If you’ve earned your pharmacy degree abroad and are now considering making a career move to Australia, you're not alone, and you're not crazy either. Thousands of pharmacists each year, especially from India, the Philippines, and the Middle East, move to Australia to build a better life for themselves. And why not! Australian pharmacists have a great lifestyle be it, with competitive salaries and a stable and secure work environment.
But let’s be honest, understanding the process isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Between initial skill assessments, OPRA exams, internships and registration forms, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t worry! In this blog, we will walk you through the process of pharmacy registration in Australia in detail.
Why so many overseas pharmacy graduates choose Australia. Here's why:
Consistent Demand: Pharmacists are on the Skilled Occupation List, meaning there's a consistent need for them.
Strong Salaries: Even as a fresher, you could earn over AUD 70,000 a year (equivalent to 38 LPA minimum)
High Standard of Living: Clean cities, solid public services, and a great climate.
Pathway to PR: Many international pharmacists use their registration as a stepping stone to permanent residency.
Everything starts with your degree. You’ll need to have your qualifications evaluated by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC). This assessment confirms whether your overseas degree meets Australian standards.
Here’s what they’ll ask for:
A certified copy of your passport
Your pharmacy degree certificate and transcripts
Evidence of internship or practical hours
English test results (IELTS or OET, unless exempt)
Updated resume or curriculum vitae
Pro Tip: Every document you submit must be in English or officially translated and certified.
Cost: Roughly AUD 1,290 (70k INR)
Timeframe: Usually takes 6 to 8 weeks
Once your degree is approved, you’ll be allowed to sit the OPRA (formerly known as the KAPS exam), which is at the heart of this entire process.
OPRA (Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment) has successfully replaced the KAPS exam after the last session in November 2024. The OPRA exam tests whether candidates have the relevant knowledge and skills of the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences that comply with the norms of Australian standards. It ensures that pharmacists trained overseas who wish to practise as registered pharmacists in Australia meet Australian standards. It is an important step in the process of provisional registration as a pharmacist in Australia.
The OPRA exam is a computer-delivered, multiple-choice question exam.
Exam Format:
Unlike KAPS exam, OPRA has just one paper of 120 MCQ that needs to be completed in 2.5 hours.
Mode: Computer-based, available at testing centres worldwide, including in India.
The OPRA exam Australia syllabus is carefully curated by experts keeping in mind the maximum emphasis that goes to clinical practice during their tenure. Students in this exam mostly have to answer questions based on practical-world clinical problems instead of plain rote-learning/memorisation. Here are the subject areas with its weightage emphasising on key focus area.
Subject Area | Weightage | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
Biomedical Sciences | 20% | Physiology, Pathophysiology, Immunology, Microbiology, Biochemistry |
Medicinal Chemistry & Biopharmaceutics | 10% | Drug formulations, Stability, Pharmacokinetics and Drug interactions |
Pharmacology & Toxicology | 15% | Mechanisms of drug action, Adverse effects, Poisoning management |
Therapeutics & Patient Care | 45% | Clinical case management, Prescription evaluation, Public health |
Pharmacy Practice & Ethics | 10% | Regulations, Ethical responsibilities, Patient confidentiality |
The OPRA exam is held thrice a year:
March 2025
July 2025
November 2025
Keep an eye on the official website of APC regularly. Pearson VUE conducts this exam with centres available in major cities in India and beyond.
The OPRA exam fee is AUD 2190, which is equivalent to ₹1.2 lakh, depending on the current exchange rate. Make sure to check the updated rates before making the payment.
After passing the OPRA exam, you can apply for a provisional license and start your internship year in Australia.
You’ll work under supervision for 1575 hours, which takes around 12 months.
Once your internship is completed, the final step is to pass the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s registration exams:
Intern Written Exam (open-book format)
Intern Oral Exam (clinical scenarios, ethical dilemmas)
After passing, you can officially apply for General Registration with AHPRA.
Here’s a realistic breakdown of the time involved:
Step | Time Estimate |
|---|---|
Document Assessment | 1.5–2 months |
Exam Preparation + appear in OPRA exam | 4–6 months |
Internship + Intern exam | 12 months |
Final Registration with AHPRA | 1 month |
Total Duration | 18–22 months |
How Long Does It Take to Become a Pharmacist? Here’s What You Need to Know
Not completely, but there are some major differences. OPRA is a one-paper exam of 120 questions that you have to complete in 2.5 hours. However, KAPS had the added pressure of 2 different papers of 100 marks each.
The other notable difference is, unlike KAPS, OPRA focuses on clinical practice that deals with practical world problems and what you’re likely to encounter while working as a pharmacist in Australia.
This isn’t your regular exam with a passing marks set. The OPRA exam uses Rasch methodology to assess your exam and the questions would change everytime you respond to them, based on your skills and abilities.
Yes. There are PearsonVUE test centres in major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh and more.
Our expert team has presented a breakdown of OPRA exam syllabus 2025. Have a look and plan your preparation accordingly.
OPRA isn’t an exam that can be cleared solely on the basis of self-study. We recommend to get coaching from the top OPRA training institute in India for optimal results.
You can go for either IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/OET but, we would highly recommend appearing for OET. OET ensures your English assessment is solely based on pharmacy-world scenarios and not other niche.
Yes you can find OPRA exam sample questions and answers on our website.
Category : Resources
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!