Overseas qualification competency
assessment (OSQCA): Overview

Make this application if you are not eligible to apply under the MRA and if you have evidence to demonstrate your competence to practice as a speech pathologist in Australia.

You should also be confident that you are applying to the correct profession.

The Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment (OSQCA) process assumes you have experience working as a speech pathologist.

You should apply for OSQCA if:

• Your qualifications are comparable to those of speech pathologists trained in Australia.
• You have the ability to use English effectively in the Australian speech pathology context.
• You can provide "superior" English Language testing results.
• You have practised as a speech pathologist and can demonstrate this

It is strongly recommended that you submit your application from your home country as it is easier to obtain further evidence to support your application if requested.

1. Skills assessment

Prior to commencing your skills assessment application, please ensure you read and become familiar with the Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia (2020). The Professional Standards outline the knowledge, skills and attributes a speech pathologist practicing in Australia must demonstrate and apply, at any point in their career, as relevant to their speech pathology role and work context.

Additional information is available in season 6, episode 33 of the Speak Out podcase available here: SPA's Speak Up podcast

2. OSQCA criteria

In line with NASRHP requirements, and for the purposes of self-regulation, Speech Pathology Australia, as the assessing authority for speech pathology, sets OSQCA criteria that are used to determine whether an applicant meets eligibility for CPSP credentialling. The following criteria have been developed based on the Speech Pathology Australia Professional Standards (2020).

Criteria Table

3. OSQCA guide for applicants

Please read the OSQCA guide for applicants carefully prior to completing and submitting your application. This guide provides crucial information for applicants about all stages of the application process, including checklists to be used in preparing your stage 3 portfolio.

4. Application Process and Fees

There are 4 stages of the OSQCA process with a separate fee payable for each stage. The total fee is: $2000. Applicants may have up to 3 submissions of each stage, however a fee will be applied for each submission.

Stage 1

Stage 1 of the process requires applicants to submit the following documentation:

• Application form
• Identity documents
• Evidence of meeting English language requirements  
• Details of speech pathology qualifications  
• Evidence of speech pathology practice and membership of speech pathology association 

Required documentary evidence, including translation requirements

To ensure your application is processed efficiently, please follow these guidelines:

I. Attach All Required Documents

Please submit all items of evidence by email for phase 1. You may upload your documents into a Dropbox folder; we do not accept Google Drive folders. Please share the link to your Dropbox with  [email protected]

II. Image Quality Standards

• All items of evidence must be photographed in full colour. Please ensure these are of a high quality to enable identity checking.
• The entire document, including all edges, must be clearly visible in each image.
• Avoid shadows, glare, or obstructions that may make the document unreadable. 
• Your passport and photo identification must show both main pages (see samples)

III. File Format

Ensure images are in a standard format (e.g., JPEG or PNG). Please ensure your document names are no more than 50 characters. Documents with long names will not be accepted.

IV. Important Note

If your documents do not meet these requirements, you may be asked to resubmit them. Not following these guidelines will lead to delays in processing your application.

Stage 2

Stage 2 of the skills assessment process requires applicants to provide evidence of completion of learning tasks to provide familiarity with speech pathology practice in the Australian context. Completion of these tasks will provide valuable background information in preparing the portfolio required in stage 3. 

Applicants will be required to complete learning in the following areas:  

• Evidence based practice
• Ethics
• Cultural learning

Stage 3

In stage 3 applicants are required to prepare a selection of between 5 and 8 case studies to demonstrate competency as a speech pathologist in the Australian context. Please use the OSQCA criteria to guide your selection of cases, recognising that one case may cover a number of criteria.

Stage 4

In stage 4 applicants are required to demonstrate competency through an online interview with a member of the Speech Pathology Australia Regulation team. This interview will be recorded for moderation purposes. The recording will be destroyed once stage 4 has been successfully completed.

OSQCA Application Form

5. Processing times

Processing times are as follows: 

• Stage 1: up to 3 weeks from time payment received 
• Stage 2: up to 7 weeks of submitting required evidence of learning. 
• Stage 3: up to 7 weeks of submitting cases. 
• Stage 4: up to 3 weeks from the date of interview. 

Applications cannot be fast tracked.

6. Status updates

At each stage of the skills assessment process, you will receive an email confirming the due date for feedback from SPA. There are no further status updates available.

7. Application process timeline

8. Next steps – suitable and not suitable outcomes

The overseas application process provides applicants with three years from initial submission to complete the process. If you receive an unsuccessful outcome, you have two further opportunities with your current application to submit evidence over the three-year time frame. You can apply for each stage up to 3 times within a 3-year period. Your suitable outcome letter is valid for 2 years.

9. Review/appeal process

Speech Pathology Australia will consider appeals of unsuccessful outcomes. To find out more click here.

10. Reassessment

Should you not achieve a successful outcome within 3 years you may submit a new OSQCA application.