Australian Medical Council Computer Adaptive Test (Multiple Choice Questions)
About the AMC CAT MCQ
The AMC CAT MCQ is the multiple choice examination set by the Australian Medical Council. It is a computer adaptive test of clinical knowledge and reasoning across six patient groups, taken at Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and overseas.
At a glance
- Questions
- 150 multiple-choice questions, each with five options and one best answer
- Paper
- One computer-adaptive session across the AMC's six patient groups
- Duration
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Question format
- Single best answer, computer adaptive. Each question must be answered before the next appears, with no going back and no end review
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and overseas
- Pass standard
- Reported on a scale of 0 to 500 with 250 as the pass; a small increase to the standard applies from 2026
- Sittings
- Monthly testing windows of four to six days, listed on the AMC candidate portal (none in December or January)
- Results
- 4.00 pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam, in the candidate portal
- Fee
- A$2,920 for the CAT MCQ authorisation (September 2026)
- Attempts
- The AMC does not publish a limit on attempts at the CAT MCQ
- Provider
- Australian Medical Council
Facts are maintained centrally and reviewed against official sources. Always confirm with the Australian Medical Council before booking.
Papers and subjects
CAT MCQ · 150 questions · 3h 30m
- Adult health: medicine
- Adult health: surgery
- Child health
- Mental health
- Population health and ethics
- Women's health: obstetrics and gynaecology
Format
One adaptive exam across six patient groups.
The examination is a single computer adaptive exam of 150 questions over 3 hours 30 minutes, which is about 84 seconds a question. Questions are shown one at a time, each with five options and one correct response, and some include X-rays, ECGs, scans or clinical photographs.
The AMC blueprint divides the questions by patient group: adult health (medicine) 30%, adult health (surgery) 20%, and women's health, child health, mental health, and population health and ethics 12.5% each. Questions are randomised across the blueprint rather than grouped by subject.
Computer adaptive testing
What adaptive delivery changes.
The AMC says each candidate sits a customised exam. A correct answer is followed by a more difficult question and an incorrect one by a less difficult question. Scoring is based on ability rather than the number correct, and results are reported on a scale of 0 to 500 with 250 as the pass.
Two practical consequences follow. Each question must be answered before the next is shown, with no going back and no changing an answer, so each one has to be decided when it appears. A run of hard questions does not mean you are failing, because difficulty rises after correct answers.
Preparing
How the platform maps to the examination.
Practice questions and mocks are written as clinical vignettes in Australian settings, across the six patient groups. Explanations name the Australian guideline they rely on, because management that is standard in another health system is a common source of wrong answers.
Questions are not AMC questions and the mocks do not reproduce the AMC's adaptive delivery. The CAT MCQ authorisation fee is A$2,920, and the AMC website is the authoritative source for the examination rules, dates and fees.
Guides
All guides- AMC adult medicine MCQ questions3 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ eligibility: who can sit and what comes first4 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ exam dates for 2026 and 20272 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ exam day: what to expect at the test centre4 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ exam fee and total cost2 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ exam format: questions, timing and patient groups5 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ passing score2 min read
- AMC MCQ practice questions3 min read
Common questions
Results are reported on a scale of 0 to 500, with 250 as the pass. Scoring is based on ability rather than the number correct. A small increase to the pass standard applies to exams from 2026, and the pass is still reported as 250.
No. Each question must be answered before the next is shown, and there is no going back, no changing an answer and no review at the end of the exam.
Testing windows run monthly from February to November, each over four to six days, with no December or January window in the current list. Scheduling closes 21 days before the first test day of each window.
The AMC does not publish a limit on attempts. A new application cannot be lodged until the results of a scheduled examination have been received, and each attempt needs a new A$2,920 authorisation.
No. Questions are written in the style of the examination by the platform's authors. The AMC publishes its own guidance and sample material on its website.
Official sources
How ready are you for the AMC CAT MCQ?
The free diagnostic takes about 14 minutes and reports by subject.