Kathmandu – Only 17.44 percent of candidates passed the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) Nursing licensing exam this year, according to the Nepal Nursing Council.

Out of 645 candidates who submitted forms for the PCL Nursing exam, 602 appeared for the test, and only 105 were successful.

For B.Sc. Nursing, 217 candidates applied, 210 appeared, and 96 passed, resulting in a pass rate of 45.71 percent. Meanwhile, in the Specialist Nursing category, 98 candidates applied, 89 appeared, and 50 passed, giving a 56.18 percent success rate.

The Bachelor of Midwifery (BMS) exam recorded a 100 percent pass rate, with all 27 candidates who appeared successfully passing.

Registrar Shukla Khanal of the Nepal Nursing Council noted that the low results for PCL Nursing were largely due to repeat candidates rather than fresh students. She added that many of the PCL candidates had previously studied in India, which may have influenced the outcomes.

“The midwifery exam includes a practical skills assessment, which contributed to the higher pass rate,” Khanal explained.