Withdrawing from an exam

Withdrawing from an exam

The RACGP understands that you may need to withdraw from an exam in which you’re enrolled. To withdraw from an exam, you must email examinations@racgp.org.au.

If you wish to withdraw from an exam, please note that:

• your enrolment can't be transferred to a future sitting of the exam. This includes transfer of the enrolment fee. You must enrol again if you wish to sit in a future exam.
• confirmed enrolments can’t be transferred to another applicant
• the enrolment fee may not be refunded.

IMPORTANT

If you are an AGPT registrar and were granted any extension of program time, you must obtain written approval from your Region's Director of Training if you wish to withdraw from a Fellowship exam. Withdrawal requests that do not include a written approval signed by your Region's Director of Training will not be processed.

Impact on candidacy

A withdrawal that is approved in writing by the RACGP is known as a sanctioned withdrawal. You may apply for a standard suspension of your candidacy for the exam semester in which the sanctioned withdrawal applies, providing you haven’t sat any other Fellowship exams in that semester.

Any withdrawal from an exam that isn’t approved by the RACGP in writing is considered an unsanctioned withdrawal. If you enrol in an exam but fail to sit, this will be recorded as an unsanctioned withdrawal and you will not be able to apply for a standard suspension for that semester.

Refund of enrolment fee

You may be eligible for a refund of your enrolment fee when you withdraw from an exam. The refund schedule is as follows.

Extenuating and unforeseen circumstances

If you withdraw within 20 business days of the scheduled exam date, you may apply for an exemption to the refund schedule on the grounds of extenuating and unforeseen circumstances.

Extenuating and unforeseen circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis, but must relate to circumstances that were unforeseen, outside your control, and that can be shown to have a direct and significant impact on your ability to sit the exam, for example:

• ill-health (other than minor illnesses)
• carer’s leave
• bereavement
• acute adverse life circumstances
• hospitalisation
• Australian Defence Force deployment leave
• other significant changes to your circumstances.

We assess applications on a case-by-case basis. We take into consideration any costs already incurred by the RACGP when determining any refund amount. Some applications may receive a partial refund.

To apply for an exemption, send a completed Special exemption application form to education.appeals@racgp.org.au with relevant supporting documentation. Supporting documents must be from appropriate professionals, provided that the person issuing or signing the document is not a family member, close associate or colleague of the candidate, or a candidate in the same test.

Exemption for COVID-19

If you need to apply for an exemption because you have contracted COVID-19, you must provide a medical certificate and evidence of a positive PCR test with your special exemption application. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will not be accepted.

Change to medical registration

You must inform the RACGP if there are any changes to your medical registration, by sending an email to education@racgp.org.au. This includes any restrictions, conditions, limitations, reprimands, supervision requirements, tribunal outcomes, suspensions, undertakings, and/or other addenda on your medical registration, whether in Australia or overseas. Failure to do so will be investigated in line with the Academic Misconduct Policy.

Candidates will be withdrawn from the exam if they no longer meet the exam eligibility requirements.