How to Prepare for the Qualifying Exam for Physiotherapy in Singapore

To get a physiotherapy job in Singapore, you need to be licensed and before that you need to pass the Qualifying Exam in Nanyang poly.

Being an internationally trained physiotherapist the last thing you may want to hear (at least for me) is that word “Exam”.

You want to know what books to read for the exam or if your clinical knowledge is sufficient for you to pass. Another thing that bothers many is the structure of the exam; is it theory or MCQ, clinical based or viva?

From what I have heard(not experienced), the Singapore physiotherapy qualifying exams has been quite tough for some. They didn’t pass it on the first trial and you have only two opportunities.

Some common complaints are that most of the materials recommended for reading where not used for the exam and that the students that participated in the clinical exams (as patients) where “bad actors”.

For those who are yet to write the exam, their major complaints are getting an employer to sponsor them to write the qualifying exam.

The most important help you can get is information. (Read also How to get a Physiotherapy Job in Singapore).

Here also are some tips to help you with the Qualifying Exam at Nanyang poly:

Apply online to private physiotherapy clinics or gyms that employ physiotherapists in Singapore.

Getting a pass to get into Singapore is an additional advantage

You may be able to get a job which doesn’t require you passing the QE (Qualifying Exam)

If you are Pilates certified you kind of have an advantage

The key is “clinical reasoning”, so if you’ve been working for a while you shouldn’t have a problem with that. However, you should pay attention to exercise prescription; dosage, frequency, progression. Decisions you take should be evidence-based. So your explanation for  treatment choices you make should be intelligently communicated as based on evidence, not just book knowledge

The written exam is based on common case scenarios you meet in musculoskeletal, cardio and neuro physiotherapy, basically

During the clinical aspect of the exam, be sure to always clearly explain your reason for making assessments and treatments. Clinical reasoning is key. If you can communicate your reasoning with sound clinical-based evidence then you’re good to go.

Textbooks you can add to the given reading materials are Pryor and Prassad, Brukner and Kahn, Kisner and Colby.

All the best.

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