The KAPS exam was the standard pathway for internationally qualified pharmacists aiming to practice in Australia. In 2025, the Australian Pharmacy Council introduced a major change by replacing KAPS with the Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment (OPRA).
This new exam reflects the evolving role of pharmacists in Australia. OPRA is designed to assess not only pharmaceutical knowledge, but also clinical judgement, decision-making skills, and readiness for real-world practice. It places greater emphasis on patient care and contemporary pharmacy practice, making it more aligned with the expectations of today’s healthcare system.
If you are planning to register as a pharmacist in Australia, understanding how OPRA differs from KAPS and what this change means for your preparation is essential. This blog explains why OPRA was introduced, how it compares to KAPS, and what pharmacists should expect from the new assessment model.
Why Did APC Replace KAPS with OPRA?
Pharmacy practice in Australia has changed significantly over the years and the way pharmacists are assessed needed to change too. While the KAPS exam served its purpose for a long time, it no longer fully reflected what pharmacists are expected to do in today’s healthcare environment.
Modern pharmacists in Australia play a much broader role. They are actively involved in patient counselling, medication safety, clinical decision-making, and ongoing patient care. This shift meant that simply testing theoretical knowledge was no longer enough.
The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) introduced OPRA to ensure that internationally qualified pharmacists are not just knowledgeable, but practice-ready.
Unlike KAPS, OPRA focuses on:
- How well a pharmacist can apply knowledge in real clinical situations
- The ability to make safe and effective decisions for patients
- Understanding contemporary Australian pharmacy practice
- Prioritising patient-centred care and medication safety
OPRA is designed to reflect real-life pharmacy scenarios that pharmacists commonly face in community and clinical settings. Instead of memorisation-based questions, candidates are assessed on how they think, analyse, and respond as healthcare professionals.
By replacing KAPS with OPRA, the APC aims to ensure that overseas pharmacists entering the Australian workforce meet the same professional standards as locally trained pharmacists. The result is a fairer, more relevant assessment that aligns closely with real-world expectations and modern healthcare needs.
OPRA vs KAPS: What Has Really Changed?
At first glance, OPRA might seem like just a renamed version of the KAPS exam. In reality, the difference goes much deeper. OPRA represents a complete shift in how internationally qualified pharmacists are assessed for practice in Australia.
The KAPS exam primarily tested whether candidates knew pharmaceutical concepts. OPRA, on the other hand, evaluates whether candidates can use that knowledge effectively in real practice.
Focus and Approach
KAPS was heavily theory-oriented, with questions centred around core pharmaceutical sciences. While this tested academic understanding, it did not always reflect real-life pharmacy situations.
OPRA takes a different approach. It places strong emphasis on:
- Patient-centred care
- Clinical reasoning
- Safe medication management
- Decision-making in real-world scenarios
This makes OPRA far more aligned with the day-to-day responsibilities of pharmacists in Australia.
Exam Structure
Another major change is the structure of the exam itself.
Under KAPS, candidates had to prepare for two separate papers, making the process longer and more demanding. OPRA simplifies this by introducing a single-paper exam, allowing candidates to focus better and manage time more effectively.
OPRA also reduces the total number of questions and overall exam duration, helping candidates stay focused without unnecessary fatigue.
Assessment Style
KAPS relied largely on direct questions and recall-based knowledge. OPRA shifts towards scenario-based multiple-choice questions, where candidates must analyse clinical situations and choose the safest and most appropriate option.
This style reflects the realities of pharmacy practice, where decisions often need to be made based on patient-specific information rather than textbook definitions.
Overall Impact for Candidates
For overseas pharmacists, OPRA offers a more relevant and practical assessment pathway. While it demands strong conceptual clarity and clinical understanding, it also rewards logical thinking and professional judgement skills that truly matter in practice.
In essence, OPRA doesn’t just ask whether you can pass an exam. It asks whether you are ready to practice as a pharmacist in Australia.
OPRA Exam Cost Breakdown
Below is a clear overview of the costs involved in the OPRA pathway, helping candidates plan their budget more effectively.
Cost Component | Approximate Fee |
| APC Eligibility Check | AUD 810 (₹47,790) |
| OPRA Exam Fee | AUD 2,190 (₹1,29,200) |
| Skills Assessment Outcome Fee | AUD 300 (₹17,700) |
| AHPRA Provisional Registration | AUD 160–240+ (₹9,500–14,160) |
| English Proficiency Test (if required) | OET ~AUD 587 (₹34,800) |
| Migration & PR Fees (if applicable) | AUD 4,000–5,000+ (₹3 lakhs+) |
OPRA vs KAPS: Exam Fee Comparison
While the overall registration process involves multiple steps, the exam fee itself under OPRA is slightly lower compared to KAPS.
Exam | Exam Fee |
| OPRA Exam | AUD 2,190 (₹1,29,200) |
| KAPS Exam (Earlier) | AUD 2,290 (₹1,35,110) |
This reduction, combined with OPRA’s single-paper format and shorter duration, makes the new assessment more streamlined and candidate-friendly.
Assessment Model: Rasch Model
The OPRA exam uses the Rasch model of assessment, a modern and globally recognised method designed to measure a candidate’s true ability, not just how many questions they answer correctly.
In traditional exams, everyone receives a score based on marks or percentages. The Rasch model works differently. It evaluates both the difficulty of each question and the candidate’s performance, ensuring the final result reflects actual competence rather than exam-day luck.
Why Does OPRA Use the Rasch Model?
The Australian Pharmacy Council adopted the Rasch model to make OPRA:
- Fair across different exam sessions
- Consistent in measuring competence
- Focused on real skill level, not memorisation
- Aligned with international assessment standards
This means a candidate’s result is based on their ability to handle pharmacy-related problems at the expected professional level.
How Results Are Reported
Under the Rasch model:
- Results are reported as Pass or Fail
- No percentage scores or ranks are released
- Every candidate is judged against a fixed standard, not against other test-takers
This approach ensures that all successful candidates meet the same professional benchmark required to practise safely in Australia.
Exam Structure Under Rasch Assessment
- Total questions: 120
- Scored questions: 90%
- Unscored (pilot) questions: 10%
The unscored questions are used to test and calibrate future exam items, helping maintain the quality and fairness of the exam over time.
What This Means for Candidates
For candidates, the Rasch model encourages conceptual understanding and clinical reasoning rather than rote learning. Strong fundamentals, clear decision-making, and patient safety awareness matter far more than memorising isolated facts.
In simple terms, OPRA is designed to test how you think as a pharmacist, not just what you remember.
Preparing Smart for the OPRA Exam
The OPRA exam represents a clear shift in how internationally qualified pharmacists are assessed for practice in Australia. With its strong focus on clinical reasoning, patient safety, and real-world decision-making, OPRA requires more than memorisation—it demands structured preparation, clear concepts, and practice aligned with Australian standards. Understanding the exam format, syllabus, and assessment model is the first step; preparing the right way is what truly makes the difference.
This is where Academically’s OPRA preparation course comes in. Designed specifically around the OPRA exam blueprint and Rasch-based assessment model, our course focuses on building clinical thinking, strengthening therapeutics, and improving decision-making through realistic case-based questions. With expert-led sessions, updated study material, exam-oriented mock tests, and end-to-end guidance, Academically supports you at every stage of your OPRA journey helping you prepare with confidence and clarity, not guesswork.
If your goal is to clear OPRA and move one step closer to practising as a pharmacist in Australia, the right preparation partner can make all the difference.
