OMSB exam: the Oman Prometric exam for nurses
The OMSB exam is the licensing test most people still search for as the "Oman Prometric exam". It has moved from Prometric to Pearson VUE, so book it with Pearson VUE, not Prometric. For BSN nurses it is 100 single-best-answer MCQs in 2 hours 30 minutes, and the pass mark is 60%. Our Oman nurse guide goes step by step.
- Exam name for nurses
- Omani Examination for Nurses (OEN), BSN version OMSB exam page
- Delivered by
- Pearson VUE, at the OMSB National Test Center in Muscat and at Pearson VUE centres worldwide OMSB
- Old name
- Oman Prometric exam. OMSB exams used to be booked through Prometric old Prometric FAQ
- Questions and time (BSN nurse)
- 100 MCQs, 2 hours 30 minutes
- Pass mark (BSN nurse)
- 60%. The diploma nurse version is 50%
- Attempts and result validity
- Not confirmed in the current OMSB documents we read
- Questions
- 100
- Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Pass mark
- 60%
- Format
- Single best answer, 4 options
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Original questions across the OMSB Oman exam for nurses topic areas, with an explanation after every answer and your estimated readiness at the end.
Start the free check90 free practice questions for nurses, with answers
Original questions for DHA, DOH, MOH, SCFHS, QCHP, OMSB, Kuwait and NHRA, each with a full explanation. Read them on one page or download the PDF. No sign-up.
Is it the OMSB exam or the Oman Prometric exam?
It is the same exam under two names. OMSB (Oman Medical Specialty Board) runs the Occupational Classification Examinations that health workers must pass to work for the Ministry of Health and other health institutions in Oman. For years the booking was done on Prometric, which is why searches still say "oman prometric".
OMSB now says registration, rescheduling and cancellation go through Pearson VUE. An old Prometric FAQ for OMSB is still online and describes Prometric booking, old fees and three attempts a year. It is undated and out of date. If you find an old guide quoting it, check the current OMSB page before paying anyone.
What the BSN nurse exam looks like
The BSN booklet describes single-best-answer questions with four options. You get 100 questions and 2 hours 30 minutes. The pass mark is a percentage, 60%, and results are emailed within 24 hours according to the booklet. The diploma nurse version has the same length with a 50% pass mark.
Eligibility in the booklet is a bachelor's degree in nursing from a recognised local or international college. The booklet does not state years of experience.
Topic weights for the BSN nurse exam
OMSB publishes the weights, each with a margin of plus or minus 5% per category. Adult Health is the biggest block, then Principles of Care.
| Topic area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Principles of Care | 20% |
| Evidence-Based Practice | 5% |
| Adult Health | 30% |
| Maternal | 10% |
| Child | 10% |
| Mental Health | 10% |
| Community Health and Gerontology | 15% |
Oman splits maternal, child and mental health out, so its blocks do not line up one to one with the Saudi, Qatar or Kuwait blueprints. See the comparison of Gulf nursing exams if you are choosing a country.
What is not published
We could not confirm the number of attempts, any waiting period between attempts, the language of the exam or how long a pass stays valid. Those answers sit with OMSB and Pearson VUE, and the only attempt rule we found is the outdated Prometric FAQ. Ask OMSB before you plan around any of them.
How to practise
Start with the free 20-question check, which needs no sign-up and explains every answer. Then use adaptive practice on the areas it flags, and sit a timed mock from the mock page to get used to 100 questions in 150 minutes. Our questions are original and we never use recalled or real exam questions.
Sample questions with explanations
Community and public health
A community nurse runs a clinic for adults with type 2 diabetes and established peripheral neuropathy. The nurse teaches daily foot inspection, correct footwear and when to seek care for blisters. What is the main aim at this level of prevention?
- To detect diabetes early in people who have no symptoms
- To prevent ulceration and amputation in people who already have complications
- To prevent healthy adults from developing type 2 diabetes
- To reduce population sugar intake through public policy
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: B. These patients already have neuropathy, so the aim is to reduce disability and limb loss. This is tertiary prevention, which limits complications and supports rehabilitation in established disease.
- A. Detecting undiagnosed disease is secondary prevention; these patients are already diagnosed.
- C. Preventing onset in healthy adults is primary prevention.
- D. Policy change on sugar intake is a population-level primary or primordial measure.
Key point: Tertiary prevention reduces complications and disability in established disease.
Based on: IDF Clinical Practice Recommendations on the Diabetic Foot; Stanhope & Lancaster, Public Health Nursing, 10th ed.
Critical care and emergency
A nurse finds a 58-year-old man unresponsive in his hospital bed. He is not breathing normally. The scene is safe and there is no response to shouting or shaking his shoulders. Which action should the nurse take next?
- Shout for help, activate the emergency team and get the defibrillator, checking a pulse for no more than 10 seconds
- Give two rescue breaths with a pocket mask, then go to call the emergency team
- Insert an oropharyngeal airway and attach a pulse oximeter before calling for help
- Check the medical record for the resuscitation status before starting any action
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: A. After confirming unresponsiveness and absent or abnormal breathing, the rescuer shouts for help and activates the emergency response system so that a defibrillator and team arrive quickly. A pulse check of up to 10 seconds is done at the same time, and compressions start immediately if no definite pulse is felt.
- B. Starting with breaths delays recognition of arrest and activation of the team; compressions take priority in adults.
- C. Equipment and monitoring are secondary and delay help and compressions.
- D. Code status should be known by the team, but a delay to check the chart is not appropriate in an unresponsive, non-breathing patient unless a valid DNAR is already known.
Key point: Activate the emergency response and get the defibrillator early; start compressions without delay if there is no definite pulse.
Based on: AHA 2025 Guidelines for CPR and ECC
Fundamentals of nursing
A 46-year-old man is admitted with a 4-week cough with blood-streaked sputum, night sweats and weight loss. His chest X-ray shows an upper-lobe cavity and pulmonary tuberculosis is suspected. Which precaution is most appropriate while results are awaited?
- Single room with the door left open for observation, and staff wearing a surgical mask
- Positive-pressure single room with the door closed, and staff wearing a gown and gloves
- Standard precautions only, with the patient wearing a surgical mask in a shared bay
- Negative-pressure single room, door closed, staff in fit-tested N95 (FFP2) respirators
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: D. Tuberculosis is spread by small airborne droplet nuclei, so the patient needs an airborne infection isolation room (negative pressure, door closed) and staff need a fit-tested particulate respirator. Isolation starts on suspicion, before confirmation.
- A. Surgical masks do not filter airborne droplet nuclei and the door must stay closed.
- B. Positive pressure would push contaminated air out into the corridor; gown and gloves do not protect against inhalation.
- C. Standard precautions are not enough for suspected TB; a bay shares air with other patients.
Key point: Suspected TB, measles or varicella: airborne precautions, negative-pressure room and N95 respirator.
Based on: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions (2007, updated); WHO guidelines on TB infection prevention and control (2019)
Common questions
Is the Oman Prometric exam the same as the OMSB exam?
Yes. OMSB exams used to be booked on Prometric, so people still search for the Oman Prometric exam. Booking now goes through Pearson VUE.
How many questions are in the OMSB exam for nurses?
The BSN nurse booklet lists 100 single-best-answer MCQs in 2 hours 30 minutes.
What is the OMSB pass mark for nurses?
60% for the BSN nurse exam and 50% for the diploma nurse exam, according to the OMSB booklets.
Does OMSB use Prometric or Pearson VUE?
Pearson VUE. OMSB tells candidates to register, reschedule and cancel through Pearson VUE.
How many attempts do I get at the OMSB exam?
We could not confirm a current attempt limit. An old Prometric FAQ mentions three attempts a year but it is outdated, so ask OMSB.
Are your OMSB practice questions the real exam?
No. They are original questions written to the published topic areas. We do not publish or use real exam papers.
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