OPRA Exam
Key Dates:
- The last KAPS exam: November 2024
- First OPRA exam: March 2025
OPRA Exam Pattern
To prepare effectively for the OPRA exam, it is crucial to understand its pattern. Here’s what you need to know:
| Aspect | Details |
| Format | Computer-based, multiple-choice questions (MCQs) |
| Number of Papers | One single paper |
| Number of Questions | 120 |
| Duration | 2.5 hours |
| Breaks | No breaks allowed during the exam |
| Cost | AUD 2190 |
| Test centres | Multiple test centres worldwide |
| Testing Methodology | Rasch methodology |
| Result Availability | Within 4 weeks post-exam |
OPRA Exam Structure
The OPRA exam covers a wide range of topics relevant to pharmacy practice. This is an important part of OPRA Exam preparation. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the syllabus, along with the percentage of questions that will be asked in the OPRA exam:
- Biomedical Sciences (20%)
- Physiological processes and normal bodily functions
- Pathophysiology
- Medical microbiology
- Immunology
- Disorders affecting bodily fluids
- Symptoms and physiological values of disease states and disorders
- Medicinal Chemistry and Biopharmaceutics (10%)
- Physicochemical properties of drugs
- Formulations for drug delivery
- Drug and chemical stability
- Solubility
- Drug formulation
- Pharmaceutical microbiology
- Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (10%)
- Drug metabolism
- Principles of pharmacokinetics
- Factors affecting drug impacts
- Evaluation of pharmacokinetic data
- Using pharmacokinetic data in patient treatment
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (15%)
- Impact of drugs on the body
- Receptor theory
- Mechanisms of drug action
- Adverse drug reactions
- Drug interactions
- Drug toxicity and treatment
- Factors influencing the pharmacology and toxicity of drugs
- Therapeutics and Patient Care (45%)
- Screening
- Dose calculations
- Primary health care
- Safe and effective use of medicines in special populations
- Harm minimisation
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Confidentiality in patient care
This diverse syllabus ensures candidates are thoroughly prepared for the demands of pharmacy practice in Australia.
OPRA Exam Testing Method
Rasch Methodology
The Rasch methodology is an adaptive testing methodology applied to create, analyse, and validate assessments, ensuring the reliability and validity of measured outcomes in educational testing.
Key Principle
The Rasch model calculates the chance of getting an answer right based on two things:
- Item Parameters: How difficult the questions are.
- Person Parameters: How well the test-taker knows the material.
In simpler terms, Rasch methodology adapts the test based on your responses. The difficulty of questions is adjusted according to how well you answer previous ones, with the overall result reflecting the difference between your ability and the difficulty of the questions. This sophisticated approach not only measures your abilities but also takes into account the relative difficulty of each question.
Method
- Creating Questions: First, a set of questions is made to test how well students know the subject.
- Testing: These questions are then tried out on a group of students.
- Difficulty Check: We use a special method to see how hard each question is and how well each student did. This is done with the help of statistical software.
- Reviewing Questions: The questions are checked to see if they work well with our difficulty method. If a question doesn’t fit well, it’s either changed or removed.
- Fairness Check: We also make sure the questions are fair and don’t favour any specific group, based on gender or ethnicity.
- Final Selection: After all these checks, a final set of questions is chosen. These questions cover a range of difficulty levels to match the student’s abilities.
- Scoring: When the test is given, each student’s ability is estimated based on how they answered the questions.
- Understanding Scores: Finally, the scores are looked at in relation to how difficult the questions were. Higher scores mean higher ability, and the scale allows for easy comparison between students’ scores.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the OPRA exam's pattern, structure, and testing methodology is crucial for international pharmacists aiming to practise in Australia.
With its rigorous testing methods and detailed syllabus, the OPRA exam ensures that you are well-equipped to meet the standards of Australian pharmacy practice.
To maximise your chances of success, consider using OPRA exam preparation courses and resources.
For personalised guidance, don't hesitate to reach out or fill out this form for a free consultation with an expert..
