Standard Assessment Pathway
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 for Limited Registration for Supervised Practice, please click here.
What are the next steps?
The first stage of the Standard Assessment Pathway is the Eligibility Assessment. Click here to read more about the Eligibility Assessment.
Click here to begin your application with Eligibility Assessment
Useful Links
