Nursing in Ukraine in English: tuition, the KROK B exam and NMC registration in the UK

Why consider nursing in Ukraine

No hospital, clinic or hospice can run without nurses. It is a career for people who want to work close to patients and combine medical knowledge with everyday care. In Ukraine you can study nursing in English straight after secondary school. At our partner universities a year costs USD 2,800 to 4,500.

• The bachelor’s degree has 240 ECTS credits, which is about four years.
• Classes are taught in English, in international groups.
• The degree ends with a state exam: the KROK B test and a practical exam.
• Three of our partner universities offer nursing.

The programme: from nursing fundamentals to specialist care

Ukraine’s national higher education standard for nursing sets 240 ECTS credits for the bachelor’s degree for school leavers. The programme combines theory with practical classes and placements. A sample curriculum from one Ukrainian university includes:

• fundamentals of nursing,
• clinical nursing in paediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, neurology and psychiatry,
• obstetrics and gynaecology, infectious diseases and oncology,
• emergency medicine, anaesthesiology and intensive care,
• rehabilitation, dietetics, and palliative and hospice care,
• management and leadership in nursing.

We go through the detailed curriculum of the university you choose during the consultation.

The state exam: KROK B and a practical exam

The bachelor’s degree in nursing ends with the unified state qualification exam. It has two parts: the integrated KROK B test and a practice-oriented exam. The KROK tests are prepared by a centre of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, so every nursing student in the country sits the same test. Practice questions for the KROK B exam are available on Medmigrant, our learning platform.

1. Studies You complete theory, practical classes and placements, 240 ECTS credits in total.
2. KROK B You sit an integrated test of nursing knowledge.
3. Practical exam You show your practical skills to an examination board.
4. Degree You receive the Bachelor of Nursing degree.

How much does nursing in Ukraine cost?

Three of our partner universities teach nursing in English. This is the annual tuition:

University	City	Nursing
Ternopil National Medical University	Ternopil	$2,800
University of Medicine and Social Sciences (UMSS)	Rivne, Kharkiv	$4,000
Odesa National Medical University	Odesa	$4,500

On top of tuition you need to budget for accommodation, food, document translations and travel. We go through the current terms of each university with you in a free consultation.

Some of our partner Ukrainian universities also teach on campuses in Romania and Poland. In the consultation we check where you can start nursing in the year you choose.

Registering as a nurse in the UK with a degree from Ukraine

Nurses trained outside the UK join the register of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC uses the Test of Competence to assess the skills and knowledge of people applying from overseas. You need a qualification that allows you to register as a nurse in the country where you trained. The route has clear steps:

1. Eligibility check You open an NMC account and the NMC checks your eligibility and your qualification.
2. Computer-based test Part one of the Test of Competence costs £83. You can sit it at Pearson VUE test centres in most countries. It has 115 questions and lasts three hours, and you have up to three attempts.
3. OSCE Part two is a practical clinical exam, held only in the UK, and costs £794.
4. English and registration You prove your English and apply for registration with declarations on health, character and indemnity. The NMC gives you two years to complete registration.

For English, the NMC accepts for example IELTS Academic with at least 7 in reading, listening and speaking and 6.5 in writing, or OET with at least B (350) in reading, listening and speaking and C+ (300) in writing.

Registering as a nurse in Ireland

In Ireland nurses are registered by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). If you trained outside the EU, the process has two stages, recognition and registration:

1. Overseas Recognition You send your documents, including forms completed by your university and employers, and NMBI assesses your qualifications.
2. Decision NMBI recognises your qualifications or asks you to complete a compensation measure: an aptitude test (a multiple-choice exam and then an OSCE, run by RCSI) or an adaptation period with at least six weeks of clinical learning.
3. Overseas Registration You prove your English, for example with IELTS Academic or OET results less than two years old, and sign the declaration.
4. Register NMBI enters you in the register and you can work as a nurse in Ireland.

You will also need a Certificate of Current Professional Status from every country where you have been registered.

Start in Ukraine, finish in the EU if you wish

For many students the simplest option is to finish the degree in Ukraine: it costs less, and the paperwork after graduation is manageable. If you prefer an EU degree, you can start in Ukraine and transfer during your studies to a nursing programme at a university in the EU, for example in Poland.

1. Completed years You pass each year and collect your syllabuses, transcript and placement certificates.
2. Several universities Together we choose several EU universities that accept transfers that year.
3. Documents We prepare the application, translations and a comparison of the programmes.
4. EU degree You finish nursing at the EU university and receive its degree.

Transfers from universities outside the EU are part of our everyday work. In our experience a transfer always works out, although not always to the first-choice university, so we always choose several. Ask about a transfer.

Frequently asked questions

How long does nursing take in Ukraine?

The bachelor’s degree has 240 ECTS credits, which is about four years, and ends with the Bachelor of Nursing degree.

Can I work as a nurse in the UK with a degree from Ukraine?

Yes. You pass the NMC eligibility check and both parts of the Test of Competence, prove your English and then register with the NMC.

And in Ireland?

Yes. NMBI first assesses your qualifications and may ask for an aptitude test or an adaptation period. After that you register with NMBI.

Can I do a master’s after the bachelor’s?

Yes. Ukraine’s standard provides for a master’s degree in nursing, 120 ECTS credits, for graduates of health care programmes. In our offer, Ternopil National Medical University teaches it in English: it takes 2 years and costs USD 2,800 a year.

Do I need to speak Ukrainian?

No, the programmes we offer are taught in English. Basic Ukrainian is useful on placements and in everyday life, though.

Where should I start?

With a conversation about where you want to work after graduation and what your budget is. On that basis we choose the university and the plan, with recognition of your degree in mind from day one. Each partner university has its own requirements, and we guarantee our applicants a place on the student list.

Universities in Ukraine with nursing

Read also: Studying medicine in Ukraine: is it a good idea? and Pharmacy in Ukraine in English: tuition, KROK exams and registration in the UK. You will find more on the Ukraine page, on the Nursing page and in the university directory. Not sure which university to choose? Book a free consultation.