What is NMC Revalidation?

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revalidation is the process nurses, midwives and nursing associates complete to renew their registration and demonstrate that they remain fit to practise. It is not just a paperwork exercise or a last-minute renewal task. It is a structured three-year cycle that helps registrants demonstrate how their practice remains connected to the NMC Code, and supports continuing learning, feedback, reflection, and professional accountability.

The central question is practical: can a registrant evidence that they are learning, reflecting, maintaining practice, listening to feedback and applying professional standards in their role? That question matters because professional registration is built on public trust, safe care and continuing professional responsibility.

In this blog, Elsie Rodas explains what NMC revalidation is, who it applies to, what the requirements involve, how to prepare a strong evidence portfolio, how employers can support staff, and how The Mandatory Training Group and ComplyPlus™ can help nurses, midwives and nursing associates manage continuing professional development (CPD) evidence more confidently.

What is NMC revalidation?

NMC revalidation is the process by which the NMC confirms that nurses, midwives and nursing associates continue to meet the standards expected for safe, effective and professional practice. The NMC describes revalidation as a process that helps registrants continually develop and reflect on their practice and demonstrate that they are living the standards set out in the Code.

Revalidation applies every three years. It requires registrants to gather evidence, reflect on their practice, complete CPD, receive feedback, discuss reflective accounts with another NMC registrant, obtain confirmation and submit their renewal through the NMC process.

It is important to understand what revalidation is not. It is not a punishment, an inspection or an exam. Revalidation is not simply a box-ticking exercise. It is not only for nurses in direct clinical roles. It is a professional renewal process that supports public confidence, continuing development and safer practice.

Who needs to complete NMC revalidation?

NMC revalidation applies to nurses, midwives and nursing associates who wish to renew their registration. This includes professionals working in clinical, managerial, educational, governance, research, quality improvement, advisory, community, independent, agency and portfolio roles.

Revalidation applies across:

• National Health Service (NHS) organisations

• Independent hospitals and clinics

• Adult social care services

• Care homes and nursing homes

• Community and domiciliary care services

• Primary care and general practice

• Mental health and learning disability services

• Education, training and academic roles

• Leadership, governance and quality roles

• Agency, bank, locum or portfolio careers.

A common misunderstanding is that revalidation applies only to registrants who provide direct hands-on care. In reality, the NMC recognises that professional practice may take different forms. The key issue is whether the registrant can show that their work is relevant to their registration and that they meet the revalidation requirements.

Why does NMC revalidation matter?

Revalidation matters because registration should not be treated as a one-off achievement. Nursing, midwifery and nursing associate practice depend on continuing learning, judgement, professionalism and accountability.

For registrants, revalidation provides a structured way to:

• Review professional learning

• Reflect on practice and feedback

• Maintain a CPD record

• Connect practice to the Code

• Prepare for registration renewal

• Demonstrate continuing fitness to practise

• Build confidence in professional development.

For employers, revalidation supports workforce assurance. It can strengthen conversations about capability, supervision, appraisal, learning needs, professional development and safe staffing. Revalidation remains the registrant's responsibility, but employers benefit when staff are well prepared and confident in the process.

For people using services, revalidation supports public trust. It reinforces the expectation that registered professionals remain engaged with learning, feedback and professional standards throughout their careers.

What are the main NMC revalidation requirements?

The NMC revalidation model includes several defined requirements. These include practice hours, CPD, practice-related feedback, written reflective accounts, reflective discussion, confirmation, health and character, and professional indemnity arrangements.

Practice hours

Registrants must complete the required number of practice hours during the three-year period since their registration was last renewed, or since joining the register. The standard requirement is 450 practice hours, or 900 hours where a registrant is renewing two registrations, such as nurse and midwife.

Practice hours should be relevant to the registrant's scope of practice. They should be recorded clearly, including the date, role, setting, type of work, and how the work connects to registration.

Practice does not always mean bedside clinical care. It may include leadership, management, education, policy, quality, governance, research, or advisory work that is relevant to the registrant’s professional registration.

Continuing Professional Development

Registrants must complete 35 hours of CPD during the three-year period. At least 20 of those hours must include participatory learning. The NMC states that CPD must be relevant to the registrant's scope of practice and that accurate records must be maintained.

CPD may include courses, webinars, conferences, workshops, supervised learning, peer discussion, professional reading, reflective activities and development linked to appraisal or supervision. Participatory learning involves interacting with one or more professionals and can take place in person or virtually.

Registrants should avoid collecting CPD certificates without reflecting on what the learning means. Strong CPD evidence explains why the learning was relevant, what changed in understanding, and how it influenced practice.

Practice-related feedback

Registrants must collect five pieces of practice-related feedback. Feedback may come from patients, service users, carers, colleagues, students, managers, complaints, compliments, appraisals or team discussions.

The value of feedback is not simply that it exists. It should help the registrant reflect on practice, identify strengths, recognise areas for development and improve professional judgement.

Written reflective accounts

Registrants must prepare five written reflective accounts. These can relate to CPD, practice-related feedback, or an event or experience in practice, and they should show how the reflection connects to the Code.

Good reflective accounts are specific and thoughtful. They explain what happened, why it mattered, what was learned, how it connects to professional standards and what changed as a result.

Reflective discussion

Registrants must have a reflective discussion with another NMC registrant. This discussion is based on the five written reflective accounts.

The discussion should not feel like a rubber-stamping exercise. It should give the registrant an opportunity to explore learning, test assumptions, consider professional judgement and strengthen insight.

Confirmation

Registrants must obtain confirmation that they have met the revalidation requirements. The NMC asks registrants to declare that they have demonstrated to an appropriate confirmer that the requirements have been met.

The confirmer does not always have to be NMC-registered. Where possible, the confirmer may be the registrant’s line manager, but the person must be appropriate to review the evidence and confirm the requirements.

Health and character declaration

Registrants must make a health and character declaration as part of renewal. This supports public protection, professional accountability and trust in the register.

The declaration should be approached honestly. Registrants who are unsure about what must be declared should review the NMC's guidance and seek appropriate advice.

Professional indemnity arrangement

Registrants must declare that they have, or will have, an appropriate professional indemnity arrangement in place. This is a legal requirement for healthcare professionals and should be appropriate to the registrant’s role, setting and scope of practice.

What does good NMC revalidation look like?

Good revalidation is planned, evidence-based and reflective. It is not simply a folder of certificates. It should show a clear connection between practice, learning, feedback, reflection and professional standards.

Strong revalidation usually includes:

• A current record of practice hours

• Planning CPD across the full three-year cycle

• Clear evidence of participatory learning

• Feedback from appropriate sources

• Reflective accounts linked to the Code

• A meaningful reflective discussion

• Confirmation arranged in good time

• Organised evidence and completed forms

• Honest declarations

• A portfolio that is easy to review.

A good revalidation portfolio tells a professional story. It shows how the registrant has developed, what they have learned, how feedback has influenced their thinking and how the Code remains visible in practice.

How should registrants prepare for revalidation?

The most effective approach is to treat revalidation as a three-year cycle rather than an end-point event.

Start early

Do not wait until the renewal date is close. Registrants should record practice hours, CPD, feedback and reflections throughout the cycle. Early preparation reduces stress and improves the quality of evidence.

Keep records organised

Evidence should be kept in a structured portfolio. This may be digital or paper-based, but it should be easy to review. Registrants should avoid relying on memory, scattered emails or old certificates.

A useful portfolio usually includes:

• Practice hours log

• CPD log

• Evidence of participatory learning

• Feedback records

• Five reflective accounts

• Reflective discussion form

• Confirmer details

• Evidence of professional indemnity

• Health and character declaration record

• Notes linked to the Code.

Link learning to practice

CPD is most effective when the registrant can explain how learning has influenced practice. A certificate may show attendance, but reflection shows professional development.

For example, CPD in safeguarding, infection prevention, medicines, communication, leadership, clinical governance, equality, mental health, digital care or record-keeping should be linked to real practice and professional responsibility.

Use the Code actively

The Code should not be kept separate from the portfolio. It should shape reflective accounts, professional discussions, and learning decisions. Registrants should show how their reflections connect to standards of prioritising people, practising effectively, preserving safety, and promoting professionalism and trust.

Plan the reflective discussion and confirmation

Reflective discussion and confirmation should not be left until the last minute. Registrants should approach suitable people early, agree on timescales and ensure the evidence is ready for review.

How can the ComplyPlus™ CPD Tracker help nurses?

The Mandatory Training Group has collaborated with ComplyPlus™ to create a free CPD tracker for nurses and other professionals in regulated sectors. The ComplyPlus™ CPD Tracker gives professionals a secure way to record, track and evidence CPD without subscription fees, hidden charges or time limits. The ComplyPlus™ CPD Tracker was developed by Learn Pac Systems, our parent company, which specialises in building educational technologies and compliance systems.

For nurses, midwives and nursing associates, the CPD tracker can support revalidation by helping users:

• Create a CPD portfolio

• Record learning activities

• Track CPD hours

• Organise evidence in one place

• Store certificates and supporting documents

• Monitor progress across the revalidation cycle

• Prepare more confidently for confirmation

• Reduce reliance on fragmented notes, files or spreadsheets.

The CPD tracker does not replace the NMC's requirements, and registrants remain responsible for ensuring their evidence meets NMC standards. However, it can make the process more organised and less stressful.

How can registrants build CPD hours, including participatory hours?

Registrants can use a range of learning activities to build CPD hours, provided the learning is relevant to their scope of practice and properly recorded. When learning involves interaction with one or more professionals, it may count toward participatory CPD hours.

The Mandatory Training Group provides access to a broad range of CPD-accredited online learning options. Registrants can browse CPD-accredited online courses, with learning across healthcare, social care, safeguarding, leadership, clinical practice, health and safety, infection prevention, mental health and governance. The MTG CPD course page provides a large catalogue of online CPD-accredited courses and training programmes across sectors.

The Mandatory Training Group also provides free eLearning courses, which can help professionals access learning more easily where the topic is relevant to their development needs. The free eLearning page describes free, expert-designed, CPD-accredited eLearning courses and training programmes.

For participatory hours, registrants should check the learning format. Examples may include live webinars, virtual classrooms, peer discussions, workshops, interactive group learning, supervised sessions, or structured learning that involves professional interaction. A self-paced online module may count as CPD where relevant, but it will not automatically count as participatory unless the required interaction is present and recorded.

What role do employers and managers play?

Revalidation is the registrant's responsibility, but employers and managers can make the process more meaningful and better supported.

Employers can help by:

• Explaining revalidation requirements during induction and supervision

• Supporting access to relevant CPD

• Encouraging reflective practice

• Linking appraisal to professional development

• Supporting feedback collection

• Helping staff maintain organised evidence

• Ensuring confirmers understand their role

• Avoiding last-minute pressure

• Connecting revalidation to workforce planning.

This matters because revalidation supports broader workforce assurance. Organisations that support revalidation well often also strengthen supervision, learning culture, clinical governance, and staff development.

For a wider organisational view, MTG's guide to workforce development explains why structured capability development matters across health and social care.

How does revalidation connect with governance and quality?

NMC revalidation is a professional registration requirement, but it also supports wider governance and quality assurance.

In health and care organisations, professional assurance is part of safe service delivery. Revalidation can help employers understand whether registered staff are learning, reflecting, receiving feedback and maintaining professional evidence.

This connects naturally with clinical governance. Reflection, CPD, supervision, feedback, audit, risk management and professional standards all contribute to safer practice. MTG's guide to clinical governance explores how leadership, patient safety, audit, staff competence and quality improvement fit together in healthcare organisations.

The key is balance. Employers should support revalidation but should not assume the registrant's responsibility. Registrants must own their portfolio, reflection and renewal evidence.

What is changing in NMC revalidation?

As of May 2026, the current NMC revalidation requirements remain the framework that registrants must follow. However, the NMC has said it will review its revalidation requirements as part of future standards work. It has stated that it aims to consult in the second half of 2026 and publish a modernised Code and revalidation process in October 2027.

This means registrants and employers should continue to follow the current requirements while staying alert to future NMC updates. Revalidation should therefore be treated as both a current professional duty and an area that may evolve over the next few years.

Common mistakes to avoid

Effective CPD and revalidation require more than meeting deadlines or collecting certificates. Avoiding these common mistakes helps registrants build meaningful evidence and strengthen professional practice.

Leaving everything too late

Late preparation creates stress and weak evidence. Registrants should build their portfolio throughout the three-year cycle.

Treating CPD as a certificate collection

Certificates matter, but the key question is what the learning meant for practice. CPD should be relevant, reflected on and linked to professional standards.

Forgetting participatory learning

At least 20 CPD hours must include participatory learning. Registrants should record clearly how the learning involved professional interaction.

Writing vague reflective accounts

Generic reflections are less useful. Strong reflections are specific, honest and connected to the Code.

Confusing reflective discussion and confirmation

Reflective discussion must be with another NMC registrant. Confirmation is a separate requirement and may be completed by an appropriate confirmer who is not necessarily NMC-registered.

Keeping evidence in too many places

Evidence scattered across emails, folders, notebooks and old systems increases the risk of missing information. A structured tracker or portfolio can reduce this problem.

Treating revalidation as compliance only

Revalidation is a regulatory requirement, but it should also support learning, confidence, professional identity and safer practice.

FAQs about NMC revalidation

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding NMC revalidation.

Can I revalidate if I work outside a traditional clinical role?

Yes. Many registrants work in leadership, education, management, research, governance, policy, digital health or advisory roles. The key issue is whether your practice is relevant to your registration and whether you can meet the NMC requirements.

Do all 35 CPD hours need to be formal courses?

No. CPD can include a wide range of learning activities. Formal courses can help, but learning may also include webinars, workshops, peer discussion, supervision-linked learning, professional reading, conferences and reflective activities.

What counts as participatory CPD?

Participatory CPD involves interaction with one or more other professionals. It may take place face-to-face or virtually. The important point is to record the interaction clearly and show how it was relevant to your practice.

Can free courses count towards CPD?

Free courses may count towards CPD if they are relevant to your scope of practice and you record them properly. Whether they count as participatory depends on the learning format and whether professional interaction is involved.

Can I use the ComplyPlus™ CPD Tracker for NMC revalidation?

Yes. The CPD tracker can help you record learning, organise evidence and monitor progress. It supports portfolio organisation, but you remain responsible for ensuring your evidence meets NMC requirements.

Does my reflective discussion partner have to work with me?

No. The reflective discussion partner must be another NMC registrant, but they do not have to be your line manager or colleague. They should be suitable for a meaningful professional discussion.

Can my confirmer also be my reflective discussion partner?

This may be possible if the person meets the relevant requirements. However, reflective discussion and confirmation are separate elements, so each requirement must still be completed properly.

What happens if the NMC selects my application for verification?

You may need to provide evidence showing that you have met the requirements. This is why organised records, completed forms and a clear portfolio are important.

What if I cannot meet the practice hours requirement?

You should check your position early. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to consider return-to-practice or readmission routes rather than leaving the issue until renewal is due.

Is NMC revalidation the same as appraisal?

No. Appraisal is usually an employer process. Revalidation is an NMC registration renewal process. They can support each other, but one does not automatically replace the other.

Key NMC revalidation requirements, evidence and outcomes

Conclusion

NMC revalidation is a core professional requirement for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. At its best, it is not simply a renewal task. It is a structured way to demonstrate continuing practice, CPD, reflection, feedback, accountability and professional readiness.

The registrants who manage revalidation well usually start early, keep organised records and treat reflection as part of professional growth. Employers who support revalidation well strengthen workforce assurance, professional development, clinical governance and learning culture.

Strengthen your NMC revalidation readiness

The Mandatory Training Group supports nurses, midwives, nursing associates and employers with structured learning and evidence-ready professional development. To support your next renewal cycle, explore CPD-accredited online courses, access free eLearning courses, and use the free ComplyPlus™ CPD Tracker to help organise learning records and CPD evidence.

The Mandatory Training Group is also listed with The CPD Certification Service, supporting confidence in its CPD-certified training provision.

To discuss your learning, tracking, revalidation or compliance support needs, contact our team through the enquiry form.