PESCI – What You Need to Know | People Medical Consulting

This is a FAQ BLOG and you can refer to our PESCI blog here.

Need help understanding your pathway?

Date Updated: 2026-07-27

Our team has received many enquiries asking for clarification around PESCI. More specifically, how to determine if a PESCI is required for General Practice.

So, to make things easier, we have put together this helpful blog. Please note, if you have specific questions or you need help, please give us a call! You can also contact us directly on help@peoplemedical.com.au.

What is a PESCI?

PESCI stands for Pre-Employment Structured Clinical Interview. AHPRA defines a PESCI as an objective assessment of your knowledge, skills, clinical experience and attributes to determine whether you are suitable to practise in a specific position. The PESCI consists of a clinical interview using scenarios.

Do I need to sit for a PESCI?

Doctors intending to apply for Limited or Provisional Registration to work in general practice need to sit for a PESCI. For the doctors in the specialist pathway, you do not need a PESCI due to the comparability assessment.

Since PESCI is position-specific, General Practitioners who are already registered with AHPRA (with Limited or Provisional Registration) and who wish to work in another practice may be required to take a PESCI.

Generally, you should apply for PESCI before applying for AHPRA Registration.

Please note that Doctors seeking Limited Registration for Area of Need to work in general practice should have at least 3 years of full-time equivalent (FTE) experience in general practice or primary care.

When should I sit for my PESCI?

In our experience, it’s best to sit for your PESCI before applying for AHPRA registration. RACGP recommends that “if you are applying for limited registration for area of need to work in general practice, it is recommended that you apply for registration before arranging a PESCI, so your experience in general practice or primary care can be assessed.“

Who are the PESCI Providers?

ACRRM – PESCIs are offered online only. ACRRM does not provide face-to-face PESCIs at the moment.
IME – Face-to-face interviews are available at IME’s headquarters at Gold Coast, QLD. Virtual interviews are also available.
RACGP – Currently, RACGP PESCIs are done via Zoom only and are open to all states in Australia.

During busy periods PESCI dates can be sparse. Depending on the provider, bookings may be made in advance and earlier dates allocated as per waiting lists.

Will AHPRA know about my PESCI results?

After sitting for your PESCI, results are made available to you via the PESCI Outcome Report to Applicant form. In addition, your results will be sent directly to AHPRA via the PESCI Report to the Medical Board of Australia.

Please note that if you have attempted a PESCI more than once, AHPRA will also be sent copies of your unsuccessful results.

Should I address the recommendations of the PESCI panel?

The short answer is yes. Any PESCI recommendations made by the PESCI Panel need to be addressed in your application. In most cases, this is done using the SPPA-30 Supervision Plan.

AHPRA will review your PESCI results and compare with any previous results received (including unsuccessful attempts or previous attempts for other practices). So, be sure that every recommendation has been addressed appropriately. Each recommendation will be reviewed to determine your ability to practice safely.

How long does my PESCI results last?

For RACGP and ACRRM, your PESCI results will last up to 12 months from the date of your results.

Can I get a PESCI Exemption?

PESCIs are designed to assess and determine whether you are suitable to practice in a specific position, therefore exemptions are rarely granted. To apply for a PESCI exemption through AHPRA, you will need to submit a request for an exemption with your original application. The request must be lodged with AHPRA.

PESCI Resources

Our team facilitates a Pre-Employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) Study Buddy group, via Facebook. This group is aimed to connect doctors who are studying for their PESCI. Please see the following link here.

We Can Help You

Here at People Medical Consulting, we have a passion for guiding medical practitioners through their career pathways to Australia. We have extensive experience in assisting medical facilities in recruiting doctors from local and overseas who will best suit their requirements.

We provide Document Assistance for those requiring support for their PESCI with IME, ACRRM or RACGP, registration and all other mandatory AHPRA requirements, fellowship program related forms and letters, application for Medicare provider and prescriber numbers, application for 19AB or 19AA exemptions and preparation of employment documents.

If you want to talk to someone about your pathway or practice management—book a consultation with us below, or if you need Recruitment or Document Assistance, contact us at help@peoplemedical.com.au or click the buttons below. We’d be glad to help you!

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Information from this blog has been taken directly from:

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