This page shows you how to register with us to sit the CAOP exam. Passing this exam is a step in the process to become a fully registered pharmacist with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand.
This pathway is for candidates who want to practise pharmacy in New Zealand.
You can register with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (PCNZ) once you pass the Competency Assessment of Overseas Pharmacists (CAOP) examination.
To be eligible to sit the CAOP exam you must:
Key dates: see Exam dates and centres
Cost: AU$1950 per attempt
The following data is shared with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand:
To register for the New Zealand CAOP exam, you'll need to upload a recent headshot. It can be a 'selfie'.
Do not take a photo of your passport.
Your photo must be:
If you usually cover your head for religious reasons, or you wear facial jewellery, your photo can include these items.
If you have a disability or health-related needs, you may request extra support or an adjustment on the day of the exam. We call this type of support special accommodation.
Examples of special accommodation requests might include:
You'll need to provide evidence to justify your request.
If you'd like to request special accommodation, you'll need a medical certificate from a recognised healthcare worker. This certificate must be issued within 12 months before your exam date. It must include:
For details on what we require when you apply, see our Special Accommodation Policy.
Test centre exam |
You'll need to show 2 forms of identification (ID). For details on what we require as ID, see Exam dates and centres. |
Online proctored exam via OnVUE |
You'll need to show 1 form of ID. For details on what we require as ID, see OnVUE information. |
If you have an issue with any of your ID documents, email us on info@pharmacycouncil.org.au now for advice.
Step 1
You can choose to sit either:
You cannot change delivery mode after you've confirmed your appointment. Please see a comparison between test centre and online proctored exams.
Test centre exam
If you want to sit your exam in a test centre you can sit in any of the listed cities on the exams dates and centres page.
OnVUE online proctored exam
If you want to sit the online proctored exam via OnVUE you can sit it anywhere that has:
Candidates sitting the online proctored exam will also need a smart phone to verify their identification and to be contacted by the remote proctor in case of a technical issue.
If you're a first-time user, create an account in our Candidate Portal.
If you're a returning user, sign in to your account with your username and password.
If you cannot sign in, email us on info@pharmacycouncil.org.au. We'll help you to fix the issue.
Do not try to create another account with a different email address. Our system only allows you to have 1 account.
If you want to nominate someone else to work with us, download and fill in our Agent Authorisation form. Both you and your nominated agent must sign it.
If you nominate someone else, we'll only talk to your authorised agent about your exam results.
Step 2
Go to the Exam dates and centres page to find out where and when the next exam will be.
If you'd like to ask for special accommodation, you'll need to email your supporting documents to us on info@pharmacycouncil.org.au for us to assess.
We'll review your documents. If we approve your request, we'll email you extra information before the exam date. If we decline it, we'll email you to let you know.
Once we confirm your eligibility and registrations are open, sign in to the Candidate Portal.
Learn more about the online proctored exam.
Our exam provider, Pearson VUE, will email you to confirm that they've temporarily reserved a seat for you. Paying your fee in the next step will secure your seat.
Learn more about the online proctored exam.
Our exam provider, Pearson VUE, will email you to confirm that they've temporarily reserved a seat for you. Paying your fee in the next step will secure your seat.
Paying the fee secures your seat at the exam.
Please note:
We'll email you a receipt for your payment after we process the order.
Test centre exam |
You can reschedule your exam to another date and time only during the registration period. |
Online proctored exam |
You can reschedule your exam up until 1 hour before your exam's scheduled time. |
You cannot change delivery mode after you've confirmed your appointment. Please see a comparison between test centre and online proctored exams for details.
Step 3
We'll send you a reminder email around 5 days before your exam.
Read this email carefully. It will include:
We offer several resources that will help you prepare to sit the exam. These include:
Step 4
To enter the exam room, you'll need your ID documents.
Test centre exam |
Bring with you:
For details on what we require as ID, see Exam dates and places. Pearson VUE will provide you with:
Do not bring with you:
|
Online proctored exam |
Bring with you:
For details on what we require as ID, see OnVUE information. Pearson VUE will provide:
Do not bring with you:
You cannot have blank sheets of paper or notebooks at your desk during the exam. |
Reference books
The CAOP exam is 'restricted open-book'. This means you can bring with you:
The approved reference books include any edition:
Your reference books must not contain any annotations, handwritten notes or loose additional notes.
However, you may highlight or flag parts of the text before the exam.
The CAOP exam includes 70 multiple choice questions. Of these, 62 are scored questions, and 8 are unscored.
You'll have 2 hours to complete all 70 questions.
An additional 15 mins is allowed to familiarise yourself with the exam tutorial, and 5 minutes at the end of the exam to complete a feedback survey.
The CAOP exam covers 5 content areas:
The pass standard for the exam is set at a level that demonstrates competency. The pass standard also takes into account the performance of candidates in prior sittings. This analysis of results over previous years ensures fairness and equity over a period of time. The level of difficulty remains constant across time.
You will receive a results certificate indicating your outcome.
Learn more about what's in the exam in the CAOP Examination guide.
Step 5
We'll email you or your agent after your results are available. Expect this to be around 2 weeks after you sit the exam.
You'll be able to view and download your results certificate from the Candidate Portal.
If you do not see your results in the Candidate Portal, email us on info@pharmacycouncil.org.au and provide your:
Each candidate receives a results certificate indicating the pass or an unsuccessful outcome.
The pass standard for the exam is set at a level that demonstrates competency. This is based on the performance of candidates in prior sittings and analysis of results over previous years.
Learn more about results in the CAOP Guide.
If you are unsuccessful ...
You can see how you performed on a scale that displays the level required for a successful outcome. You can find this information in your Candidate Portal.
Rules regarding appeals against APC processes can be found in our Appeals Policy.
Once you've passed the New Zealand CAOP exam, you can:
Learn about our policy for refunds, and the situations where we'll consider offering them
More details