The exam at a glance
The AMC CAT MCQ is the first exam on the Standard pathway for international medical graduates. It checks whether you can apply medical knowledge at the level expected of a newly graduated doctor starting internship in Australia, in an Australian clinical context.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions, all of which must be answered |
| Question type | A-type: one best answer from five options; some include images, X-rays, ECGs or scans |
| Time | 3.5 hours in one session |
| Delivery | Computer adaptive test (CAT) at Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and other countries |
| Scoring | Scaled score from 0 to 500; the pass mark is 250 |
| Navigation | No skipping, no going back and no changing an answer once submitted |
| Results | Released in your AMC account at 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after your exam |
| Fee | A$2,920 for an MCQ authorisation (AMC fees page, November 2026) |
Summarised from the AMC MCQ specifications (version 8, September 2025) and the AMC website as at the date above. Always confirm current details on the AMC MCQ examination page before you book.
What the exam covers
The AMC builds each exam to a blueprint. Questions are spread across patient groups, and each question also tests one of three clinician tasks.
| Patient group | Share of the exam | About this many questions |
|---|---|---|
| Adult health: medicine | 30% | 45 |
| Adult health: surgery | 20% | 30 |
| Women's health (obstetrics and gynaecology) | 12.5% | 19 |
| Child health | 12.5% | 19 |
| Mental health | 12.5% | 19 |
| Population health and ethics | 12.5% | 19 |
The question counts are our approximation from the published percentages; the AMC does not publish exact counts per group, and your adaptive exam will vary slightly.
The three clinician tasks
- Data gathering: what to ask, examine or check first in a given presentation.
- Data interpretation and synthesis: reading results, images and ECGs, and reaching the most likely diagnosis.
- Management: the next best step, the right drug and dose, when to refer, and how to follow up.
Half of the exam is adult medicine and surgery, but the other half is spread evenly across four areas that many candidates under-prepare. Population health and ethics alone is worth about as much as all of child health.
How the adaptive format works
In a computer adaptive test, every candidate gets a different exam. The first question is drawn at random. After each answer, the computer re-estimates your ability: a correct answer usually leads to a harder question, and an incorrect answer to an easier one. The estimate becomes more precise as the exam goes on.
- You cannot judge your performance from how hard it feels. A strong candidate is pushed onto difficult questions, so feeling stretched is expected.
- Each answer is final. Since the AMC removed item review, you cannot skip a question and return to it, or change an answer you have submitted.
- There is no penalty for a wrong answer, but you must answer all 150. An unfinished exam may be recorded as a fail because of insufficient data.
- Two candidates with the same number of correct answers can get different scores, because harder questions carry more weight in the ability estimate.
How scaled scores and the pass mark work is explained in detail in our guide to AMC MCQ scoring and results.
Where the MCQ sits in your pathway
- Check that your medical school, degree and graduation year are eligible.
- Create your MyIntealth account and EPIC portfolio with ECFMG, then your AMC account and initial portfolio.
- Have your primary medical qualification verified.
- Apply for an MCQ authorisation, then schedule a date and venue with Pearson VUE.
- After passing, complete the AMC Clinical Examination or an accredited workplace-based assessment, then supervised practice towards general registration.
The application steps, documents and fees are covered in our AMC MCQ eligibility and application guide, and the three registration routes in our guide to pathways for IMGs.
What separates passing candidates
Most candidates who fail the AMC MCQ are competent doctors. The marks are usually lost on the Australian approach rather than on core medicine:
- Choosing the investigation an Australian guideline would choose first, not the most definitive one.
- Knowing Australian screening ages and intervals, the National Immunisation Program schedule and notifiable diseases.
- Prescribing the first-line drug in Therapeutic Guidelines rather than the one used in your home country.
- Recognising when consent, confidentiality, mandatory reporting or capacity is the real question being asked.
- Keeping pace: 3.5 hours for 150 questions is 84 seconds a question, with no time saved by coming back later.
The thinking errors behind these are covered in common clinical reasoning mistakes in the AMC MCQ.
A preparation plan that matches the blueprint
A realistic plan for a doctor working full time is 12 to 24 weeks of steady study. Use the blueprint to decide where your hours go, and your own results to decide what to repeat.
| Phase | Weeks | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnose | 1 | Sit a timed 50 to 100 question mixed block. Record your accuracy by patient group and clinician task. |
| Build | 2 to 10 | Study one discipline at a time, weighted to the blueprint. Do topic questions in tutor mode and read every explanation. |
| Integrate | 11 to 14 | Mixed timed blocks of 50 questions. Rework every miss and keep a list of Australian specifics. |
| Simulate | Final 2 to 4 | At least three full 150-question papers in 3.5 hours, answered in order with no going back, exactly as the real exam runs. |
A week-by-week version, with hours per discipline, is in our AMC MCQ subject-wise study roadmap. When you are close to your date, read what to expect on AMC MCQ exam day.
Common questions
How many questions are in the AMC CAT MCQ?
There are 150 multiple-choice questions, each with five options and one best answer, sat in a single 3.5-hour session. All 150 must be answered.
What is the pass mark for the AMC MCQ?
Results are reported on a scale from 0 to 500, and a passing score is 250. Because the exam is adaptive, 250 is not a fixed percentage of correct answers.
Can I go back and change answers in the AMC MCQ?
No. The AMC removed item review, so you cannot skip questions, return to them or change an answer once it is submitted.
Is the AMC MCQ negatively marked?
No. There is no deduction for a wrong answer, so always choose an option, but you must complete all 150 questions to get a valid result.
How long does it take to get AMC MCQ results?
Results are released in your AMC account at 4.00pm on the Friday, three weeks after your exam.
Does an AMC MCQ pass expire?
According to the AMC, a CAT MCQ examination result does not expire.