Applications for Indexing must be completed in full and submitted to the Nursing Council of Kenya. This can be made using the Council’s Online Services Portal. Your training institution will guide you on how to complete your application. Let us see How to Apply for Nursing Student Index Number in Kenya
Upon admission to a training school, for all nursing and midwifery programmes, we require students to submit an application for Indexing within 60 days following commencement of training. Applications for Indexing are made using the Council’s Online Services Portal. Your training institution will guide you on how to complete your application.
The Council through its Indexing Section verifies submissions to ensure that students admitted to training schools meet the minimum admission criteria for their programme of choice. Once verification is completed, you will be assigned an ‘Index Number’ which is a unique reference that will remain your identification throughout training and practice. The outcome of the indexing process will be communicated to you through your training institution, SMS and email notifications.
The indexing details are to track your progress through training and determine your eligibility to sit the Council’s licensure examination.
Students who have not submitted themselves to the Indexing Process are not acknowledged by the Council and not eligible to study or practice nursing or midwifery in Kenya.
Procedure
- A valid good conduct certificate and a medical certificate are pre-requisite documents for student indexing. Make sure you have acquired this documents before you begin the application process.
Apply On-line
- Upon admission to a training school, all nursing and midwifery programmes students , are require to submit an application for Indexing within 60 days following commencement of training.
- Applications for Indexing must be completed in full and submitted to the Nursing Council of Kenya. This can be made using the Council’s Online Services Portal. Your training institution will guide you on how to complete your application.
- Register to the NCK Online Services Portal through the help of your training institution and upload the relevant required documents. This may include;
- Copies of the National Identity Card/Passport
- Copies of the CERTIFIED KCSE Examination Certificate and Secondary School Leaving Certificate
- Foreign students should present copies of their certificates and equations of their certificates by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC)
- Upgrading students must also attach copies of previous Nursing Council of Kenya certificates/qualifications and current practice license
- If names provided in the Indexing Application are different from the Legal Names listed in the National Identification Card [ID], documentary evidence of legal change of name must also be attached
- Medical certificate
- A certificate of good conduct
- . The Nursing Council of Kenya through its Indexing Section verifies submissions to ensure that students admitted to training schools meet the minimum admission criteria for their programme of choice.
- Once verification is completed, you will be assigned an ‘Index Number’ which is a unique reference that will remain your identification throughout training and practice.
- The outcome of the indexing process will be communicated to you through your training institution, SMS and email notifications.
Required Documents
- Copies of the National Identity Card/Passport
- Copies of the CERTIFIED KCSE Examination Certificate and Secondary School Leaving Certificate
- Foreign students should present copies of their certificates and equations of their certificates by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC)
- Upgrading students must also attach copies of previous Nursing Council of Kenya certificates/qualifications and current practice license
- If names provided in the Indexing Application are different from the Legal Names listed in the National Identification Card [ID], documentary evidence of legal change of name must also be attached
- Medical certificate
- A certificate of good conduct
Office Locations & Contacts
Nursing Council of Kenya Head quarters
NCK Plaza [Route No. 8],Kabarnet Lane,
Off Ngong Road, Nairobi,
P.O Box 20056,002000,
Nairobi
Phone: 254 (020) 3873556/ +254721920567/ +254733924669
Email: info@nckenya.org
Web: NCK Website
Coast Zonal Office
Provincial Medical Directors (PDMS) Office Adjacent to Coast Province General Hospital (CPGH), Mombasa
Lower Eastern Zonal Office
Meru Level 5 Hospital
Main Administration Block, next to the Nursing Services Managers Office, Meru
Upper Eastern Zonal Office
Marsabit County Hospital
County Health Offices, Marsabit
North Rift Zonal Office
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Main Administration Block, 1st Floor, Rm 153, Eldoret
Western Zonal Office
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH)
Main Administration Block,
Kisumu
Eligibility
ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR DEGREE PROGRAMMES
Minimum Entry Criteria: Degree [Pre-Service]
- KCSE aggregate of grade: C+ with,
Cluster A:
- English or Kiswahili: C+
- Mathematics or Physics: C+
- Chemistry: C+
- Biology: C+
Cluster B:
- English or Kiswahili: C+
- Mathematics: C+
- Physical Sciences: C+
- Biological Sciences: C+
Minimum Entry Criteria for Upgrade to Degree [IN-SERVICE]
- Aggregate of grade C or Division II in the KCE exams
- Mandatory: C in Biology or Biological Studies
- Nursing Council of Kenya Diploma: KRN/KRCHN/KRNM/KRNMHP
- 2 years post diploma working experience
ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES
Minimum Entry Criteria: Diploma [Pre-Service]
- Aggregate grade: C Plain
- Mandatory Subjects:
- Biology or Biological Sciences: C Plain
- English or Kiswahili: C Plain
- Grade C- in any of the following subjects: Physical Sciences, Physics, Mathematics, General Science, Physics with Chemistry
Minimum Entry Criteria for Upgrade to Diploma [In-Service]
- Aggregate of grade D+ or Division IV in the EACE exams
- Nursing Council of Kenya Certificate 2 years post enrolment working experience
Fees
- This application is free of charge
Validity
- The index number is valid until the nursing student is has finished undertaking the training programme and councils licensing examination.
Documents to Use
- Applications are done online.
Processing Time
- The processing time is one month.
Instructions
- Application for Indexing should be done within 60 days following admission and commencement of training.
- A valid good conduct certificate and a medical certificate are pre-requisite documents for student indexing. Make sure you have acquired this documents before you begin the application process.
Required Information
- Name
- Gender
- Date of Birth
- Education Institution
- Academic qualifications
Need for the Document
- The index number is used to track the students progress through training and it’s used to determine your eligibility to sit for the Council’s licensing examination.
- The NCK assigns each student an index number, which serves as a unique identifier for that individual through graduation and into their nursing career
- Students who have not submitted themselves to the Indexing Process are not acknowledged by the Council and not eligible to study or practice nursing or midwifery in Kenya.
Information which might help
- Students applying to certificate programs must have a minimum KCSE aggregate of C-, including a C- or higher in English/Kiswahili and biology and a D+ or higher in maths, physics or chemistry.
- To upgrade from a certificate to diploma, the nurse must have a certificate in nursing, be registered with the NCK, and have a minimum KCSE aggregate of C-.
- To upgrade from a diploma to degree, the nurse must have a diploma in nursing, be registered with the NCK and have a minimum KCSE of C.
- NCK offers licensing exams four times per year — in January, February, July and August,.
- Students who fail the NCK exam are eligible to retake the exam during the next exam period.
Other uses of the Document/Certificate
- The NCK assigns each student an index number, which serves as a unique identifier for that individual through graduation and into their nursing career

External Links
Others
- In Kenya nurse training institutions may offer programs at three levels — certificate, diploma and degree. Both BScN and diploma programs produce registered nurses; whereas, certificate programs produce enrolled nurses. The number of certificate programs has decreased over the past 10 years in favour of diploma nursing programs.
