OPRA exam dates & deadlines
Every sitting the Australian Pharmacy Council has published, with the registration window for each — because the deadline that stops most candidates is not the exam date, it is the registration close weeks earlier.
Upcoming OPRA exam sittings
Registration is open now for the 23–25 November 2026 sitting.
It closes on 19 October 2026. You register through the APC Candidate Portal — and if you still need an eligibility check, APC asks you to lodge it at least 8 weeks before that closing date.
| Exam window | Registration | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 23–25 November 2026 | 18 August – 19 October 2026Open | 22 December 2026 |
| 22–24 March 2027 | 5 January – 22 February 2027 | TBC |
| 26–28 July 2027 | 11 May – 28 June 2027 | TBC |
| 8–10 November 2027 | 14 September – 11 October 2027 | TBC |
Sitting dates published by the Australian Pharmacy Council; transcribed here and last checked on 18 August 2026. APC is the authority — confirm on the APC Knowledge Stream page (opens in a new tab) before you book.
The deadline candidates actually miss
The exam date is the date everyone plans around. It is almost never the one that catches people out.
To register for a sitting you must already hold a passed eligibility check, and APC asks you to lodge that application at least 8 weeks before the registration window closes — not before the exam. Work backwards from the closing date in the table above, not from the exam date, or you can be ready to sit an exam you are not yet permitted to book.
The eligibility check itself does not expire once passed, so there is no penalty for doing it early. See eligibility & the registration pathway for what the check involves and which documents you need.
When to start preparing
Most candidates need 8 to 12 weeks of consistent preparation — enough to cover all five domains, drill calculations regularly rather than cramming them, and sit more than one full timed mock.
Count back from the exam window, then check that the registration close and any eligibility-check lead time still sit inside your plan. If they don't, the realistic target is the following sitting, and it is far better to know that now than in the week registration closes.
What the exam itself looks like
The OPRA exam is computer-delivered multiple choice: 120 questions in 2.5 hours, sat at a test centre. That pacing — roughly 75 seconds a question, with calculation items in the mix — is the reason timed practice matters more than untimed revision in the last month.
For what is actually tested in each of the five domains, see the full OPRA syllabus breakdown.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
When is the next OPRA exam?
The next published sitting, and whether registration for it is currently open, is shown in the table at the top of this page — it updates as sittings pass. APC publishes sittings roughly three times a year.
How often is the OPRA exam held?
APC published two sittings for 2026 (July and November) and three for 2027 (March, July and November). Treat roughly three sittings a year as the pattern rather than a guarantee, and check the table above for the confirmed dates.
When does registration close?
Each sitting has its own registration window, listed against it in the table above. Across the currently published sittings, registration closes about four to five weeks before the exam window — and APC asks you to lodge any eligibility-check application at least 8 weeks before that close.
When do OPRA results come out?
APC publishes a results date for each sitting — usually a few weeks after the exam window. Confirmed dates are shown in the results column above; sittings marked TBC have not had a results date published yet.
How far in advance should I start studying?
An 8-to-12 week preparation window suits most candidates. Check that the registration close date, not just the exam date, still fits inside that plan.
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