Exam process
Initial Assessment
It takes up to two weeks from the date the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC) receive the completed application. The application requires personal details and details regarding your initial physiotherapy qualification. The form must also be sent with supporting documents such as evidence of your visa, official results transcripts, graduation certificate and evidence of payment of application fee. The form for the initial assessment application may be accessed here.
Written Examination
This takes place four times annually (March and September at overseas venues of which the closest is London, June and December in Australia only). The written examination is held in the first or second week of each month, usually on a Thursday. The application for the written exam must be submitted at least four months in advance of examination date.
The format is an MCQ exam about patient case scenarios in musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and neurology, to assess knowledge, problem solving and decision making skills.The examination has two papers each of two-hour durations. Each paper has 15 cases drawn from the key areas of clinical practice. Each case has a 4 multiple-choice item, with a total 60 multiple choice items on each paper. You must score higher than 66 to progress to the clinical assessment.
If you are successful in the written exam you will be issued an APC interim certificate for the purpose of preparing for and undertaking the APC clinical assessment.
More information on the written examination can be found here.
Clinical assessment
The clinical assessment you perform as the treating physiotherapist in three separate clinical assessments including musculoskeletal, neurology and cardiorespiratory. This can be completed in Australia only (venues include Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Perth).
Support for Overseas Physiotherapists
The Australian Alliance of Physiotherapists Trained Abroad (AAPTA) is a not for profit group unaffiliated with any Australian organisation, formed to support overseas physiotherapists through the various stages of the APC assessment process
It takes up to two weeks from the date the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC) receive the completed application. The application requires personal details and details regarding your initial physiotherapy qualification. The form must also be sent with supporting documents such as evidence of your visa, official results transcripts, graduation certificate and evidence of payment of application fee. The form for the initial assessment application may be accessed here.
Written Examination
This takes place four times annually (March and September at overseas venues of which the closest is London, June and December in Australia only). The written examination is held in the first or second week of each month, usually on a Thursday. The application for the written exam must be submitted at least four months in advance of examination date.
The format is an MCQ exam about patient case scenarios in musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and neurology, to assess knowledge, problem solving and decision making skills.The examination has two papers each of two-hour durations. Each paper has 15 cases drawn from the key areas of clinical practice. Each case has a 4 multiple-choice item, with a total 60 multiple choice items on each paper. You must score higher than 66 to progress to the clinical assessment.
If you are successful in the written exam you will be issued an APC interim certificate for the purpose of preparing for and undertaking the APC clinical assessment.
More information on the written examination can be found here.
Clinical assessment
The clinical assessment you perform as the treating physiotherapist in three separate clinical assessments including musculoskeletal, neurology and cardiorespiratory. This can be completed in Australia only (venues include Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Perth).
Support for Overseas Physiotherapists
The Australian Alliance of Physiotherapists Trained Abroad (AAPTA) is a not for profit group unaffiliated with any Australian organisation, formed to support overseas physiotherapists through the various stages of the APC assessment process