How to Prepare for NMC Revalidation
Revalidation is easier to manage when your evidence is built gradually rather than collected at the last minute. Use this practical guide to organise your practice hours, CPD, feedback, reflection and confirmation before your application is due.
Know what you need before you start organising evidence
NMC revalidation normally takes place every three years. During your revalidation period you need to build evidence across several different requirements rather than relying on one portfolio item or activity.
There is more to revalidation than the headline numbers
You also need practice-related feedback, written reflective accounts, a reflective discussion, confirmation and the other declarations and requirements specified by the NMC.
Build each part of your evidence systematically
Treating each requirement as a separate piece of your preparation makes it easier to see what is complete and where you still have work to do.
Practice hours
Keep a record of your professional practice throughout the revalidation period and monitor whether you are meeting the relevant hours requirement.
Practice Hours for NMC Revalidation →Continuing professional development
Record relevant learning as you complete it, including dates, hours, participatory learning, links with the Code and supporting evidence.
CPD for NMC Revalidation →Practice-related feedback
Collect and record five pieces of feedback related to your practice, while protecting the confidentiality of patients, service users and colleagues.
Practice-Related Feedback →Written reflective accounts
Complete five written reflective accounts based on CPD, practice-related feedback or events and experiences in your professional practice.
Written Reflective Accounts →Reflective discussion
Discuss your five written reflective accounts with another NMC-registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate in line with current NMC guidance.
Reflective Discussion →Confirmation
Arrange confirmation with an appropriate confirmer and have your evidence organised so the relevant requirements can be reviewed.
Revalidation Confirmation →Do not treat revalidation as a last-minute project
You do not need to complete everything at once. A simple ongoing system can spread the work across your revalidation period.
A simple revalidation filing system
Your records do not need to become unnecessarily complicated. What matters is that you can find the information you need and demonstrate that the relevant requirements have been met.
Simple and consistent usually beats complicated
Whether you keep records digitally, on paper or through an employer system, use a method you can maintain throughout the three-year cycle.
Before your revalidation application
- Check your renewal and revalidation dates
- Confirm that you meet the practice-hours requirement relevant to your registration
- Check that you have completed 35 hours of relevant CPD
- Check that at least 20 CPD hours meet the participatory-learning requirement
- Make sure your CPD records contain the information required by the NMC
- Have five pieces of practice-related feedback recorded
- Complete five written reflective accounts
- Complete your reflective discussion with an appropriate NMC registrant
- Prepare for confirmation and organise your supporting evidence
- Review the other declarations and requirements relevant to revalidation
- Protect confidentiality throughout your evidence
- Check the current NMC guidance and documentation before submission
Preparation problems that are easier to prevent than fix
Leaving everything until the deadline
Reconstructing several years of CPD, feedback and practice evidence can create unnecessary pressure.
Counting CPD without recording it properly
Keep the required information and evidence rather than recording only a total number of learning hours.
Forgetting participatory CPD
Monitor participatory learning separately so you know whether the required component of your CPD has been completed.
Writing descriptive rather than reflective accounts
Reflection should consider learning and its relevance to professional practice rather than simply describing what happened.
Using outdated documents
Check current NMC forms and guidance rather than relying on an old version saved from a previous revalidation cycle.
Including identifiable information
Protect the confidentiality of patients, service users, colleagues and other individuals in your evidence.
Use NurseNet resources to organise your preparation
NurseNet's free Revalidation Resource Library brings together practical resources designed to support your preparation, record keeping and professional reflection.
Free NMC Revalidation Resource Library
Access the NurseNet revalidation templates pack, CPD guide, Revalidation Ready Planner, Practice-Related Feedback Workbook and other free nursing resources.
Access the Free Revalidation Resource Library →Preparing for NMC revalidation FAQs
How early should I start preparing for revalidation?
It is useful to think of revalidation as an ongoing three-year process. Recording practice, CPD and feedback as you go can make final preparation considerably easier.
How many CPD hours do I need?
The NMC requires 35 hours of relevant CPD during the relevant three-year period, including at least 20 hours of participatory learning.
How many pieces of feedback do I need?
You need five pieces of practice-related feedback for revalidation.
How many written reflective accounts do I need?
You need five written reflective accounts prepared in line with the NMC revalidation requirements.
Do I need both reflective discussion and confirmation?
Yes. They are separate revalidation requirements and should be completed according to current NMC guidance.
What if I think I cannot meet a requirement?
Check the current NMC guidance as early as possible rather than waiting until your application deadline approaches.
Check the NMC requirements before completing your application
NurseNet can help you understand and organise revalidation, but the NMC is the authoritative source for current requirements, documentation and submission processes.
NMC revalidation guidance
Before completing formal revalidation evidence or submitting your application, check the latest Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance.
Check current NMC revalidation guidance →Make revalidation an ongoing process, not a deadline
Record your practice, learning, feedback and reflection throughout the three-year cycle. When revalidation approaches, your evidence will already be organised and much easier to review.
