Registration requirements

Academic qualification

Applicant must possess any one of the following qualifications:

1. A TCM graduation certificate from one of the following local TCM institutions:

   • Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (7-year part-time or 5-year full-time undergraduate course in Traditional Chinese Medicine)

   • Institute of Chinese Medical Studies (7-year part-undergraduate course in Traditional Chinese Medicine)

   • Nanyang Technological University (4-year full-time undergraduate course in Chinese Medicine)

2. A 5-year full-time bachelor's degree in TCM (conducted in Chinese) from one of the following TCM institutions from the People's Republic of China:

   • Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

   • Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

   • Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

   • Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine

   • Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine

   • Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

   • Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

   • Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Other requirements

Besides academic qualification, applicants with foreign TCM qualifications must also fulfil any of the following requirements on practice experience:

1. Singaporeans with recognised foreign TCM qualifications

   1. Singaporeans with no valid foreign Registration Certificate and Practising Certificate:

      • Complete at least 1 year of clinical attachment, including at least 403 hours of structured TCM Clinical Training at an approved local TCM educational institution¹ before taking the Singapore TCM-physicians Registration Examination (STRE)

   2. Singaporeans with valid foreign Registration Certificate and Practising Certificate:

      • Hold valid Registration Certificate and Practising Certificate from the country of practice and current certificate of good standing (within 3 months from date of issue)

      • Complete at least 1 year of TCM clinical attachment under conditional registration at an approved local TCM establishment² before taking the STRE for full registration

2. Foreigners and Permanent Residents with recognised TCM qualifications

   • Hold valid Registration Certificate and Practising Certificate from the country of practice and current certificate of good standing (within 3 months from date of issue)

   • Show proof of potential employment as a TCM physician to practise TCM full-time in Singapore

   • Have sufficient TCM clinical experience at approved TCM establishments in the country of practice accepted by the Board³ and hold the appointment of "Deputy Chief Physician" (副主任医师) or higher

   • Complete at least 3 years of TCM practice in Singapore under conditional registration at an approved local TCM establishment² before taking the STRE for conversion to full registration

3. Foreigners with outstanding skills and expertise

   • Have outstanding TCM skills and expertise acceptable to the TCM Practitioners Board

   • Hold valid Registration Certificate and Practising Certificate from country of practice and current certificate of good standing (within 3 months from date of issue)

   • Show proof of potential employment as TCM physician to practise TCM full-time in Singapore

   • Have at least 15 years of TCM clinical experience at recognised TCM institution(s) in the country of practice, with at least 5 years as "Chief Physician" (主任医师); or specific considerations by the Board on a case-by-case basis based on the particular outstanding skills and expertise

Notes

¹Approved local TCM educational institution refers to the following:

• Singapore College of TCM

• Institute of Chinese Medical Studies

• Thong Chai Medical Institution

• Nanyang Technological University

²Approved local TCM establishment refers to a local TCM clinic with at least 3 TCM physicians on full registration and one of whom shall be the TCM physician-in-charge responsible for the supervision of TCM physician on conditional registration as follows:

1. The TCM physician-in-charge must have qualifications approved by the Board and has at least 15 years of local TCM practice experience; and

2. The TCM physician-in-charge shall supervise only one TCM physician on conditional registration at any one time. 

³TCM establishments in the country of practice accepted by the Board: e.g. for China, it refers to 三级甲等医院.

Qualifying examination for registration

Applicants who meet the above requirements are required to take and pass the Qualifying Examination conducted by the TCMPB before they can be considered for full registration. The main Qualifying Examination is conducted once a year and is administered in Chinese.

Applicants on Conditional Registration may apply to sit for the Qualifying Examination after completing at least one year of TCM practice in Singapore under conditional registration at an approved local TCM establishment, with no adverse report(s) or complaints.

While the passing of the Qualifying Examination is a pre-requisite for registration, it is not a guarantee of successful registration. Application for registration will be considered by the Board if they meet all the criteria for registration under the TCM Practitioners Act and Regulations. A person may only be granted registration as a TCM practitioner if he is, in the opinion of the Board, a fit and proper person to be granted full or conditional registration as a TCM practitioner.

Changes to the TCMPB Qualifying Examinations

Phase 1: Transition from Singapore TCM Physicians Registration Examination (STRE) to Modified STRE in 2025 and 2026

The Modified-STRE held in 2025 and 2026 will consists of five papers:

Candidates Eligible to sit for Modified-STRE include:

•            Students graduating from local TCM schools in 2025 and 2026
•            Candidates with recognised foreign degrees (after completing 403 hours of clinical attachment locally)
•            All previous candidates who failed STRE and have remaining attempts to take the qualifying examination

Phase 2: Clinical Competency Assessment (CCA) from 2027

The Clinical Competency Assessment (CCA) will replace the Modified-STRE as the new Qualifying Examination format from 2027. The CCA adopts the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) format in addition to the two written papers on Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines and Written Case Analysis, retained from previous formats.

 Candidates eligible to sit for CCA include:

•           The final 2 batches of double degree NTU-BUCM students graduating in 2027 and 2028
•           First and subsequent batches of single NTU TCM degree graduating in 2028 and beyond
•           All students graduating from SCTCM and ICMS in 2027 and beyond
•           Candidates with recognised foreign degrees (after completing 403 hours of clinical attachment locally)
•           All previous candidates who failed STRE and have remaining attempts to take the qualifying examination

Changes to Singapore Acupuncturists Registration Examination (SARE)

The Singapore Acupuncturists Registration Examination (SARE) is opened to Singapore registered western medical practitioners who have completed acupuncture training courses approved by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board.

To place greater emphasis on the clinical competency assessment of candidates, changes to the Singapore Acupuncturists Registration Examination (SARE) has also been implemented since 2025. The Modified-SARE comprises of two papers on Case Analysis and Clinical Appraisal.

Supplementary Examinations

From 2025, a new supplementary examination has been introduced in addition to the main annual Qualifying Examination. This allows candidates who have failed specific components of the main qualifying examination in that corresponding year and who still have remaining attempts, to re-attempt only those failed components.

Candidates who choose not to take the supplementary examination, or who fail the supplementary paper, will be required to sit for the full main qualifying examination in the subsequent year if they are eligible. Please see the TCMPB Examinations Attempt Policy.

TCMPB Examinations Attempt Policy

Number of permitted attempts:

Candidates are permitted a maximum of four attempts at the TCMPB Qualifying Examinations.  Taking a supplementary examination will count as one of the four permitted attempts.

Eligibility period for examinations attempt:

•           Candidates who graduated before 1 January 2023 would be permitted maximum of four attempts within 5 years from the year of their first attempt
•           Candidates who graduated on or after 1 January 2023 would be permitted maximum of four attempts within 6 years from the year of their graduation

Refresher Course

Candidates who have used up all four attempts and have not passed the examination, but wish to continue pursuing TCM practice, may consider enrolling in the one-year refresher course offered by Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SCTCM). Upon successful completion of the course, candidates will be eligible to retake the Qualifying Examination with a new set of four attempts within 6 years from the year of their graduation from the Refresher Course. No further attempts will be granted if they are still unable to pass after these additional four attempts.

Changes to the TCMPB Qualifying Examinations