OPRA Exam Dates, Registration Deadlines and Fees for 2026 and 2027

Fees listed by the APC

The figures below come from the APC Knowledge Stream page, which we read on 25 October 2026. The OPRA exam guide itself states no fees. All amounts are in Australian dollars, and the APC says fees are subject to change.

Add the listed fees together to budget for a first route through the process: 810 plus 2,245 plus 300 is AUD 3,355. That total excludes travel to a test centre, accommodation, study materials, currency conversion charges and any cancellation fee. The APC page does not say whether the eligibility check must be repeated for later attempts, so check this before a re-sit.

The APC lists a cancellation fee but the pages we read do not give the amount. Cancellation needs approval. Rescheduling is only possible during the registration period. Budget on the assumption that a missed sitting costs a full exam fee.

Sittings, registration windows and results

OPRA runs in set exam periods, each spread over three days. The APC publishes the registration window and results date for each. The row for July 2026 is included to show the pattern; it has already passed.

Notice the gap between the last day of registration and the exam. It is about one month. You must also have passed the eligibility check before you can register, so the real deadline for starting the process is earlier. Candidates who begin the eligibility check only weeks before a registration window risk missing it. Read OPRA eligibility and the Knowledge Stream for the order of steps.

Step by step to a booking

1. Confirm you are in the Knowledge Stream. Your qualification must come from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, with the required length of study.
2. Pay for and complete the eligibility check. Allow time for the APC to process it. The APC page does not give a processing time in the material we read.
3. Choose a sitting. Work backwards from your study plan. A 12-week plan started on the day your eligibility is confirmed fits only some windows.
4. Register in the Candidate Portal during the window. After the window closes, there are no late registrations.
5. Select a test centre. Exams are held at approved Pearson VUE test centres in many countries. Availability of seats at a given centre is not described in the pages we read, so choose early.
6. Request adjustments before you register. The APC requires a signed health practitioner form for any accommodation request.
7. Save your confirmation and identification details. Follow the APC and Pearson VUE instructions on the day. See the exam day guide.

Which sitting should you aim for

If you are starting today, 25 October 2026, the November sitting is out of reach. The next realistic dates are March 2027 and July 2027.

• March 2027 gives about five months to the exam. A 16-week plan fits if the eligibility check is already complete. If it is not, you must pass it before 22 February 2027, which makes the date tight.
• July 2027 gives about nine months. This suits candidates who need to complete eligibility, work full time and take a mock series. The registration window closes on 28 June 2027.
• November 2027 suits candidates who prefer a long runway or who are re-sitting after an earlier result. Registration closes on 11 October 2027.

Do not book on date alone. Pick the sitting where your mocks are stable across all five areas for at least two consecutive weeks. A failed attempt costs the full AUD 2,245 fee and months of waiting for the next period. Our study plan guide shows how to count back from a deadline.

Costs beyond the APC fees

The APC fees are only part of the real cost. Build a fuller budget before you commit, and keep it in your local currency as well as Australian dollars, because exchange rates move between the eligibility check and the exam.

• Document preparation. Certified copies, translations if needed, courier charges and university fees for transcripts.
• Study resources. Reference access, question banks and any course you choose. Compare coverage against the APC weights.
• Travel to the centre. Test centres are in many countries but not in every city. Include transport and, if needed, a night's accommodation so you arrive rested.
• Time away from work. Study leave and the exam days themselves. The exam period spans three days, though each candidate sits once.
• A re-sit reserve. There is no limit on attempts and each needs the full exam fee. Plan as if you may need one more attempt, even if you do not.
• Later pathway costs. The pages we read list a Skills Assessment Outcome fee. Registration fees with the Board and Ahpra are separate and we have not verified them.

Working backwards from each sitting

This table turns the published dates into a milestone plan for a 12-week study period. The study start dates are our suggestion, calculated from the exam date, and assume that your eligibility check is already passed.

If your eligibility check is not yet passed, add the processing time, which the APC page does not state, and a margin. A candidate who begins the eligibility check in January 2027 should not plan on the March 2027 sitting.

Cancelling, rescheduling and special circumstances

Rescheduling is only allowed during the registration period. Cancellation needs approval from the APC and a fee applies. The pages we read do not set out refund rules, so assume that fees are not returned for a missed sitting. If an illness or emergency prevents you from attending, contact the APC as soon as possible and keep medical or other evidence. We cannot say what the APC would decide.

Accommodation requests, for example for a disability or a health condition, must be supported by a signed health practitioner form submitted before registration. Start this early, because arranging a form from a practitioner in another country can take time.

Why registering in the first week helps

The APC publishes the window but not the number of places at each centre, so there is no way to know how fast seats go. Registering early in the window, once your study plan is on track, reduces the risk of losing a convenient centre. Rescheduling is only possible during the registration period, so registering early also leaves you more time to adjust. The trade-off is that you commit to the fee sooner. Decide on readiness first, then register without delay.

Checking the dates yourself

Dates and fees on this page are a snapshot from 25 October 2026. Before you pay anything, open the APC Knowledge Stream page and compare each item with the table above. If any date or amount differs, trust the APC page and tell us so we can correct this guide. Take a screenshot of the page with the date visible when you pay, because it is useful evidence if a question arises later.

What the APC does not tell you

• The cost of the cancellation fee.
• Whether the eligibility check fee is repeated for a re-sit.
• How many seats are available at each test centre.
• Whether OPRA fees differ by country of the test centre.

Where the APC is silent, do not rely on forum posts. Email the APC through the contact details on its site, and keep the reply. For the structure of the exam you are paying for, see the OPRA hub.