General Practice Experience Pathway – Exam Eligibility

1. Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this policy is to define the Fellowship Exam eligibility requirements for Candidates on the General Practice Experience Pathway.

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to Candidates on the General Practice Experience Pathway, 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. Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, and the

   2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GP in Training Fellowship Exam Support Policy.

3. General principles

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

3.2 The RACGP believes participation in a training program with appropriate supervision and working in a comprehensive general practice setting is the most suitable way to prepare for the Fellowship Exams.

3.3 Determinations of eligibility to sit Fellowship Exams are at the RACGP's discretion.

4. Fellowship exam eligibility and enrolment requirements

4.1 To remain eligible to sit Fellowship Exams, Candidates must meet the Fellowship Exam eligibility and enrolment requirements up to and including on the day of the exam.

1. 1. If a Candidate becomes ineligible to sit any Fellowship Exam at any time after enrolment in that exam, they must immediately withdraw from the exam and notify the RACGP of the reasons for their exam withdrawal. Failure to do so will be handled per the Academic Misconduct Policy.

4.2 Candidates must meet the following requirements, before enrolling in any Fellowship Exam:

1. 1. Have a Valid General Practice Experience Outcome with an expiry after the exam date, assessed per the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, which recognises:

      1. at least four years of full time equivalent (FTE) experience in general practice over the last ten years, including:

         1. One year FTE completed in the last four years,

         2. One year FTE in Australian general practice, and

         3. At least six months' FTE in Comprehensive Australian General Practice undertaken in the last four years.

   2. Hold current Australian medical registration from the date they start working in Australian general practice and throughout their exam Candidacy.

      1. Candidates with Addenda on their medical registration or any other regulatory activity may not be eligible for Fellowship Exams. Eligibility is determined per the Implications of restrictions, conditions and other addenda on medical registration guide.

      2. Candidates must promptly disclose to the RACGP in writing to education@racgp.org.au any:

         1. Addenda on their medical registration, whether in Australia or overseas, and/or:

            1. regulatory authority activity, whether in Australia or otherwise, that:

               1. has led or may lead to a change in registration status, or

               2. has led to an adverse finding for the Candidate, or

               3. forms part of an ongoing investigation, and/or

            2. other Notifiable Conduct.

      3. Failure to disclose this information will be handled per the Academic Misconduct Policy.

   3. have either:

      1. GP Recognition with Services Australia, or

      2. successfully completed the Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream.

   4. Current RACGP Financial Membership, from the commencement of their program through the Fellowship Exam date.

4.3 Candidates who meet the following criteria can enrol but must meet additional requirements before they can sit the Fellowship Exams.

1. 1. Participants on an approved period of Parental Leave.

      1. Participants on Parental Leave will need to submit a request to sit the Fellowship Exams and that request must be supported by the Post-education Team.

         1. Participants on all other RACGP approved leave are not eligible to sit Fellowship Exams.

4.4 Candidates must hold a pass in the AKT and the KFP before sitting the CCE (clinical competency exam).

1. 1. The AKT and KFP can be done in any order

   2. Candidates may enrol in all three Fellowship Exams within the one semester.

      1. If a Candidate enrolled in the CCE and is unsuccessful in the AKT and/or KFP, they are automatically withdrawn from the CCE and refunded the full CCE enrolment fee.

4.5 The RACGP may request additional information from the Candidate to inform decisions about Fellowship Exam eligibility. Candidates must comply with any requests for further information for this purpose.

5. 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.

5.1 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.
5.2 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.
5.3 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.
5.4 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.
5.5 Editorial amendment	An amendment made solely to correct typographical, grammatical, or formatting errors, without altering the policy’s scope, intent, or application.

6. Responsibilities

6.1 Candidate	Tracking their candidacy period Enrolling and sitting assessments within their candidacy
6.2 Censor-in-Chief	Approving minor amendments Approving moderate amendments Approving consequential amendments Approving non-standard suspensions of candidacy
6.3 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
6.4 RACGP Board	Approving major amendments

7. Glossary

7.1 Addenda	Includes, but is not limited to, restrictions, conditions, limitations, reprimands, supervision requirements, tribunal outcomes, suspensions, undertakings and/or any other remarks or changes on a participant's medical registration. Refer to ahpra.gov.au for more information.
7.2 Candidacy	The three-year period, separate to training program time, during which a candidate can attempt Fellowship exams.
7.3 Candidate	The medical practitioner who has enrolled to sit RACGP Fellowship Exams.
7.4 Comprehensive Australian General Practice	As defined in the Comprehensive Australian general practice guide.
7.5 Current General Practice Experience Outcome	An outcome of a general practice experience assessment which: has an expiry date in the future, has not been superseded by a more recent general practice experience assessment outcome, and has not been rendered void for other reasons such as academic misconduct.
7.6 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).
7.7 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 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.
7.8 Notifiable Conduct	Per the Medical Board of Australia's Guidelines for mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners, practising while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, engaging in sexual misconduct in connection with the practice, or placing the public at risk of substantial harm in the practice because of an impairment or by practising in a way that constitutes a significant departure from accepted professional standards.
7.9 Parental leave	Approved time off work or a training program to care for a child (a newborn, recently adopted child, or long-term foster child) or for pregnancy loss occurring after 20 weeks of gestation.
7.10 Participant	A medical practitioner who: has completed the educational phase of PEP Standard by 30 June 2023, is currently progressing towards Fellowship on the General Practice Experience Pathway, has not withdrawn from PEP Standard, and has not started an alternative RACGP-approved program.
7.11 Valid General Practice Experience Outcome	An outcome of a general practice experience assessment which: meets the definition of a current general practice experience outcome, and meets the experience requirements for exam eligibility as per clause 4.2.i of this policy.

8. Related documents, legislation and policies

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GP in Training Fellowship Exam Support Policy

• Academic Misconduct Policy

• Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy

• Comprehensive Australian general practice guide

• General Practice Experience Pathway - Entry Policy

• Implications of restrictions, conditions and other addenda on medical registration guide

• Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Post-Education Phase Policy

• Services Australia – Professional recognition information

9. 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.