APC Written Assessment 2026: format, cost, dates and how many attempts you get
The APC Written Assessment in one place: 120 case-based questions over two papers, A$2,078 per sitting from 21 October 2026 (A$2,017 before), four sittings a year, results in six weeks, a scaled pass mark of 500, and no cap on attempts.
Published 2026-10-05.
The Written Assessment is the exam stage of the Australian Physiotherapy Council's pathways for internationally qualified physiotherapists. On the Australian Physiotherapy Entry Pathway (APEP) it is the step after the Eligibility Assessment and Cultural Safety Training, before the Capability Assessment and the Clinical Workshop. On the FLYR Pathway it is the last assessment before you can apply to Ahpra for registration.
Everything below is taken from the APC's own pages and its 2026 Information Booklet, checked on 5 October 2026. The APC changes dates and fees from time to time, so treat the sources at the end as the authority and this page as the summary.
The exam at a glance
| Item | What the APC says |
|---|---|
| Fee | A$2,078 per sitting from 21 October 2026 (A$2,017 for sittings paid for before then), the same again for each resit. |
| Questions | 120 multiple-choice questions: two papers of 60, sat on the same day with about an hour between them. |
| Structure | Each paper is built from 15 clinical cases with four linked questions per case. No standalone items. |
| Time | Two hours per paper. Both papers start at 9am Melbourne time. |
| Content | Musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiorespiratory practice, with professional practice, ethics, quality and risk management assessed across the cases. |
| Where | Online: remotely supervised through EPEC's WebLock secure browser, or at an APC venue in Melbourne or Sydney. |
| When | Four times a year. The next sitting is 3 December 2026; applications opened 22 July and close 20 October 2026. 2027 dates are yet to be announced. |
| Results | Emailed within six weeks: Pass or Fail, with your scaled score. |
| Pass mark | A scaled score of 500 under the Rasch model. No negative marking. |
| Attempts | No limit. You wait 14 days before applying again and pay the full fee each time. |
| Before it | Eligibility Assessment (A$1,170) and the six-hour Cultural Safety Training (A$242 from 21 October 2026; A$235 before). |
| After it | APEP: the Capability Assessment, then the Clinical Workshop. FLYR: apply to Ahpra. Your interim certificate is valid for two years. |
What the exam is testing
The APC describes the assessment as a test of knowledge, problem-solving and decision-making, and its guidance for candidates warns against preparing by memorising facts. The format enforces that. Every question belongs to a case: a patient, a setting and a set of findings, followed by four decisions in the order a clinician meets them. You cannot answer question three without carrying forward what you decided in question one.
Three clinical areas carry the content. Across them, the cases also test the things that trip up experienced clinicians from other systems: who may order imaging, when a patient needs escalation rather than treatment, what informed consent requires, what scope of practice means in Australia, and how to respond when a patient or a colleague pushes back. The APC groups these under professional practice, ethical practice, quality assurance and risk management.
How the day runs
- Paper 1 in the morning and Paper 2 in the afternoon, two hours each, with roughly an hour between them. Both are the same shape: 15 cases, 60 questions.
- Remote candidates need two forms of identification, one with a photo and one with a signature, a room that passes the environment check, and a device that runs the secure browser. The session is recorded.
- No reading materials are allowed in. If your connection drops, the clock pauses rather than running on.
- The APC states a zero-tolerance position on misconduct. The recording, the identity checks and the secure browser are how it is enforced.
Scoring, briefly
Your raw count of correct answers is converted to a scaled score using the Rasch measurement framework, which adjusts for the difficulty of the particular questions you were given. The passing score is always 500. You are measured against a fixed standard, not ranked against the other candidates, and a wrong answer costs nothing more than a blank one, so every question should be answered. There is a longer explanation in our article on how the assessment is scored.
Attempts: no cap, but a real cost
The APC places no restriction on the number of times you can sit the Written Assessment. Two rules apply: a 14-day wait before you can apply again, and the full fee for every sitting. In practice the exam runs four times a year, so a failed attempt usually means the next scheduled date, not two weeks later.
Use the scaled score you are sent. A result close to 500 says your preparation was nearly enough and the next sitting is the right target. A result well below it says the method, not the hours, needs to change: more cases worked in sequence, fewer isolated facts, and deliberate practice of the professional-practice decisions that recall cannot answer.
What it costs in context
The Written Assessment is one line in a longer budget. From 21 October 2026 the whole APEP costs A$8,321: Eligibility Assessment A$1,170, Cultural Safety Training A$242, Written Assessment A$2,078, Capability Assessment A$2,928 and Clinical Workshop A$1,903 (up from A$7,814 in total before that date, the Clinical Workshop carrying most of the rise). FLYR candidates pay A$3,490 for Eligibility, Cultural Safety Training and the Written Assessment (A$3,422 before). Registration with Ahpra is then a separate A$452 application fee plus the annual registration fee, A$220 nationally or A$200 in New South Wales, on the schedule effective 1 October 2026. English language testing, criminal history checks and travel to Melbourne for the Clinical Workshop sit on top.
The APC announced the new schedule on 21 September 2026. It does not say whether the application date or the payment date decides which fee applies, so if you are ready for the December sitting, apply and pay before 21 October.
A note on what this is
APEP Exam Prep is an independent preparation resource. It is not endorsed by, affiliated with or connected to the Australian Physiotherapy Council, and it contains no real exam questions. The facts above are the APC's, cited below; the advice on preparation is ours.
Questions people ask
- How many times can you sit the APC Written Assessment?
- There is no limit. The APC requires a 14-day wait before you apply again and charges the full fee for every sitting: A$2,078 from 21 October 2026.
- How much does the APC Written Assessment cost?
- A$2,078 per sitting from 21 October 2026, including resits. Sittings paid for before that date were A$2,017.
- How many questions are in the APC Written Assessment?
- 120 multiple-choice questions over two two-hour papers of 60 questions each, sat on the same day. Each paper contains 15 clinical cases with four linked questions per case.
- What is the pass mark for the APC Written Assessment?
- A scaled score of 500, calculated with the Rasch measurement model, which adjusts for the difficulty of the questions you were given. There is no negative marking.
- Can I sit the APC Written Assessment from overseas?
- Yes. The exam is delivered online and can be sat remotely under supervision through EPEC's secure browser, or in person at the APC's venues in Melbourne or Sydney. All sittings start at 9am Melbourne time.
- When is the next APC Written Assessment?
- 3 December 2026. Applications for that sitting close on 20 October 2026. The exam runs four times a year and 2027 dates had not been announced as of October 2026.
- How long do APC Written Assessment results take?
- The APC emails results within six weeks of the exam, as a Pass or Fail with your scaled score.
- Is the APC Written Assessment open book?
- No. Reading materials are not permitted, and remote sittings run in a locked-down browser with the session recorded.