CBT Fraud at Nigerian Testing Centre

According to Nursing Times, the NMC has uncovered extensive fraud at a Nigerian testing centre for international nurses seeking UK registration. The investigation, prompted by suspicious data, focused on Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, overseen by Pearson VUE.

The NMC’s inquiry revealed widespread fraudulent activity at Yunnik, where individuals likely used proxy testers to obtain their Computer-Based Test (CBT) scores. It was discovered that 48 current registrants and 669 applicants “achieved their score in a time we believe is more likely than not to indicate that they obtained their result fraudulently”.

The NMC will refer the 48 registrants to an investigating committee and may remove them if fraud is confirmed. These individuals can present mitigating circumstances and retake the CBT.

The 669 applicants will need new CBT results, which will be reviewed by an ‘assistant register’ for potential fraud. An additional 467 registrants and 771 applicants, who aren’t suspected of fraud, will also retake the CBT due to doubts about Yunnik’s results.

Pearson VUE will cover the retake costs. The NMC will communicate these findings and next steps to affected professionals and applicants.

The NMC urges employers to protect minority ethnic staff from potential unfair treatment resulting from this case.

Andrea Sutcliffe, NMC’s CEO, emphasizes the need to maintain the register’s integrity and ongoing collaboration to address this issue, and has said: “Our paramount concern remains to protect the public by maintaining the integrity of the register for nursing and midwifery professionals practising in the UK.”

Matthew Poyiadgi, VP of Pearson VUE, supports the NMC’s actions to ensure trust in high-stakes examinations and acknowledges the growing concern of testing fraud, saying: “It is of the utmost importance that high-stakes examinations such as the [test of competence] ensure trust both in the outcome and in the candidate who has achieved the certification.”

The NMC is contacting all those affected.

This article is based on an article by Nursing Times, which you can find here – https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/professional-regulation/widespread-fraud-confirmed-at-nmc-test-centre-in-nigeria-21-09-2023/