ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the experience of doctorate students in the use of mock panels as an active methodology of teaching in Nursing post-graduation. Method: Experience report on the use of mock panels in the discipline Advanced Methods for Researches in Health and Nursing II, offered in the doctorate course of the Nursing Post-graduate Program from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. Results: The mock panels contributed for the doctorate of nurses and enabled students to take on the role of protagonists in the teaching-learning process, through the use of critical thought and student autonomy. Conclusions: This experience made it possible to implement an active teaching-learning methodology in Nursing post-graduation, since this strategy was opposite to the traditional education model.