give IV dextrose as per the hypoglycaemia protocol and recheck the glucose in 15 minutes
Explanation: A glucose below 4.0 mmol/L (72 mg/dL) is hypoglycaemia, and below 3.0 mmol/L is clinically significant. In a sedated, ventilated patient the usual warning signs are hidden, so the number alone must guide action. The nurse stops the insulin infusion, gives IV dextrose as the protocol directs (for example 75 to 100 mL of 20% glucose, which provides 15 to 20 g), and rechecks the glucose in 15 minutes, repeating treatment until it is above 4 mmol/L.
A 46-year-old man taking tranylcypromine for depression is on a psychiatric ward. One hour after eating food brought by a visitor, he complains of a severe pounding headache at the back of his head, palpitations and a stiff neck. He is sweating. His blood pressure is 212/122 mmHg, pulse 112/min and temperature 37.4 °C. What is the nurse's priority action?A. Give the prescribed PRN paracetamol for the headache and recheck in an hourB. Withhold the next tranylcypromine dose, keep him resting with the head raised, monitor blood pressure closely and notify the doctor immediatelyC. Encourage him to walk around the ward to relieve the tension headacheD. Give his usual evening dose of tranylcypromine early to calm him
Answer: B. Withhold the next tranylcypromine dose, keep him resting with the head raised, monitor blood pressure closely and notify the doctor immediately
Explanation: An MAOI plus a high-tyramine food (probably the visitor's food) can cause a hypertensive crisis: severe occipital headache, palpitations, neck stiffness, sweating, nausea and very high blood pressure, here 212/122 mmHg. It can lead to stroke, so it is a medical emergency. The nurse withholds the MAOI, keeps him at rest with the head of the bed raised, monitors blood pressure and neurological signs frequently and notifies the doctor at once.
A nurse at a primary health care centre is assessing a 4-month-old boy born at term. His weight is on the 25th centile. His mother has no concerns. Which finding should the nurse report to the doctor for further assessment?A. He does not sit up without supportB. He does not cry when held by a strangerC. He does not roll from his back onto his frontD. He does not smile back when his mother smiles and talks to him
Answer: D. He does not smile back when his mother smiles and talks to him
Explanation: The social (responsive) smile appears at about 6 to 8 weeks and is well established by 2 to 3 months. A 4-month-old who does not smile back at his parent has a social and communication red flag. Possible causes include visual impairment, hearing loss, neurological or developmental disorders and, sometimes, a very depressed or neglectful care environment.
A nurse researcher studies whether a nurse-led text message reminder programme improves medication adherence in adults with hypertension. 200 consenting patients are enrolled. Which feature would make this study a randomised controlled trial?A. Patients choose whether to receive the text messagesB. Adherence is measured before and after the programme in the same groupC. Patients are allocated to text messages or usual care by a computer-generated random sequenceD. Patients who already use text messages are compared with those who do not
Answer: C. Patients are allocated to text messages or usual care by a computer-generated random sequence
Explanation: A true experiment (RCT) has three features: manipulation (the researcher gives the intervention), a control group (usual care or placebo) and randomisation, meaning every participant has an equal chance of being allocated to either group, using a method such as a computer-generated sequence with concealed allocation. Randomisation makes the groups similar in both known and unknown characteristics (age, motivation, literacy), so a difference in adherence can be attributed to the text messages rather than to confounding variables. This gives the RCT its strong internal validity and its place as Level II evidence.
Want to try more Oman Registered Nurse questions?
Start with 30 free questions from the same QBank, each with a full explanation, then unlock the full bank when you are ready.
Results and next steps
OMSB emails results within 24 hours. OMSB has not published a current limit on attempts; older rules allowed three attempts in a calendar year, so check when you register.
Since 2023 Pearson VUE has been OMSB's exclusive test provider outside Oman, so older guides that mention Prometric are out of date.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the Oman nursing exam?
100 single best answer MCQs in 2 hours 30 minutes.
What is the fee for the OEN?
USD 200, according to OMSB's booklet.
Is the Oman nursing exam still with Prometric?
No. Since 2023 it has been taken at Pearson VUE centres worldwide, or at OMSB in Muscat.
Which area has the most questions?
Adult health, at 30%, followed by principles of care at 20%.
What is the pass mark?
The booklet does not state one; 60% is widely reported for the BSN exam.
When do I get my result?
OMSB emails results within 24 hours of the exam.
Ready to pass the Oman nursing exam?
Practise with exam-style nursing MCQs built around the OEN blueprint, with full explanations and timed tests.
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