AMC CAT MCQ: pattern, pass mark, fee and syllabus
The AMC CAT MCQ is the first exam of the AMC Standard Pathway for international medical graduates who want to practise in Australia. It is a computer adaptive test set at the level of a graduating Australian medical student.
Checked against the official sources below on 21 October 2026.
At a glance
| Run by | Australian Medical Council (AMC); delivered by Pearson VUE[1] |
|---|---|
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions, each with one correct answer out of five options[1] |
| Time | One 3.5-hour session[1] |
| Format | Computer adaptive: you must answer each question before moving on, and you cannot go back to change an answer[2] |
| Negative marking | None: marks are not deducted for wrong answers[2] |
| Level | A graduating final-year medical student in Australia[2] |
| Scoring | An ability score on a scale of 0 to 500, not a count of correct answers[2] |
| Pass mark | Reported as 250 on that scale; from 2026 the underlying standard is slightly higher, still shown as 250[2][3] |
| Unfinished exam | Not completing all 150 questions can mean a fail for insufficient data[2] |
| Results | In your AMC account at 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam[1] |
| Fee | AUD 2,920 for the CAT MCQ examination authorisation (fees are free of GST)[4] |
| Booking | Your authorisation is valid for 12 months; you then book a venue directly with Pearson VUE[1] |
| Where | Pearson VUE centres in Australia and other countries, listed on Pearson VUE's AMC page[1][5] |
Syllabus
The AMC's MCQ specification gives these content areas and their share of the exam. Questions are also classified by clinician task: data gathering, data interpretation and synthesis, and management.
Adult health: medicine (30%)[2]
- Adult and aged care
- Medical sciences: physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pharmacology
- Pathobiology and pathophysiology
- Clinical skills and current management
Adult health: surgery (20%)[2]
- Adult and aged care
- Medical sciences foundation
- Procedural interventions
- Principles of treatment and current management
Women's health: obstetrics and gynaecology (12.5%)[2]
- Gynaecology
- Obstetrics: pregnancy, labour, birth and the post-natal period
- Reproductive basic sciences
Child health (12.5%)[2]
- Fetal development to the end of adolescence
- Growth, puberty and intellectual development
- Medical and surgical conditions of childhood
- Developmental disability
- Emergency, ambulatory, inpatient and convalescent care
Mental health (12.5%)[2]
- Psychological, behavioural and mental disorders
- Addictions
- Mental state examination
- Psychological, physical, pharmacological and psychotherapeutic management
Population health and ethics (12.5%)[2]
- Screening, surveillance and vaccination
- Epidemiology
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Ethics: boundaries, confidentiality, informed consent, doctor impairment
- Australian health care law and regulation
Good to know
- Before any AMC exam, your primary medical degree must be verified through ECFMG's EPIC service. The steps run in order: check your school and degree are eligible, set up MyIntealth and an EPIC portfolio, open an AMC account and initial portfolio, then apply for your pathway.[6][7]
- Setting up the initial AMC portfolio (with one qualification) costs AUD 642.[4]
- You can only have one MCQ application at a time; a new one waits until the results of the one you have scheduled are out.[2]
- Buying the authorisation includes the AMC's preparation app with 210 practice questions, valid for 12 months.[2]
- After the MCQ comes the AMC Clinical Examination: 16 assessed stations and four rest stations, open only once you have passed the CAT MCQ.[8]
Practise for the AMC MCQ
Questions by topic, marked instantly with an explanation.
Practise AMC questionsSources
- AMC: CAT MCQ examination
- AMC: MCQ examination specifications, version 8, September 2025 (PDF)
- AMC: Update to the MCQ examination pass standard
- AMC: Fees and charges
- Pearson VUE: Australian Medical Council
- AMC: How to apply
- AMC: Primary source verification
- AMC: Clinical examination
Waraq is an independent study platform, not affiliated with the Australian Medical Council (AMC). Exam rules change from year to year: always confirm with the official source before you register or apply.