Licensure examination is a tool to gauge the nursing competency level. Effort s are made to prepare nursing graduates effectively to improve their pass rate in this examination. Aim: To describe the components of an effective preparation programme that would enhance the pass rate in the Indonesian national nursing licensure examination (NNCE). Methodology: A content analysis method using interactive semistructured in-depth interviews to inter- view randomly selected course coordinators (n = 7), clinical instructors (n = 7), and nursing alumni (n = 6) of the faculty of nursing of a private university in Indonesia. Findings: The study extracted eight themes perceived by the participants to be the components of an effective preparation programme: (1) preparation programme is integrated into the curriculum, (2) im- provement of competency process standard and evaluation, and (3) holistic approach to preparation, (4) active involvement and participation, (5) knowledge and skills specialty, (6) sharp examination-taking skills, (7) strong motivation and confidence, and (8) time commitment. Discussion: Preparation process is a significant determining factor in the success of the exam takers. The nursing faculty management and educators need to work together to provide a good preparation process. Conclusion: A proposed effective preparation programme is to be carried out by the educators with the support of the faculty of nursing, as a programme integrated into the academic and internship pro- grammes, and as an intensive programme after the completion of the internship programme. It is rec- ommended that the programme be implemented to evaluate its rigor in real situations.