GPE Pathway - Fellowship Exam Attempts Policy

1. Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this policy is to outline the Fellowship Exam Candidacy period, exam withdrawals and how long results remain valid.

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to Candidates on the General Practice Experience Pathway enrolling in or attempting Fellowship Exams from 1 January 2019, including:

1. 1. Practice Experience Program (PEP) Standard Participants

   2. Candidates with GP Recognition with Services Australia

2.2 This policy is to be read in conjunction with the:

1. 1. Fellowship exams handbook,

   2. Fellowship Exams Special Arrangements Policy,

   3. General Practice Experience Pathway – Exam Eligibility Policy, and

   4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship Exam Support Policy.

3. General principles

3.1 From 1 January 2022, all medical practitioners who wish to start their Candidacy and sit Fellowship Exams must meet all exam eligibility requirements for their pathway.

1. 1. Doctors with GP Recognition with Services Australia do not need to complete an RACGP‑Approved Program, but they must still meet all other general practice experience and eligibility requirements before they can sit the exams.

3.2 The Fellowship Exams assess competency for unsupervised Comprehensive Australian General Practice as a specialist general practitioner.

3.3 Sitting the Fellowship Exams within a set period (exam Candidacy) ensures Candidates have the best chance of success in the exams.

3.4 Approval of Suspensions of Candidacy and Sanctioned Exam Withdrawals are at the RACGP’s discretion.

3.5 Determinations of eligibility to sit Fellowship Exams are at the RACGP’s discretion.

4. Exam candidacy

4.1 Candidacy is the overall time window that each Candidate has to sit and pass all the Fellowship Exams.

1. 1. Candidacy is six consecutive Exam Semesters, over three years.

   2. Candidacy commences when the Candidate enrols and sits their first Fellowship Exam including and after semester 1 of 2019.

      1. If the Candidate fails to sit the first exam due to an Unsanctioned Exam Withdrawal, the exam will still be deemed to be the beginning of their Candidacy.

      2. Any Fellowship exam passed during the Candidacy remains valid for the duration of exam Candidacy.

      3. Candidates have a single Candidacy, regardless of program withdrawals or program transfers.

4.2 Candidacy will continue independent of any program withdrawals or any program transfers, unless advised otherwise by the RACGP.

4.3 If the Candidate does not pass all three Fellowship Exams by the end of their Candidacy, the Candidate is ineligible for Fellowship and will be involuntarily withdrawn from PEP Standard per the PEP Standard Post-Education Phase Policy.

5. Suspension of candidacy

5.1 Each Candidate may apply for one Standard Suspension of Candidacy, pausing their Candidacy for one semester.

1. 1. Candidates cannot sit Fellowship Exams during this semester.

   2. Candidates may apply for their Standard Suspension of Candidacy at any time during their Candidacy until they have sat an exam in their final Exam Semester.

      1. Candidates who do not sit an exam that they have enrolled in and do not have a Sanctioned Exam Withdrawal for that exam, cannot apply for a Standard Suspension of Candidacy for that semester.

   3. Candidates who received a Standard Suspension of Candidacy on any RACGP-Approved Program before enrolling in PEP Standard cannot apply for an additional Standard Suspension of Candidacy.

5.2 The RACGP will grant a Non-standard Suspension of Candidacy for:

1. 1. Candidates on approved leave from PEP Standard during the Post-education Phase where the circumstances that led to requiring the leave have impacted the Candidates ability to prepare for or sit the exam.

   2. Candidates who transfer for the first time to another Training Program for the purpose of completing the Education and Training Requirements for exam eligibility:

      1. until the Candidate has met the exam eligibility requirements per the relevant handbook or until withdrawn from the program.

5.3 A Suspension of Candidacy cannot be applied for or granted for a Candidate

1. 1. if they sat at least one exam in every semester of their exam Candidacy, or

   2. whose Candidacy has ended.

6. Exam withdrawals and refunds

6.1 Candidates may apply to be withdrawn from an exam. The RACGP may request additional information from the Candidate to inform this decision. Candidates must comply with any requests for further information for this purpose.

1. 1. If the application is approved, this is a Sanctioned Exam Withdrawal.

      1. The granting of a Sanctioned Exam Withdrawal for an exam does not guarantee a refund of the enrolment fee.

      2. If a Candidate withdraws from an exam at least 20 business days before the scheduled exam date, they are entitled to a refund of the enrolment fee minus the exam withdrawal fee.

   2. Any withdrawal from an exam that isn’t approved by the RACGP in writing is considered an Unsanctioned Exam Withdrawal.

6.2 Exam enrolments, including the enrolment fee, cannot be transferred to future exams or to another applicant. The Candidate must enrol again if they wish to sit in a future exam.

7. Exam results

7.1 Exam passes

1. 1. Any Fellowship Exam passed during Candidacy remains valid for the duration of the Candidacy.

7.2 Previous PEP Standard exam results

1. 1. PEP Standard Participants will keep all valid Fellowship exam results (including unsuccessful attempts) when they enter PEP Standard, and

   2. Previous Fellowship Exam passes are valid but paused until the PEP Standard Educational Phase has been completed.

7.3 Pre-2019 exam results

1. 1. Existing exam pass results will remain valid as per the Fellowship Exams Handbook that was applicable at the time of the first pass.

      1. A Suspension of Candidacy does not suspend or extend the three-year validity of an exam pass obtained prior to 1 January 2019.

      2. If the Candidate enters an RACGP-Approved Program, previous exam passes are valid but paused until the requirements of the new program are met and then will be extended by the length of the Candidate’s Program Time.

         1. A second entry into a training program does not further extend the exam pass.

      3. If an exam pass that predates 1 January 2019 expires within the Candidate’s three-year period of Candidacy after the 2019.1 Exam Semester, the Candidate must re-sit and pass the expired exam within their Candidacy to be eligible for Fellowship.

   2. Exam attempts before 1 January 2019 do not count as part of the exam Candidacy or the total number of Exam Semesters in the Candidacy.

8. Disputes, reconsiderations and appeals

8.1 Candidates who believe the RACGP has made an incorrect decision in relation to the Fellowship Exams can apply for reconsideration as per the Dispute, Reconsideration and Appeals Policy.

9. Amendment of this policy

The Censor-in-Chief (CiC) may, without the consent of the RACGP Board, make minor, moderate and consequential amendments to this policy at any time. The Education & Training Policy Lead can make editorial amendments (no approval required by the Censor-in-Chief).

If the CiC makes amendments, they must advise the RACGP Board of those amendments as soon as practicable.

The RACGP Board may make amendments to this policy at any time.

9.1 Major amendment	An amendment that materially changes the policy’s scope, intent, or application, including overhauling key sections, redefining the policy’s purpose, or fundamentally reallocating responsibilities.
9.2 Moderate amendment	An amendment that makes a targeted change to one or more policy clauses, modifying applicable requirements or assigned responsibilities, with a limited and contained effect on the policy’s overall scope, intent, or application.
9.3 Minor amendment	An amendment that makes deliberate improvements to policy content, such as clarifying ambiguous language, updating outdated references, terminology or contact details, or restructuring content, without altering the policy’s scope, intent, or application.
9.4 Consequential amendment	An amendment made to ensure alignment with a change introduced in another policy. It is not initiated independently but is a direct consequence of an approved change in another policy.
9.5 Editorial amendment	An amendment made solely to correct typographical, grammatical, or formatting errors, without altering the policy’s scope, intent, or application.

10. Responsibilities

10.1 Candidate	Tracking their candidacy period Enrolling and sitting assessments within their candidacy Applying for a single standard suspension if required.
10.2 Censor-in-Chief	Approving minor amendments Approving moderate amendments Approving consequential amendments Approving non-standard suspensions of candidacy
10.3 RACGP	Determining if the candidate has satisfactorily completed the exam eligibility requirements Recording the start and end date of the candidate’s candidacy and making this available to the candidate
10.4 RACGP Board	Approving major amendments

11. Glossary

11.1 Candidacy	The three-year period, separate to training program time, during which a candidate can attempt Fellowship exams.
11.2 Candidate	The medical practitioner who has enrolled to sit RACGP Fellowship Exams.
11.3 Exam semester	A period during which all three Fellowship exams are delivered.
11.4 Fellowship Exams	The exams run by the RACGP to assess the candidate’s competency for unsupervised general practice anywhere in Australia, including: Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Key Feature Problem (KFP), and Clinical Competency Exam (CCE).
11.5 GP Recognition with Services Australia	The recognition Services Australia grants to doctors who either: hold specialist registration in General Practice with the Medical Board of Australia, or were registered for Medicare purposes on the Vocational Register on 16 June 2021 and continue to hold general registration with the Medical Board of Australia. You must receive notification from Services Australia you have GP recognition. To find out more whether you are eligible and how to apply, please visit Services Australia.
11.6 Non-standard Suspension	A suspension of an exam semester granted by the RACGP and determined on a case-by-case basis (eg for the first program transfer, etc).
11.7 RACGP-Approved Program	An education or training program approved by the RACGP as a suitable avenue to Fellowship, including the: Australian General Practice Training Program, Remote Vocational Training Scheme, Fellowship Support Program (FSP), Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Practice Experience Program Specialist – Partially Comparable Stream Practice Experience Program Specialist – Substantially Comparable Stream These Training Programs are approved specified programs listed in Division 6 of the Health Insurance Regulations 2018 (Cwlth).
11.8 Sanctioned Exam Withdrawal	Withdrawal from an RACGP assessment that has been approved in writing by the RACGP.
11.9 Standard Suspension	A single suspension of an exam semester granted automatically and available to any candidate once during their candidacy.
11.10 Suspension of Candidacy	An exam semester in which the candidate is not required or permitted to attempt Fellowship exams.
11.11 Unsanctioned Exam Withdrawal	Withdrawal from an RACGP assessment that is not approved in writing by the RACGP.

12. Related documents, legislation and policies

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship Exam Support Policy

• Academic Misconduct Policy

• Application for Special Consideration for Financial Hardship

• Fellowship Exams Special Arrangements Policy

• Dispute, Reconsideration and Appeals Policy

• Exam enrolment webpage

• Fellowship exams handbook

13. Policy review and currency

This policy will be reviewed every three calendar years from the last approval date, or when there is a significant change in the intent of the policy. This policy remains valid and applicable notwithstanding if it is overdue for review.