What is the KAPS Exam?
To become a registered pharmacist in Australia, overseas-trained pharmacists should clear the KAPS exam conducted by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC). KAPS stands for Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences. This exam tests the knowledge and skills of pharmacists to ensure that they can deliver safe and effective services in the Australian context.
Let us dive deeper into the contents of the exam.
Contents of the KAPS Exam
The KAPS examination has 2 parts, Paper I and Paper II. Only clearing both papers will make the pharmacist eligible to seek registration in Australia.
KAPS Exam Paper I Subjects
Paper I of the KAPS examination comprises three subjects. They are:
- Chemistry
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
Chemistry
While preparing for the examination, the candidate must have sufficient knowledge of chemistry including major areas such as organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, drug metabolism, and stereochemistry, as well as, minor areas like saponification, esterification, polymerisation, etc.
Physiology
It is important that the candidate must be well-versed in all important topics of physiology, especially definitions and immunology-based questions. In Paper I, questions from 21-40 will be from physiology
Pharmacology
Questions from 41 to 100 (including 1 or 2 case studies at the end) will be from pharmacology. This indicates that a significant portion of the questions are from pharmacology. The pharmacist should have a deep understanding of pharmacology as well as pathophysiology.
The questions may range from simple topics like the mechanism of action to complex topics like multiple sclerosis.
KAPS Exam Paper I Score Required
To pass Paper I, the pharmacist should score 50% in chemistry, which has a weight of 30%, and 50% in physiology and pharmacology combined, which has a weight of 70%.
There will be a total of 100 MCQs, out of which 20-25 MCQs will be based on chemistry. Approximately 20 questions can be expected either directly from physiology or pathophysiology. Questions from 41 to 100 (including 1 or 2 case studies at the end) will be from pharmacology.
KAPS Exam Paper II Subjects
Paper II of the KAPS examination comprises three subjects. They are:
- Pharmaceutics
- Therapeutics
Pharmaceutics
While studying the pharmaceutics portion, the pharmacist must surely learn the important areas such as pharmaceutical technology, pharmaceutical calculations, biopharmaceutics, microbiology, and immunology properly.
Therapeutics
A major portion of the questions will be from therapeutics. The candidate must be thoroughly familiar with aspects including drug indication, drug side effects, drug dose, and drug interactions. They should also have a clear idea about herbal products.
KAPS Exam Paper II Score Required
To pass Paper II, the pharmacist should score 50% in pharmaceutics, which has a weight of 30%, and 50% in therapeutics, which has a weight of 70%.
Approximately 30-40 questions can be expected from pharmaceuticals, and 50-60 questions from therapeutics.
Conclusion
Clearing the KAPS (Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences) examination holds significant importance for pharmacists aiming to practise in Australia. This rigorous assessment ensures that pharmacists possess the necessary knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective healthcare services to the general public.
Australia is a great destination for healthcare professionals from around the world. The standard of living, lucrative salaries and the flexibility of career are some of the most discussed advantages of working in Australia.
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