AMC MCQ eligibility and how to apply

Who can apply

To use the Standard pathway you need a primary medical qualification: a final medical diploma or degree in clinical medicine and surgery from an eligible training institution. The AMC publishes a tool to check your medical school, degree title and graduation year. Run that check first, before you pay any fees.

• Your degree must be verified at source before you can progress to AMC examinations and assessments.
• Registrations, licences, internship certificates, PhDs, science degrees and short courses are not eligible portfolio items, and adding them incurs an administration fee.
• Doctors who qualify for the Competent Authority pathway or Specialist pathway may not need the AMC MCQ at all. See our pathways guide.

Step by step

1. Confirm eligibility. Check your school, degree and graduation year with the AMC eligibility tool.
2. Create a MyIntealth account and EPIC portfolio with ECFMG. Your MyIntealth ID usually arrives within 3 business days. Verification data only reaches the AMC once this account and portfolio are active.
3. Create your AMC account. If you made one before 1 October 2015, you need a new one.
4. Establish your AMC initial portfolio using your MyIntealth ID. The AMC reviews it within about 5 business days.
5. Have your qualification verified. Add your ECFMG-verified qualifications to your AMC account. The AMC can only mark verification as received once the report arrives. This can run alongside steps 3 and 4.
6. Apply for an MCQ authorisation in your AMC account and pay the fee.
7. Schedule with Pearson VUE. Choose a date and venue directly with Pearson VUE within your authorisation period.

Steps summarised from the AMC how-to-apply page and candidate guidance at the date above. Processes change, so follow the current instructions in your AMC account.

What it costs

ECFMG charges separately for EPIC verification. From 1 October 2026 the AMC stopped charging a card payment surcharge.

Fees from the AMC fees page in November 2026. They change, so check before you pay.

Your authorisation window

• An MCQ authorisation is valid for 12 months from payment, and you can schedule one exam event within it.
• You can only hold one examination application at a time and must wait for results before applying for another.
• You can reschedule up to the closing date for your event, but not after it. The AMC does not grant extensions to authorisations.
• Cancellation is only accepted in extenuating circumstances. Visa problems and travel delays are not accepted grounds.
• Refunds: 75% if you cancel with supporting evidence within one month of payment, 50% if you cancel after one month but before the authorisation ends, and none for non-attendance.

Booking a venue

Pearson VUE runs the exam for the AMC at venues in Australia and many other countries. Popular centres and dates fill early, so schedule as soon as you know when you will be ready, leaving room to reschedule before the closing date.

• Your name in Pearson VUE must match your identification exactly.
• Candidates whose primary residence is in a country under US sanctions may not be able to sit, and Pearson VUE may ask for proof of residence elsewhere. Check the AMC notices if this applies to you.
• If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability or medical condition, apply through the AMC well before you schedule.

English language and the next steps

Passing the MCQ does not cover English. For registration you must also meet the Medical Board of Australia English language skills registration standard, usually through IELTS, OET, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT at the required scores, unless you qualify for an exemption. Test results must be recent when you apply to Ahpra, so time your English test with your registration plans.

After the MCQ comes the AMC Clinical Examination or an accredited workplace-based assessment. See how the AMC Clinical is assessed.

Common questions