AMC MCQ Pass Mark and Pass Rate: What the AMC Actually Publishes (2026 Update)

By the KeysMedic team · Published 10 October 2026 · Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · 7 min read

Search for the AMC MCQ pass rate and you will find confident percentages that never cite a source. This guide separates what the Australian Medical Council publishes — the scaled pass mark, the 2026 change, candidate numbers — from what is guesswork, and then looks at the factors that reliably predict a pass.

The pass mark: 250 on a 0–500 scale

The AMC reports every candidate's MCQ performance on a scale of 0–500, with the pass mark described as 250. This is a scaled score. Because the exam is computer adaptive — a harder question follows a correct answer, an easier one follows a mistake — two candidates can answer the same number of items correctly and receive different scaled scores. So 250 is not "50% correct", and there is no published conversion from raw marks or mock-exam percentages to the scale.

The standard behind the number is fixed by design: the level expected of a graduating final-year Australian medical student about to begin internship. The AMC periodically re-benchmarks that standard with representatives of Australian medical schools.

What changed in 2026

On 17 December 2025 the AMC announced "a slight increase to the pass standard" for the MCQ, effective from 2026 sittings. The important details from the AMC's FAQ:

• The 0–500 scale and the 250 pass mark stay the same; the slightly higher cut score is integrated into the scale.
• The content, format and structure of the examination are unchanged.
• Sittings in 2025 were assessed under the previous standard, and earlier results are not reassessed.

In plain terms: the bar moved up a little, and the reported numbers look the same. If you sat and narrowly passed in 2025, you were not affected; if you are sitting in 2026 or 2027, prepare to a margin rather than to the line.

"Fail – insufficient data": the result nobody plans for

The specifications list a result that is nothing to do with knowledge: a candidate who does not complete all 150 items may receive Fail – insufficient data to obtain result. With 210 minutes for 150 questions you have about 84 seconds each. Practise with a visible clock from the first week, and in the exam never spend more than two minutes on any single item — flag it, answer your best guess, and move on.

Does the AMC publish a pass rate?

The AMC publishes candidate volumes, not a headline pass percentage. Its 2024–25 annual report records 7,821 MCQ examinations in the year, a 23% increase on the previous year — 2,482 domestic and 5,339 international sittings — alongside 2,401 clinical examinations. The same report does not state an MCQ pass rate.

The percentages that circulate online (figures "around 47%" are common) trace back to third-party summaries of older years and cannot be verified against a current AMC publication. We would rather tell you that than quote a number we cannot source. Two things are safe to say: a large share of candidates do not pass at the first attempt, and the 2026 standard is marginally harder than before — so the honest planning assumption is that the exam needs structured preparation, not a quick refresher.

What actually predicts a pass

1. Blueprint coverage, in the right proportions

The V8 blueprint weights the exam 30% adult medicine, 20% adult surgery and 12.5% each for women's health, child health, mental health and population health & ethics. Candidates who study what they enjoy rather than what is weighted routinely over-invest in surgery sub-specialties and under-invest in the four 12.5% groups — half the paper.

2. The Australian framing

Many questions are answerable only if you know the Australian approach: Therapeutic Guidelines antibiotic choices, PBS-style first-line prescribing, the national cancer screening programs and their intervals, immunisation schedule, mandatory reporting, consent and capacity rules, and culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. A candidate with excellent clinical knowledge from another system still needs to re-learn these defaults.

3. Consistent full-length mock performance

Because there is no raw-to-scaled conversion, use mocks for trend, not translation. Candidates who pass comfortably tend to show a stable, rising score across several 150-question timed mocks, with no patient group lagging far behind the others. A single good score, or a strong overall average that hides one weak group, is a warning rather than a reassurance.

4. Pacing and completion

Finishing all 150 items with time to revisit flagged questions is itself a skill, and it is the only way to avoid the "insufficient data" result.

Re-sitting

Each sitting requires its own examination authorisation (currently AUD 2,920), and results arrive at 4.00 pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam event. If you fail, use the per-group feedback in your result to direct the next attempt rather than restarting from page one.

Frequently asked questions

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.