How to become a psychologist in Australia

Checked on 16 October 2026 against the regulator's own pages and other official sources; every statement links the page it comes from. Rules and fees change; if a link says something different today, the link is right and this page is out of date.

The short version

1. A four-year accredited sequence in psychology (an honours degree or equivalent). Psychology Board
2. Two more years: a masters or doctorate (the higher degree pathway), or a fifth year then a one-year internship (the 5+1 pathway), as a provisional psychologist. Psychology Board
3. On the internship pathway, pass the National Psychology Exam. Psychology Board
4. Apply for general registration; to use a title such as "clinical psychologist", add an area of practice endorsement through a registrar program. Psychology Board

1. The six-year route

General registration requires a six-year sequence of education and training: usually a four-year accredited sequence, then two more years of approved training as a provisional psychologist. Psychology Board

• Higher degree pathway: a four-year sequence followed by a two-year masters or a doctorate. Doctoral students can apply for general registration once they have completed the equivalent of a masters. Psychology Board
• 5+1 internship: a five-year accredited sequence, such as a Master of Professional Psychology, then a one-year supervised internship and the national exam. Psychology Board
• 4+2 internship: closed to new applicants on 30 June 2022; current interns must apply for general registration by 30 June 2027. Psychology Board

The Board is redesigning the route, at the government's request, into "a redesigned, shorter, and more practical pathway"; consultation closed on 10 June 2026 and its report is due in November 2026. Nothing has changed yet. Psychology Board

2. Registration, the exam and endorsement

Provisional registration lasts a year at a time and can be renewed twice; applicants must meet the criminal history, English, recency and insurance standards. Psychology Board The national exam covers ethics, assessment, intervention and communication, and is held four times a year at a test centre or online. Psychology Board

Fees from 1 October 2026: $604 to apply for general registration, $493 a year to be registered, $450 for the national exam, $718 to assess an overseas qualification. Psychology Board

There are nine areas of practice endorsement, such as clinical, counselling, health and forensic psychology, and their titles are protected. Psychology Board Endorsement needs an approved qualification in the area and a registrar program: for example 88 weeks and 3,000 hours after a masters, or 44 weeks and 1,500 hours after a doctorate, with set supervision and CPD. Psychology Board

3. After registration: CPD and recency

Each year you need a learning plan, 10 hours of peer consultation and 20 hours of other CPD, recorded in a portfolio you can produce if audited. Psychology Board To stay registered you also need recent practice: for example 250 hours in the last five years. Psychology Board

4. If you trained in Pakistan or elsewhere abroad

Every overseas-qualified psychologist applies for provisional registration first. Only qualifications from the UK, Ireland and the USA get a streamlined assessment, so a Pakistani degree is assessed case by case. Psychology Board The Board looks at the level of the qualification, whether its title names only psychology, whether the programme was externally accredited, how its learning outcomes compare with Australian competencies, and how many supervised practice hours you have. Psychology Board

The usual path is an assessment, then a set period of supervised practice and the exam while provisionally registered, then general registration. Psychology Board Applicants assessed as six-year equivalent do a transitional program of at least three months. Psychology Board

• English: Pakistan is not one of the recognised countries, so you normally need IELTS Academic with 7 overall and at least 7 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing (or OET or PTE). Ahpra English standard
• Migration: the Australian Psychological Society says it is the only national authority assessing overseas psychologists' qualifications for skilled visas; a positive assessment does not guarantee registration, and takes about 12 weeks. APS

5. Pay

Jobs and Skills Australia gives median full-time earnings of $2,204 a week before tax for psychologists and psychotherapists together (May 2025), and notes the figures should not be used to set a wage. Jobs and Skills Australia

What we could not confirm

• An end date for the 5+1 internship pathway, and what the pathway redesign will change.
• A government page (rather than the APS's own) confirming the APS as the assessing authority for migration, and its main assessment fee.
• The outcome of the 2026 review of the CPD and recency standards.
• Earnings for psychologists alone, without psychotherapists.
• Any statement about Pakistani degrees specifically; every application is assessed against the general criteria.

Check that a practitioner is registered on Ahpra's register. Know something here is out of date? Tell us through the contact page with a link, and we will check it. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice.