What is the Standard Assessment Pathway?
The Council’s Standard Assessment Pathway is the most common assessment pathway for overseas qualified physiotherapists wanting to be registered and work as a physiotherapist in Australia. The assessments within the pathway will determine whether you are able to practice at the standard set in the Physiotherapy Practice Thresholds in Australia.
If you are an overseas physiotherapist, we recommend that you read our Getting Started page to confirm which assessment pathway is most suitable for you.
What are the criteria to apply for the Standard Assessment Pathway?
The minimum criteria to apply for the Standard Assessment Pathway includes:
- To be an overseas qualified physiotherapist (with a minimum diploma-level qualification); AND
- Meeting the educational/qualification requirement for (or already hold) registration without any restriction in your country of training,
OR
Able to legally practice without restriction in your country of training (if no regulatory body currently exists).
What does the Standard Assessment Pathway involve?
The Standard Assessment Pathway consists of several stages which require you to demonstrate your qualification, knowledge, and clinical competency to work as a physiotherapist in Australia. To learn more about each of the stages, visit these web pages:
How do you register and work as a physiotherapist in Australia?
To work as a physiotherapist in Australia, you will need to apply for General Registration with Ahpra.
To register with Ahpra, one of the first steps is to be assessed by the Australian Physiotherapy Council. The Council provides assessments for all overseas qualified physiotherapists wanting to work in Australia.
Once you have completed your assessments with the Council, you can head to Ahpra to complete your General Registration. The Council recommends contacting Ahpra directly for any questions about registration requirements and processes.
What is the Interim Certificate?
The Council will issue your Interim Certificate once you have passed the Eligibility Assessment and completed the Cultural Safety Training.
The Interim Certificate is valid for two years and enables you to meet one of the requirements for Limited Registration for Supervised Practice with Ahpra. Limited registration allows you to work under supervision and gain clinical experience in the Australian healthcare system before you can apply for General Registration as a physiotherapist in Australia. For information on other requirements head to Ahpra's page about Limited Registration for Supervised Practice.
What are the next steps?
The first stage of the Standard Assessment Pathway is Eligibility Assessment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Interim Certificate gives you the opportunity to be eligible to work under supervision and gain clinical skills and experience in Australia.
You will receive your Interim Certificate which is valid for two years after you have successfully completed Eligibility Assessment and Cultural Safety Training. The Interim Certificate meets one of the requirements of Limited Registration for Supervised Practice with Ahpra. When working under limited registration, make sure you have a valid Interim Certificate which expires in 2 years.
We recommend you gain as much exposure and clinical skills in the Australian healthcare system by working under supervision across diverse clinical settings. This can help you be better prepared for your Clinical Assessment.
No, you cannot use your Interim Certificate to practice as a physiotherapist in Australia. The Interim Certificate meets one of the requirements of the Limited Registration for Supervised Practice with Ahpra. Once you have limited registration, you will be able to work under supervision in clinical settings in Australia.
The Council recommends staying active in your assessment journey and completing all stages as soon as possible. However, if you need to renew your Interim Certificate after its two-year validity, please email us 4 weeks before its expiration date and we can issue you another Interim Certificate.