8/8/23, 6:11 PM KAPS exam guide and sample papers 

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KAPS exam guide and sample papers

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04 August 2023

The KAPS (Knowledge Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences) exam tests your knowledge and
understanding of pharmaceutical sciences. Passing it confirms that you know enough to practise
safely and effectively in an Australian setting.

This guide to the KAPS exam outlines the subject areas we assess, and will help you to prepare for
the exam. You'll need to assess your own knowledge level, then evaluate that knowledge as much
you can against the exam material.

On this page:

Exam format ()
Distribution per content area
Exam scoring
Content areas for Paper 1
Content areas for Paper 2
Sample papers
Recommended textbooks for preparation

Exam format
The KAPS exam consists of 200 questions delivered over two 2-hour sessions (a total of 4 hours of
assessment) with a 60-minute scheduled break in between.

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Before starting the exam, you are given 15 minutes to complete a tutorial designed to familiarise
yourself with the exam software. You're given 5 minutes at the end of the exam to complete a
survey.

All questions are multiple-choice questions with one correct answer out of four options.

KAPS is a closed-book exam. This means you cannot bring any printed or handwritten reference
materials into the exam with you.

We base our exams on the latest information, which you can find in relevant:

journals
publications
textbooks

It's up to you to find this information. We do not endorse any external reference sources.
 

Style conventions
Medicine and ingredient names will be presented as per the TGA list of approved names
(https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/).

Values will be presented will be in SI (metric) units.

Units for quantities of drugs and directions for medications follow the approved abbreviations from
the Recommendations for terminology, abbreviations and symbols used in medicines documentation
(https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/medication-safety/safer-naming-and-labelling-
medicines/recommendations-terminology-abbreviations-and-symbols-used-medicines-
documentation).

Determiners are bold and capitalised to draw your attention to the kind of response expected. e.g.
CORRECT, MOST, LEAST, NOT.

Distribution per content area

Content area Approximate distribution per content area

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Paper 1

Pharmaceutical Chemistry 30%

Physiology and Pharmacology 70%

Paper 2

Pharmaceutic 30%

Therapeutics 70%

Exam scoring
You must complete all questions in the paper or papers you sit.

To pass the exam, you need a mark of at least 50% in all subsections of the exam.

Paper 1 Pharmaceutical chemistry 50%

Pharmacology and physiology 50%

Paper 2 Pharmaceutics 50%

Therapeutics 50%

You need an overall mark of at least 50%.

You will receive a results certificate indicating your outcome. We'll email you or your agent when
your results are available. Expect this to be around 2 weeks after you sit the exam.

Content areas for the KAPS exam

The KAPS exam consists of 2 papers:

Paper 1: Pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology and physiology

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Paper 2: Pharmaceutics and therapeutics

Paper 1: Pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology

and physiology

Pharmaceutical Chemistry
You'll need to show you understand and have suitable knowledge in the following content areas:

Paper Content assessed Indicative elements

1

1 Organic chemistry Nomenclature

Drug class recognition
Reaction types
Functional group reactivity
Drug stability
Acid-base reactions

2 Nomenclature
Stereochemistry
Optical activity
Geometric isomerism
Conformation

3 Physical and Kinetics

inorganic chemistry Acid-base reactions
Phase equilibria

4 Analytical chemistry Spectroscopy

Redox reactions
Assay techniques
Diagnostic agents

5 Biochemistry Nomenclature
Structures
Biochemical classes
Thermodynamics
Biochemical pathways

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6 Structure-activity Relationship between a chemical or 3D structure and its

relationships biological activity

7 Medicinal chemistry Structure-activity relationships

Drug presentation and delivery
Drug formulation and stability
Drug metabolism
Mechanism of drug action
Modern drug development
Absorption, distribution and elimination of drugs

8 Drug metabolism Breakdown and conversion of medicines through regularly

occurring bodily process, leading to active ingredients and
by-products of the original medicine

Pharmacology and physiology

You'll need to show you understand and have suitable knowledge in the following content areas:

Paper Content Indicative elements

1 assessed

1 Biochemical Principles of drug action

pharmacology Drug interactions
Receptor pharmacology
Autonomic transmission
Endocrine pharmacology
Cardiovascular pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics
Antibiotics
Diuretics
Local and general anaesthetics
Vitamins
Drugs affecting nutritional and metabolic function
Drugs affecting the central nervous system

2 Systemic The mechanism of drug action as it relates to specific organs

pharmacology and disease states

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3 Chemotherapy Antibacterial drugs

Antiviral drugs
Antifungal drugs
Antiprotozoal drugs
Anthelmintic drugs
Anticancer drugs

4 Toxicology Common side effects

Signs of toxicity
Mechanism of toxicity

5 Pathophysiology Alteration of physiological processes by drugs or disease

states

6 General Normal bodily functions including but not limited to the

physiology central nervous, digestive, cardiovascular, lymphatic,
nervous, respiratory, urinary, endocrine and reproductive
systems and their integration
Blood and other body fluids

Paper 2: Pharmaceutics and therapeutics

Pharmaceutics
You'll need to show you understand and have suitable knowledge in the following content areas:

Paper Content assessed Indicative elements

2

1 Physical pharmacy Solvents

Types of preparation
Solutions
Suspensions
Emulsions

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2 Biopharmaceutics Dissolution
Drug absorption
Bioavailability and bioequivalence
Drug interactions with a biopharmaceutical
basis

3 Pharmacokinetics and Biological half-life

pharmacodynamics Elimination rate constants
Apparent volume of distribution
Clearance
Steady state considerations
Drug protein binding
Drug metabolism
Drug interactions
Pharmacogenetics
Relevant calculations

4 Pharmaceutical microbiology Preservation

Antimicrobial agents
Sterilisation technology

5 Formulation Formulation of drugs for various routes of

administration
Parenteral dose forms
Controlled release preparations
Evaluation of particular dose forms

Dose forms, including Drug products

6
extemporaneous preparation Constituent drug substances
Combination compounded products for use
via various routes of administration

Therapeutics
You'll need to show you understand and have suitable knowledge in the following content areas:

Paper Content assessed Indicative elements

2

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1 Calculations Dilutions
Percentages
Densities
Sensitivity of balance
Proportions
Isotonicity
Milliequivalents and milliosmoles
Buffers
Dose calculations from body weight or surface
area
Stability

2 Posology and dose Appropriate dosages of common medications

determinations Dosage regimens of common medications

3 Medicine choice Demonstrating an understanding of the clinical

processes used for choosing the most appropriate
drug for the presenting patient and their condition

4 Surgical dressings, Drug choices for surgical dressings

applications and associated The use of and choices for surgical dressings
drug delivery systems

5 Adverse reactions to drugs Adverse reactions for drugs

Relevant patient counselling and advice

6 Drug interactions Drug interactions

Relevant patient counselling and advice

7 Drug information Using information sources to find drug and health

information relevant to conditions and disease
states

8 Managing minor ailments Non-prescription prescribing

Diagnosing minor illness
Rational over-the-counter product selection
Over-the-counter drug information

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KAPS exam paper samples

To help you sit the KAPS exam, we provide 4 official sample papers:

Download Paper 1 Sample 1 (35 pages PDF) (kaps-paper-1-sample-1.pdf)

Download Paper 1 Sample 2 (40 pages PDF) (kaps-paper-1-sample-2.pdf)
Download Paper 2 Sample 1 (34 pages PDF) (kaps-paper-2-sample-1.pdf)
Download Paper 2 Sample 2 (39 pages PDF) (kaps-paper-2-sample-2.pdf)

These each contain older questions to help you practise. These questions are no longer used, but
they'll help you understand:

the types of content covered in each paper of the exam

how questions might be presented

If you want to practise the sample papers under exam conditions, you'll need to answer all 100
questions in each paper in 2 hours.

The real KAPS exam is delivered online at an approved test centre. Our exam provider, Pearson
Vue, provides an online sample test (https://home.pearsonvue.com/apc).

Recommended textbooks for preparation

When you make the decision to sit the KAPS exam, study will be important. To focus your efforts,
assess your current knowledge of the pharmaceutical sciences.

We recommend you refer to the most recent editions of the recommended textbooks.

We have provided a list for you to consider. We do not endorse any particular reference source.

There is an extremely significant range of materials available to candidates so allow time to

research this important area.

Pharmacology

Shaunagh Darroch (https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?author=Shaunagh+Darroch),

Bronwen Bryant (https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?author=Bronwen+Bryant), Kathleen
Knights (https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?author=Kathleen+Knights), Andrew Rowland
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(https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?author=Andrew+Rowland), 2018, Pharmacology for

Health Professionals, 5th edn, Chatswood, New South Wales: Mosby Elsevier

This text gives a comprehensive introduction to important pharmacology principles and concepts. It
has a strong focus on therapeutics and is written specifically for the Australasian region. Written for
practitioners of the health sciences and underpinned by current evidence-based medicine, the
edition continues to cover topics vital to a holistic understanding of pharmacology. These topics
include historical, legal and ethical considerations, pharmacokinetics, and the therapeutic
applications and adverse effects of current drugs.

Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Florence A.T., D.A. Atwood, 2015, Physiochemical Principles of Pharmacy, 6th edn, London:
Chicago, IL : Pharmaceutical Press.

This text uses pharmaceutical examples to illustrate the underlying physical chemistry of drug
delivery, characterisation, formulation, transport and absorption.

Pharmaceutics

Basic Principles and Application to Pharmacy Practice, 2nd edn, 2023 Editors: Alekha Dash,
Somnath Singh

Divided into three sections – Physical Principles and Properties of Pharmaceutics; Practical Aspects
of Pharmaceutics; and Biological Applications of Pharmaceutics – this covers all aspects of
pharmaceutics and provides a single source.

Therapeutics

1. Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary – latest edition

2. Australian Medicines Handbook - latest edition
3. British National Formulary - latest edition

All three publications provide valuable and extended insights into the level of understanding and
knowledge required in the area of therapeutics.

General review of pharmacy related topics

L., A.H. Mutnick, P.F. Souney, L.N. Swanson, 2013 Comprehensive Pharmacy Review, 7th edn,
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

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This provides a wide range of topics central to the study of pharmacy, chemistry, pharmaceutics,
pharmacology, pharmacy practice and drug therapy that are presented in outline form and this
reference has been used as a quick review or preview of essential topics

Calculation questions in APC examinations

Each individual candidate will have to evaluate for themselves their current level of knowledge
regarding calculation questions. The following provide an opportunity to practice and if necessary re-
engage with the basic methods of pharmacy calculations:

Rees, J.A, I. Smith, J. Watson, 2015, Introduction to Pharmaceutical Calculations, 4th edn, London:
Pharmaceutical Press.

Ansel, H.C., 2013, Pharmaceutical Calculations; 14th edn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Wolters
Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Contact the exams team

We are happy to assist you further with any questions you may have. Email us at
exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au (mailto:exams@pharmacycouncil.org.au)

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