APEP Written Exam 2026 Guide for Physiotherapists | NEW Format, Fees & Preparation Tips

Every year, thousands of overseas-trained physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals relocate to Australia. Wonder why? It is, of course, due to better pay, work-life balance, and a quality lifestyle. Gone are the standard pathway days. Now it is time to embrace the new Australian Physiotherapy Entry Pathway (APEP). More streamlined, more seamless, because who doesn’t want to appear for a foreign licensure exam from the comfort of their home, right? Now, out of all the levels of this registration exam, the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC) written assessment holds the most significance. In this blog, we will cover everything you need to know about the written exam, norms, nuances, and more.

What is the APEP Written Assessment?

The APEP written exam tests your clinical knowledge, reasoning skills, competency and readiness to work as a licensed physiotherapist in Australia. It takes place right after the eligibility assessment and cultural safety training. 

The eligibility assessment and cultural safety training are a very simple process that you mandatorily need to clear before proceeding to the next steps. You receive an Interim certificate after passing the assessment. Please note, it is valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. You must pass the written assessment first to be eligible for the newly introduced capability assessment. 

Note: The clinical assessment of the standard pathway is now replaced with the capability assessment. All these assessments can be completed from the comfort of your home. You need to book the exam dates prior. This new streamlined pathway has made it easier for many overseas physiotherapists to complete most of the licensure process earlier 

What Does the APC Written Exam Assess?

You’ll be evaluated across three core clinical areas:

• Musculoskeletal
• Cardiorespiratory
• Neurology

Each clinical area spans conditions across:

• Lifespan (Gerontology, Pediatric, Gender Health)
• Clinical Settings (acute/rehab, remote/ rural, private practice)
• Professional domains (ethics, Quality Assurance, risk management, evidence-based practice, health promotion)

 Topic Weightage for Smarter Preparation

Use this as a study-focus split. APC’s booklet confirms the exam draws from musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, and neurological content across lifespan, setting, and professional practice domains.

Exam Format & Structure

The APC Written Assessment is a two-paper exam, held on the same day:

Each case reflects real-life Australian patient scenarios with 4 MCQs. You're expected to interpret, assess, and make clinical decisions like an entry-level Australian physio would.

How is the APEP Exam Scoring done?

Your result is NOT based on the percentage of correct answers but a scaled score using the Rasch measurement model. It is a very fair model of assessment, in which you are assessed based on your skills, meaning the difficulty of questions adjusts based on your responses.

• Pass Score: 500 (combined across all 3 clinical areas)
• Score Type: Scaled Score (fairly compares difficulty across versions)
• Result: PASS / FAIL – not graded on a curve

There is no negative marking, so you can attempt every question with peace of mind.

Mode of the APEP Written Examination

Did you know… You don’t have to travel across continents to appear for the APEP Written Examination? Yes, you heard it right. You can either appear in person or even sit in the comfort of your home. Here are the details:

Remote

• Take it from your home or an approved private location
• Requires webcam, primary device, secondary device & WebLock browser
• No external material allowed
• Strict live invigilation-web proctored.

In-Person

Venue: Melbourne & Sydney
Start time: 9 AM AEST/AEDT

• Carry a valid ID
• Invigilated by human proctors

Tech Setup for Remote Exam

We all know how exciting (and a steal deal it is) to appear for a licensure exam from the comfort of your home. But here are some technical requirements you need to know:

• Primary computer with WebLock installed
• Secondary device with internet, camera, and mic
• Stable Wi-Fi and uninterrupted power
• A clean desk and quiet room

Compatibility Test:-

A compatibility test is arranged for you by the Australian Physiotherapy Council for an easy mock drill of the software.

Your secondary device must be placed 1 metre behind and 2 metres to the side, angled to view your screen. Here’s a checklist for you to bookmark to avoid any last-minute hassles.

A Day in the APEP Written Exam  

On exam day, the proctor first checks your identity and reviews your environment. For the remote exam, you use one computer with WebLock installed and one secondary device with Google Meet. 

The proctor provides the link, test code, and monitoring setup. Your desk should have only the computer and the secondary device. The secondary device must sit about 1 metre behind and 2 metres to the side. After Paper 1, you get an approximately 1-hour break, then you re-enter with a new exam code for Paper 2.
 

Recommended Booklist:

APC’s 2026 booklet recommends a reading list across musculoskeletal, cardio respiratory, and neurology topics, including books and guidelines that are useful for preparation.

• Kisner & Colby, Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques
  
   

• Magee, Orthopedic Physical Assessment
  
   

• Hoppenfeld, Physical Examination of the Spine and Extremities
   

•  O’Sullivan & Schmitz, Physical Rehabilitation
   

• Brukner & Khan, Clinical Sports Medicine
   

• Main & Denehy, Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy: Adults and Paediatrics
  
   

• Shumway-Cook & Woollacott, Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice
   

Top 30 High-Yield Topics for the APEP Written Exam   

This list is a practical study guide built from APC’s official content areas and the kinds of resources the Council points candidates toward.

Musculoskeletal:

1. Low back pain
2. Cervical pain and radiculopathy
3. Shoulder impingement
4. Rotator cuff tears
5. Frozen shoulder
6. ACL injury and rehab
7. Meniscal injury
8. Knee osteoarthritis
9. Hip osteoarthritis
10. Ankle sprain

Neurology:

  11. Stroke rehabilitation
  12. Parkinson’s disease
  13. Multiple sclerosis
  14. Spinal cord injury
  15. Traumatic brain injury

Cardiorespiratory:

  16. COPD
  17. Asthma
  18. Pulmonary rehabilitation
  19. Pneumonia
  20. Bronchiectasis

Paediatrics:

  21. Developmental milestones
  22. Torticollis
  23. Cerebral palsy basics
  24. Paediatric respiratory care

Women’s Health:

  25. Pelvic floor dysfunction
  26. Urinary incontinence
  27. Antenatal/postnatal exercise advice

Geriatrics + Ethics:

28. Frailty and falls prevention
29. Consent, confidentiality, and scope of practice
30. Cultural safety and professional decision-making

Important Exam Dates for 2026

Written Assessment is held four times a year, remotely and at venues in Melbourne and Sydney, with all sessions starting at 9:00am AEST/AEDT. Below are the updated exam dates and their respective application schedule approved by the council:

 Top 10 Common Mistakes Candidates Make   

The biggest avoidable errors are usually about preparation, setup, and rule-following, especially around the remote workflow and exam-day conduct.

1. Leaving remote setup until the last minute
2. Not completing the mandatory compatibility test
3. Forgetting to install WebLock and Google Meet
4. Misplacing the secondary device
5. Ignoring the no-reading-material rule
6. Not practising timed case-based MCQs
7. Over-studying theory and under-studying clinical reasoning
8. Poor pacing across the two papers
9. Not revising ethics, consent, and cultural safety
10. Treating the break between papers as “free time” instead of reset time
11. Not getting into a systematic coaching to prepare for the exams
     

 What Happens After You Pass the APC Written Assessment?

APEP Exam Results 

Results are emailed within 6 weeks after the assessment day. Uunsuccessful candidates can reapply after 14 days via the Candidate Dashboard.

Next Stage

You're eligible for the next stage: Capability Assessment

The Capability Assessment is a remote clinical reasoning oral exam designed to test your ability to make decisions and communicate key clinical thinking in simulated patient contexts via video call.

If you fail? You may resit the Written Assessment by applying again and paying the respective fee.

APC Exam Success Stories

Amritpal passed APC exam in the new APEP pathway with flying colours and is one of the first out of the first APEP batch. Let’s take some inspiration about his journey and he has also shared some tips and tricks to make your written assess journey easier.
 

With the right mindset, resources, and strategy, you can crack the APC written examination in your first attempt itself.