National Examinations

From April 2030, all new members and progressing members, through the ND or DN pathways, will be required to complete the National Examinations (NATEx 1, 2, and 3). Each level must be fully completed and passed before a candidate may advance to the next stage. This ensures consistent national standards, structured progression, and verified competence at every level of training. RPL will currently stay in force in combination with NATEx if it is thought to be required until then. The RPL route after 2030 will not be available thereafter. So applicants will need to be registered on an SNND-accredited course in order to access these NATEx with us from April 2030. This will modernise and streamline the whole process.

Whats Currently Required

All candidates enrolled on SNND-accredited programmes are required to sit the relevant National Examinations (NATEx) upon completion of Levels 1, 2, and 3 of their training.

This allows an exit award and registration at each level. This is important to candidates because it means they can practice at that level, gain clinical experience and start to develop their business. It takes a long time to develop a full-time viable practice, so we want to give candidates the best chances to do this right from the begining of year 1.

Applicants seeking membership through qualifications gained outside SNND-accredited programmes may also be required to sit one or more National Examinations.

This will apply where the syllabus content, academic level, or assessment standards of a prior institution cannot be sufficiently verified by our assessor.

For this reason, applicants are strongly encouraged to provide full and detailed information regarding previous education and training at the point of application.

A qualified assessor will review each submission and determine eligibility for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL can only be granted where clear documentary evidence is provided, including syllabi, examination results, transcripts, and certification.

When and How

National Examinations at levels 1, 2 & 3 have two components. Theory and Clinical.

Theory is assessed online. You can take your theory assessment by logging on and completing the exam.

It's in the format of Multiple Choice Questions and Short Answer. You will be given a date, time and login. You must find a nice, quiet place and log in at that given date and time. You will only be able to log in during this period. So if you miss it, you must retake it. The pass mark is 80% average. Some questions are pass or fail. For safety, you MUST pass them. These exams are held every month. Once you pass, you must complete your clinical exam within 1 year, or you must repeat.

Clinical Examinations or Objective Structured Clinical Examinations are held 3 times per year for each level. Level 1 National Exams are the same for ND and DN. They only diverge after year 1.

You will visit 10 stations with clinical tasks. You will have 5 - 10 minutes at each station to complete the clinical task asked of you. Again, some stations are pass or fail. You MUST pass these stations to pass the OSCE.

Whether you pass of fail, you will be given feedback from a tutor so that you can continue to develop your knowledge, understanding and clinical application.

The pass mark for OSCE is 60%, with pass or fail being included in the aggregate mark. Therefore, the minimum required is 70% overall pass.

What's in the Exams?

Your accredited course provider will have designed a syllabus broadly aligned with SNND standards and progression requirements. They remain your primary source of academic guidance.

As a general indication, National Examinations at Levels 1, 2, and 3 focus on core biomedical and professional subjects, including:

Anatomy. Physiology. Pathology. Pharmacology. Biochemistry. Law. Ethics. Consent. Infection Control. Health and Safety. General Health Assessment. Clinical Diagnosis. Common Chronic Health Conditions. Health Education and Promotion.

These subjects form the foundational competencies required for safe professional practice.

OSCE Assessment. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are structured according to level and pathway (ND or DN). After Level 2, each specialism has distinct clinical requirements.

At Level 1, typical OSCE stations may include:

Hand hygiene and needlestick protocol
Blood pressure measurement and basic clinical observations
Biomechanical examination
Neurovascular assessment
Phlebotomy
Ultrasonography
First Response in Emergency Care
Patient communications and case history presentation
Pharmacological history presentation
ECG monitoring and interpretation

These stations assess core clinical safety, examination technique, and professional conduct.

Scope of National Examinations;

National Examinations concentrate on core medical and clinical competencies appropriate to ND and DN registrants. They do not centrally assess the full range of natural therapeutic modalities taught within naturopathic programmes.

Therapeutic disciplines within Naturopathy are assessed by the individual SNND-accredited education provider. This reflects the eclectic nature of naturopathic training, where different institutions may emphasise different therapeutic approaches, for example:

Clinical nutrition and acupuncture
Clinical nutrition and herbal medicine

It would be inappropriate to examine a candidate in a modality they have not formally studied. However, any registrant who chooses to practise a specific therapeutic discipline must be properly trained, qualified, and practise in accordance with defined professional standards.

In contrast, Naprapathy is fully assessed through the SNND national examination framework, as its clinical competencies are more uniformly defined.

National Examinations Dates for Clinical OSCE's

ND, DN Level 1 OSCE's 1st June 2026.

ND. DN.

Level 2 OSCE's 2nd June 2026. Level 2 OSCE's 2nd June 2026.

Level 3 OSCE's 3rd June 2026. Level 3 OSCE's 3rd June 2026.

Online Theory Exams

Level 1. 1st May 2026.... 6th May 2026. Level 2. 4th May 2026..... 8th May 2026.

Level 3. 5th May 2026..... 11th May 2026.

You must pass the theory before taking the OSCE. There are two chances to take the exams before the OSCE dates.

There is an additional charge to retake one or both exams. This is set to £50 the theory and £95 for OSCE's.

Fees: If you are on an accredited course, in most cases, the fees will be included in your course fee. Check with your course provider.

If you are required to take the exams as part of an application to join the SNND, then 50% of the total fees will be covered by your application fee you will only be required to pay £72.00

You are only allowed to register to take the exams if you are on an accredited course, and you have been registered with us by your course provider, or you have been asked to take them by the Board of the College of the SNND as part of your application assessment.