9/2/2020 Exam dates and centres | Australian Pharmacy Council

APC examination dates and centres: Intern,

KAPS and CAOP exams
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As part of our mission to maintain standards of pharmacy education and training in Australia, we
offer several examinations. Our exams include the:

Intern Written Exam (IWE)

Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KAPS) exam
Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists (CAOP) exam

These exams assess the knowledge and competencies of pharmacists who want to register to
practise in Australia.

On this page

Updates on exams
Exam centres

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Intern Written Exam

KAPS exam
CAOP exam
Exam candidate information

Updates on exams
During the pandemic, you must bring and wear your own face mask while you’re at the test center
and throughout your exam. Read the latest health & safety requirements at Pearson VUE-owned
test centers (https://home.pearsonvue.com/coronavirus-update).

For recent updates relating to COVID-19 see APC's Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response
(https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/media-hub/novel-coronavirus-covid19-apc-response/).

Intern Written Exam updates

We’re delighted to announce the next Intern Written Exam dates. This October you’ll have the option
to sit either:

an event-based exam in a test centre, OR

an online proctored exam delivered by OnVUE

We have shortened the exam. The exam now:

is 2 hours, instead of 3 hours
has a total of 75 questions

For further information about the October session and the online proctored exam see:

A message from our CEO (/media-hub/Intern-Written-Exam-now-delivered-remotely)

OnVUE exam candidate information (https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/pharmacist/exam-
dates-and-centres/OnVUE-candidate-information/)
Intern Written Exam step-by-guide (https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/pharmacist/skills-
assessment/intern-written-exam/)

You can find the confirmed dates below. You will also find details about each exam delivery method
to compare your options.

Answers to your questions about the October 2020 exam

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▼Have the eligibility requirements for the Intern Written Exam changed?

▼Will I be eligible to sit the PharmBA Oral Exam in 2020?

▼Will the Intern Written Exam clash with the Oral Exam?

KAPS exam updates

We have rescheduled the KAPS exam set for October 2020. It will now be held in December 2020.

We made this decision based on many factors outside of our control. Many test centres across the
world are unavailable due to COVID-19 health restrictions.

Going ahead with the October session would exclude many candidates from the opportunity to sit
the exam. So, to the fairness of all candidates, we could not offer the October session. Read more
(https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/media-hub/KAPS-exam-rescheduled-for-December-2020/).

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Exam centres
If you're in Australia, you can sit our exams in:

Adelaide
Brisbane
Canberra
Darwin
Hobart
Melbourne
Perth
Sydney

You can also sit the IWE in Townsville if numbers allow.

If you're outside of Australia, check the specific exam details below for exam centre locations.

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Different exam centres will have different dates for exam sessions. Please finish registering before
you arrange your travel.

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Intern Written Exam

The IWE assesses your ability to practise pharmacy in Australia. You can sit it if you:

are provisionally registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia

(https://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/Registration/Internships.aspx#internships) (PharmBA), or
have been registered in the past
have completed 40% of the required supervised practice hours
(https://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/registration/internships.aspx), or will have completed
them by the exam date

The exam is now 2 hours instead of 3. It has a total of 75 questions.

Exam dates

Registrations Open Registrations Close Exam Dates

25 August 2020 7 September 2020 17 - 21 October 2020

27 October 2020 9 November 2020 6 December 2020

Test centre dates: Saturday 17 October – Sunday 18 October 2020

OnVUE dates: Saturday 17 October – Wednesday 21 October 2020

For details on how to register, see the Intern Written Exam step-by-guide
(https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/pharmacist/skills-assessment/intern-written-exam/)

Learn more about the OnVUE exam process

(https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/pharmacist/exam-dates-and-centres/OnVUE-candidate-
information/).

Scheduled dates may vary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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▼Similarities and differences between event-based and OnVUE exams

Exam centres
If you're in Australia, see our list of Australian exam centres.

If you're outside of Australia, you'll need to travel to an Australian exam centre, as you cannot
currently sit the IWE in other countries.

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KAPS exam
The KAPS exam tests your knowledge of basic pharmaceutical sciences as they relate to practising
in Australia. You can sit this exam if you've:

completed your pharmacy degree in a country outside of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New
Zealand, the UK or the USA
received an email from us confirming that you're eligible to sit the KAPS exam

Exam dates
Registrations Open Registrations Close Exam Dates

13 October 2020 26 October 2020 6 - 8 December 2020

The KAPS exam includes 2 papers. If you're registering for both papers, you'll need to sit them on
the same date.

For details, see the Knowledge Stream (Stream A) step-by-step guide (/pharmacist/skills-
assessment/knowledge-stream).

Scheduled dates may vary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exam centres
If you're in Australia, see our list of Australian exam centres.

If you're outside of Australia, you can sit your KAPS exam in the following cities:

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Country City

Argentina Buenos Aires

Egypt Cairo and surrounding areas

Greece Athens

Hong Kong SAR Hong Kong

India Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Mumbai

Kenya Nairobi

New Zealand Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington

Oman Muscat

Pakistan Islamabad

Peru Lima

Philippines Manila

Qatar Doha

Saudi Arabia Riyadh

Singapore Singapore

South Africa Johannesburg

United Arab Emirates Dubai and surrounding areas

United Kingdom London

Zimbabwe Harare

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CAOP exam
The CAOP exam assesses your ability to apply pharmaceutical knowledge and your competence to
practise in Australia. You can sit this exam if you:

completed your pharmacy degree in Canada, Ireland, the UK or the USA

are also registered to practise pharmacy in that country
have received an email from us confirming that you're eligible to sit the CAOP exam

For more information, see the Competency Stream (Stream B) step-by-step guide
(https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/pharmacist/skills-assessment/competency-stream/).

Exam dates
Registrations Open Registrations Close Exam Dates

23 June 2020 7 July 2020 24 - 26 July 2020

27 October 2020 9 November 2020 6 December 2020

Scheduled dates may vary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exam centres
If you're in Australia, see our list of Australian exam centres.

If you're outside of Australia, you can sit your CAOP exam in the following cities:

Country City

New Zealand Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington

United Kingdom London

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Exam candidate information

If you are sitting an online proctored IWE exam, please see the OnVUE exam candidate
information (https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/pharmacist/exam-dates-and-centres/OnVUE-
candidate-information/).

Registration
Registrations open at 9am and close at 5pm AEDT/AEST. Check these times in your local time zone
with a time zone converter (https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html).

We reserve exam seats on a first-come first-served basis. When an exam schedule is full, we close
registration for that session. We cannot accept any late registrations.

Some locations fill up fast, so we suggest booking your exam as soon as possible after registration
opens.

You can choose a different exam centre if it's available. However, you cannot make any changes
after registration closes.

If you have any trouble booking your exam, email us on exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au

(mailto:exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au) for help.

Confirmation
You'll receive a confirmation email from our exam provider, Pearson VUE, once you've finished
selecting your exam session. Read this email carefully because it will contain details on the exam
venue, date and time. Ensure that you:

check the exam centre details and location before the exam date
arrive at the exam centre at least 45 minutes before the exam starts

If you arrive at the venue after the exam starts, you will not be able to enter the room.

Asking for special accommodation

If you have a disability or health-related needs, you may ask for extra support or an adjustment to
complete the exam. We call this type of support 'special accommodation'.

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Examples of special accommodation requests might include:

more time to complete the exam

being able to leave the exam room for breaks
more leg room at your exam desk if you're injured

You'll need to provide evidence to justify your request.

For details, see our Special Accommodation policy (/resources/examinations-special-

accommodation-policy/).

What to bring with you

You'll need to show 2 forms of identity (ID) to enter the exam room and sit the exam. At least one
form must be an acceptable form of primary ID from the list below.

Usually, both documents would be issued by the country where you're sitting the exam.

If you do not have an acceptable primary ID from that country, use an international travel passport
from your country of citizenship as your primary ID.

Online proctored exams have different ID requirements. If you are sitting the exam remotely, please
see OnVUE exam candidate information.

Primary ID

This ID document must be issued by your government and contain:

your full name

a recognisable photograph
your signature

Types of acceptable primary ID include:

international passport
government-issued national identity card (with a photo)
government-issued citizenship card (with a photo)
Australian or New Zealand driver’s licence

Secondary ID

This ID document must either contain:

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your name and signature, OR

your name and a recognisable photo

Types of acceptable secondary ID include:

debit (ATM) card

credit card
any document on the primary ID list

ID requirements

The name on both forms of your ID must match the name you used to register for your exam.
Email us on exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au (mailto:exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au) before
the exam if your name on any ID form is different to the one you used to register.
All forms of ID must be originals. We will not accept photocopies, even if they're certified.
If you have an issue with any of your ID forms, email us on exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au
(mailto:exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au) at least 3 days before the exam to request a pre-
approval.

Other items

Other items that you can and cannot bring into the exam room with you will vary between exams.
For details, see the step-by-step page guide for your specific exam:

Intern Written Exam step-by-step guide (/pharmacist/skills-assessment/intern-written-exam)

Knowledge Stream (Stream A) with KAPS exam step-by-step guide (/pharmacist/skills-
assessment/knowledge-stream)
Competency Stream (Stream B) with CAOP exam step-by-step guide (/pharmacist/skills-
assessment/competency-stream)

Refunds and cancellations

If you need to withdraw from an exam, see our APC Refund of Fees for Examination Cancellation
Guidelines policy (/resources/refund-policy/).

This policy also applies if you're ill, or if personal circumstances prevent you from sitting the exam
on the day.
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See also
Intern Written Exam (/pharmacist/skills-assessment/intern-written-exam/)

Knowledge Stream (KAPS) (/pharmacist/skills-assessment/knowledge-stream/)

Competency Stream (CAOP) (/pharmacist/skills-assessment/competency-stream/)

Fees for skills assessments, exams and appeals (/pharmacist/skills-assessment-fees/)

Exam resources (/resources/?area=Pharmacist)

COVID-19 updates (https://www.pharmacycouncil.org.au/media-hub/novel-coronavirus-

covid19-apc-response/)

Related content

Exam resources
Explore the resources we provide to help you prepare for your exam

Fees for exams

Check the fees that might apply for exams

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Appeals
Learn about our policy for appealing decisions you're unhappy with

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