OPRA, CAOP & Intern Written Exam: Eligibility, Fees, Dates, Format, Syllabus & Results
Quick Summary
Not sure which APC exam is yours? This guide covers eligibility, fees, dates, format, syllabus, test centres, refunds, and results for OPRA, CAOP, and the Intern Written Exam. Every fact comes from the Australian Pharmacy Council's own official pages, and each section links to its source.
What Are the OPRA, CAOP, and Intern Written Exams?
APC delivers three exams for the Pharmacy Board of Australia. OPRA and CAOP are for overseas-qualified pharmacists. The Intern Written Exam is the final written step before full registration. Each exam matches a different stage of your journey.
OPRA
(Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment): tests your readiness and understanding of pharmaceutical sciences. It sits under the Knowledge Stream.
CAOP
(Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists): tests your competency to practise pharmacy in an Australian setting. It sits under the Competency Stream.
Intern Written Exam
Tests your skills, knowledge and understanding as a pharmacy intern.
APC also runs OPRA and CAOP for the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand and CAOP for Fiji. This guide covers the Australian pathways.
Who Is Eligible for Each Exam?
Your country of qualification decides your exam. OPRA is for most countries. CAOP is only for Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the USA. The Intern Written Exam is only for provisionally registered interns. You cannot choose the pathway yourself.
| Point | OPRA | CAOP | Intern Written Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Qualified in any country except Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, or the USA | Qualified (or approved through adjudication) in Canada, Ireland, the UK, or the USA | Provisionally registered with the Pharmacy Board (now or in the past) |
| Study length | 4 years full-time (after 1 Jan 2006) or 3 years (before 1 Jan 2006) | Same rule | Not applicable |
| Registration proof | Not required | Required: you must be currently registered in one of the four countries. | Not applicable |
| Hours needed | None | None | At least 75% of supervised practice hours done, or done by the exam date |
If you register for the Intern Written Exam without the required hours, you must pay a cancellation fee.
What Documents Do You Need for the Eligibility Check?
OPRA and CAOP candidates must pass an eligibility check first. You upload your passport, photo ID, birth certificate, degree certificate, and academic transcript in the Candidate Portal. You do not need to certify documents or show English test results.
- Translations: any non-English document needs a full translation by an NAATI-accredited translator. Extract translations are not accepted.
- Evidence of registration: required for CAOP, optional for OPRA.
- Optional uploads: agent authorisation form and proof of name change.
- Upload only in the portal. Never email or post documents.
- Time: APC aims to reply within 5 working days but allows up to 4 weeks.
- Extra information: if APC asks, you have 6 months (180 days) to send it, or your application closes.
Tip: lodge your application at least 8 weeks before registration closes.
Not sure which APC pathway applies to you? Get it confirmed before you pay any fee.
Talk to Our TeamWhat Is the Format of Each Exam?
OPRA has 120 questions in 150 minutes. CAOP has 70 questions in 120 minutes. The Intern Written Exam has 75 questions in 120 minutes. All three are computer-based and taken in person. Only OPRA is closed book.
| Point | OPRA | CAOP | Intern Written Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 120 multiple-choice | 70 (multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank) | 75 (multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank) |
| Time | 150 minutes | 120 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Books | Closed book | Restricted open book: AMH, APF, BNF | Restricted open book: AMH, APF |
| Scored questions | 90% (10% unscored) | 90% (10% unscored) | 90% (10% unscored) |
- Multiple-choice: OPRA has 1 correct answer and 3 wrong options. CAOP and the Intern Written Exam use 4 options with 1 correct answer.
- Fill-in-the-blank: used for pharmaceutical calculations. Follow the decimal-place instructions or your answer is marked wrong.
- Extra time not counted: 5 minutes for the non-disclosure agreement, 10 minutes for a software tutorial, and 5 minutes for a feedback survey.
- Book rules: one original paper copy of each book, with only simple highlighting, brief notes, and small tabs (maximum 12mm x 44mm). No loose sheets.
- Scoring: scaled scoring. You pass by meeting the standard for your exam form, not by beating other candidates.
What Is the OPRA Exam Syllabus?
The OPRA exam covers 5 content areas. Therapeutics and patient care is the biggest at 45%. OPRA does not test Australian law or practice standards. Those come later, during your internship.
| Content Area | Share of Questions |
|---|---|
| Biomedical sciences | 20% |
| Medicinal chemistry and biopharmaceutics | 10% |
| Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics | 10% |
| Pharmacology and toxicology | 15% |
| Therapeutics and patient care | 45% |
OPRA questions also test different thinking levels: remembering 55%, understanding 30% and application 15%. Examples of topics include body systems, drug stability, ADME, adverse drug reactions, dose calculations and special populations.
What Is the CAOP Exam Syllabus?
CAOP tests 5 competency standards from Domain 3 of the National Competency Standards Framework for Pharmacists in Australia 2016. Standards 3.2 and 3.3 carry 30% each.
| Competency Standard | Share of Questions |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Develop a patient centred, culturally responsive approach to medication management | 20% |
| 3.2 Implement the medication management strategy or plan | 30% |
| 3.3 Monitor and evaluate medication management | 30% |
| 3.4 Compound medicines | 10% |
| 3.6 Promote health and well-being | 10% |
Topics can include analgesics, anti-infectives, cardiovascular, dermatology, endocrinology, gastrointestinal, neurology, oncology, respiratory, vaccination, women's health and more. APC says you must not rely only on the reference books, because not every answer is inside them.
What Is the Intern Written Exam Syllabus?
The Intern Written Exam covers 6 competency standards from Domains 1 and 3. Standards 3.2 and 3.3 carry 28% each. It adds legal practice which OPRA does not test.
| Competency Standard | Share of Questions |
|---|---|
| 1.3 Practise within applicable legal framework | 8% |
| 3.1 Patient centred, culturally responsive approach | 20% |
| 3.2 Implement the medication management plan | 28% |
| 3.3 Monitor and evaluate medication management | 28% |
| 3.4 Compound medicines | 8% |
| 3.6 Promote health and well-being | 8% |
Legal topics include the PBS, Special Access Scheme, drug schedules 2, 3, 4 and 8, health practitioner national law, privacy, and Pharmacy Board codes and guidelines.
How Much Does Each Exam Cost?
OPRA costs AU$2,245, CAOP cost AU$2,100 and the Intern Written Exam costs AU$790 per attempt. OPRA and CAOP candidates also pay an eligibility check and a Skills Assessment Outcome fee.
| Fee | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Eligibility check (non-refundable) | $810 per request |
| OPRA exam | $2,245 per attempt |
| CAOP exam | $2,100 per attempt |
| Intern Written Exam | $790 per attempt |
| Skills Assessment Outcome (after you pass) | $300 per request |
| Updated skills assessment request | $610 per request |
- Full OPRA pathway: $810 + $2,245 + $300 = $3,355. Full CAOP pathway: $810 + $2,100 + $300 = $3,210.
- Appeals: APC does not charge a fee for appeals.
- Work experience reference ($200): currently not available for the Knowledge or Competency Stream.
- Payment: Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card from a bank in your country of residence, plus Google Pay and Apple Pay. All prices are in AUD.
What Are the Exam Dates for 2026 and 2027?
Each exam has its own calendar. OPRA and CAOP have 3 sessions a year, and the Intern Written Exam has 3 sessions in 2027. Registration opens at 9am and closes at 5pm AEDT/AEST.
| Exam | Registration | Exam Dates | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPRA 2026 | 28 Apr – 15 Jun | 13–15 Jul | 11 Aug |
| OPRA 2026 | 18 Aug – 19 Oct | 23–25 Nov | 22 Dec |
| OPRA 2027 | 19 Jan – 22 Feb | 22–24 Mar | 6 May |
| OPRA 2027 | 11 May – 28 Jun | 26–28 Jul | 9 Sep |
| OPRA 2027 | 14 Sep – 11 Oct | 8–10 Nov | 23 Dec |
| CAOP 2026 | 12 May – 20 Jul | 17–18 Aug | 10 Sep |
| CAOP 2026 | 10 Sep – 19 Oct | 16–17 Nov | 10 Dec |
| CAOP 2027 | 19 Jan – 15 Mar | 12–13 Apr | 27 May |
| CAOP 2027 | 1 Jun – 12 Jul | 9–10 Aug | 23 Sep |
| CAOP 2027 | 21 Sep – 18 Oct | 15–16 Nov | 21 Dec |
| Intern Written 2026 | 24 Mar – 25 May | 15 Jun | 30 Jul |
| Intern Written 2026 | 4 Aug – 21 Sep | 20–21 Oct | 3 Dec |
| Intern Written 2027 | 11–18 Jan | 17 Feb | 5 Apr |
| Intern Written 2027 | 6 Apr – 24 May | 22 Jun | 5 Aug |
| Intern Written 2027 | 10 Aug – 27 Sep | 26–27 Oct | 9 Dec |
Registration closes about one month before exam day, and APC cannot accept late registrations.
Want a study plan built around your exam date and registration window?
Get a Free Study PlanWhere Can You Take Each Exam?
OPRA has test centres in more than 30 countries. CAOP is offered in Australia and 8 other countries. The Intern Written Exam is offered only in Australia. Exact venues appear when you register.
- OPRA: Australia (Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Townsville) plus cities in India (Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida), Pakistan (Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi), the Philippines (Manila), UAE (Dubai), Nepal (Itahari), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Singapore, Kenya, South Africa, UK (London), Canada, and many more.
- CAOP: Australia (same cities as OPRA), Canada (Toronto), Fiji (Suva, Nadi), Ireland (Dublin), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington), Philippines (Manila), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh), and the UK (London, Plymouth, Edinburgh).
- Intern Written Exam: 11 Australian cities including Newcastle, across 14 test centres.
Seats can fill up and OPRA venues can change at short notice. If your centre is full, pick another or reschedule when a seat opens.
How Do You Register, Reschedule, or Cancel?
You register in the APC Candidate Portal during the registration window and pay at the time of booking. You can reschedule only inside that window. Cancelling costs you a fee. Unpaid seats are released.
- Get eligible (OPRA and CAOP): finish the eligibility check and wait for APC's email.
- Register between 9am and 5pm AEDT/AEST, before the window closes.
- Pay by card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.
- Special accommodation: a health practitioner must sign a form before you register. APC replies within 2 business days.
- Reminder emails: about 5 days before OPRA, and about 3 days before CAOP.
Cancellation and refunds:
| When You Cancel | What You Get |
|---|---|
| 5 or more days before the exam date | Refund minus a $100 cancellation fee |
| From 5 days before up to 2 weeks after the exam date | Partial refund: 80% (OPRA, CAOP) or 75% (Intern Written) |
| More than 2 weeks after your session ends | No refund |
Refunds need APC approval and only exam fees are refundable. Cancel in the portal, since phone requests are not accepted.
How Do Results, Resits and Attempts Work?
APC gives only "Pass" or "Unsuccessful". You never see a score. OPRA and the Intern Written Exam allow unlimited resits but CAOP allows only 2 attempts. Each resit needs a new registration and the full fee.
- No scores or feedback: APC does not share raw scores, questions, or answers. OPRA results do include general feedback for each content area, but it is not used to decide your result.
- Timing: OPRA results come about 4 weeks after the exam.
- Resit rules: register again in the next exam period and pay the full fee.
- CAOP: if you fail twice, you move to the Knowledge Stream and sit OPRA.
- Intern Written Exam: after 3 unsuccessful attempts, APC offers an exam counselling session (contact APC within 1 month of results). A second and final session is available if needed. Your pass result is valid for 18 months.
- Appeals: results are not reviewed, but you can appeal if an incident or procedure affected your exam. There is no appeal fee.
What Happens After You Pass?
After OPRA or CAOP, you request a Skills Assessment Outcome for your visa and apply to the Pharmacy Board through Ahpra. After the Intern Written and Oral exams, you apply for full registration. You must finish supervised practice before general registration.
- OPRA: apply for provisional registration and supervised practice approval.
- CAOP: apply for limited registration and supervised practice approval.
- Skills Assessment Outcome: the Department of Home Affairs sets its validity for visa purposes, and APC cannot change it.
- Intern Written Exam: pass it, plus the Oral Exam run by the Pharmacy Board then apply for full registration. You may sit the Oral Exam first.
How Does Elite Expertise's Pharmacist in Australia Exam Preparation Help You Prepare?
Elite Expertise runs a 3.5-month OPRA preparation course, plus separate courses for the Intern Written and Intern Oral exams. APC does not endorse any specific exam preparation program, so treat coaching as an optional extra and use APC's free guides and sample tests too.
| Course Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3.5 months (15 weeks) |
| Lectures | 300+ hours, live + recorded |
| Lessons | 150+ |
| Practice questions | 3,000+ |
| Access | Unlimited, until you pass |
Trainers:
- Mr. Arief Mohammad – Director & Co-Founder. KAPS-qualified, AACP-accredited consultant pharmacist, clinical pharmacist at Northern Health Hospital, Melbourne.
- Mrs. Harika Bheemavarapu – Director & Co-Founder. KAPS-qualified, AACP-accredited consultant pharmacist, clinical pharmacist and educator at Monash Health Hospital, Melbourne.
The course runs week by week through body systems, with review weeks, mock exams with trainers, a WhatsApp community and assignment sessions. Elite Expertise is an independent training provider and is not affiliated with APC.
Final Words
OPRA, CAOP and the Intern Written Exam each fit a different stage. Check your country of qualification, budget for the right fee, and register before the window closes, because APC accepts no late registrations. Remember that CAOP allows only 2 attempts, and use APC's exam guides and Pearson's sample test to prepare. A structured course like Elite Expertise's can add practice and support alongside them.
Key Takeaways
- APC runs three exams for the Pharmacy Board of Australia: OPRA, CAOP and the Intern Written Exam.
- OPRA is for most overseas pharmacists (Knowledge Stream). CAOP is for pharmacists registered in Canada, Ireland, the UK, or the USA (Competency Stream).
- Exam fees: OPRA is AU$2,245, CAOP is AU$2,100, and the Intern Written Exam is AU$790.
- OPRA is closed book. CAOP and the Intern Written Exam are restricted open book, so you can bring approved reference books.
- CAOP gives you only 2 attempts. OPRA and the Intern Written Exam let you resit as many times as you need.
- Official 2027 dates are already published for all three exams, so you can plan ahead now.
Ready to start your OPRA or Intern Written preparation with practising clinical pharmacists?
Book a Free ConsultationFAQs
1. What are the OPRA, CAOP and Intern Written exams?
They are the three APC exams for the Pharmacy Board of Australia. OPRA and CAOP are for overseas-qualified pharmacists and the Intern Written Exam is the final written step before full registration.
2. Who is eligible for each exam?
OPRA is for most countries except Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. CAOP is for pharmacists registered in Canada, Ireland, the UK, or the USA. The Intern Written Exam needs provisional registration and 75% of supervised hours.
3. What documents do you need for the eligibility check?
Passport, photo ID, birth certificate, degree certificate and academic transcript, with full NAATI translations if needed. CAOP also needs proof of current registration. Upload everything in the Candidate Portal.
4. What is the format of each exam?
OPRA: 120 questions, 150 minutes, closed book. CAOP: 70 questions, 120 minutes, restricted open book. Intern Written: 75 questions, 120 minutes, restricted open book.
5. What is the OPRA exam syllabus?
Five areas: biomedical sciences 20%, medicinal chemistry and biopharmaceutics 10%, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics 10%, pharmacology and toxicology 15%, and therapeutics and patient care 45%.
6. What is the CAOP exam syllabus?
Five Domain 3 standards: 3.1 (20%), 3.2 (30%), 3.3 (30%), 3.4 (10%), and 3.6 (10%).
7. What is the Intern Written Exam syllabus?
Six standards: 1.3 (8%), 3.1 (20%), 3.2 (28%), 3.3 (28%), 3.4 (8%), and 3.6 (8%).
8. How much does each exam cost?
OPRA is AU$2,245, CAOP is AU$2,100 and the Intern Written Exam is AU$790. The eligibility check is $810 and the Skills Assessment Outcome is $300. Appeals are free.
9. What are the exam dates for 2026 and 2027?
OPRA, CAOP and the Intern Written Exam each have published 2026 and 2027 sessions with their own registration windows. See the table above or APC's exam pages.
10. Where can you take each exam?
OPRA is offered in more than 30 countries, CAOP in Australia and 8 other countries, and the Intern Written Exam only in Australia.
11. How do you register, reschedule or cancel?
Register in the Candidate Portal before the window closes and pay at booking. Reschedule only within the registration period. Cancelling costs $100 or a partial refund, depending on timing.
12. How do results, resits and attempts work?
Results are Pass or Unsuccessful only. OPRA and the Intern Written Exam allow unlimited resits. CAOP allows 2 attempts, then you move to OPRA.
13. What happens after you pass?
You request a Skills Assessment Outcome and apply for provisional or limited registration. After the Intern Written and Oral exams, you apply for full registration.
14. How can Elite Expertise's Pharmacist in Australia Exam Preparation help?
Their 3.5-month course led by Arief Mohammad and Harika Bheemavarapu, offers 300+ hours of classes and 3,000+ practice questions. APC does not endorse any coaching program, so it is optional.
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