AMC CAT MCQ Exam Explained: Format, V8 Blueprint, Fees and Scoring (2026–27)
The AMC Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) MCQ is the first examination on the Australian Medical Council's Standard Pathway for international medical graduates. This guide pulls together what the AMC itself publishes — the format, the September 2025 (V8) blueprint, how the score works, what it costs and how to book — so you can plan your preparation around the real exam rather than forum folklore.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions, one correct answer from five options |
| Time | One 3.5-hour session (about 84 seconds per question on average) |
| Delivery | Computer adaptive test at Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and overseas |
| Score | Reported on a 0–500 scale; pass described as 250 (standard raised slightly from 2026) |
| Fee | AUD 2,920 for the examination authorisation (GST-free); AUD 642 to establish an AMC portfolio |
| Results | In your AMC account at 4.00 pm on the Friday three weeks after your exam event |
| Standard | A graduating final-year Australian medical student about to begin the intern year |
Where the MCQ sits in the AMC pathway
On the Standard Pathway you first create an AMC account and portfolio (your primary medical degree is verified through ECFMG's primary-source verification), then sit the CAT MCQ. After a pass you complete either the AMC Clinical Examination or an accredited Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) program. When that result and your verification are recorded, the AMC issues an electronic AMC Certificate, which is the document you use to apply for registration with the Medical Board of Australia through Ahpra.
The format: 150 questions, adaptive delivery
The exam is a single 3.5-hour session of 150 single-best-answer questions with five options. The AMC states plainly that you are "expected to complete all 150 scored items" — and the specifications warn that a candidate who does not finish may receive a result of Fail – insufficient data to obtain result. Pacing is therefore not optional: budget roughly 80 seconds per question and never leave the last block unanswered.
"Computer adaptive" means the test chooses your next question based on how you are going. The first item is drawn at random; a correct answer tends to be followed by a harder item and an incorrect one by an easier item. At least half of the items come from a calibrated pool, and the remainder are newer items that are inspected and calibrated before they are used for scoring. Two candidates in the same room therefore see different sets of questions, and your final result is a scaled score, not a count of correct answers.
Practical consequence: because the questions adapt to you, "it felt hard" is not a bad sign — a well-prepared candidate is deliberately pushed to harder items. Judge your readiness on timed, blueprint-weighted mocks, not on how difficult the real exam feels on the day.
The V8 blueprint (September 2025)
The MCQ Examination Specifications (version 8, September 2025) set the content mix by patient group. These are the only percentages the AMC publishes:
| Patient group | Share of exam | ≈ questions of 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Health – Medicine | 30% | 45 |
| Adult Health – Surgery | 20% | 30 |
| Women's Health (obstetrics & gynaecology) | 12.5% | 18–19 |
| Child Health | 12.5% | 18–19 |
| Mental Health | 12.5% | 18–19 |
| Population Health & Ethics | 12.5% | 18–19 |
A second dimension, "clinician tasks", classifies every item as data gathering, data interpretation and synthesis, or management — but no weightings are published for it. Content spans the disease process, clinical examination and diagnosis, and investigation, therapy and management, and the standard is explicitly that of a graduating Australian medical student about to start internship. In practice that means Australian guidelines and context: Therapeutic Guidelines, PBS prescribing norms, national screening programs, local notifiable-disease and consent rules, and Indigenous health, which the AMC specifically asks candidates to be familiar with.
Half of the paper is adult medicine and surgery, so that is where most of your study hours belong — but the four 12.5% groups together make up the other half, and Population Health & Ethics in particular is where candidates trained outside Australia most often lose easy marks.
How the score works — and the 2026 change
Results are reported on a 0–500 scale with the pass mark described as 250. In December 2025 the AMC announced "a slight increase" to the pass standard for the MCQ from 2026, after benchmarking against Australian medical schools. The scale and the 250 figure are unchanged; the higher cut score is simply integrated into the scale. The content, format and structure of the exam did not change, and results from 2025 sittings were not reassessed.
Results are released through your AMC account at 4.00 pm (AEST/AEDT) on the Friday three weeks after your examination event. They are issued by the AMC, not Pearson VUE, and since 2026 the AMC no longer offers a results-verification (re-mark) service for the computer-marked MCQ.
Booking and fees
- Apply for an authorisation in your AMC account. It is valid for 12 months and costs AUD 2,920 (the fee was reduced from AUD 3,124 in 2024). AMC fees are GST-free, and from 1 October 2026 the AMC no longer adds card surcharges.
- Schedule with Pearson VUE. Choose a test centre and date from the AMC's exam events; you can reschedule or cancel up to 21 days before the sitting.
- On the day: arrive at least 30 minutes early with the required ID. Personal items including phones, paper, pens and tissues are not allowed in the room; a whiteboard and marker are provided.
For budgeting, the later steps currently cost AUD 3,000 (Clinical Examination in person) or AUD 3,400 (online), or AUD 1,070 for the WBA pathway fee — plus the AUD 642 portfolio fee (AUD 107 for each additional qualification) at the start.
Preparing: what the AMC recommends, and what to add
The AMC's own advice is two steps: read the Examination Specifications, and practise with the free MCQ Preparation App it produces with eMedici — 210 questions with feedback, available for 12 months to anyone holding an MCQ authorisation, and refreshed with new items each year (the 2026 refresh was scheduled for April). It is a good calibration tool, but 210 items is not a preparation program for a 150-question adaptive exam drawn from a large pool.
What candidates who pass tend to add is volume with structure: a bank large enough to cover every blueprint group at the right proportions, explanations that teach the Australian approach rather than just the answer, and full-length timed mocks in the real 150-question, 3.5-hour format so that pacing becomes automatic. Track your performance by patient group, not just overall, and spend the final weeks on your two weakest groups.
Practise the way the exam is built
AMC Prep has 6,500+ original single-best-answer questions weighted to the V8 blueprint, 150-question timed mocks and A–D readiness grades per subject. The diagnostic is free — no card needed.
Start free with AMC PrepFrequently asked questions
How many questions are in the AMC MCQ and how long is it?
150 single-best-answer questions with five options, delivered in one 3.5-hour session at a Pearson VUE test centre.
What is the AMC MCQ pass mark?
Results are reported on a 0–500 scale and the pass is described as 250. From 2026 the AMC applied a slight increase to the underlying pass standard, but the scale and the 250 figure are unchanged.
Is the AMC MCQ really adaptive?
Yes. The first question is random and later questions are selected according to your answers, with at least half drawn from a calibrated item pool. Candidates in the same sitting see different questions, which is why results are scaled scores rather than percentages.
How much does the AMC MCQ cost in 2026?
The examination authorisation is AUD 2,920 (GST-free). Establishing your AMC portfolio costs AUD 642, with AUD 107 for each additional qualification.
When do AMC MCQ results come out?
At 4.00 pm on the Friday three weeks after your examination event, in your AMC account. The AMC no longer offers results verification.
What happens if I don't finish all 150 questions?
The specifications state you may receive 'Fail – insufficient data to obtain result'. Answer every question — there is no published penalty for guessing.
Sources
- AMC — CAT MCQ Examination (format, procedures, results) — https://www.amc.org.au/pathways/standard-pathway/amc-assessments/mcq-examination/
- AMC — MCQ Examination Specifications V8, September 2025 (PDF) — https://www.amc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-09-MCQ-Specifications-V8.pdf
- AMC — Update to the AMC MCQ Examination Pass Standard, December 2025 — https://www.amc.org.au/news-and-updates/update-to-the-amc-mcq-examination-pass-standard/
- AMC — Fees and charges — https://www.amc.org.au/pathways/fees-and-charges/
- AMC — MCQ Preparation App — https://www.amc.org.au/mcq-preparation-app/
- AMC — AMC Certificates (after the MCQ) — https://www.amc.org.au/pathways/standard-pathway/amc-assessments/amc-certificates/
- Pearson VUE — AMC scheduling — https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/amc.html
KeysMedic is an independent exam-preparation service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Australian Medical Council (AMC), the Australian Dental Council (ADC) or Ahpra. Exam rules, fees and dates are set by those bodies and can change — always confirm current details on their official websites before you apply. Figures above are quoted from the official sources listed, as at 10 October 2026.