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The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Zambia (NMCZ) recorded an overall pass rate of 63% in the June 2026 Competence and Licensure Examinations, up from 42% in the December 2025 session.
NMCZ Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Beauty Siansende-Zimba, said 10,229 candidates sat the June examinations, of whom 6,473 passed, while 3,754, representing 37%, did not meet the required pass standard.
Addressing a media briefing in Lusaka on Thursday, Zimba said 29 candidates had their examination papers nullified, while five candidates were disqualified for non-compliance with examination guidelines.
She said the Council remained committed to ensuring that training met prescribed standards.
“Quality healthcare begins with quality education and training and this does not start in the hospital.
“It starts in the classroom and the skills laboratory. The Council administers competence and licensure examinations to ensure that only qualified and competent nurses and midwives are allowed to practise in the country,” Zimba emphasised.
For the Diploma in Nursing programme, 6,329 candidates sat the examinations, with 4,098 passing, representing a 65% pass rate. Monze Mission College of Nursing and Midwifery recorded a 100% pass rate.
Zimba emphasised the link between training and service delivery, saying: “A health system can only be as good as the nurses and midwives it trains.”
For the Diploma in Midwifery programme, 1,591 candidates sat the examinations and 987 passed, representing a 62% pass rate. Macha Mission College recorded the highest institutional pass rate at 89%.
For the Diploma in Public Health Nursing, 762 candidates sat the examinations and 380 passed, representing a 50% pass rate.
Zimba reaffirmed the Council’s position on training standards, saying nursing and midwifery graduates must meet the required standards for safe, competent and effective practice.
“NMCZ will never negotiate on minimum education and training standards,” she stated.
For other pre-service programmes, Oncology Nursing recorded a 56% pass rate, Psychiatry and Mental Health Nursing 80%, and Paediatric and Child Health Nursing 93%.
In-service programmes recorded higher pass rates, with Neonatal Nursing, Clinical Instructor Nursing and Operating Theatre Nursing each recording a 100% pass rate.
Zimba warned that compromising on training could have serious consequences, saying quality training was expensive, but poor nursing and midwifery care was even more costly because it could cost lives.
For the June 2026 licensure examinations, Bachelor of Science in Nursing recorded a 34% pass rate, with 79 of 231 candidates passing. Bachelor of Science in Midwifery recorded an 80% pass rate, with 12 of 15 candidates passing, while Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Midwifery recorded a 50% pass rate.
Zimba described the June results as progress for the sector.
“The progress observed during the June 2026 exam session marks a positive step forward for nursing and midwifery education in Zambia,” she said.
For the August 2026 licensure session, 281 candidates sat the examinations and 124 passed, representing a 44% pass rate.
The Council said successful competence candidates could begin collecting their results from their institutions on Monday, October 5, 2026, while licensure results would be sent via email.
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