Transitional program FAQ

First you should ask your workplace if there is a suitable approved supervisor employed in the same location who can supervise you or if they can assist you with finding a suitable supervisor.

If you need to find your own supervisor, the online search tool helps you search the database for an approved psychology supervisor.

Direct supervision is real time verbal communication between the provisional psychologist and their supervisor, conducted either together in the same room, or through remote communication methods such as telephone, video conference or Skype.

Direct observation means the supervisor observing the provisional psychologist’s practice with clients.

Direct observation can be live or recorded, in person or remote i.e. in the same room with the provisional psychologist and the client, via two way glass, via videoconference, Skype, teleconference, or by watching a video recording of the session or listening to an audio recording.

Yes, as long as the position is psychological in nature and you can meet the requirements of the transitional program you can work in a specialised area of practice.

It is preferable for you supervisor to work in the same location as you but off-site supervisors may be approved.

Applications for approval of a transitional program where the supervisor will be off-site need to confirm that provision has been made to address issues with confidentiality, privacy and any other relevant workplace or employment policies, and whether there is provision for direct observation to occur.

Yes you can take holidays, but for every week of the three month program that you do not meet the minimum requirement of 17.5 hours of practice you will be required to extend the program for one week.

Additionally you will not be permitted to take more than four weeks holiday during the three month program (either all at once or in smaller blocks of holidays) as lack of continuity may decrease the effectiveness of the supervision program.

If you need to take leave due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, bereavement, or a family emergency, you should let the Board know as soon as possible.

If you are away for less than four weeks you will be allowed to recommence your transitional program and make up the time that you missed. If you are away for more than four weeks you will need to start the program again and complete three continuous months. However, you can request permission to vary these requirements on a case by case basis if special circumstances apply.

You are eligible to take the exam as soon as you are granted provisional registration to complete the transitional program. Therefore you can choose to sit the next available exam after you become provisionally registered, or you can choose to wait until the end of the transitional program once you have gained some experience in the Australian context.

The exam is offered up to four times per year so there will usually be an exam available during your three month transitional program. Each time the exam is offered there is an exam period and usually there are multiple dates available for sitting the exam within the exam period. For details of upcoming exam periods see the National Psychology Exam page.

You can’t apply for general registration until you have passed the exam so if you wish to keep working you will need to maintain provisional registration and continue to receive individual supervision with a Board-approved supervisor at a minimum of one hour per fortnight until you have passed the exam and been granted general registration.

This applies even if you have already demonstrated the competencies for the transitional program to your supervisor as both the supervisor report and the exam are required to be completed to be eligible for general registration.

No, you will already be required to develop competencies Australian ethical, legal and professional matters and cross-cultural studies relevant to an Australian context as part of your internship so further training in a transitional program is not required.

If you request an exemption from the transitional program you must provide enough evidence and detail about the training to allow us to assess whether the requirements have already been demonstrated. This must included evidence that you have passed the national psychology examination, and have some experience working in the Australian context, and may also include academic transcripts, course handbooks, supervisor reports, log books, certificates and other documents. For more details please refer to the Guideline: transitional programs.

You may be granted provisional registration with a condition that you do not practise until your transitional program plan has been provided and approved.