The Australian Pharmacy Council does not publish an OPRA pass mark, a pass percentage or a pass rate. What it does publish: the pass standard is set by psychometric standard-setting with subject matter experts, it represents the minimum standard for provisional registration as an intern pharmacist, results are scaled across exam versions, and you receive pass or unsuccessful only. About 108 of the 120 questions are scored. Any specific percentage you read elsewhere is not an APC statement.
What the APC says, and what it leaves out
Searches for "OPRA pass mark" and "OPRA passing percentage" return many pages that state a figure. We checked the APC exam guide, the Knowledge Stream page and the announcement of the redesigned exam. None gives a percentage. This page sets out only what the APC has written, and it marks every inference as ours.
| Question | What the APC publishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a pass percentage? | No. Raw scores and percentages are not disclosed. | Stated by the APC |
| How is the standard set? | Psychometric standard-setting with subject matter experts. | Stated by the APC |
| What level does it represent? | The minimum standard to apply for provisional registration as an intern pharmacist. | Stated by the APC |
| Are candidates ranked against each other? | No. You are judged against the standard, not other candidates. | Stated by the APC |
| Are scores adjusted between versions? | Yes. Results are scaled across exam versions, and the APC announcement refers to the Rasch model. | Stated by the APC |
| How many questions are scored? | About 90% (about 108 of 120). About 10% (about 12) are unscored calibration items. | Stated by the APC |
| What does the result show? | Whether the standard was met, plus content-area feedback that does not determine the result. | Stated by the APC |
| Is there a published pass rate? | We found none on the pages read. | Not published |
How a standard-set exam differs from a fixed percentage
In a fixed-percentage exam, everyone needs the same share of marks, such as 60%. OPRA does not work that way. Subject matter experts judge what a minimally competent candidate, one who is just ready for the intern year, would be expected to know. That judgement becomes the standard. Because different versions of the exam contain different questions, some versions are slightly harder or easier. Scaling adjusts for that so that the same underlying ability gets the same outcome whichever version you sit.
For you, this has three practical consequences. First, the number of questions you need to get right is not fixed and not published, so you cannot count your way to a pass during the exam. Second, a practice score from any question bank is only a rough guide. Third, an answer that you are unsure about is worth attempting, because the APC says nothing about penalties for wrong answers and we found no statement of negative marking on the pages read. Do not leave questions blank.
The APC announcement says the exam uses the Rasch model to select and score questions. That describes how items and versions are calibrated. It does not publish a cut score such as "0.5" or "60%". Treat claims that give such a number as unverified.
Scored and unscored questions
Each exam includes about 12 unscored calibration items. They are spread evenly across the five content areas and look identical to scored items. They exist so the APC can collect data on new questions before they count. You cannot identify them, and you should not try. A question that looks unusually hard or odd may be a trial item or may not be, so give every item a proper attempt and move on.
This also means that the weights apply to the exam as a whole, but the scored counts per area will vary slightly. In the hub we show approximate counts on the full 120 questions. Treat them as planning numbers.
What the result looks like
The APC sends the result by email and posts it in the Candidate Portal. The APC states results come within about four weeks. The published dates are 22 December 2026 for the November 2026 sitting, 6 May 2027 for March 2027, 9 September 2027 for July 2027 and 23 December 2027 for November 2027. The result is pass or unsuccessful. If you are unsuccessful, the report gives feedback by content area. The APC says the feedback is for development and does not determine your result, so a weak area does not mean that one area alone caused the outcome.
Results cannot be reviewed as a score. The APC refers appeals to a separate policy. If you are considering an appeal, read that policy on the APC site before the deadline for lodging it, because the time limits are not covered in the pages we read.
How to use this information
- Aim for secure knowledge in all five areas. Because the standard is not a percentage, strength in one area cannot be assumed to cover a gap in another. Therapeutics is 45%, but the other 55% is not optional.
- Use question banks to find gaps, not to predict. Sort your results by content area. A balanced profile is a better sign than a high total.
- Be wary of confident pass-mark claims. If a site gives you a percentage, ask for the APC page that states it. If there is none, it is an opinion.
- Answer every question. The pages read mention no penalty for wrong answers.
- Plan for the long game. Unlimited attempts are allowed, but each needs the full fee and a later sitting. See booking, fees and dates.
Sit a timed OPRA (formerly KAPS) mock exam
Blueprint-weighted questions under exam timing, then a breakdown of your result by domain.
How to judge readiness without a pass mark
A candidate who wants a number to aim for is asking a fair question that the APC does not answer. You can still judge readiness with evidence you control. Use these four checks together.
- Balance across areas. Sort at least 200 recent practice questions by the five APC content areas. If one area is far below the others, fix it before you book.
- Stability over time. One good block means little. Look for several consecutive weeks of similar results from mixed blocks, not blocks of a single topic you have just studied.
- Timing. A full 120-question paper in 150 minutes, finished with time left. A candidate who is accurate only when given extra time is not ready for a fixed-time exam.
- Explanation test. For a sample of correct answers, explain why each wrong option is wrong. If you cannot, you may have been guessing well.
None of these predicts a pass. They reduce the chance that you sit with an obvious gap. Because every attempt costs the full exam fee, the cost of waiting another few weeks is usually lower than the cost of another attempt.
Reading practice scores sensibly
Question banks, including ours, write items to the published blueprint, but a bank cannot reproduce the APC standard. Item difficulty, wording and balance differ from bank to bank. Treat a practice percentage as a measure of progress within one bank, not as a conversion to the real exam. If you move from one bank to another and your percentage falls, that tells you the new bank is harder or differently written, not that you have gone backwards.
Be careful with marketing claims such as "our students score above the pass mark". With no published pass mark, such a claim has no reference point. A more honest claim is about coverage, explanation quality and how well questions follow the APC weights.
Why you may hear a different story
Pre-2025 KAPS candidates often quote numbers for the old exam. KAPS had two papers and a different structure. The APC replaced it with a single, shorter OPRA paper, so figures from KAPS discussions do not carry over. We did not re-verify the old KAPS blueprint and do not state any KAPS pass figure. Read OPRA versus KAPS for the changes the APC has confirmed.
Coaching sites also publish pass rates and mark thresholds. The APC does not publish a pass rate in the pages we reviewed, so those figures are not regulator data. If you want a benchmark, use the APC's sample content to see the style, and use blocks by content area to check readiness. The blueprint on the OPRA hub shows where the weight sits.
Questions candidates ask
Can I pass with strong therapeutics and weak science? The APC does not say how areas combine, so we cannot answer. Assume that the standard applies to the exam as a whole and that every area carries marks. Is a first-attempt pass more likely if I register early? The APC publishes nothing linking timing to outcome. Do I get a second chance within the same sitting? No. Each attempt needs a new registration in a later exam period.
What would change this page
The APC may publish more detail in future exam guides. We re-check APC pages when dates and fees change, and the "updated" month on this page shows the last review. If the APC begins publishing a pass rate or a cut score, we will update this page and cite the APC page that states it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the OPRA pass mark?
The APC does not publish one. It says the standard is set by psychometric standard-setting with subject matter experts and represents the minimum level for provisional intern pharmacist registration. Raw scores and percentages are not disclosed.
Is the OPRA pass mark 60 percent?
We found no APC statement of 60 percent or any other percentage. Treat figures on coaching sites as unverified until they cite an APC page.
What is the Rasch model in OPRA?
The APC says OPRA uses the Rasch model to select and score questions and scale results across exam versions. It is a calibration method, and the APC does not publish a numeric cut score from it.
How many OPRA questions are scored?
About 90 percent, roughly 108 of 120, are scored. About 12 are unscored calibration items spread across the five content areas, and candidates cannot identify them.
Does OPRA give a score?
No. You receive pass or unsuccessful, with feedback by content area for development only. Results cannot be reviewed as a score, and appeals follow a separate APC policy.
Is there negative marking in OPRA?
The APC pages we read do not mention any penalty for wrong answers. Answer every question rather than leaving blanks, and check the current exam guide for any change.