Here are some tips to make the AHPRA 4+2/5+1 renewal form [Form:ARPR-76] easier to complete and to ensure you don’t make mistakes that can delay your renewal. The purpose of this form is to renew your provisional registration, ensuring you can continue practice and therefore complete your internship! If you do not have an active registration then you cannot work as a provisional psychologist.

While most of the form is straightforward, there are common mistakes that provisional psychologists make when completing this form and at worst, they may not be allowed to work for a while because they haven’t managed to renew in time.

Let’s discuss each section step by step.

The most common issues for interns are:

A.2 - Inadvertently NOT renewing registration on page 4

C.9 - If you do NOT have any complaints against you that you are aware of, select “N/A”

See below for more details on this.

This first section is asking you about whether or not you want to renew your registration as a psychologist, provisional or otherwise. Therefore, you are formally advising them via this form what your intentions are. Read this section carefully, so that you don’t make an error.

A.1: Complete this section If you wish to renew your registration as a psychologist/provisional psychologist/registered practitioner. Complete this by putting a cross in the box: ‘I wish to renew my registration’.

A.2. If you DO NOT wish to renew your registration, complete Section A.2. You will need to enter your name, sign and date it. To be clear, DO NOT complete A.2 if you wish to stay registered! We’ve found that some supervisees get A.1 correct but A.2 is mistakenly completed by provisionals who wish to maintain their registration (they should instead leave it blank).

Sections A.3 to A.7 are all about your personal and contact details. Check what’s already there, answer the appropriate sections and make the necessary amendments:

A.3: Enter your personal details i.e., date of birth, country of birth, city/town of birth, state/territory/province of birth.

A.4: Check whether your contact details currently held by the board are correct. If ‘yes’, mark the box ‘yes’.
If not, select the box ‘no’ and make those amendments.

A.5: Check whether your current residential address is correct. If yes, mark the box YES.
If not, select the box ‘no’ and make those amendments.

A.6: Check whether your principal place of practice details is correct. If yes, mark the box YES.
If not, select the box ‘no’ and make those amendments.

A.7: Check whether your mailing address is correct. If yes, mark the box yes.
If not, select the box ‘no’ and make those amendments.

Section B: Provisional registration requirements.

B.1. Indicate YES if you are currently undertaking an internship in the 5+1 or 4+2 internship program. If you select ‘no’, got to the next question.

B.2: indicate whether you are currently enrolled in an approved postgraduate qualification that is accredited at fifth year level or higher. If you select ‘YES’ you must attach an academic transcript, enrolment record or letter from your Head of Department confirming your current enrolment. If you select ‘no’, you cannot renew your provisional registration.

Section C: Mandatory – Annual Statements

This section is about your AHPRA mandatory requirements such as recency of practice, indemnity insurance arrangements, impairment affecting your capacity to practice and criminal history.

C.1: If you have had large gaps in your practice (minimum of 250 hours in the past five years) or you feel that you have not completed the minimum number of hours, you will need to indicate ‘no’ and provide details of why your recency of practice requirements have not been met. Otherwise, select ‘yes’.

C.2: You must always have professional indemnity insurance. Sometimes this is covered by your employer and other times you may be required to organise this yourself. Whatever the arrangement, double check these details and respond accordingly.

C.3: Again, this is about the board’s professional indemnity insurance. You will likely need to commit to this to be able to practice.

C.4: If you have an impairment that detrimentally affects or is likely to affect your capacity to practice, you will need to note the details here. Otherwise, mark ‘no’ and move to the next section.

C.5: If there has been any change to your criminal history in Australia, you will need to declare it in a written statement that has been signed, dated with accompanying proof of identity. Otherwise, mark ‘no’ and move to the next section.

C.6: If there has been any change to your criminal history in one or more countries, you will need to obtain an international criminal history check. Then note the details with their respective reference numbers from each country and provide the details on the form. If you require more space than has been provided you can attach it as a separate document. You must also attach a written statement with the details of any change to your criminal history, in each of the countries listed and an explanation of the circumstances. Otherwise, mark ‘no’ and move to the next section.

C.7: Here, you must declare whether, in your preceding period of registration, your right to practise at a hospital or another facility where health services are provided has been withdrawn or restricted because of your conduct, professional performance or health. If not, mark ‘no’ and move to the next section.

C.8: Here, you must declare whether, in your preceding period of registration, your billing privileges have been withdrawn or restricted. If not, mark ‘no’ and move to the next section.

C.9: If there are or have been any complaints against you, this will need to be disclosed. You will need to provide the details of these complaints to AHPRA as a separate document. If you are not aware of any complaints, select N/A and move to the next section.

It’s very often an issue that interns select “yes” or “no” for C.9, which for most interns is not a correct response.

Section D: Consent and declaration.

- Before you sign and date the form, check all the sections again. Re-read through the statements and ensure the answers are correct or have been responded to the best of your ability.

D.1: Your principal supervisor will now need to complete this section.

You’re almost at the end!

Consent to nationally coordinated criminal history check. On this page, you are being asked to consent to a national criminal history check. Please read through this page and then complete the declaration at the bottom.

Section E: Payment.

Now you just must pay the fee! Enter your credit card/bankcard details at the bottom and that’s it! You’re all set for your registration to be renewed!

Pro tip: Do not send your credit card details here to your supervisor. It is not necessary for your supervisor to have your credit card details, so you will forward these details to AHPRA, not your supervisor. Leave it blank when you are sending it to your supervisor for their signature.

I hope this has helped you demystify the form. Good luck.

The AHPRA 4+2/5+1 renewal form blog: Guide