What this area covers
Clinical-year assessments in Australian medical schools combine written exams (often single best answer questions) with OSCEs and workplace assessments at the end of each rotation and in final year. This page is for students in clinical years preparing for rotation exams and finals.
High-yield topics
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Febrile child | Traffic light red flags |
| Respiratory | Bronchiolitis, croup, asthma |
| Development | Milestones and red flags |
| Immunisation | National schedule |
| Child protection | Mandatory reporting |
OSCE approach
- Introduce yourself and confirm identity.
- Take a focused history or perform the examination asked.
- Summarise findings and give a differential.
- Explain the plan in plain language.
- Safety-net and check understanding.
Worked example
Worked question · Paediatrics
What is first-line treatment for moderate croup?
- A Oral dexamethasone
- B Nebulised salbutamol
- C Oral amoxicillin
- D IV ceftriaxone
- E Antihistamine syrup
Show the reasoning
Answer A. A single dose of oral corticosteroid reduces croup severity; nebulised adrenaline is for severe croup.
A short study plan
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Core presentations |
| 2 | Management and prescribing |
| 3 | OSCE practice and timed questions |
Do a short timed set most days and review every explanation, including the options you ruled out.
Common traps
- Learning lists without clinical reasoning.
- Ignoring Australian guidelines.
- Not practising OSCE stations aloud.
Free sample paediatrics questions
Questions from our Clinical Medicine bank. Choose your answer, then open the explanation.
A 2-year-old has 5 days of fever, red eyes, cracked lips and a rash. What diagnosis must be considered?
- ASimple viral illness
- BHand, foot and mouth disease
- CKawasaki disease
- DScarlet fever
- ERoseola
Show answer and explanation
Answer C. Fever for 5 days with conjunctivitis, mucosal changes, rash and extremity changes suggests Kawasaki disease, needing IVIG to reduce coronary aneurysm risk.
Learning point: Prolonged fever with mucocutaneous signs: think Kawasaki.
A 2-year-old has a barking cough, hoarse voice and stridor only when upset. What is the most appropriate treatment?
- AChest X-ray first
- BAdmit to intensive care
- COral dexamethasone
- DNebulised salbutamol
- EOral amoxicillin
Show answer and explanation
Answer C. Mild croup is treated with a single dose of oral dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg). Nebulised adrenaline is added for severe croup with stridor at rest.
Learning point: Croup: oral dexamethasone; nebulised adrenaline if severe.
A 3-week-old baby has a temperature of 38.4 °C and is feeding less. Examination is otherwise normal. What is the most appropriate management?
- AOral amoxicillin and discharge home
- BFull septic screen and IV antibiotics
- CParacetamol and review again tomorrow
- DViral swab and observe for 24 hours
- EUrine culture only, and treat if it is positive
Show answer and explanation
Answer B. Any fever in an infant under 1 month old needs a full septic workup (blood, urine and CSF cultures) and empirical IV antibiotics because serious bacterial infection is common and signs are subtle.
Learning point: Febrile infant <1 month: full septic screen (incl. LP) and IV antibiotics.
Practise more paediatrics questions free
Every paediatrics subtopic in our bank
The bank holds 11 paediatrics questions across 7 subtopics. You can filter by any of them, build a custom block and track your accuracy subtopic by subtopic.
- Child protection1
- Development1
- Gastroenterology2
- Immunisation1
- Infectious diseases2
- Neonatology2
- Respiratory2
Common questions
Are there OSCE stations for this rotation?
Our clinical medicine product includes stations and cases to practise alongside questions.
Which guidelines should I follow?
Therapeutic Guidelines and Australian national guidelines.
How many paediatrics questions are in the Clinical Medicine bank?
There are 11 paediatrics questions across 7 subtopics, and the bank grows as new questions pass review.
Can I practise only paediatrics questions?
Yes. Filter by area or by any subtopic to build a custom block, in tutor mode with explanations after each question or in timed mode.
How are paediatrics questions explained?
Every question explains why the answer is right and why each other option is wrong, with a learning point and the Australian source behind it.
How much of the Clinical Medicine mock is paediatrics?
About 15 questions in each 120-question mock come from paediatrics, following our mock blueprint.
Which sources is this paediatrics page based on?
It summarises current Australian guidance, including Therapeutic Guidelines; Australian Medical Council. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.
When was this paediatrics 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 Clinical Medicine questions?
Choose a Clinical Medicine plan: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months of access, from A$29.99, one payment with no auto-renew. It opens every area, not just paediatrics.
Sources
Clinical content is summarised from current Australian guidance at the date above. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.