Apply

The exam is a summative assessment completed at, or near, the end of the training program.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit the exam, you must:

• apply and pay for the exam by the due date
• hold a current general medical registration
• have completed at least 29 units/months of training by 31 December in the same year of the exam
• have completed or passed these assessments by 31 July in the same year of the exam:
  
  • 2 x Direct Observation of Practical Professional Skills
  • 2 x Professional Qualities Reflections
  • 1 x Oral Presentation summative assessment
  • 2 x Workplace Reports
    or
    1 x Workplace Report and 1 x Advanced Training Research Project*
• meet the requirements in the Progression Through Training Policy

^* Trainees who have been granted Recognition of Prior Learning for the Advanced Training Research Project must submit 2 x Workplace Reports to be eligible to sit the exam.

If you have outstanding training fees, you’re ineligible to sit the exam. See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempts

You complete 1 Oral Examination (maximum of 3 attempts allowed) towards the end of your training.

If you’re unable to successfully complete the exam within 3 attempts, you will be ineligible to continue in training.

Overseas Trained Physicians | Check your eligibility requirements with your overseas trained physicians case officer before applying.

Application process

Submit your application

The application form will be available here closer to the application date.

Application confirmation

After submitting your application form, we email you to confirm it’s been received. If you don’t get a confirmation email, check your junk/spam folders and contact us if it’s not there.

Payment

Once applications have closed, we email you a link to pay the exam fee and any other outstanding fees.

Final confirmation

After your eligibility is confirmed, you receive a candidate allocation letter via email confirming your exam session date, time and venue.

Note: We will make every attempt to accommodate well-justified scheduling requests. Scheduling requests and a rationale must be submitted by the end of July. Once candidate allocation letters have been distributed, no changes can be made to exam allocations.

Withdrawal

Withdrawals are not counted as exam attempts. Contact us to withdraw up until the start of the exam. Refund rules apply. See College Fees Terms and Conditions for more information.

To request a refund outside of these rules on medical or compassionate grounds, submit an application form under the Special Consideration for Assessment Policy.

Special consideration

During RACP training, unexpected events may affect a trainee’s ability to complete assessments. These events are rare, beyond a trainee’s control, and could impact attending an exam, performing at their best, or undertaking a work-based assessment.

We support trainees by making reasonable adjustments to ensure fair access to assessments. You can apply for special consideration before the exam if you’re affected by:

• permanent or long-term disability
• temporary disability due to medical or other relevant conditions
• pregnancy, lactation and infant feeding needs
• compassionate grounds or serious disruptions
• essential commitments (religious, cultural, societal or legal obligations)

Once an exam starts, we’ll only consider technical or unexpected issues that happen during the exam.

If your preparation’s been affected, it’s best to withdraw - special consideration isn’t available after results are released.

Your exam result won’t be changed due to special circumstances. For details on how to apply and possible outcomes, see the Special Consideration for Assessment Policy.

Submit your request before the deadline using the Special Consideration form (PDF).

Prepare

Exam format

The exam tests your knowledge and understanding of important issues as set out in the Public Health Medicine Advanced Training Curriculum (PDF). You must demonstrate your ability to:

• interpret information
• analyse situations in a systematic way
• present a coherent argument in a face-to-face situation

The exam is presentation-based.

It consists of 8 questions split into 2, 30-minute sessions. Each panel has a separate set of 3 examiners and addresses 4 questions. Questions 1-4 are addressed in the first panel and 5-8 in the second panel. You can answer each set of 4 questions in any order you wish.

The questions will generally describe realistic public health scenarios. You’re expected to demonstrate how you would respond in a practical sense. Usually there will be 1, or at most 2, key concepts at the heart of scenario questions, for example (but not limited to) evaluation, health promotion or risk management. You don't need to state the particular framework you wish to answer with, but rather to apply it to the context of the question.

Managing time

You’re responsible for managing your response time throughout each 30-minute session. You control how much time you allocate to each question response, based on your 60-minute reading and preparation time. Although there is an average of 7.5 minutes per question, you may choose to spend less time on a question in favour of another question where you’re more knowledgeable.

The examiners ensure you get 30 minutes for each session. They may provide a reminder of the remaining time only if they think you might run out of time.

Clocks are provided in every room. You may bring your own basic timing device.

Follow-up questions and prompts

A series of generic follow-up questions and prompts has been developed specifically for this exam. For example:

• Could you explain that in a little more detail?
• What might be the effect of that course of action?

Examiners could prompt you with these types of questions if you haven’t addressed key parts of a question or you need to broaden the scope of your answer. However, do not rely on the examiners to steer your responses.

If there's additional time at the end of the 30 minutes, examiners ask if you wish to add anything further to any of your responses before concluding the session.

Academic integrity

Some actions are seen as attempting to gain an unfair advantage. For example, attempts to:

• contact potential examiners and seek guidance on improving performance
• contact examiners on exam day
• contact examiners post-exam to get feedback on your performance

These actions are a breach of the Academic Integrity in Training Policy, could lead to your disqualification and affect your progress through training.

You’re required to sign an Annual Participant Agreement (confidentiality agreement) before taking the exam. This is emailed to you after you pay your exam fees.

If your supervisor is an examiner, they must declare a conflict of interest and direct you to an alternative supervisor for exam guidance.

Contact us with questions.

Exam day

Timetable

Arrive and sign in no later than 15 minutes before your session time.

Personal items

Bring

• your candidate allocation letter confirming your name, candidate number, session time and venue
• current photo ID with your full name and signature, for example a passport or driver licence
• blue or black ballpoint pens (no pencils, gel or felt-tip pens)
• 1 x highlighter (optional)
• silent timing device such as a basic analogue watch or silent desk-top timer (clocks are provided in each room)
• water in a clear plastic bottle (optional)
• earplugs (optional)

All allowable items will be inspected by staff on arrival.

Tip: Dress appropriately. Consider the weather conditions, the venue and your comfort. You don’t need to dress formally, but you should look professional.

Not permitted during the exam

• written material (other than your candidate allocation letter)
• calculators
• electronic devices (including smart watches and communication devices)
• food or beverages (water is provided)
• all other belongings (for example, bags)

If you wish to bring any food into the exam due a medical condition or other personal reasons, submit a Special Consideration for Assessment application.

During the exam, all electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart watches must be switched off and placed in your bag. Your bag will be securely stored on-site. If you’re found with one of these devices on you during the exam, an incident report will be completed, you’ll be automatically disqualified and immediately escorted out of the venue.

Completing the exam

An invigilator is assigned to you for the duration of the exam. They provide instructions and support you through the process.

Reading and preparation time

Candidates are seated in a classroom style arrangement in a large room, with a privacy screen between neighboring candidates.

A maximum of 4 candidates will be in the room. Each candidate is provided with a large rectangular desk and an ergonomic chair.

An RACP invigilator will be present in the room to provide timing instructions and to note any incidents.

On your desk, you get a ring-bound folder containing:

• the full set of 8 exam questions (1 question per page)
• a timetable
• notepaper (loose leaf, A4; lined on one side and unlined on the other)

Water, mints, tissues, pens and an analogue clock are also provided. You may also bring your own bottle of water, pens, highlighter, timing device and earplugs if desired. 

You have 60 minutes to make notes to prepare your responses to the questions. At the end of the reading period, you'll move into a room with your first panel of examiners.

Session time

The examiners introduce themselves briefly then start your session. All 3 examiners are involved in your assessment and will take notes during the session.

You discuss 8 questions in total:

• Session 1 | Questions 1 to 4
• Session 2 | Questions 5 to 8

Within each session, you can answer the questions in any order you choose.

It’s your responsibility to manage your time appropriately across the 4 questions.

Changeover period

Between sessions there's a 20-mintue changeover where you return to the reading room to review the questions and your notes before the next session.

All candidates will re-enter the reading room at the same time. This may involve a short wait. You're not allowed to review your notes while waiting to re-enter.

If you need the toilet, your invigilator will escort you.

At the end of the changeover period, you are moved into a room with your second panel of examiners.

Roles

Examiners

In addition to their examiner duties, they also note any procedural problems that occur during the session.

Quality Assurer and Observers

An AFPHM-approved Quality Assurer or Observer may also be present. They are not involved in examining or contributing in any way to the assessment.

The Quality Assurer’s role is to ensure the exam procedures and timetable are followed and to observe the examiners’ conduct.

The Observer is present to learn about the exam process before becoming an examiner.

Leaving the exam venue

After the exam, your invigilator collects your folder and all papers. Your personal belongings are returned and you can leave.

Conduct

Exam materials and content are confidential. The following actions are considered academic misconduct:

• removing exam materials from the venue
• wilfully damaging or interfering with equipment
• reproducing or distributing the contents of exam material
• communicating any part of the exam content, directly or indirectly, to candidates who are scheduled to sit the exam after you

If you breach these requirements, you are excluded from the assessment.

See the Academic Integrity in Training Policy for more information.

Results

Marking

Your response to each question is awarded a score out of 10, independently by 3 examiners. The examiners consider to what extent you:

• address relevant aspects of the question
• demonstrate understanding of the relevant issues
• demonstrate a sound knowledge base
• present an answer in a structured and coherent manner
• illustrate conceptual issues with relevant practical examples
• respond appropriately to follow-up questions (if required)

To ensure consistency in marking, examiners work to a set of criteria for each answer. There's flexibility if a candidate takes a different approach.

All 8 questions are weighted equally and marked out of 10. Each question may comprise of several sub-questions and the sub-questions may have different weightings.

To pass a question:

• 2 of the 3 examiners must award a score of 5 or above, and
• the average score awarded by the 3 examiners must be 5 or above

To pass the exam, you must:

• score an average of 60% or above across all questions, and
• pass 6 or more questions

Or

• score an average of 58% or above across all questions, and
• pass all 8 questions

Post-Exam Candidate Survey (PECS)

We send you a link for a survey to complete before results are released.

We value your feedback on the question quality, exam arrangements and exam process. Responses are discussed by the College and AFPHM Faculty Assessment Committee at the post-exam meeting.

Results email

You receive an email with your exam result from 3pm (AEST) on Thursday 30 October 2025. Ensure we have your current email and contact number. Contact us if you don’t receive the email.

If you’re unsuccessful, you receive general feedback on each question and your overall performance. This feedback goes to your supervisor so they can help you prepare for re-sitting the exam.

You don't get written feedback if you’re successful in the exam.

See previous exam pass rates.

Next steps

To gain Fellowship of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, you must pass this exam and successfully complete all training program requirements.

Refer to the eligibility criteria and exam attempts in the Progression Through Training Policy and the Public Health Medicine Training Program handbook.