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The national psychology exam (the exam) protects the public by ensuring practitioners are suitably trained and qualified to practise psychology in a competent and ethical manner before they are registered.
It is based on actual case studies and professional issues likely to be faced by psychologists working with the public, across a broad range of contexts.
The exam tests the threshold professional competencies for general registration as a psychologist in Australia as outlined in the Professional competencies for psychologists.1It supports the Psychology Board of Australia’s (the Board) General registration standard.2
To be eligible to apply for general registration, applicants must complete a six-year sequence of education and training, and provide evidence of having passed the exam (unless exempt). 3
The national psychology exam candidate manual (the candidate manual) is a ‘how to’ guide for people preparing for the exam (candidates). It provides essential practical information they need to know before, during and after siting the exam. It should be read carefully and in conjunction with the Guidelines for the national psychology exam (exam guidelines), which provide an overview of the Board’s policies and requirements for the exam.
There are key differences between exams delivered in a regulatory context (this exam) and exams delivered in an educational context (e.g. a board-approved program of psychology study undertaken at a university). Exams delivered in an educational context are designed to provide feedback and correct errors, to motivate and direct student learning, and to identify high performers for admission into further study. The purpose of an exam in a regulatory context is very different.
A regulatory exam tests whether a candidate possesses the minimum threshold competencies to practice safely as a psychologist. It is a hurdle requirement, where the onus is on the candidate to demonstrate to the Board that they have developed the knowledge and skills to practice safely at that point in time.
The exam is not designed to be the sole test of a practitioner’s competence to practise psychology. It is one of several methods used to assess the various aspects of competence needed to practice safely and effectively. Other methods include supervision (including direct observation of practice), professional placements, completion of an internship, and completion of a Board-approved qualification.
This manual will provide candidates and their supervisors information on how to prepare for the Board’s regulatory exam.
1For more information please review the general registration standard.
2The General registration standard is published on the website at www.psychologyboard.gov.au. Registration standards are approved by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council pursuant to the National Law.
3Applicants for general registration who are exempt from passing the exam are outlined in the Guidelines for the national psychology exam.
The exam questions are developed solely from the exam curriculum, which is published on the Board’s website. Study tips are presented throughout the exam curriculum to assist candidates to study for the exam.
The exam curriculum is the Board’s official statement of the exam content. It is based on the competencies for general registration as outlined in the Professional competencies for psychologists.
The exam assesses the eight competencies through four exam curriculum domains:
The Board has published several resources that sit alongside the exam curriculum and are designed to support candidates to study for the exam. These resources are published on the Board’s website and include the following:
4See the ‘National Psychology Exam’ page of the Board’s website.
5 See the ‘National Psychology Exam’ page of the Board’s website.
The exam questions are multiple-choice questions. Exam questions will be mostly in the format of:
The exam is designed to test the application of psychological knowledge to safe practice. Although the questions can rely on a factual knowledge base, the exam focuses on the application of that knowledge to actual psychological cases and professional issues. Multiple choice questions are deemed suitable to test applied knowledge, and to allow candidates to demonstrate psychological reasoning and core competencies in a fair, equitable and transparent manner.
The exam questions have been developed by senior practitioners and the best answer is their consensus view. Questions are developed to test the core competencies of the exam curriculum, as described in the professional and scientific literature and the recommended reading.
The correct answer is the best or most correct option in the view of the Board.
Exam questions are changed regularly so candidates who repeat the exam will get a different set of questions.
The Board reviews all exam questions for relevance of content, effectiveness and reliability. This Board periodically undertakes quality assurance processes that provide the basis for further question development and improvement.
There are 150 questions in the exam. All questions are of equal value and there is no deduction of marks for incorrect answers. Candidates are encouraged to attempt all questions.
As three of the four domains assessed by the exam incorporate a larger amount of content, the exam includes a greater number of questions on these three domains than the fourth (communication) domain. In addition, the communication domain significantly overlaps in content with the first three domains. See Table 1 for details on the number of questions on the exam for each domain.
Exam Domain
Number of questions
Percentage
Ethics
45
30
Assessment
Intervention
Communication
15
10
Total questions
150
100
The duration of the exam is 3.5 hours (210 minutes). Candidates are required to allocate a total of four hours to complete registration procedures before the exam, and post-exam administration activities.
The exam is a pass or fail exam. The Board has applied a scaled passing score of 70 per cent. The scaled passing score is the Board's view of the minimum level of applied knowledge required for independent and safe psychology practice. Raw scores (the total number of answers that were correct out of 150) will be arithmetically converted to a scale that ranges from 0 to 100. /p>
To take into consideration differences in difficulty among different versions of the exam scaled scores will be used. Scaled scores will be applied to all candidates sitting the exam in a particular exam period (the exam cohort). Adjusting scores will ensure that the standard needed to pass the exam remains the same, even if different versions of the exam vary in difficulty. This ensures that an exam cohort will not be penalised if the exam they sit is harder. Marks can be scaled up for all candidates in a cohort if the exam is difficult, but they are never scaled down. This means that no candidate is adversely affected by scaling.
The exam and pass rates are moderated by the Board.
The pass rate applies to the total score on the exam. Candidates are not required to pass all four curriculum components in addition to achieving a passing score on the overall exam. This is because there is considerable overlap between the four domains assessed by the exam. For example, there are ethical considerations when conducting psychological assessments; and communication competencies required when delivering psychological interventions.
Candidate scores are not carried over between exams. Candidates who fail their exam must re-sit the whole exam and achieve the scaled 70% score in their next sitting of the exam to pass.
The responsibility to prepare for and pass the exam rests with the candidate. Candidates are expected to develop a broad strategy for preparing for the exam.
This preparation should include:
Candidates preparing for the exam should:
All resources are published on the Board’s website.8
The Board has developed an exam checklist to help candidates understand what they should know about the exam, where to find relevant information, and the best way to prepare for each stage of the exam process (before, during and after the exam). The exam checklist is at Attachment G.
Once a candidate has registered to sit the exam, they can sit an online practice exam to further assist in their preparation. The practice exam consists of a set of exam questions. It is designed to provide candidates with the ‘look and feel’ of the exam including how the exam is structured, the types and style of questions and how exam time will need to be managed.
To sit the practice exam, candidates first need to create an account on the exam portal (see section 6 of this manual). Approval for accounts can take up to five business days. Once the account is approved, candidates can access the exam portal and register for the exam. Once registered for the exam, candidates can sit the practice exam at any time before their scheduled exam date.
The practice exam prepares candidates for the kinds of exam questions they will encounter. It does not replicate the delivery format of the real exam, which is delivered using secure examination browser software.
Candidates who fail the practice exam will be able re-sit it once, after waiting one day. Candidates who successfully complete the practice exam will not be allowed to re-sit.
At the end of the practice exam there is an explanation about which answers were correct.
8 See the 'National Psychology Exam' page of the Board’s website.
The exam is generally offered in four separate exam sittings each year.
During each exam sitting candidates can elect to sit the exam through online proctoring (OLP), or in a designated test centre, located in various capital cities across Australia.
Details for the schedule of exams, including dates for registration periods, is available on the Board’s exam webpage.
The exam is designed to be delivered in one sitting. This means the exam is not split or paused nor delivered over multiple sittings. There is no option to sit a shorter exam by sitting the exam one domain at a time. This is because there is considerable overlap between the four domains assessed by the exam.
Candidates have the option to skip questions and come back to them later in the exam should they have time available. A ‘flagging’ system and review screen is available to help candidates navigate back to a skipped question.
The Board has contracted with a test administrator called Kryterion to administer the exam.
Kryterion administers both the OLP exams and exams delivered in test centres and is responsible for ensuring the integrity of testing processes. They verify student identification, provide certified proctors (invigilators or supervisors), and ensure the exam is delivered securely to each registered candidate.
Online proctoring allows for secure delivery of the exam directly to your computer via the internet in your home or workplace. OLP is an option if you prefer to sit the exam at home, live in a rural or remote area and prefer not to travel to a test centre, are sitting the exam overseas, or for health or other personal reasons, including not feeling safe to attend a testing centre.
For OLP, candidates are responsible for organising a suitable exam environment, including:
Exams delivered via OLP are proctored (supervised) by a virtual proctor (or online proctor). Kryterion uses certified proctors to monitor and assist candidates in real-time by using video and audio monitoring of the exam as you complete it. Candidates register to sit the OLP exam at a specific date and time during one of the four exam sittings held each year.
More information about sitting the exam via OLP, including the rules and requirements, is provided in Attachment B.
Candidates can sit the exam in any one of the designated test centres located in Australia (see the test centre finder). Test centres for the exam are only available in Australia.
Exams undertaken in a test centre are sat at a computer terminal provided by the test centre. Pencil and paper exams are not used. Unlike OLP exams, it is the test centre, not the candidate who is responsible for providing access to suitable space, computer security and technology for the exam. Sitting the exam in a test centre is an option if you don’t have a suitable space to sit the exam at home, are not confident with computer technology, or do not have reliable internet capacity.
Exams delivered in a test centre have exam proctors that are onsite in person, rather than virtual proctors for OLP exams. The onsite proctors are sometimes called invigilators or supervisors.
More information about sitting the exam in a test centre, including the rules and requirements, is provided in Attachment C.
This is a very personal choice. We understand that some candidates have never sat an OLP exam before and are hesitant, while others prefer OLP exams. We encourage you to consider your own circumstances and seek advice from your supervisor before making your decision.
You may wish to consider the following in making your decision:
Candidates must ensure they are eligible to sit the exam before booking an exam time. Information on eligibility and exemptions from sitting the exam is outlined in the Guidelines for the national psychology exam.
To register for the exam candidates will need to create an account on the exam portal, which is sometimes referred to as WebAssessor. The account will be activated within five working days and email confirmation will be sent to the candidate when the account has been activated.
Candidates can use the exam portal to register to sit the exam, either as an OLP exam or in person at a test centre.
When booking an exam at a test centre, candidates will be shown centres that exist in their state or territory. Candidates wishing to sit in a different state or territory can change the displayed option using the drop-down list.
The candidate account also grants access to the practice exam and enables booking and payment. The candidate will receive a confirmation email with the details of the exam date, testing centre and requirements for the exam day.
Candidates may only lodge one application to sit the exam per quarter period (every three months). The exam dates and registration period are on the National Psychology Exam page of the Board’s website.
Candidates can change the date and time of their scheduled exam for any reason up to 72 hours before the scheduled exam at a testing centre, and up to 24 hours before a scheduled OLP exam, without incurring additional fees. Exams can be rescheduled, subject to availability, using the exam portal.
Candidates are only permitted to change the date and time within 72 hours of the exam if special circumstances apply – see the section on Special consideration (Attachment E of this manual). Candidates who need to reschedule an exam within 72 hours of the booked exam date must contact the Ahpra exams team immediately for assistance.
If there are issues beyond the candidate’s control before the start of a scheduled exam which severely delays its start, the candidate can be rescheduled for a later time or day within the exam session. Candidates should request this prior to starting their exam, either with the exam provider or with the Ahpra exams team. Candidates experiencing issues (e.g. feeling unwell on the day of the exam) who don’t ask to be rescheduled will be seen as declaring they can continue with the exam’s assessment of their competencies.
Candidates wishing to change from OLP exam to a testing centre, or from a testing centre to online, should contact the Ahpra exams team, providing a contact number and details of when they will be able to receive a phone call to arrange the new sitting.
Candidates can cancel their scheduled exam for a full refund for any reason up to 72 hours before the scheduled exam at a testing centre, and up to 24 hours before a scheduled OLP exam, using the exam portal.
When candidates cannot access the exam portal, it is usually due to one of the following reasons:
Accounts on the exam portal need to be approved when first created. Please allow up to five working days after creating an account for Ahpra to review and approve it.
Candidates who fail the exam three times may have their accounts made inactive until they seek approval to sit the exam again. See the Guidelines for the national psychology exam for details about the exam failure policy.
Candidates can reset their password on the exam portal by clicking the 'forgot password' button and following the prompts. Alternatively, candidates can contact the exam test administrator (i.e. Kryterion) using their web based support services.
Candidates may also contact the Ahpra exams team for assistance at [email protected].
The fee for sitting the exam is published on the Board's website in the Schedule of fees. The Board does not currently provide an exam fee reduction for candidates experiencing financial hardship. However, the Board can consider financial hardship when candidates are applying for or renewing their provisional or general registration. See the Ahpra website for more information.
Ahpra can only accept credit card payment (including Visa or Mastercard debit cards) for the exam. Payment must be made through the exam portal. For candidates who do not have a credit card, Ahpra will accept payment from someone else (a manager, relative, etc) on your behalf.
Some banks may apply an international transaction fee to MasterCard or Visa purchases where the transaction is made in Australian dollars but the party accepting the card is overseas. Kryterion’s head office is based in Arizona, USA. Candidates are advised to check with their bank regarding their fees.
Payment confirmations are sent automatically to the email address listed on the exam candidate account.
If a confirmation email has not been received within five days into an inbox (or spam or junk folder), contact the Ahpra exams team for assistance.
Candidates that cancel an exam booking more than 72 hours before the scheduled exam date at a test centre will have the exam fee refunded to the credit card originally used for payment. It may take up to ten days before the credit is shown in the account.
Candidates that cancel an exam booking within 72 hours of the scheduled exam date at a test centre are not refunded the exam fee, unless special consideration has been approved (see Attachment E of this manual for more information).
Candidates that cancel an exam booking more than 24 hours before the scheduled OLP exam date will have the exam fee refunded to the credit card originally used for payment. It may take up to ten days before the credit is shown in the account.
Candidates that cancel an exam booking within 24 hours of the scheduled OLP exam date are not refunded the exam fee unless special consideration has been approved (see Attachment E of this manual for more information).
Candidates with a documented health condition and/or disability can request support to accommodate their needs to allow them to fairly sit the exam. Special accommodation applies to exams delivered by OLP and those delivered in a test centre.
Special accommodation requests need to be made in writing to the Ahpra exams team ([email protected]) a minimum of thirty days in advance of the intended exam date.
More information about how to apply for special accommodation is provided in Attachment D.
Special consideration is available to candidates who are unable to sit or complete an exam due to exceptional circumstances beyond their control. Candidates may be given an opportunity to re-sit the exam at the next available date without incurring additional exam fees.
Special consideration applies to exams delivered by OLP and those delivered in a test centre.
Adverse circumstances beyond the candidate’s control may occur just before the exam siting (e.g. loss or bereavement, acute illness requiring hospital admission), or during the exam (e.g. natural disaster, evacuation of the exam centre).
Difficulty launching the OLP exam or completing the exam due to a candidate’s own technology specifications/issues does not meet the criteria for adverse circumstances. Setting up your computer is the candidate’s responsibility and considered to be in your control.
Applications for special consideration must be submitted in writing to the Ahpra exams team before the exam or within 14 working days after the date of the exam (depending on the nature of the request).
More information about how to apply for special consideration is provided in Attachment E.
Candidates sitting the exam are subject to the usual rules of ethical and professional conduct before, during and after the exam as outlined in the Board’s Code of conduct.
All formal exams have rules relating to conduct. However, there are some rules that, if breached, would have a significant impact on the candidate’s future capacity to sit an exam or to be or remain registered.
Specific rules for exams held in a test centre and via online proctoring are outlined in Attachment B and C of this exam manual. Failure to comply with any rule or instruction by an exam supervisor or proctor will be regarded as a breach of discipline and may lead to exclusion from the exam and the candidate deemed to have failed. More serious breaches of exam rules or security may result in disciplinary or criminal action.
Candidates are not permitted to photograph, record, copy or write down any of the test items or questions, or to talk about the content of the exam (e.g. exam questions) with anybody (including the exam supervisor or proctor) during or after the exam. You will be asked to sign a declaration agreeing to keep the exam content (questions and answers) confidential when you sit the exam.
The Board regards misconduct during an exam as a serious matter. Falsifying results, fraudulent or dishonest conduct in connection with an exam could lead to practitioners who are not qualified or not otherwise competent and safe to practise being improperly registered. In such cases the Board will consider any complaint and may refer the matter to a responsible tribunal. If a tribunal finds a complaint sustained it may make a range of orders, including cancellation of registration and disqualifying a person from applying for registration for a specified period.
Candidates that could not sit or complete the exam due to exceptional circumstance beyond their control can apply for special consideration. See Attachment E of this manual for more information
Please write to the [email protected] inbox immediately if your exam was suspended or terminated. A member of the Ahpra exams team will contact you and review the circumstances that prompted the suspension or termination of your exam. The Ahpra exams team respond to emails during office hours (Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm, AEST/ADST Melbourne).
If your exam was suspended or terminated due to technical difficulties (refer to Appendix E applying for special consideration) or ended because you were feeling unwell during the exam, you will be able to re-sit the exam at the end of the exam period.
If your exam was suspended or terminated because you did not observe the rules and requirements of the testing environment, and the proctor reports that you engaged in non-standard and/or unauthorised behaviour during the exam, you will need approval from the Board before being able to re-sit the exam.
Candidates will receive their exam results by email within four to six weeks of the close of the exam period. Candidates do not receive their scaled scores as part of the reporting process, only whether they have passed or failed. Because the exam is a regulatory exam, not an exam given in an educational context, candidates will not receive specific information on which exam questions they passed/failed, nor will the exam answers be provided. Results will not be given by telephone.
After the exam has finished, any communication about the exam must be addressed to Ahpra through the Ahpra exams team. Candidates must not communicate with members of the Psychology Board of Australia or the Board’s committees about the exam.
Candidates who fail the exam are provided with a performance report by email to provide additional information about their performance. As noted above, the Board cannot provide scaled scores as part of this reporting process. If a candidate does not meet the standard, feedback is provided about which standard is not met (e.g. underperformed in the ethics domain). This feedback should be used to guide the candidate and their supervisor on areas for further provisional development, and to guide exam study in preparation for exam re-sit.
Candidates who fail the exam are permitted to re-sit the exam in the next exam period.
If a registrant fails three times, they will not be able to sit another exam until their registration renewal or a new application for registration is approved by the Board. Details on the procedures to follow if a registrant fails the exam three times, including available options, steps to take, and evidence required by the Board, can be found in the:
Candidates who fail the exam are strongly encouraged to review their study plan and consider making changes and improvements to the way they are preparing for the exam. See the ‘Preparing for the exam’ section of this manual for more information on strategies to prepare for sitting the exam.
A candidate can request a review if the candidate believes:
A request for an exam review cannot be accepted if it is based on the:
Any request for review must be made in writing to the Ahpra exams team after results are released and within four weeks of receiving exam results, and must include the following:
The written request for review will be considered by the Board as well as assessed against the review criteria (as outlined above). The review will take place within 21 days of receiving the request.
The Board will let the candidate know the decision and the reasons for the decision in writing as soon as practicable after the review. The Board’s decision is final.
The usual outcome for a successful review would be to allow the candidate to re-sit the exam as soon as possible at no additional cost to the candidate. A successful review outcome may consist of:
The Board recognises the rights of candidates to have their personal information protected. Candidates can be assured that AHPRA’s Privacy Policy will be complied with when managing reviews.
If the exam review process does not adequately apply to a candidate’s situation, there are other options available for candidates, as follows:
See Attachment E of this manual for more information on special consideration. See Attachment F for more information about the difference between applying for special accommodations, special consideration and applying for an exam review.
This option is particularly suited to candidates who pass the exam and have feedback about their exam experience. This is because the usual outcomes for a successful review are not as helpful to candidates who pass the exam as they are for candidates who have failed the exam.
All correspondence about the national psychology exam should be directed to the National Exams Coordinator at [email protected]
Emails will only be responded to during office hours, which are 9am to 5pm AEST/ADST Melbourne.
This manual replaces the version published in July 2019. This manual will be reviewed as required, generally every five years.
National Psychology Exam Candidate Manual (499 KB, PDF)
AHPRA means the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency established under section 23 of the National Law.
Board refers to the Psychology Board of Australia established under section 31 of the National Law. The Board delegates some decision-making powers to committees, state and territory or regional boards, or AHPRA.
Candidate means any person approved by the Board as eligible to sit the national psychology exam.
Competence refers to a combination of practical and theoretical knowledge, cognitive skills, behaviour, and values used to perform a specific behaviour or set of behaviours to a standard, in professional practice settings associated with a professional role .
Core (competence) is a competence, the possession of which is critical to the overall ability of a person to practise to an acceptable professional standard. Core competences are expected to be possessed by all those who claim competence in professional practice. It should be noted that additional competences may also be required, depending upon areas of specialism and socio-cultural settings, to ensure overall competence as a practitioner .
Exam means the national psychology exam.
Exam supervisor means the staff person who oversees the delivery of the exam at a test centre. Sometimes also called exam invigilator, proctor or exam adjudicator.
National Law refers to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.
National Psychology Exam Coordinator refers to AHPRA staff responsible for the operational day-to-day running of the exam, as agreed between the Board and AHPRA in Schedule 1 of the Health Professions Agreement.
Practice means any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a registered psychologist in the profession. Practice in this context is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. It also includes using professional knowledge in a direct non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on the safe, effective delivery of services in the profession.
Provisional psychologist means a person registered as a provisional psychologist under section 62 of the National Law to enable that individual to complete a mandatory period of supervised practice to become eligible for general registration as a psychologist.
Psychologist means a person who holds general registration as a psychologist under section 52 of the National Law.
Registered psychologist in this document includes a psychologist or a provisional psychologist.
Scaled passing score means passing the national psychology exam at a score of 70 per cent or higher. Raw scores (the total number of answers that were correct) are arithmetically converted to a scale that ranges from 0 to 100 and takes into consideration differences in difficulty among different versions of the exam. Adjusting scores will ensure that the passing score will remain the same, even if different versions of the exam vary in difficulty. This ensures that candidates will not be penalised if an exam is harder or given an unfair advantage if an exam is easier.
Supervisor or board approved supervisor means a person who holds general registration as a psychologist and who has been approved by the Board to supervise provisional psychologists or psychologists.
11 Definition taken from the International declaration of core competencies in professional psychology, p.4
12 Definition taken from the International declaration of core competencies in professional psychology, p.5
