NAC OSCE Help

NAC OSCE help: dates, what examiners score, practice stations and a physician to call

Free resources first, paid tools second — built by Canadian physicians for IMGs sitting the NAC. Start with the station checklist: it is what we sent to 1,800 candidates this week.

Get the station checklist
NAC Examination · September 19–20
Nine Canadian centres · fee CAD $3,320 · 2027 dates are published by the MCC in the fall — this page is updated the day they appear.
Read the station checklist

The 11-minute station, minute by minute

Every NAC station is scored against a checklist and a global rating. The marks are in the structure, not in how much medicine you know. Here is where the minutes go and what examiners tick at each stage.

0:00
0:45
6:00
8:30
10:00
11:00

Open

0:00 – 0:45
  • Hands, name, role. Confirm the patient's name and age.
  • Reason for the visit, in their words.
  • "What worries you most today?"
  • Signpost the agenda.
Scored: rapport, identity check, agenda. Same opening at every door.

History

0:45 – 6:00
OPQRSTU
  • Onset · Provoking/palliating · Quality · Region/radiation · Severity · Timing · U: "What do you think is going on?"
  • Associated symptoms and pertinent negatives.
  • Red flags, asked by name.
  • Mid-way summary at ~4:00.
Scored: focus, structure, red flags. If there is an exam: verbalise every step.

Background

6:00 – 8:30
PMAFS
  • Past history · Meds · Allergies · Family · Social (SAD: smoking, alcohol, drugs).
  • Screens where they fit: CAGE, HEADSS, GTPAL, BINDS, SIGECAPS, DIGFAST.
Scored: the checklist items live here — say each heading as you go.

Perspective

8:30 – 10:00
FIFE
  • Feelings · Ideas · Function · Expectations.
  • Likely cause in one plain line; the plan and why.
  • Check understanding: "Tell me what you'll do at home."
Scored: empathy, plain language, shared decision. Communication is scored on every station.

Close

10:00 – 11:00
SNSF
  • Summary — two sentences.
  • Next step — one.
  • Safety net — "come back if…"
  • Follow-up — when, with whom. "Anything I haven't asked?"
Scored: closure. Running out of time costs more than a wrong diagnosis.

Get the printable station schematic — free

One page: the clock above with every mnemonic in place, the red flags by system, the scripts for the opening and the close. Print it, tape it above your desk, practise against it.

The schematic opens right here (print it or save it as a PDF). Before each NAC sitting, one email from Dr. Akil. Unsubscribe any time.
What's on the page
OPQRSTUPMAFSFIFESNSFRed flags × 6CAGE · HEADSS · GTPAL · BINDSSIGECAPS · DIGFASTOpening script30-second close

The exam in numbers

Figures from the Medical Council of Canada; updated the day they change.

Sep 19–20
2026 sitting. Applications closed March 25; a short reopening ran May 11–15.
83%
passed in the MCC's 2025–26 year, of 2,415 candidates.
CAD $3,320
exam fee, paid through physiciansapply.ca.
2027
dates not yet published — the MCC posts them in the fall. We update this page and email the list the same day.

Practise it timed: OSCE-R, 112 NAC stations

64 history-taking stations and 48 combined history-and-physical stations across 16 systems, each on the clock with its rubric at the end. Run them solo or with any partner — a friend outside medicine can read the script. English and French. CAD $119 for 90 days, $219 for 180.

10Cardiology
10ENT
10MSK
10Psychiatry
8Abdomen
8Dermatology
8Ophthalmology
8Respirology
8Surgery
7Neurology
7Urology
4Ob/Gyn
4Palliative
4Pediatrics
3Adolescent
3Breast

Start the free 30-question trial How OSCE-R works →

Get feedback from a physician

Practising alone tells you what you said. A physician tells you what the examiner heard.

Free 15-minute call

Where you are, what to do next, and whether a paid session would change anything. Many people leave with a plan and never book one.

Book the free call

Mock NAC station + debrief

One timed 11-minute station run live with a physician, scored against the OSCE-R rubric, then a 30-minute debrief and a written station report within 24 hours. English or French.

CAD $199 · 45 minutes
Book a mock station

NAC OSCE questions we get every week

How long is each NAC OSCE station, and what is scored?

Each station is 11 minutes including the reading time at the door. Examiners score a checklist of history and exam items plus global ratings that include communication and organisation. That is why structure matters as much as content: an unspoken exam is an unscored exam, and a station that runs out of time loses the closing marks.

What is the NAC OSCE pass rate?

In the Medical Council of Canada's 2025–26 year, 2,415 candidates sat the NAC Examination and 83% passed. Most candidates who fail lose marks on timing and communication rather than on medical knowledge.

When should I start timed station practice?

Four to six weeks before the exam: one system a day at first, then mixed sets in the last ten days so that the opening, the mid-way summary and the close become automatic. In the final week, stop learning new content and run two or three timed stations a day.

Are the practice stations available in French?

Yes. All 112 OSCE-R stations have English and French versions, with the rubric in both languages.

Can I get feedback from a real physician before the exam?

Yes. A free 15-minute call is available to anyone, and the mock NAC station with debrief (CAD $199) gives you one timed station with a physician, scored on the rubric, with a written report within 24 hours.

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