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 |
|---|---|
| MSE | Appearance to insight |
| Risk assessment | Suicide and harm to others |
| Mood disorders | Depression, bipolar |
| Psychosis | Schizophrenia, first episode |
| Substance use | Alcohol and withdrawal |
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 · Psychiatry
A man believes his thoughts are being broadcast to others. What is this?
- A Thought broadcasting
- B Thought insertion by others
- C A delusion of guilt
- D Flight of ideas
- E An obsessional thought
Show the reasoning
Answer A. Thought broadcasting is a first-rank symptom of schizophrenia.
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 psychiatry questions
Questions from our Clinical Medicine bank. Choose your answer, then open the explanation.
Which is first-line medicine for moderate depression in adults?
- AA benzodiazepine
- BAn SSRI
- CAn antipsychotic
- DLithium
- EValproate
Show answer and explanation
Answer B. SSRIs such as sertraline or escitalopram are first-line, combined with psychological therapy.
Learning point: Moderate depression: SSRI plus therapy.
A 30-year-old has 3 weeks of low mood, poor sleep and loss of interest, without suicidal intent. Which first-line treatment is appropriate for moderate depression?
- AA benzodiazepine taken each night
- BLithium carbonate titrated to level
- CA course of electroconvulsive therapy
- DA low-dose antipsychotic medication
- EPsychological therapy and/or an SSRI
Show answer and explanation
Answer E. Moderate depression is treated with evidence-based psychological therapy (such as CBT) and/or an SSRI, with follow-up within 1–2 weeks and safety planning.
Learning point: Moderate depression: psychological therapy and/or SSRI; review in 1–2 weeks.
A 24-year-old on olanzapine for schizophrenia has gained 9 kg in 6 months. What monitoring is most important?
- AFasting glucose and lipids
- BThyroid function tests every month
- CSerum prolactin level only
- DAn annual ECG and nothing else
- ELiver ultrasound every six months
Show answer and explanation
Answer A. Second-generation antipsychotics, especially olanzapine and clozapine, cause metabolic syndrome. Monitor weight, waist, BP, fasting glucose/HbA1c and lipids regularly.
Learning point: SGAs: monitor weight, BP, glucose and lipids.
Practise more psychiatry questions free
Every psychiatry subtopic in our bank
The bank holds 10 psychiatry questions across 10 subtopics. You can filter by any of them, build a custom block and track your accuracy subtopic by subtopic.
- Anxiety disorders1
- Bipolar disorder1
- Delirium1
- Depression1
- Eating disorders1
- Mental health act1
- Mood disorders1
- Psychosis1
- Risk assessment1
- Substance use1
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 psychiatry questions are in the Clinical Medicine bank?
There are 10 psychiatry questions across 10 subtopics, and the bank grows as new questions pass review.
Can I practise only psychiatry 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 psychiatry 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 psychiatry?
About 15 questions in each 120-question mock come from psychiatry, following our mock blueprint.
Which sources is this psychiatry 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 psychiatry 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 psychiatry.
Sources
Clinical content is summarised from current Australian guidance at the date above. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.