The Australian Pharmacy Council conducts the Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment (OPRA) exam to assess whether the knowledge and skills of a foreign graduate are equivalent to that of Australian standards. If you are an internationally trained pharmacist and aiming to work as a registered pharmacist in Australia, successfully clearing the OPRA exam will be your first step. This blog covers everything you need to know about the 2025 OPRA exam schedule, eligibility requirements, registration process, and expert preparation tips to help you excel.
What Is the OPRA Exam?
The KAPS exam will be replaced by the Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment (OPRA) Exam in March 2025. This exam is conducted to assess the competency of internationally trained pharmacists to practice safely in Australia.
The OPRA Exam coaching covers the core subjects in pharmacy, including clinical knowledge, biomedical sciences, patient care, and therapeutics, to ensure candidates meet the high standards expected by the Australian healthcare sector.
Who Needs to Take the OPRA Exam?
Suppose you are a pharmacist trained outside Australia and planning to apply for registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia. Successfully clearing the OPRA exam is mandatory to proceed forward with the provisional license registration under APHRA.
What Is the 2025 OPRA Exam Schedule?
The OPRA Exam is conducted three times a year- March, July, and November.
- Registration period: 9 January- 31 January 2025
Exam dates: 3-5 March 2025
Result released on: 1 April 2025 - Registration period: 8 April- 16 June 2025
Exam dates: 14-16 July 2025
Result released on: 12 August 2025 - Registration period: 19 August- 27 October 2025
Exam dates: 24-26 November 2025
Result released on: 22 December 2025
Candidates are supposed to start the eligibility check process at least 8-12 weeks before the exam registration dates.
What Is the OPRA Exam Registration Process & Fees?
Candidates must complete an eligibility assessment through the APC candidate portal before sitting the OPRA Exam.
Eligibility Check – Skills Assessment
Candidates must submit their documents through the APC candidate portal for evaluation. APC will thoroughly check and give a positive outcome if the documents meet the requirements. Once the skills assessment is done, candidates can sit for the OPRA Exam.
Fee for skills assessment: AUD 810.00
OPRA Exam Registration and Successfully Clearing the Exam
After skills assessment approval, candidates can choose a center & preferred date allotted by APC.
Exam Fees: AUD 2190.00
Additionally, candidates have to pay a fee for a skills assessment outcome letter (AUD 300.00). It is a certificate to be used for visa purposes and registration, demonstrating that the candidate has successfully passed the exam and is eligible to register as an intern pharmacist in Australia.
Payments are accepted via Visa or MasterCard.
How Do You Prepare for the OPRA Exam?
Passing the OPRA exam requires strategic preparation and an understanding of Australian pharmacy practice.
A few common tips are:
- Understand the exam format, scoring method, and content distribution
- Therapeutic care: high priority
- Biomedical science: 20%
- Medicinal chemistry & biopharmaceutics: 10%
- Practice with sample questions and test conditions to boost speed and confidence
- Focus on Australian pharmacy practice with Australian clinical guidelines (AMH)
- Master time management: exam is 2.5 hours long for 120 MCQs
- Join a genuine coaching institute, like Elite Expertise, which offers comprehensive coaching on OPRA preparation with expert-led lectures and personalized monitoring and mock tests
Final Thoughts
The 2025 OPRA Exam marks a significant step for internationally trained pharmacists who plan to become registered pharmacists in Australia. Early planning, thorough preparation, and familiarity with the new exam pattern and format will make the journey easier and significantly enhance the chances of success.
- Start your eligibility check early
- Choose your exam date wisely
- Invest time in quality preparation resources
