Your Essential Guide to Australian Pharmacist Intern Written and Oral Exams

If you are a pharmacy intern in Australia, or an internationally qualified pharmacist working towards registration, then Australian Intern written and oral exams are the final milestone on your journey. These assessments, conducted by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) and the Pharmacy Board of Australiaare designed to evaluate your clinical competence, legal understanding, communication skills and ability to practice safely and independently. Whether you have recently completed the OPRA Exam or are nearing the end of your supervised practice, understanding the structure, content and importance of exams is very crucial to your success. In this guide, we break down everything you need to know, and how Elite Expertise can help you clear both exams with confidence on your first attempt.

What is the Australian Intern written Exam?

The Australian intern written exam is conducted by APC , assesses your ability to apply clinical knowledge and pharmacy law in practical situations. It is often the first major exam interns take after completing around 75% of their supervised practice hours. to attempt the intern written exam, candidate must be provisionally registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia

This exam evaluates whether you are ready to:

• Make safe, evidence based decisions aligned with medication management

• Dispense medication accurately

• Counsel patients effectively

• Work with Australian legal and ethical framework at Australian healthcare settings

• Medication management strategy

What are the Key exam format and Structure of Australian Intern Written Exam

These MCQs are designed to simulate real-world pharmacy practice scenarios with a culturally responsive approach, across various domains, such as hospital pharmacy, community settings, and aged care.

What are the content areas covered in the intern written exam?

The APC blueprint of exam includes topics such as:

• Clinical pharmacy: managing common conditions, pharmacotherapy, adverse effects

• Legal and ethical practice: dispensing regulations, PBs knowledge, documentation

• Communication and counselling: Patient safety, cultural competency

• Calculations: Dosage, conversions, compounding

• Drug interactions: safety, contraindications, monitoring parameters

What are the exam dates and location for the intern written exam?

Test centers in Australia:

• Adelaide

• Brisbane

• Canberra

• Darwin

• Hobart

• Melbourne

• Perth

• Sydney

• Townsville

What are the fees and rescheduling fee for the exam in the candidate portal for the intern written examination?

What is Australian Intern Oral Exam (Conducted by Pharmacy Board of Australia)

This Exam is the final assessment for pharmacy interns to get their final general registration. It is administered under the regulatory oversight of AHPRA. It is designed to assess an intern’s ability to apply their knowledge and skills to practical pharmacy situations and is a key step towards full registration in Australia.

Those exam simulates real-time, high-stakes pharmacy situations and assesses your ability to:

• Communicate effectively and prepare efficiently

• Prepare to Solve problems under pressure

• Demonstrate clinical judgement and ethics

• Delivers safe patient care for well-being

What is the Exam content and Format of Intern Oral Exam?

• Total duration: approximately 35 minutes

• Mode: In person

• It involves a panel of assessors who pose questions based on various pharmacy practice scenarios

• The exam is conducted at designated testing centers across Australia.

What are the key differences between Australian Intern written and Oral Exam?

• The Oral exam focuses on practical application of knowledge, while the written exam access the theoretical knowledge

• The oral exam is conducted by Pharmacy Board of australia, and written exam is conducted by Australian Pharmacy council

• Both exams are open book exams, candidates can carry authorized resources such as Australian Medicines handbook (AMH) and more. They can use these books to prepare for the exams as well

How Elite Expertise Can Help You Succeed?

At Elite Expertise, we specialize in helping pharmacy interns to pass the Australian Intern Written and Oral exams with expert guidance from our beloved trainers and directors-Mr. Arife Mohammad & Mrs. Harika Bheemavarapu, accredited consultant clinical pharmacists in Australia. With real-world related preparation and personalized mentorship, our candidates are able to attempt the exam with confidence.

What we offer:

For intern written exam:

• Full coverage of APC exam content blueprint and exam strategies

• Primary care study materials

• 1000+ practice questions and MCQs and mock tests

• hand written reference material aligned with the sample paper

• Timed mock exams and assignments aligned with patient care

• Calculation with required formulations and applicable legal framework crash sessions

• Professional law and ethical preparation in Australian healthcare setting with supporting documents

For intern Oral Exam

• Comprehensive Oral Syllabus coverage for medicines management

• Mock oral exams with detailed feedback to improve practical skills

• patient centred Roleplay-based training in counselling and dispensing

• Clinical reasoning and ethical scenario training in therapeutic areas

• Communication coaching for confidence under pressure

• Common law requirements

What happens after you pass both the Intern written and oral exams?

Once you pass both the examinations, complete your supervised practice hours with provisionally registered status and then apply for general registration with AHPRA,. It will make you eligible to work as a fully registered pharmacist at various settings such as:

• Community pharmacies

• Hospital pharmacies

• Clinical research to promote health with regulatory knowledge

• Rural and remote aged care settings, etc

Final thoughts:

The Australian Intern exams are a crucial step, but you don't have to face it all alone.

These exams evaluate the interns competence in applying their knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios. It ensures that the interns can practice safely and effectively in the Australian healthcare system. At Elite Expertise, we are committed to help the candidates to navigate the entire registration process.

Explore our exam preparation courses and free learning resources at www.eliteexpertise.com.au

This blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided regarding the Australian Intern Written and Oral Exams, exam dates, eligibility criteria, content areas, and associated fees is based on publicly available details as of June 2025. Exam structures, registration procedures, and guidelines are subject to change by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC), the Pharmacy Board of Australia, and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Readers are advised to refer to official sources for the most up-to-date and accurate information. Elite Expertise does not provide regulatory advice but offers academic preparation and support to pharmacy professionals.

⚠️ Disclaimer

About the Author

Krupa Karamchand

Content Writer | Elite Expertise

Krupa Karamchand is a B. Pharm graduate and KAPS-qualified pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical field. As an experienced SEO content writer, she combines her in-depth healthcare knowledge with proven digital strategies to create informative, engaging, and search engine–optimized blogs. Krupa is passionate about making complex medical topics easy to understand and accessible to all readers.

Follow On