What’s happening?
Ahpra’s Psychology Board of Australia has updated the guidelines for the 5+1 internship program, along with introducing new professional competencies and an updated Code of Conduct. These changes are designed to better reflect contemporary psychology practice and will apply to all provisional psychologists completing their internship from December 1 onwards.
Good news for those finishing soon
If you’re eligible to apply for General Registration before December 2025, you won’t need to submit case studies to Ahpra anymore - this requirement has been removed immediately.
What’s changing in PsychTrakka?
To help you stay aligned with the new requirements, we’re updating the app with the following changes:
Updated Core Competencies
We’re replacing the existing competencies with the new framework:
- Competency 1: Applies scientific knowledge of psychology to inform safe and effective practice
- Competency 2: Practises ethically and professionally
- Competency 3: Competency 3: Exercises professional reflexivity, purposeful and deliberate practice, and self-care
- Competency 4: Conducts psychological assessments
- Competency 5: Conducts psychological interventions
- Competency 6: Communicates and relates to others effectively and appropriately
- Competency 7: Demonstrates a health equity and human rights approach when working with people from diverse groups
- Competency 8: Demonstrates a health equity and human rights approach when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, families and communities
Please note: Any new records you create from December 1 onwards — even if they’re backdated to before December 1 — will use these new competencies. This approach is compliant with the updated Ahpra guidelines.
Section A (Professional Practice) - More accurate reporting
As requested by a number of our users, the new core competencies will also be added as options in Section A, making it easier for you to accurately track and report your work.
No minimum hours for Client-related activity
In line with the Ahpra guideline updates we’ve removed the minimum required hours for “Client-related activity”, giving you more flexibility in your logging while still ensuring you meet the overall requirements for the section.
Section B - Professional Development
Section B (previously called “Professional Development”) has been renamed to “Education & Training Activities” to better align with Ahpra’s official terminology. You’ll see this updated name throughout the app in navigation, reports, and all user interfaces.
Section C - Supervision
Supervision Ratio update
The recommended supervision ratio is changing from 1:17 to 1:18, so the “Supervision Ratio” indicator and tooltip on the “Your Progress” screen will reflect this new value.
“Principal (short)” and “Asynchronous” are now legacy categories
To align with the updated guidelines, “Principal (short)” and “Asynchronous” supervision types have been removed for all new entries.
Don’t worry - any hours you’ve already logged under these categories will be preserved as legacy records. They will
continue to be displayed in your reports and will still count toward your total supervision hours, ensuring your past
records remain accurate and compliant.
Want more details?
You can find the full description of changes in the 5+1 Guidelines (December 1, 2025) PDF.
These updates will roll out automatically on December 1, so there’s nothing you need to do. We’ll be here to support you through the transition if you have any questions.