OMSB nursing exam: choose BSN or diploma

Facts last verified 5 October 2026.

Choose your paper before setting a practice target.

Is this the right paper for you?

The Omani Examination for Nurses (OEN) has separate booklets. Use the one for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a diploma.

  • BSN: a recognised bachelor’s degree in nursing; 60% to pass (BSN booklet).
  • Diploma: a recognised diploma in nursing science; 50% to pass (diploma booklet).

Pass mark: BSN 60%, diploma 50%

Format at a glance

100 questions. Time: 2 h 30 min. Pass mark: BSN 60%, diploma 50%.

Delivered by Pearson VUE.

Sources: BSN nursing booklet, Diploma nursing booklet

60% is the pass mark in the OMSB booklet for BSN nurses. The separate diploma-nurse booklet sets 50%.

What the paper covers

ProMCQ's topic targets match the OMSB BSN blueprint. The diploma blueprint uses a different split. The BSN booklet allows up to ±5% variation in each category. Each mock includes national-topic content, so its final question shares can differ slightly from these targets.

  • Principles (20%): Check the patient, prevent infection and give medicines safely. Cover records, delegation and how to lead care.
  • Evidence-Based Practice / Epidemiology (5%): Read evidence and study basic epidemiology. Know incidence, prevalence, sensitivity and specificity.
  • Adult Health (30%): Spot a patient getting worse. Review problems after surgery, chronic disease and high-alert drugs.
  • Maternal Health (10%): Cover care before birth, labour and problems after birth. Include newborn checks.
  • Child Health (10%): Review sick children, growth, vaccines and doses based on weight.
  • Mental Health (10%): Check risks and how to talk with patients. Know the side effects of psychotropic drugs.
  • Community Health & Gerontology (15%): Revise screening and infection control. For older adults, include falls, delirium and safeguarding.

Sample questions

Eight original practice questions from the OMSB nurses bank. They are written to the paper's style, not taken from the live exam. Pick an answer to see the key and explanation.

  1. An adult taking rifampicin for pulmonary TB reports orange-red urine and tears but no other symptoms. What is the nurse's PRIORITY action?

    1. Notify the service about possible neuropathy
    2. Seek urgent review for possible hepatotoxicity
    3. Reassure and continue rifampicin as prescribed
    4. Arrange immediate assessment for visual toxicity
    Answer

    C. Rifampicin commonly turns urine, tears, sweat, and saliva orange-red. This effect is expected and harmless, so the patient should be reassured and advised not to stop the medication.

  2. A nurse observes a colleague caring for a hospitalized client who suddenly develops generalized convulsions in bed. Which action by the nurse requires intervention?

    1. Time the seizure from its onset
    2. Protect the client’s head from injury
    3. Position the client safely in bed
    4. Place an object in the mouth
    Answer

    D. The nurse should never place an object in the mouth of a convulsing client. Appropriate actions include safe positioning, protecting the head, timing the seizure, maintaining airway and oxygenation, and obtaining help.

  3. What causes red-orange diaper staining during a newborn's first days?

    1. Blood mixed with urine
    2. Maternal medication transfer
    3. Urate crystals in urine
    4. Meconium mixed with urine
    Answer

    C. Red-orange brick-dust staining during the first days commonly reflects urate crystals in concentrated newborn urine. Feeding, hydration, and the output trend should still be assessed.

  4. A client says, “The television newsreader pauses to send coded messages meant specifically for me.” Which type of delusion is demonstrated?

    1. Referential delusion
    2. Grandiose delusion
    3. Persecutory delusion
    4. Erotomanic delusion
    Answer

    A. A referential delusion assigns personal meaning to a neutral event or media message. The client believes an ordinary television broadcast is directed specifically at them.

  5. A 41-year-old woman receiving Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) misses a visit after moving home. During contact, she reports symptoms that preceded previous relapses and says her support needs have changed substantially. Nurse Amal confirms immediate safety. Which plan should Nurse Amal update and use to address this client's relapse risk?

    1. The scheduled medication review plan
    2. The individualized crisis response plan
    3. The missed appointment follow-up plan
    4. The supported housing assistance plan
    Answer

    B. Symptoms preceding previous relapses indicate that the nurse should use the client's crisis plan. The substantial change in support needs also requires updating its warning signs, triggers, preferred responses, management strategies and liaison or referral routes.

  6. What is the PRIORITY in a true crash cesarean birth?

    1. Complete routine skin preparation
    2. Proceed with lifesaving delivery
    3. Administer prophylactic antibiotic first
    4. Insert indwelling Foley catheter
    Answer

    B. In a true crash cesarean, routine steps may be abbreviated or completed simultaneously. Nonessential preparation must not delay life-saving delivery.

  7. Which chart access does not breach patient confidentiality?

    1. Assigned nurse planning patient care
    2. Unassigned physician checking medical history
    3. Staff nurse viewing a neighbor's admission
    4. Manager browsing from personal curiosity
    Answer

    A. Access is permitted when a healthcare professional is directly involved in the patient's care and needs the record for that care. Experience, title, friendship, and curiosity do not create authorization.

  8. An 86-year-old woman with mild dementia in a nursing home pushes away a male aide's hand and tells Nurse Mariam, "He touches me down there at night." She has no visible injury. How should the nurse respond to this disclosure?

    1. Disregard it as dementia-related confusion
    2. Report it as possible sexual abuse
    3. Record it as psychological abuse only
    4. Await signs of injury before reporting
    Answer

    B. The resident signals both verbally and nonverbally that the intimate touching is unwanted. The nurse must treat it as possible sexual abuse and report the allegation immediately, whatever her cognitive status and whether or not an injury is present.

Full papers in the real format

10 timed mock papers of 100 questions each, built to the weights above. No question repeats across papers.

How to prepare

  • Both papers give 100 single-best-answer questions with 4 options in 2 hours 30 minutes (BSN; diploma).
  • We work that out as 90 seconds per question (booklet time). Practise in one timed block. A higher mock target is your own safety margin.
  • Read Marquis and Huston, Kozier and Erb, Polit and Beck, and Brunner and Suddarth (nursing reading list).
  • Choose care or delegation for the patient at greatest risk. Oman notes cover local services, law, screening and epidemiology. They also cover insurance, national programmes and vital statistics.

Licensing steps

  1. Check licence requirements: Follow licence steps for documents and your employer’s role.
  2. Plan fees and book: Use fees and booking to plan costs and check your ID.
  3. Use your result: Follow results and next steps after a pass or fail.

Frequently asked questions

Does the diploma booklet use the BSN topic split?

No. The diploma booklet has its own topic split. The BSN booklet says each weight can vary by up to ±5%.

Is a nursing award enough for the private-sector licence?

No. Private-sector nurses also need experience and an MOH interview or viva. Check Oman licence requirements.

Can you use the BSN pass mark for the diploma paper?

Use the pass mark for your award. The separate booklets set different marks.

Where do you check written-exam and viva retakes?

Use OMSB results. The written exam and private-sector nursing viva have separate attempt rules.

Sources

Facts last verified 2026-10-05.

  1. Omani Examination for Nurses: BSN booklet (April 2026), Oman Medical Specialty Board
  2. Omani Examination for Nurses: Diploma booklet (April 2026), Oman Medical Specialty Board
  3. Omani Examination for Nurses booklet, references, Oman Medical Specialty Board