When should I sit the NPE?
So you're on the 4+2 and 5+1 journey and perhaps overwhelmed by many tasks, requirements and deadlines. You may be wondering when you should complete the National Psychology Exam (NPE).
We're glad you asked!
AHPRA would like you to sit the NPE during the 6th year of your studies. For a 4+2 intern, this is in your second year and after 1500 hours of supervised practice. Whereas, a 5+1 intern can sit the NPE anytime while doing their supervised practice, as this is their 6th year.
For more information see:
If you are completing the 4+2 you cannot complete the NPE in the first year of your internship (5th year) and you will need to have your client-direct and client-related hours total above 1500 hours. Therefore, so long as you've done the 1500 hours, then the earliest you can sit the exam is at the beginning of year 2.
If you are completing the 5+1 pathway, and you are in the internship year (i.e. the 6th/+1), then you can complete the exam just about any time.
However, there are some strategic considerations that might be helpful to determine exactly when you should complete the exam.
1) Don’t leave it too late
The NPE is run more or less quarterly. Leaving it to one of the last tasks can really drag your internship out, particularly if you don’t pass the first time. Some people also study and decide they are not ready to site the NPE when they were expecting to. You could also end up in a position where you have completed all the AHPRA tasks (e.g. case reports) and
you don't want to be delay your registration waiting for the next exam sitting or your results. Therefore, what we suggest is you estimate a date you want to complete your internship and work backwards to determine the most suitable time you want to sit the NPE.
Let's just say 1 April 2024 you decide you'll be done with all your tasks and other internship requirements. Therefore, work backways to determine when would be the last time to sit the exam. This may help you decide your exam date:
On the Psychology Board NPE website https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Registration/National-psychology-exam.aspx , the closest exam period prior to 1 April 2024 should be around February 2024 (dates not yet released). AHPRA may take 3-6 weeks to finalise the exam marking so, we don't want this to delay our internship (you will still need to submit your end of provisional paperwork). However, to be sure to have your NPE marked prior to 1 April, you may want to do the 30 October – 17 November or even 31 July to 18 August. Also, some provisional may consider building in a buffer in case of failing the NPE.
2) Don't sit it too early
Ensure you have enough time to study and prepare for sitting the NPE.
Consider what knowledge and skills you need prior to the exam in order to ensure your adequately prepared to sit it. This is because if you don't pass the NPE on your first attempt, then you need to re-sit it which comes with considerable cost, stress and significant extra effort if you're not ready.
3) Understand the main assessments needed in the exam
You probably want to have used or at least studied the psychometric assessments before attempting the NPE. In the 4+2, you are required to reach competency in 9 assessments. Try to ensure you have an in depth knowledge of these assessments before attempting the NPE. That way your knowledge and study from having completed your psychometric tests will help you with the exam.
4) Don’t forget about case reports.
Many interns have a preference to sit the NPE before finalising their case reports. The case reports take a lot of headspace and each is like a mini-thesis. So your ordering of NPE first then finalising the last or several of the case reports may be your chosen order or you may prefer to pace yourself.
5) If you want to get the NPE over with early
If you just want to get the NPE over and done with, you can take it in the first eligible sitting available to you. This might be a good choice if you are feeling confident and have been exposed to many of the requirements of the NPE. We would always recommend you review the exam curriculum and other documents first before making this decision.
https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/registration/national-psychology-exam/curriculum.aspx
These are some considerations that may assist you in determining when to sit the NPE. If possible, we suggest sitting your exam well before the end of your internship. That way you’ll have sufficient time to study and should there be an unexpected delay with the NPE, it won't hold up the completion of your internship. Most importantly though, make sure you are well prepared prior to the exam by having done practice questions or attended one of our NPE study groups. Good luck!
Things you can consider to support your exam preparations
Psychology Squared have practice NPE questions to improve your confidence available here
We also have NPE study groups where are a great way to get ready for the NPE exam. You can enrol anytime as there are recordings accessible.
One on one peer-facilitiated discussions on exam preparations. Contact David at Psychology Squared to organise a session.
Amanda Moses also runs exam prep and has her own questions. See: https://www.amandamosespsychology.com.au/