Key Takeaways
- The OPRA exam is the first common step for pharmacists wanting to work in either Australia or New Zealand.
- Australian pharmacists must clear the intern pharmacist written exam and the Australian intern pharmacist oral exam before final registration.
- New Zealand pharmacists must clear the NZPL exam and the New Zealand OSCE exam before full registration.
- Australia allows registration through AHPRA, while New Zealand registration goes through the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand.
- New Zealand OPRA exam attempts are limited to 2 attempts, so proper preparation matters a lot.
- Both pathways need English exams like IELTS, OET, or PTE Academic before moving ahead.
- Both countries require supervised or internship hours before you can apply for full registration.
Quick Summary
Australia and New Zealand both need pharmacists to pass the OPRA exam first. After that, Australia asks for a written and oral intern exam, while New Zealand asks for an NZPL exam and OSCE exam. Registration bodies, exam formats, fees and internship steps are different for each country, so knowing the full pathway early helps you plan better.
Table of Contents
- What Is the OPRA Exam, and Why Is It Important?
- What Is the Step-by-Step Pathway to Become a Pharmacist in Australia?
- What Is the Step-by-Step Pathway to Become a Pharmacist in New Zealand?
- What Is the Format of the Australian Intern Pharmacist Written Exam?
- What Is the Exam Blueprint for the Australian Intern Written Exam?
- What Is the Format of the Australian Intern Pharmacist Oral Exam?
- What Is the New Zealand OSCE Exam and What Does It Test?
- How Many Stations Are There in the New Zealand OSCE Exam?
- What English Exams Are Accepted for Both Pathways?
- What Happens After You Pass the OPRA Exam?
- Which Courses Does Elite Expertise Offer for These Exams?
- How Does Elite Expertise Teach Its Students?
- Who Are the Trainers Behind Elite Expertise?
- What Do Students Say About Elite Expertise?
- Final Words
What Is the OPRA Exam, and Why Is It Important?
The OPRA exam is the first exam that international pharmacy graduates must pass before working as a pharmacist in Australia or New Zealand. It checks your pharmacy knowledge in areas like pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and clinical practice.
Without clearing the OPRA exam, a pharmacist cannot move forward in either country's registration process. This exam is common for both pathways, which is why many students prepare for Australia and New Zealand together and often use the same base knowledge for both.
What Is the Step-by-Step Pathway to Become a Pharmacist in Australia?
The Australian pathway has 7 stages, starting from document assessment and ending with final registration.
| Stage | Name | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Skills Assessment | Submit documents to the Australian Pharmacy Council to check eligibility. |
| 2 | Skill Assessment | Apply for and pass the OPRA exam. |
| 3 | English Exam | Prove English proficiency through IELTS Academic (min 7.0), PTE Academic (min 63), or OET (min grade B). |
| 4 | After OPRA Exam | Apply to the Pharmacy Board of Australia through AHPRA for provisional registration. |
| 5 | Visa for Australia | Apply for a visa (e.g., Subclass 491 or 190) and complete 1,575 hours of supervised practice. |
| 6 | Australia Internship | Complete the Australian Intern Pharmacist written and oral exams |
| 7 | Final Registration | Apply for final registration as a pharmacist |
What Is the Step-by-Step Pathway to Become a Pharmacist in New Zealand?
The New Zealand pathway has 10 stages, and it is a little longer than the Australian pathway because it includes both the NZPL course and the OSCE exam.
| Stage | Name | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | Pass IELTS Academic (min 7.0 in each skill) or OET (min grade B in each band). |
| 2 | Preliminary Review | Apply for an initial skills assessment with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand using your degree, registration proof, and work experience documents. |
| 3 | Pass the OPRA Exam | Clear the OPRA exam; only 2 attempts are allowed for New Zealand candidates. |
| 4 | Enroll in the NZPL course | Learn the legal and ethical responsibilities of pharmacists in New Zealand and pass the NZPL exam |
| 5 | Register as an Intern Pharmacist | Register as a New Zealand intern pharmacist after passing OPRA and NZPL. |
| 6 | Register as an Intern | Register as an intern Scope of Practice with the Pharmacy Council |
| 7 | Enroll in EVOLVE | Register with the EVOLVE Program. |
| 8 | Confirm Enrollment | Receive the program enrollment confirmation from the pharmacy council. |
| 9 | Complete Intern Training | Access the Intern Training Program through MyLearning. |
| 10 | Apply for Full Registration | Apply after completing the internship and passing the New Zealand OSCE exam |
What Is the Format of the Australian Intern Pharmacist Written Exam?
The Australian intern pharmacist written exam is a restricted open-book, computer-based exam delivered in person.
- Number of questions: 75
- Question format: Multiple-choice questions and fill-in-the-blanks
- Duration: 2 hours
- Cost: AU$790 per attempt
- Eligibility: At least 75% of the required supervised practice hours completed, or completed by exam date
What Is the Exam Blueprint for the Australian Intern Written Exam?
The written exam is based on 6 competency standards, and each one carries a different weight out of the 75 questions.
| Competency Standard | Weight |
|---|---|
| Practise within applicable legal framework | 8% |
| Develop a patient-centred, culturally responsive approach | 20% |
| Implement the medication management strategy or plan | 28% |
| Monitor and evaluate medication management | 28% |
| Compound medicines | 8% |
| Promote health and well-being | 8% |
This blueprint adds up to 100% across the full 75 questions in 2 hours, so knowing the weightage helps you focus your study time on the right topics.
What Is the Format of the Australian Intern Pharmacist Oral Exam?
The Australian intern pharmacist oral exam has 3 parts, each testing a different skill.
| Part | Focus Area | Duration | References Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A | Primary healthcare (role play) | ~10 minutes | No |
| Part B | Legal and professional practice (scenario-based) | ~10 minutes | No |
| Part C | Problem solving and communication | ~20 minutes | Restricted references |
This exam is only for candidates already doing their internship in Australia after completing the required supervised practice hours.
What Is the New Zealand OSCE Exam and What Does It Test?
The New Zealand OSCE exam is a station-based, hands-on test that checks how well an intern pharmacist can handle real patient situations, not just theory.
It mainly tests:
- Patient communication and counselling
- Clinical reasoning and decision-making
- Dispensing accuracy and prescription review
- Pharmacy law and professional ethics
How Many Stations Are There in the New Zealand OSCE Exam?
The Pharmacy Council of New Zealand Assessment Centre OSCE is a 10-station, face-to-face clinical exam with each station lasting around 10–12 minutes.
The stations cover skills such as:
- Communication Skills Training
- Documentation and Record Keeping
- Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making
- Basic Life Support and Emergency Management
- Professional, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
- Patient Assessment and History Taking
- Infection Control Practices
- Knowledge of Therapeutics
- Medication Management and Administration
- Clinical Pharmacy Services Delivery
Cultural safety including Māori health principles and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) is also assessed across the stations rather than being a separate one.
What English Exams Are Accepted for Both Pathways?
Australia (AHPRA) for tests taken on or after 23 April 2026:
| Test | Overall Score | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| OET | No overall score | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 |
| PTE Academic | 63 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 76 |
| TOEFL iBT | 91 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
New Zealand (Pharmacy Council of NZ):
| Test | Overall Score | Each Band (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 7.5 overall | Minimum 7.0 in each band |
| OET | Not specified | A or B grade in each of the 4 bands |
A few important differences worth noting:
- AHPRA changed its scores on 23 April 2026. OET moved from letter grades to numeric scores, and the PTE speaking requirement went up sharply (from 66 to 76). If you sat your test before that date, the older score table still applies to you.
- PCNZ does not officially list PTE Academic as an accepted test on its own English language page, so pharmacists heading to New Zealand should confirm directly with PCNZ before relying on a PTE score.
- New Zealand asks for a higher IELTS overall band (7.5) compared to Australia's overall band of 7.0, even though both ask for a minimum of 7.0 in each skill.
- Test results are generally valid for 2 years from the date of application in both countries.
- If you're already registered as a pharmacist in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK, or the USA, PCNZ may not require separate English test evidence for New Zealand registration.
What Happens After You Pass the OPRA Exam?
Once you clear the OPRA exam, the next steps are different for both countries.
In Australia, you move towards English exams and then AHPRA registration followed by your internship hours and the written and oral intern exams. In New Zealand, you move to the NZPL course then intern registration through EVOLVE and finally the OSCE exam.
Which Courses Does Elite Expertise Offer for These Exams?
Elite Expertise offers separate courses for each stage of both pathways, so students can prepare step by step instead of getting confused by mixed content.
- Pharmacist in Australia Exam Preparation
- Pharmacist in New Zealand Exam Preparation
- New Zealand Pharmacist Intern OSCE Exam Preparation
- Australian Intern Pharmacist Oral Exam Preparation
- Australian Intern Pharmacist Written Exam Preparation
If you are preparing for the OPRA exam itself, you can check the course pages here: Australia OPRA exam preparation course and New Zealand OPRA exam preparation course.
Each OPRA course runs for 3.5 months, spread across 15 weeks with 300+ hours of live and recorded lectures, 150+ lessons, and 3000+ practice questions. Students also get lifetime access and a dedicated WhatsApp group for support.
The 15-week OPRA curriculum covers topics like:
- Introduction and basic pharmacology
- Respiratory system
- Cardiovascular system (hypertension and heart disorders)
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
- Musculoskeletal and central nervous system
- Infectious diseases and cancer chemotherapy
- Gastrointestinal system and endocrinology
- Three full review and assessment weeks before the exam
For the New Zealand OSCE exam, the course includes 300+ OSCE scenarios, a digital learning platform with 100+ visuals and clinical tips, 320 live and recorded sessions, 1:1 sessions with faculty and focused training in communication coaching, clinical reasoning, calculation workshops and role-play scenarios with feedback.
For the Australian intern written and oral exams, the courses include 500+ role play scenarios for Part A, 250+ legal and professional scenarios for Part B, and 250+ drug and dosage scenarios for Part C along with history taking, patient counselling, and legal and ethics training.
How Does Elite Expertise Teach Its Students?
Elite Expertise teaches through a mix of live and recorded classes, mock exams, and personal feedback rather than just handing out study material.
- Online live sessions plus recorded lectures for revision anytime
- 3000+ practice questions across all courses
- Regular assignment sessions with detailed feedback
- Real mock exams conducted by trainers in exam-style conditions
- Individualised faculty evaluation for OSCE and oral exam scenarios
- Unlimited access to course material even after the course ends
- A dedicated WhatsApp community group with fellow pharmacists for peer support
Live classes are held three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) with timings shared for Australia, India, Pakistan, Nepal, UAE, UK, and Nigeria, so students from different countries can join without much trouble.
Who Are the Trainers Behind Elite Expertise?
The courses are led by two experienced, practising pharmacists rather than just exam coaches.
Mr. Arief Mohammad – Director and Co-Founder, KAPS qualified, AACP-accredited Consultant Pharmacist, and Clinical Pharmacist at Northern Health hospital, Melbourne. He has over 10 years of experience and has taught 5,600+ students with a 4.9 rating.
Mrs. Harika Bheemavarapu – Director and Co-Founder, KAPS qualified, AACP-accredited Consultant Pharmacist, and Clinical Pharmacist and Educator at Monash Health Hospital, Melbourne. She has over 10 years of experience and has taught 4,900+ students with a 4.8 rating.
Together, they have guided over 500 intern pharmacist candidates and 10,000+ OPRA candidates to pass their exams, many in their first attempt.
What Do Students Say About Elite Expertise?
Elite Expertise holds a 4.8 rating from 696 Google reviews and many students specifically mention the guidance from Arief and Harika.
- Students often say the concepts that felt unclear during their full pharmacy degree became clear within a few months of joining.
- Many students mention passing the KAPS exam, intern written exam, and intern oral exam in their first attempt using this training.
- Several reviews highlight the round-the-clock support from the IT and support team, along with the structured mock test sessions before the real exam.
Final Words
Both the Australian and New Zealand pharmacist pathways start with the OPRA exam, but the steps after that are quite different. Australia focuses on a written and oral intern exam followed by AHPRA registration, while New Zealand focuses on the NZPL exam and OSCE exam followed by registration through the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand. Knowing these differences early, along with the exam formats, fees, and English requirements, can help you plan your preparation better and avoid confusion later in your journey.
Reference
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