Not all NMCN recommended books for your training is useful for nursing council exam.
See top list of textbooks for nursing council exam confirmed by many Nigerian nurses who have passed the exam, what each book is good for, and how to use them to pass your NMCN exam.
What textbooks does NMCN recommend?
Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) does not have an official reading list specific for the exam.
But it only has a list of about 197 textbooks for your entire nursing training and the exam syllabus.
This NMCN SYLLABUS lists anatomy and physiology, medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, community health, obstetrics, paediatrics, professional ethics, and foundations of nursing as core in the exam.
These books cover these major areas.
And since NMCN conducts a Nigerian-exam, many of the books here are written by Nigerian nursing educators and popular among nursing students in Nigeria.
But let’s see how best to use these textbooks first.
How to use NMCN recommended books
Buying the right books is one thing, how you study them is another.
Start with the syllabus
Before opening any textbook, check the syllabus to confirm which topics appear in the exam, then study them alone.
This prevents you from spending hours on material that will not earn you any mark.
Don’t read passively
Reading a chapter and feeling like you understood it is not the same as being able to reproduce that knowledge under exam conditions.
After reading each section:
- Close the book
- Write down everything you remember
- Check what you missed
This active recall technique is an effective study method proven by research.
Pair topic with past questions
After studying a subject area in your textbook, immediately attempt past questions on that topic.
This strengthens what you just learnt and shows you how NMCN frames questions around it.
Use multiple books together
These books complement each other.
Read the theory in General Nursing, deepen it with Explicit of Medical Surgical or Simplified Anatomy and Physiology, revise pharmacology in Easier Pharmacology.
Then, test yourself with Success Tablet, Essential Q/A in Nursing, Surebet to Success or the Green Bible.
And use the Comprehensive Nursing Manual to sharpen your OSCE knowledge.
Teach what you learn
If you can explain a concept to a classmate without looking at your notes, you really know it.
Study groups built around teaching each other are powerful preparation strategies available to you.
Give free tutorials for classmates on topics you know and volunteer to do the same in study groups online or offline.
Top list of textbooks for nursing council exam
These books cover every major topic in the exam and have been used by thousands of successful candidates before you.
Pick the ones that address your weakest areas first, and study according to the NMCN syllabus.
The best textbooks for nursing council exam in Nigeria are the ones written for “Nigerian” nursing student by educators who understands the NMCN.
No need for expensive imported textbooks when you can get the same standard here in Nigeria and still meet NMCN exact demands.
1. Success Tablet
Best for: Practice questions on all topics, identifying knowledge gaps, last-minute revision.
Success Tablet by Olaolorunpo (Olorunfemi) and Nomamiukor (S.O) is arguably the most popular council exam prep book among Nigerian nursing students.
This 683-page book is a collection of past questions and answers on the core NMCN exam topics.
What makes Success Tablet stand out is that it’s not a general or foreign nursing book but tailored for Nigerian nursing council exam.
The question-and-answer format trains your brain to recall information the way the exam demands it.
Use this book to test yourself after studying each topic.
When you get an answer wrong, go back to your notes or core textbook for that subject and understand why.
2. General Nursing
Best for: Foundational nursing theory, building a broad knowledge base, early-stage revision.
General Nursing is a good starting point for your revision, especially if your theoretical knowledge is shaky.
Written by a Nigerian nursing author in alignment to NMCN syllabus, this book covers nursing theory and practice – the backbone of nursing council exam.
Read a topic here to understand the core concept, then deepen your knowledge with subject-specific books like Explicit of Medical Surgical or Easier Pharmacology.
3. Explicit of Medical Surgical Nursing
Best for: Medical-surgical nursing papers, clinical reasoning questions, OSCE preparation.
Explicit of Medical Surgical Nursing by Oloriegbe Ofunami is one of the most recommended subject-specific textbooks for nursing council exam.
Medical-surgical nursing often has the highest number of questions in NMCN exam, and this book tackles it well.
Especially sections on:
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Respiratory disorders
- Diabetes management
- Renal conditions
- Surgical nursing care
It breaks down disease conditions, nursing assessments, medical management and nursing interventions in ways that those struggling with the subject can follow.
4. Surebet to Success
Best for: Final-stage revision, high-yield topic consolidation, building exam confidence.
Surebet to Success is also popular among Nigerian nursing students looking to pass the council exam.
And just like Success Tablet, it is exam-focused and a handy revision tool rather than a bulky textbook.
Surebet to Success is most useful in the final weeks of preparation when you need to backup what you know, sharpen your revision and build exam confidence.
5. Easier Pharmacology
Best for: Pharmacology objectives and essays, drug administration questions, OSCE drug stations.
Pharmacology is the subject that shakes most nursing students.
Drug names, drug classes, mechanisms of action, side effects, contraindications, nursing implications, etc.
The volume of information here alone can be overwhelming.
But Easier Pharmacology presents these concepts in their simplest, easy-to-understand form for those sitting the council exam.
Rather than drowning you in biochemistry, this book cuts through the noise and goes straight to what you need for all questions on pharmacology.
6. Essential Q/A in Nursing
Best for: Objective practice, essay preparation, active recall revision all subjects.
Essential Q/A in Nursing is a question-and-answer compilation from core nursing subjects assessed in NMCN exam.
It helps by exposing you to several nursing council exam questions until you start to think like a candidate.
Study questions in this book topic-by-topic rather than at random and mark the ones you struggle with to revisit them later.
7. Simplified Anatomy and Physiology
Best for: Anatomy and physiology papers, understanding disease mechanisms, OSCE theory questions.
Anatomy and physiology is the foundation on which nursing itself is built.
Because knowing why the heart pumps the way it does helps you understand cardiac failure. Knowing how the kidneys regulate fluid helps you understand renal nursing.
And Simplified Anatomy and Physiology breaks down complex biological concepts into clear, logical explanations without unnecessary jargon.
Use this book early in your preparation, within the first phase of your study plan.
8. The Green Bible
Best for: Past question practice, exam pattern familiarity, cross-subject revision, final preparation.
No list of top textbooks for nursing council exam in Nigeria would be complete without the legendary “Green Bible”.
Officially known as Nursing Council Examination Questions and Answers, this book is a compilation of real NMCN past questions and answers on major topics in nursing council exam.
Generation after generation of candidates have successfully relied on this book so much so that it remains the most popular in NURSING SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE.
Many who studied it have said to find very similar questions in their main exam.
Use the Green Bible for practice only after studying a topic in your core nursing textbook(s) first.
And review your wrong answers because the goal isn’t to finish the book but to understand every question in it.
9. Comprehensive Nursing Manual
Best for: OSCE procedure preparation, nursing procedures papers, clinical skills revision.
Comprehensive Nursing Manual by Cecy Correia is one of the textbooks for nursing council exam with official recognition.
Listed in NMCN required documents for nursing education in Nigeria, this book covers all nursing procedures from the basics (hand washing, personal hygiene, vital signs) to advanced (wound care, catheterisation, nasogastric tube management, hemodialysis).
This nursing manual is most valuable for OSCE, where you’re assessed on your ability to perform and explain clinical procedures.
Because many who struggled with practical have found this book helpful in building their knowledge and clinical confidence.
Free vs Paid books and Physical or Softcopy?
A common question student nurses ask is whether they really need to spend money on textbooks.
Or whether softcopy PDFs are better than hardcopy paper versions.
Here’s an honest answer.
Physical vs softcopy
There is this level of seriousness and focus you get when reading on paper.
While your phone or computer is useful for night reading, a single notification or just seeing the gadget alone can distract you into doing something else instead.
Best is to have both, so there’s no room for excuses.
Free vs paid books
Free resources like lecture notes, materials shared on WhatsApp or Telegram groups are indeed useful.
Students from different nursing institutions share topic summaries, OSCE checklists, etc. which are worth saving.
But some can be inconsistent in quality due to the different locations or lecturers.
Do not depend on free materials as your primary study kit.
And while the paid nursing textbooks might look quite expensive, they’re worth every naira.
- They are written for NMCN exam, so the content is aligned to the Nigerian nursing curriculum, not to American, British or global licensing exams.
- The depth they provide cannot be replaced by free summaries or random online notes.
- Past questions like Success Tablet, Essential Q/A in Nursing remain the best, most affordable and closest to what your exam will look like.
A smart approach is to get at least two core textbooks for nursing council exam, then supplement with free materials and practise tirelessly with just one past questions compilation.
Conclusion
There’s no single best book, the right one depends on what you need.
- For practice questions, Success Tablet and Essential Q/A in Nursing are most recommended.
- Medical-surgical nursing, Explicit of Medical Surgical Nursing is a top choice.
- For pharmacology, Easier Pharmacology is the go-to.
- For foundational sciences, start with Simplified Anatomy and Physiology.
Most successful candidates just use a combination of 2–3 books from this list.
GOOD LUCK.
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