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OSCE for RNs

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination is the behavioural stage of the Outcomes-Based Assessment, examined by AHPRA at Adelaide or Melbourne. Ten timed stations with simulated patients, mannequins and Australian documentation. This is a performance, and performances need rehearsal on real equipment.

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Preparation is delivered on campus in Sydney. The examination itself is sat at an AHPRA centre in Adelaide or Melbourne. There is no Sydney examination centre.

At a glance

Delivery
On campus, Sydney
Duration
2 weeks intensive
Schedule
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Level
Non-award, 1 unit
Cohort
10 to 15
Course fee
AUD $2,000
International
AUD $2,250 incl. admin fee
About the examination

Ten stations, and no second chance to make a first impression

The OSCE assesses whether you can practise safely as a registered nurse in the Australian context. You move through timed stations: assessment, clinical procedures, documentation and communication, each marked against the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice by trained examiners.

What separates candidates is rarely clinical knowledge. It is fluency with Australian equipment, Australian charts and Australian conventions, performed under observation with a clock running. That is a rehearsal problem, not a study problem.

You cannot book until the NCLEX-RN is passed

AHPRA gates the OSCE behind OBA Part 1. Candidates who buy OSCE preparation too early lose the value of it, so we sequence your enrolment against your examination date.

What we do not control

  • AHPRA sets and marks the examination. We have no involvement in station content, marking or results, and no provider does.
  • The examination is in Adelaide or Melbourne. Travel, accommodation and the AHPRA sitting fee are yours to arrange and pay.
  • AHPRA offers you dates. We can plan around your date. We cannot obtain one for you.
  • No provider is endorsed by AHPRA, including us. Station content is confidential, and any provider claiming to know it is not telling you the truth.
What you will gain

Rehearsed on the equipment, not just read about

Real simulation labs

Our own campus labs with the equipment and documentation used in Australian facilities, not hired rooms with borrowed kit.

Every station type

Assessment, clinical procedures, medication administration, documentation and communication, practised individually then in circuit.

Australian charts and forms

Observation charts, medication charts, progress notes and the ISBAR handover format, exactly as presented at examination.

Video review

Recorded performances reviewed against criterion level feedback, because candidates rarely see their own habits.

Two examiner marked mock circuits

Full timed circuits with a written performance report you keep.

Open lab until your examination date

Free supervised practice after the intensive finishes, right up to the day you fly. This is the single most useful thing we offer.

What is included

In the program

  • Two week intensive on campus in Sydney, Monday to Friday
  • Cohort capped at 10 to 15
  • All consumables, equipment and documentation
  • Simulated patients for communication stations
  • Two examiner marked mock OSCE circuits with written reports
  • Video recording and criterion level review
  • Open lab access until your examination date, at no extra cost
  • Discounted refresher for returning candidates
What you will cover

Across the station types

Respiratory assessment Cardiovascular assessment Neurological assessment Abdominal assessment Pain and wound assessment Subcutaneous and intramuscular injection Intravenous fluid management Urinary catheterisation Nasogastric tube management Blood glucose and oxygen therapy Deteriorating patient and escalation ISBAR handover Aseptic technique Documentation and charting Consent, dignity and cultural safety

Plan the timing

Aim to finish the intensive two to four weeks before you fly to Adelaide or Melbourne. That leaves open lab time to keep skills sharp without letting them go cold.

Where this sits

Step 6 of the registration pathway

Step six applies to Stream B candidates only, and only after the NCLEX-RN is passed.

1

Complete the AHPRA Self-check

A free online check that determines whether your qualification is substantially equivalent to an Australian approved program, and therefore whether you sit the examinations at all.

AHPRA decides
2

Submit your IQNM application and documents

You lodge this directly with AHPRA: identity, qualifications, transcripts, registration history and certificates of good standing from every jurisdiction.

You lodge this with AHPRA
3

Complete the AHPRA orientation

An online orientation to the Australian health system, the NMBA standards and the codes of conduct that apply to your practice here.

AHPRA delivers
4

Meet the English language requirement

Achieve the standard set by the NMBA. Most internationally qualified nurses choose the OET, because the vocabulary is clinical rather than academic.

Stridr prepares you
5

Pass the NCLEX-RN, OBA Part 1

The cognitive stage of the Outcomes-Based Assessment, delivered by the NCSBN through Pearson VUE test centres. You need an AHPRA referral before you can be scheduled.

Stridr prepares you
6

Pass the OSCE, OBA Part 2

The behavioural stage, ten timed clinical stations examined by AHPRA in Adelaide or Melbourne. You cannot book the OSCE until the NCLEX-RN is passed.

Stridr prepares you
7

Apply for registration with the NMBA

Lodge your registration application. The Board decides. Registration is your legal authority to practise as a nurse in Australia.

NMBA decides
Fees

Course fee and third-party costs

You pay Stridr once for the course. Everything else is paid directly to the body that charges it.

Paid to Item Amount
Stridr OSCE for RNs, 2 weeks on campus in Sydney, 1 unit AUD $2,000
Stridr International student administration fee, where applicable AUD $250
AHPRA OSCE sitting fee, per attempt AUD $4,000
You arrange Travel and accommodation, Adelaide or Melbourne Varies

The course fee covers preparation and open lab access only. The AHPRA sitting fee is payable for each attempt and is set by AHPRA. Because a resit is expensive, we would rather delay your date than send you unprepared.

Questions

Before you enrol

When should I book the intensive?

After you pass the NCLEX-RN and have an OSCE date, ideally finishing two to four weeks before you fly. That leaves open lab time without letting skills go cold.

Where is the examination held?

AHPRA sits the registered nurse OSCE at two centres only, Adelaide and Melbourne. There is no Sydney examination centre. We deliver the preparation in Sydney and you travel to sit.

What if I fail the OSCE?

You can resit, paying the AHPRA fee again, subject to the attempt limits in the OBA process. Returning candidates get a discounted refresher and open lab access. We will be candid about whether more practice or a different approach is what you need.

Do you use the real examination stations?

No, and no honest provider does. Station content is confidential to AHPRA. We rehearse the published format, timing and skill set, which is what preparation legitimately means.

Is accommodation included?

No. We can share what previous candidates have used near the venue, but you book and pay your own travel.

Can I take the two weeks part time?

No. It runs Monday to Friday for two weeks and requires leave. The circuits in week two depend on the whole cohort being present.

Tour the simulation lab

Come and see the equipment before you commit. We will show you the labs, the charts and a station circuit, at no cost.

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