The OPRA Exam: Your Gateway to Pharmacy Practice in Australia

For overseas-trained pharmacists aspiring to build a career in Australia or New Zealand, the pathway to licensure is undergoing a significant evolution.¹ Starting March 2025, the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) is replacing the traditional KAPS (Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences) exam with the Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment (OPRA).

This guide covers everything you need to know about the new assessment, from eligibility and exam structure to the post-exam pathway.

1. What is the OPRA Exam?

The OPRA exam is a competency-based assessment designed to evaluate whether an overseas pharmacist possesses the foundational knowledge and skills required to practice safely and effectively in the Australian and New Zealand healthcare systems.

Unlike its predecessor (KAPS), which relied heavily on pharmaceutical sciences in a two-paper format, OPRA focuses more intensely on clinical application and therapeutics. It assesses not just what you know, but how you apply that knowledge to patient care.

Key Changes at a Glance

Feature	Old Exam (KAPS)	New Exam (OPRA)
Format	Two papers (100 questions each)	Single paper (120 questions)
Duration	4 hours total (2 hours per paper)	2.5 hours (no scheduled break)
Focus	Heavy on Science/Chemistry	Heavy on Therapeutics & Clinical Practice
Scoring	Fixed pass mark (usually 50%)	Rasch Methodology (scaled difficulty)

2. Eligibility Criteria

To sit for the OPRA exam, you generally need to meet the requirements of the APC’s Knowledge Stream.

Academic Qualification: You must hold a recognized pharmacy degree (Bachelor of Pharmacy, PharmD, or Master of Pharmacy) requiring at least four years of full-time study.
Registration: You must be currently registered (or eligible for registration) as a pharmacist in the country where you completed your degree.
English Proficiency: While English test results (IELTS, OET, PTE) are mandatory for your final registration with the Pharmacy Board, you can typically sit the OPRA exam before finalizing your English scores. However, valid English results will be required to receive your final Skills Assessment letter.

3. Exam Structure and Content

The OPRA exam is a computer-based test consisting of 120 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).

The Syllabus Breakdown

The exam content is weighted heavily toward patient care, reflecting the day-to-day realities of Australian pharmacy practice.

Therapeutics and Patient Care (45%):
- This is the largest section. It covers disease state management, choosing appropriate medicines, dosing, adverse effects, and drug interactions.
Biomedical Sciences (20%):
- Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathophysiology.
Pharmacology and Toxicology (15%):
- Mechanism of drug action, side effects, and management of toxicity/poisoning.
Medicinal Chemistry and Biopharmaceutics (10%):
- Drug stability, formulation, physicochemical properties, and drug delivery systems.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (10%):
- ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion), half-life, clearance, and bioavailability.

Scoring Methodology

The OPRA exam uses the Rasch model of scoring. This means there is no fixed “50%” pass mark. Instead, the pass standard is determined by the difficulty of the specific question set you receive. This ensures fairness across different exam sittings.

4. The Registration Process

The journey involves three main stages:

Step 1: Eligibility Check

Before you can book the exam, you must apply for an Eligibility Check via the APC website. You will need to upload certified copies of your:

Pharmacy degree and official transcript.
Evidence of registration in your home country.
Passport and identification documents.

Fee: Approximately AUD $810

Step 2: Exam Booking

Once the APC confirms your eligibility, you will receive an email inviting you to book your exam. You can choose a testing center in your home country (e.g., Pearson VUE centers are available globally).

Fee: Approximately AUD $2,190

Step 3: Skills Assessment Outcome

After passing the exam, you will receive your Skills Assessment Outcome letter. This document is critical for your visa application and for provisional registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (Ahpra).

5. Pathway to General Registration

Passing the OPRA exam is not the final step; it is the “key” that unlocks the door to the Australian workforce.

Provisional Registration: Apply to the Pharmacy Board of Australia (Ahpra) using your OPRA certificate.
Supervised Practice (Internship): You must complete a period of supervised practice (usually 1,575 hours, approx. 1 year) in an Australian pharmacy (community or hospital).
Intern Training Program (ITP): During your internship, you must complete an accredited coursework program.
Final Exams: Pass the APC Intern Written Exam and the Oral Exam.
General Registration: Once these are cleared, you become a fully registered pharmacist in Australia.

6. Preparation Strategy

Since the OPRA exam is new, candidates must adapt their study habits:

Shift Focus: Do not spend excessive time on complex chemical synthesis or structures. Focus on clinical guidelines (e.g., Australian Medicines Handbook, Therapeutic Guidelines).
Practice Speed: You have 120 questions in 150 minutes. That is roughly 1.25 minutes per question.
Understand the System: Familiarize yourself with Australian terminology (e.g., brand names vs. generic names, legal scheduling of drugs).

Conclusion

The transition to OPRA represents a modernizing of the pharmacy profession in Australia, prioritizing clinical readiness over theoretical recall. For overseas pharmacists, this is a positive shift that aligns the entrance exam closer to the actual work you will be doing in the pharmacy.