What history stations test
The AMC Clinical is 16 assessed stations plus rest stations: 2 minutes of reading, then 8 minutes in the station. Fourteen stations are scored, and a pass needs a pass on 9 or more of them. Each station gets a global rating on a 7-point scale, informed by 2 to 5 key steps and 3 to 5 assessment domains. Read how the AMC Clinical is marked for the detail.
The history domain asks for key symptoms, relevant positives and negatives, and questions guided by earlier answers. Approach to the patient, diagnosis and counselling are often marked in the same station.
A focused method
- Open: "Tell me what has been happening." Listen for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Clarify the main symptom with SOCRATES or a similar structure.
- Think of the top three diagnoses and ask the questions that separate them.
- Ask red flags for the dangerous diagnosis.
- Cover background: past history, medicines, allergies, family, social and function.
- Ask ideas, concerns and expectations.
- Summarise back to the patient.
Discriminating questions by presentation
| Presentation | Discriminating questions |
|---|---|
| Chest pain | Exertional? Radiation? Pleuritic? Calf swelling? Cardiac risk factors? |
| Headache | Sudden onset? Worst ever? Fever, neck stiffness? Neurology? Morning vomiting? |
| Weight loss | Appetite? Night sweats? GI symptoms? Thyroid symptoms? Mood? |
| Breathlessness | Orthopnoea, PND, oedema? Wheeze? Fever? Haemoptysis? |
| Abdominal pain | Site and radiation? Bowel change? Vomiting? Last menstrual period? |
Background history that changes management
- Medicines, including over-the-counter and complementary products, and adherence.
- Alcohol, smoking and drugs, quantified.
- Occupation and driving.
- Who is at home and how they cope.
- Cultural background and language needs.
Worked station: headache history
Station walk-through · History taking
Candidate brief: A 45-year-old woman has a headache. Take a focused history (6 minutes) and tell the examiner your most likely diagnosis and differentials (2 minutes).
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0:00 to 1:00 | Open question; onset, site, character, severity |
| 1:00 to 3:00 | Red flags: thunderclap, fever, neck stiffness, neurological symptoms, papilloedema symptoms, new over 50 |
| 3:00 to 5:00 | Pattern, triggers, analgesic use (overuse), mood, sleep, contraception |
| 5:00 to 6:00 | Concerns ("Is it a tumour?") |
| 6:00 to 8:00 | Present diagnosis with supporting features and differentials |
Where candidates lose marks: missing analgesic overuse and not addressing the fear of a tumour.
Using the 2 minutes of reading time
- Read the setting: general practice, ward, emergency department or telehealth changes what is realistic.
- Underline each task and its time allocation, and plan your 8 minutes to match.
- Note the patient's age, sex and any cue in the brief (a medicine, an occupation, a family member present).
- Write a short list of the 3 diagnoses you must separate and the one dangerous condition you must not miss.
- In a history station, write the 3 diagnoses you must separate and one question that splits each pair.
- Decide your opening sentence so you start calmly.
Check the current AMC candidate information for what you may bring or write during reading time. Whatever you plan, keep it short: there is no time to read a long list in the room.
High-yield stations to prepare
History stations appear in every discipline. These are among the ones our candidates find most useful to rehearse.
| Station | Likely task | Key step examiners look for |
|---|---|---|
| Breathlessness and ankle swelling | Medicine | Heart failure features and precipitant |
| Sudden severe headache | Medicine | Thunderclap onset |
| Rectal bleeding | Surgery | Red flags and family history |
| Back pain with red flags | Surgery | Cauda equina and malignancy |
| Periods have stopped | Women's health | Pregnancy first |
| Fever in a 6-week-old | Child health | Age-based red flags |
| Limping 4-year-old | Child health | Fever and weight bearing |
| Suicide risk assessment | Mental health | Direct risk questions |
| Elevated mood | Mental health | Mania and safety |
| Weight loss in a teenager | Mental health | Eating disorder with vital signs |
A one-week practice plan
| Day | Practice |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Read the structure on this page and run 2 history stations untimed with a partner |
| Day 2 | Run 3 stations with the 2-minute reading timer and an 8-minute station timer |
| Day 3 | Record 2 stations on your phone; watch for jargon, interruptions and missed tasks |
| Day 4 | Swap roles: play the patient and the examiner, marking against the checklist |
| Day 5 | Run 3 new stations back to back with a 2-minute gap, as on exam day |
| Day 6 | Repeat the stations where your global rating was below 4 |
| Day 7 | Rest, then review your notes on the common mistakes below |
Our station bank lets you filter by discipline and station type, so you can follow this plan for each area of the exam.
Common history mistakes
- Interrupting the opening statement.
- A checklist with no reasoning.
- Skipping medicines.
- Not quantifying alcohol or smoking.
- Running out of time before the diagnosis task.
Practise these as timed stations with a partner playing the patient and another marking against the checklist. Each of our history taking stations has a candidate brief, role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and a model approach.
Free sample history taking stations
Candidate briefs from our AMC Clinical station bank. Read the task, plan your 8 minutes, then open the marking checklist.
Breathlessness and ankle swelling (8 minutes)
You are a doctor in a general practice in regional Victoria. Mrs Margaret O'Neill, 72, has come in because she is short of breath.
Tasks:
- Take a focused history (5 minutes).
- Tell the patient your most likely diagnosis and the investigations you would arrange (3 minutes).
Show the marking checklist
- Introduces self, confirms identity and gains consent
- Characterises breathlessness: onset, progression, exercise tolerance in concrete terms
- Asks about orthopnoea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea (critical)
- Asks about ankle swelling and weight gain
- Screens for chest pain, palpitations, cough, fever and calf pain
- Takes a full medication history and identifies that metoprolol was stopped (critical)
- Asks about cardiac history and risk factors
- Uses clear, jargon-free explanation of likely heart failure
- Names ECG, chest X-ray, BNP or NT-proBNP and echocardiogram (critical)
- Includes bloods: FBC, UEC, LFT, TSH, HbA1c and lipids
- Responds to the question about hospital honestly, with safety-netting
The full station adds the role-player script, examiner notes and a model approach.
Right upper quadrant pain (8 minutes)
You are an emergency department resident. Ms Chloe Nguyen, 41, has come in with abdominal pain.
Tasks:
- Take a focused history (5 minutes).
- Give the examiner your differential diagnosis and initial management (3 minutes).
Observations: T 38.2°C, HR 102, BP 124/78, RR 18, SpO₂ 98% on air.
The role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and model approach open with a plan.
Practise history taking stations free
Every history taking station in our bank
The bank holds 21 history taking stations across 5 specialties: Adult Medicine (4), Adult Surgery (4), Child Health (4), Mental Health (7), Women's Health (2). Each one has a candidate brief, role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and model approach.
- Breathlessness and ankle swellingAdult Medicine · free
- Baby not gaining weightChild Health
- Back pain with red flagsAdult Surgery
- Bleeding after menopauseWomen's Health
- Chest pain on exertionAdult Medicine
- Confusion in an older manMental Health
- Difficulty swallowing and weight lossAdult Surgery
- Elevated mood and not sleepingMental Health
- Fever in a 6-week-old babyChild Health
- First episode of psychosisMental Health
- Limping 4-year-oldChild Health
- Low mood after childbirthMental Health
- Methamphetamine useMental Health
- Periods have stoppedWomen's Health
- Rectal bleeding and change in bowel habitAdult Surgery
- Right upper quadrant painAdult Surgery
- Sudden severe headacheAdult Medicine
- Suicide risk assessmentMental Health
- Tiredness for three monthsAdult Medicine
- Toddler not talkingChild Health
- Weight loss in a teenagerMental Health
Common questions
How long should a history take in the AMC Clinical?
Use the time given in the candidate instructions, often 5 to 6 minutes, leaving time for the second task.
Should I use a fixed template?
Use a structure, but tailor questions to this patient. Examiners mark down rote lists.
What is ICE?
Ideas, concerns and expectations: what the patient thinks, fears and hopes for.
How many history taking stations are in the AMC Clinical bank?
There are 21 history taking stations, each with a candidate brief, role-player script, examiner notes, a marking checklist and a model approach.
Can I try history taking stations for free?
Yes. 1 history taking station is free with a free account, including the marking checklist.
How should I practise history taking stations?
Work with a study partner: one plays the patient using the role-player script, the other marks with the checklist. Keep strictly to 2 minutes of reading and 8 minutes in the station.
Which sources is this history taking page based on?
It summarises current Australian guidance, including AMC Clinical examination specifications; AMC Clinical examination: tips from examiners. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.
When was this history taking guide last updated?
It was last reviewed on 9 November 2026. We update topic pages when the exam or Australian guidance changes.
How do I unlock all AMC Clinical stations?
Choose a AMC Clinical plan: 3 or 6 months of access, from A$89, one payment with no auto-renew. It opens every area, not just history taking.
Sources
Clinical content is summarised from current Australian guidance at the date above. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.