Australian Medical Council exam

So what exactly is the Australian Medical Council exam, and will you have to do it?

The AMC examinations are a series of exams set to test the knowledge of freshly qualified graduates of Australian medical schools who are about to begin intern training. The exams test medical knowledge, clinical skills, and attitudes and it is a requirement that students pass these exams before beginning their training.

If you are an international medical graduate (IMG) looking to work in Australia, you may be required to take this exam also, this will depend on which pathway you are eligible for.

The exams include a computer adaptive test (CAT), multiple-choice question (MCQ) examination, and either an AMC Clinical examination or workplace-based assessment.

The AMC Clinical Examination not only assesses clinical skills in medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics and psychiatry, but it also looks at students' ability to communicate with patients, their families, and their peers and colleagues.

How can I write an Australian Medical Council exam?

If you are interested in taking the AMC exam, the first step is to follow the pathways chart on the AMC website to see if you are eligible. If you get the green light you can then submit a request to the AMC for authorisation to book in for a MCQ examination event. This can be done online or you can ask for a paper form.

You will then be issued with a 12-month authorisation to schedule for one MCQ examination event covered in that 12-month period. You can apply to write for the Australian Medical Council exam on the AMC website.

Is the Australian medical licensing exam tough?

Becoming a doctor is hard, which is why medicine is a collective of some of the brightest minds in the world. So yes, the Australian Medical Council exam, is tough. It is said to be one of the hardest examinations a doctor-in-training will ever take.

The AMC Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) MCQ Exam contains 150 multiple-choice questions. These are delivered in a three-and-a-half-hour session in examination centres across the globe.

The AMC clinical examination consists of 16 assessed stations and 4 rest stations. The stations are of 10 minutes duration (which includes two minutes reading time, and eight minutes of assessment time). The exam is delivered by video or at a location arranged by the doctor taking the exam.

Some International doctors who are in the Standard Pathway can take their clinical exam in the workplace by AMC-accredited providers. This is used instead of AMC Clinical Examination.

How do I get a medical license in Australia?

Your pathway to getting your medical license in Australia is dependent on a number of factors, like where you completed your medical training. For example, if you completed your training in the UK or Ireland you could be eligible for the Competent Authority Pathway. If you have already passed PLAB you will not need to sit the AMC exam.

Alternatively, you could be eligible for the Standard Pathway which involves passing the (CAT MCQ) and the clinical examination of the Australian Medical Council (AMC), or an approved workplace-based assessment program.

If you are an IMG looking to work in Australia, we suggest that you register and one of our team will be in touch to help you assess your eligibility and decide upon the appropriate pathway. We can guide you through getting your medical license, finding a job, and making the move, and our service is completely free for doctors.

Is PLAB for Australia?

If you have completed Professional Linguistics Assessment Board (PLAB) in the UK, the short answer to this question is yes! PLAB will be accepted by the Medical Board of Australia and this means that you do not have to sit the AMC exams.

We hope that you found this information useful, if you have any more questions about passing your AMC exams and practising medicine in Australia, please register and one of our dedicated team can assist.