How to split your hours
If you can give 15 hours a week for 16 weeks, you have about 240 hours. Spend roughly 70% on learning by discipline and 30% on mixed timed practice and full mocks.
| Patient group | Blueprint weight | Learning hours (of 170) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult medicine | 30% | 51 |
| Adult surgery | 20% | 34 |
| Women's health | 12.5% | 21 |
| Child health | 12.5% | 21 |
| Mental health | 12.5% | 21 |
| Population health and ethics | 12.5% | 21 |
The remaining 70 hours go to mixed timed blocks and at least three full 150-question papers. If your diagnostic block shows a weak area, move hours to it from your strongest.
The 16-week plan
| Weeks | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnostic: mixed timed block of 100 questions | Record accuracy by group |
| 2 to 5 | Adult medicine: cardiology, respiratory, gastroenterology, endocrinology, renal, neurology, haematology, infectious diseases | Topic blocks in tutor mode |
| 6 to 7 | Adult surgery: acute abdomen, trauma, vascular, urology, breast, orthopaedics, perioperative care | Topic blocks, then one timed 50 |
| 8 | Women's health: antenatal care, pregnancy complications, contraception, menstrual disorders, cervical screening | Topic blocks |
| 9 | Child health: neonates, febrile child, growth and development, immunisation, common infections | Topic blocks |
| 10 | Mental health: depression, psychosis, risk assessment, substance use, Mental Health Act principles | Topic blocks |
| 11 | Population health and ethics: screening, statistics, notifiable diseases, consent, confidentiality, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health | Topic blocks |
| 12 to 13 | Mixed revision of weakest two groups | Daily timed blocks of 50 |
| 14 to 16 | Exam simulation | Three full papers, reviewed in full |
High-value topics in each area
Adult medicine
- Chest pain pathways, ECG interpretation and acute coronary syndrome management.
- Asthma and COPD stepwise management using Australian guidance.
- Type 2 diabetes medicines, targets and complications.
- Electrolyte problems, acute kidney injury and fluids.
- Antibiotic choice from Therapeutic Guidelines for common infections.
Adult surgery
- Acute abdomen: which imaging first and when to operate.
- Trauma primary survey and head injury decision rules.
- Postoperative complications by day after surgery.
- Breast lumps and the triple test.
Women's health
- Antenatal screening schedule and gestational diabetes testing.
- Bleeding in early and late pregnancy, pre-eclampsia and postpartum haemorrhage.
- Contraception choice and emergency contraception.
- The National Cervical Screening Program: HPV testing every 5 years from 25 to 74.
Child health
- The febrile infant and red flags.
- The National Immunisation Program schedule.
- Developmental milestones and when to refer.
- Bronchiolitis, croup, gastroenteritis and dehydration.
Mental health
- Suicide risk assessment and safety planning.
- First-episode psychosis and antipsychotic side effects.
- Alcohol withdrawal and Wernicke encephalopathy.
- Capacity, involuntary treatment principles and confidentiality.
Population health and ethics
- Screening principles, sensitivity, specificity and predictive values.
- National bowel (45 to 74), breast (50 to 74) and cervical screening programs.
- Notifiable diseases and contact tracing.
- Consent, capacity, mature minors, confidentiality and mandatory reporting.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks and cultural safety.
How to study each topic
- Read a short, Australian-referenced summary of the topic.
- Do 20 to 40 questions on it in tutor mode, reading the explanation for every option, including the ones you got right.
- Write one line for each fact you missed that is specific to Australia: a screening age, a first-line drug, a referral rule.
- Revisit that list every week. It becomes your final-week revision sheet.
Which resources to use
Keep your resource list short and Australian. Too many sources slows you down and gives conflicting answers.
| Need | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Exam format and blueprint | The AMC MCQ examination specifications and the AMC free practice app |
| Antibiotics and common prescribing | Therapeutic Guidelines and the Australian Medicines Handbook |
| Immunisation | The Australian Immunisation Handbook and the National Immunisation Program schedule |
| Screening and prevention | The RACGP Red Book and the national cancer screening program websites |
| Ethics and professional conduct | Good Medical Practice: the Medical Board of Australia code of conduct |
| Question practice | A question bank with Australian-referenced explanations and full-length adaptive-style mocks |
Access to some references depends on your hospital, university or a subscription. Always check you are reading the current edition.
If you have less time
With 8 weeks, keep the same proportions but halve the learning hours, and begin mixed timed blocks from week 3. With more than 16 weeks, add a second pass through your weakest two groups before the simulation phase. Whatever the length, never skip the full papers: pacing 150 questions with no going back is a skill of its own. See our exam-day guide for pacing checkpoints.
Common questions
How many hours should I study for the AMC MCQ?
Many working doctors plan 150 to 300 hours over 3 to 6 months. The right amount depends on your recent clinical experience and your diagnostic results.
Which subject is most important in the AMC MCQ?
Adult medicine is 30% of the blueprint and adult surgery 20%, so together they are half the exam. The other four groups are 12.5% each.
Should I study by discipline or do mixed questions?
Both. Learn by discipline first, then move to mixed timed blocks so you practise switching between topics as you will in the exam.
Is population health really worth studying separately?
Yes. Population health and ethics is 12.5% of the exam, about the same as child health, and it relies on Australian programs and law that are easy to miss.