National Licencing Examination (N.L.E)
NLE Exam is National Licensing Exam for Medical Students graduated from Pakistan or Foreign, in order to get National License for Job or Practice. Every Pakistani Medical Student graduated after January 2021 have to appear in NLE Exam. National Licensing Exam is online test to be conducted in different stations through out the country and abroad as well. It will be conducted at least 2 times and can be up to 4 times every year and minimum 70% marks will be required to qualify it. After its approval by President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi NLE has become compulsory medical tests in Pakistan no matter in which country you are doing your study, you have to clear this test in order to get your medical degree. Under section 19 of the ordinance, both MBBS and BDS students must have to clear the NLE exam for their permanent job and medical practice in Pakistan.
PakMedicine team is very busy in creating the required material for all the medical graduates of future who want to work as a medical doctor or dentist in Pakistan.
Here are some more details about NLE:
NLE Exam Pattern
NLE Exam will include MCQ’s as well Clinical Assessment. MCQ’s based Test will be conducted first, those students who qualify MCQ’s based Test, will be eligible to appear in Clinical Assessment.
Recently, It is said by Pakistan Medical Commission in its 6th Academic Council Meeting, that the waiver may be given to National graduates to have only MCQ’s based NLE Exam 2021. However, later in 2022 and onwards, the Clinical Assessment.
In Academic Council Meeting, NLE Exam detailed Pattern is discussed as well. Number of questions from Basic and Clinical Subjects, table of specifications.
National Licensing Exam will be based on undergraduate curriculum and the weightage given to each question will depend on the number of teaching hours of that subject.
There will be separate NLE for Medical and Dental graduates. PMC will publish the pattern separately for NLE Medical and NLE Dental.
NLE Exam consists of 2 components.
- Theory Component
- Skill Based Clinical Component (Also called Clinical Skilled Examination CSE)
1) Theory Component of NLE Exam
The Theory Component will have both Basic Sciences and Clinical Sciences. 30% of MCQ’s will be from Basic Sciences, while 70% from Clinical Sciences.
- Applied Basic Sciences
- Clinical Sciences
i) Applied Basic Sciences
Applied Basic Sciences part of theory of NLE 2021 includes the follow sections.
- Applied Anatomy
- Applied Physiology
- Applied Biochemistry
- Applied Pathology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Community Medicine
- Forensic Medicine & Toxicology
Weightage of Applied Basic Sciences of NLE 2021
| Applied Basic Sciences (30% Weightage) | Number of MCQ’s |
| Applied Pathology | 16 |
| Applied Anatomy | 12 |
| Applied Physiology | 10 |
| Clinical Pharmacology | 8 |
| Applied Bio Chemistry | 6 |
| Community Medicine | 6 |
| Forensic Medicine & Toxicology | 2 |
| Total | 60 |
ii) Clinical Sciences
Clinical Sciences includes the follow sections/subjects.
- Medicine and allied
- Surgery and allied
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Ophthalmology (Eye)
- Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
Weightage of Clinical Sciences of NLE 2021
| Clinical Sciences Weightage 70% | Number of MCQs |
| Medicine and Allied | 52 |
| Surgery and Allied | 48 |
| Obstetrics and Gynaecology | 14 |
| Paediatrics | 14 |
| Ophthalmology (Eye) | 6 |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | 6 |
| Total | 140 |
2) Clinical Skilled Examination CSE
Clinical Skilled Examination is same as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), it consists of 20 stations, out of which 3 stations are compulsory. Candidate has to pass all the 3 compulsory stages. Failing one compulsory station will results in failing examination.
Clinical Skilled Examination will last for 3 Hours and 3 Minutes. The 30 Minutes extra are specially added for initial briefing giving to students.
Passing percent for CSE is also 70%. Candidates have to pass the 3 mandatory stations as we well as overall 70% marks in CSE in order to clear Clinical Skilled Examination Part of NLE Exam.
Distribution of Stations in CSE of NLE Exam
| Discipline | Number of Stations |
| Medicine and Allied | 7 |
| Surgery and Allied | 7 |
| Obstetrics and Gynaecology | 2 |
| Paediatrics | 2 |
| Ophthalmology (Eye) | 1 |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | 1 |
| Total | 20 |
3 out of these 20 stations are mandatory, failing one of the mandatory station will result in failing CSE, which will result in failing whole NLE Exam.
Mandatory Stations are 1 stations each from the following
- Medicine and allied
- Surgery and allied
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
