Apply

Eligibility

Adult Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Trainees can apply for the exam in the Specialty Consolidation or Transition to Fellowship Phase (third or fourth year of training).

You don't have to complete the Fellowship Written Exam before attempting the clinical exam.

To be eligible to sit the exam, you must:

• be accepted in Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Training in an accredited and/or approved training position or on an approved training interruption 
• have current medical registration 
• have completed Specialty Foundation Phase (new Curriculum trainees) or completed 24 months FTE of certified training in adult rehabilitation medicine (PREP curriculum trainees) 
• apply by the due date 
• pay any outstanding College fees 
• not exceed the exam attempt limit and comply with all other Progression Through Training Policy requirements 

See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempt limit

You can't continue Advanced Training if you exceed the exam attempt limit, which is based on when you commenced training.

^* Trainees who started before 2018 must successfully pass the Fellowship Written and Clinical Examinations within 47 months from their first attempt.

See Progression Through Training Policy for more information about exam attempts.

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 date.

Application confirmation

When your application is processed, you'll receive an email confirmation. If you don’t receive this, 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. Check your preferred contact details are up to date in MyRACP for important exam communications and to receive updates on exam day.

Final confirmation

You'll receive a candidate allocation email when your eligibility has been finalised. This confirms your exam registration, venue and session time. Submit a separate application for the Fellowship Written Exam (Adult). 

Prepare

Exam format

10 clinical stations | 4 min reading time | 10 min station time | About 3 hours

The exam follows the objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) format. You progress through a series of stations, each presenting a different clinical scenario.

The content is carefully selected to assess your readiness for competent, independent practice as a Rehabilitation Medicine Physician. The exam is standardised to ensure your performance is referenced to pre-determined objective criteria.

Focus

You must demonstrate the ability to satisfactorily elicit, interpret, integrate and communicate relevant medical and rehabilitation knowledge. You're expected to apply this knowledge, along with appropriate skills and critical thinking, within the framework of professional practice. Performance should be at the level expected of a junior Rehabilitation Medicine Physician.

In this exam you’ll be assessed in scenarios that will require you to demonstrate your proficiency in Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) while embodying professional behaviours (as per the Professional Practice Framework). The new curriculum standards detail Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), that outline the essential work tasks trainees will need to be able to perform in the workplace, including clinical tasks.

All Competencies, Entrustable Professional Activities and Knowledge Guides in the new curriculum standards are assessable.

Standard Required

You must demonstrate a satisfactory understanding and application of medical and rehabilitation knowledge, skills and professional practice at a level expected of a junior Rehabilitation Medicine Physician.

Live stations

In live stations, you interact with examiners, patients and/or role players. Role players could act as clinical peers, patients or patient advocates.

You must demonstrate your knowledge of the topic and your capacity to interact with the role player or patient at the right level of engagement, using appropriate language.

There are 2 examiners involved in each evaluation. They may ask questions as part of a scenario or observe your clinical performance and interactions with patients or role players.

Static stations

In static stations, you review an investigation, report or recording. You provide short, written answers in language you would use in a patient’s file. The answer sheet prompts you to give a specific number of responses. If you provide extra responses, only the first answers up to the required number are marked (unless crossed out).

An invigilator or examiner is in the room to provide instructions, but they won’t directly observe your performance.

Rest stations

At least 2 rest stations are included in the exam schedule.

Preparation tips

• Regular clinical activities in your training setting are the best preparation.
• Review the Professional Competencies Rating Scales and regularly seek and act on feedback on your clinical skills and professional behaviours in your clinical workplace. This could include feedback associated with work-based assessments.
• Familiarise yourself with the new Curriculum Standards and study the Knowledge Guides. If you’re a PREP trainee, you may also find this a helpful resource to act as a checklist when studying.
• Read all tabs on this exam webpage for important information on how to apply, the format, focus assessment areas, how to prepare, and what to expect on exam day and results.
• Speak with your supervisor about opportunities for learning in your clinical context.
• Practice your exam technique with your peers and supervisor.
• Join the RACP Trainee Facebook group (closed group). This is a space for you to meet with other trainees and share experiences, tips, events and ideas as well as receive trainee information from the College. 

Academic integrity

Some actions are seen as attempting to gain an unfair advantage and are in breach of academic integrity. For example, attempts to:

• find out who the examiners are
• contact potential examiners and seek guidance on improving performance
• contact examiners on exam day

Any actions that breach the Academic Integrity in Training Policy could lead to your disqualification and affect your progress through training.

Contact us with enquiries before or after the exam.

Exam day

Example timetable

The exam is held in 2 sessions. You'll be assigned a morning or afternoon session. 

You attend either the morning or afternoon session. Exact times are confirmed in your candidate allocation letter.

Note: no changes can be made to exam session allocations after allocation letters have been distributed. To protect exam confidentiality, morning candidates will be held on-site until afternoon candidates arrive, which may be up to 30 minutes. You may not access your mobile phone or any other communication device during this time. The Chief Examiner will advise when you may leave.

Bring

• printed or digital copy of your candidate allocation letter confirming your name, candidate number, session time and venue
• current valid photo ID with your full name and signature, for example a passport or driver licence (digital valid photo ID is acceptable, a picture of your photo ID isn't acceptable) 
• blue or black ballpoint pens (no pencils, gel or felt-tip pens)
• 1 x stethoscope
• 1 x basic analogue watch
• water in a clear plastic bottle (optional)

Tip: Dress appropriately. Consider the weather conditions, the venue and your comfort while examining patients. You don’t need to wear a suit, but you should look professional. Consider wearing layers to adjust to the room temperature.

On sign-in, you receive an ID badge and candidate ID stickers.

Not permitted during the exam

• written material
• calculators
• electronic devices (including smart watches and communication devices)
• food or beverages (except water)
• all other belongings (for example, bags)

Clinical assessment equipment is provided at each station. You cannot bring your own equipment or aids into the assessment area unless you were granted special consideration before the exam.

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

You rotate through the 10 clinical stations in order. Your timetable and the exam invigilators guide you from station to station.

You'll be seated outside your first station 5 minutes before the exam starts.

The clinical scenario is printed on Candidate Information Sheet, attached to your seat by a lanyard. After the announcement "You may now begin reading", you have 4 minutes to read it and familiarise yourself with the scenario. You can't make notes during this time. The same information is available inside the station.

When the bell rings, leave the Candidate Information Sheet outside, enter the room and hand your candidate ID stickers to the examiners. You have 10 minutes to complete the station.

You'll hear an alert (e.g. whistle) at the 7-minute mark to warn you that there are 3 minutes remaining.

When the bell rings again, the station time is over. Leave all papers and materials in the room except your candidate ID stickers. Leave the room, move to the seat in front of the next station and begin reading immediately.

There will be no further announcements, the bells indicate all subsequent times. Our staff will demonstrate the bell and whistle sounds before the exam so you know what to expect. 

Completing a station early

If you complete a station in under 10 minutes, an examiner will ask if you have anything to add. If not, you can leave and sit outside the same station until the bell rings for you to move on.

You can’t re-enter a station once you’ve left.

General exam protocol

• When introducing yourself to the examiners and role players, you can use your own name or another of your choosing. Your name choice doesn’t affect your marks.
• The clinical scenario provides the setting for the station. Role players are matched as closely as possible to the description in the clinical scenario. However, occasionally they may be a different age or look different to the description. Focus on the information in the scenario and assume the role player is as described.
• Unless specified, you can ask for any questions or information to be repeated. Information is repeated verbatim and not rephrased or otherwise modified.
• If you complete a station under 10 minutes, the examiner asks if you've anything else to add. If not, leave and sit outside the same station until the bell rings for you to move on. You can't re-enter a station after leaving. 
• Take your candidate ID stickers with you when leaving the station.

Rest stations

There are at least 2 rest stations for you to regroup and use the bathroom (escorted by an invigilator). Otherwise, you must remain in the station for the full duration.

Mindfulness activities are available in the rests stations to engage in if desired.

Starting or finishing the exam at a rest station is avoided where possible.

Hand hygiene

To maintain health and safety standards, you must wash or sanitise your hands before and after each station.

Alcohol-based hand sanitiser gel is provided inside each station. If you sanitise your hands before entering the station, advise the examiners.

Inappropriate exams

You're expected to ask for the patient's consent to examine them and to ask the patient to let you know if they experience any pain or discomfort.

If you perform an inappropriate physical examination and the role player is at risk of being hurt, the examiners will warn you to modify your technique. If you continue to conduct an inappropriate exam, examiners will stop you and move on to the next question.

The examiners can give the physical examination component of the station a 0 score. All other questions are marked on their own merit.

Examiner and Observer Roles

Leaving the exam

After the exam’s finished and before you depart, the Chief Examiner conducts a debrief and notes any technical or procedural issues.  

Personal belongings are returned and you’re allowed to leave. 

Note: to protect exam confidentiality, morning candidates will be held on-site until afternoon candidates arrive. This may be for up to 30 minutes. You're not permitted to access your mobile phones or any communication device during this time. The Chief Examiner will advise when you can leave. 

Issues on exam day

If you experience issues leading up to the exam or on exam day that prevent you from attending, contact us. This may include illness, natural disasters or personal/family issues. 

If you arrive up to 30 minutes late, you can attempt the exam but you won’t be allowed additional time.

If you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you won’t be permitted to enter the exam.

Variation in the exam day procedure is advised in the Chief Examiner’s pre-exam brief. If circumstances require a procedure change during the exam, clear instructions will be provided.

Note: Hospitals aren't soundproof and as such sound transmission may occur through walls and doors. Every effort is made to reduce any impact and exam staff monitor noise levels and respond accordingly to any issues.

Conduct

Exam materials and content are confidential. You must sign a confidentiality agreement before the exam.

The following is considered academic misconduct:

• removing exam materials from the venue
• wilfully damaging or interfering with a station or equipment
• reproducing or distributing the contents of exam material
• discussing your performance or details of the exam with the role players, patients, observers or examiners during or after the exam

For more information, see the Academic Integrity in Training Policy.

Results

Marking

Passing a station

For each station, a score is awarded by consensus of 2 examiners. Each station is equally weighted. 

Static stations are assessed using a pre-determined marking guide. Examiners agree on a final score per sub-question. The pass marks are determined using the Modified Angoff method, which is based on the assessment of the exam by subject matter experts. 

Live stations are assessed using a pre-determined marking guide and a professional competencies rating (see the Professional Competencies Rating Scale below).  Examiners agree on a Global Assessment Rating and a final score per sub-question. Live station pass marks are determined using the Borderline Regression method. 

Your score for live stations is based on 2 components:

• marking guide scores specific to that station (60%) 
• professional competencies ratings (40%). 

Passing the exam

The overall pass mark is the sum of the station pass marks. 

You pass the exam if: 

1. your aggregate score is greater than, or equal to, the overall pass mark, and
2. you pass 7+ stations. 

AFRM Examinations Glossary (PDF)

See previous exam pass rates.

Professional competencies

Your professional competence is assessed in live stations via the Professional Competencies Rating Scale, which aligns to the domains of the Professional Practice Framework. 

Professional competencies scores are determined using a pre-set rating scale for:  

• quality and safety of physical examination  
• quality and safety of history taking  
• communication  
• judgement and decision making 
• medical expertise  

Not all domains are relevant to every station.   

Professional Competencies Rating Scales: 

Physical Examination (PDF) 
History Taking (PDF)
Communication (PDF)

Results email

You receive an email with your exam result.

Ensure we've your current email address and contact number. You can update your details via MyRACP. Contact us if you don't receive the email.

Feedback 

All candidates receive a copy of the general feedback which provides an overview of key strengths and areas for improvement, summarised by examiners at the end of the exam.

A personalised feedback report summarising the performance band you achieved for each station will be included in your results email.

For each station, there are 6 performance band ranges:

• excellent performance
• better than expected standard
• meets expected standard
• below expected performance
• poor performance
• very poor performance

We understand that you may be interested in further individualised feedback, however we are unable to provide this. We encourage you to speak with your Advanced Training Supervisor, your colleagues or a mentor about your results to identify your strengths and those areas where you can improve.

To ensure equitable access and fairness to all candidates, the AFRM Annual Trainees Meeting provides sessions on examinations, including exam preparation and other aspects of the exam, with opportunity for questions.

See previous years feedback reports:

Feedback Report 2024 (PDF)
Feedback Report 2025 (PDF)

Next steps

To gain Fellowship of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, you must pass this exam and:

• pass the AFRM Fellowship Written Examination (Adult)
• complete all other Adult Rehabilitation Medicine program requirements 

Refer to the eligibility criteria and exam attempts set out in the Progression Through Training Policy and the Adult Rehabilitation Medicine Training Program handbook or LTA Program.