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 the clinical domains, taken at Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and overseas.
At a glance
- Questions
- 150 scored multiple choice questions (a small number of unscored pilot questions may also be included)
- Paper
- 1 computer-adaptive paper covering all clinical domains
- Duration
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Question format
- Single best answer, computer adaptive
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and overseas
- Pass standard
- Scaled score with a pass score of 250 (check the AMC for the current standard)
- Sittings
- Several sittings each year; dates are published by the AMC
- Results
- Typically within a few weeks of the sitting
- Fee
- Check the AMC website for the current fee
- Attempts
- Check the AMC for current rules on attempts
- 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)
- Women's health
- Child health
- Mental health
- Population health, ethics and professional practice
- Emergency medicine
- Diagnostics and investigations
Format
One adaptive paper across the clinical domains.
The examination is a single computer adaptive paper of 150 scored questions over 3 hours 30 minutes, which is about 1.4 minutes a question. A small number of unscored pilot questions may also appear, and they are indistinguishable from the scored ones.
Every question is single best answer with five options. The domains listed above are the clinical domains the platform covers, and they are weighted as the AMC blueprint weights them.
Computer adaptive testing
What adaptive delivery changes.
In an adaptive test the difficulty of the next question responds to the answers already given, so two candidates sitting on the same day see different questions. The result is reported as a scaled score rather than a raw percentage, which allows papers of different difficulty to be compared.
Two practical consequences follow. Questions cannot usually be revisited once answered, so each one has to be decided when it appears, and a run of hard questions is a sign of performing well rather than of failing.
Preparing
How the platform maps to the examination.
Practice questions and mocks are written as clinical vignettes in Australian settings and weighted by domain as the blueprint is. 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 algorithm. The AMC website is the authoritative source for the examination rules, dates and fees.
Guides
All guides- 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 format: questions, timing and patient groups5 min read
- AMC CAT MCQ passing score2 min read
- An AMC CAT MCQ study plan: three, six and twelve month timelines4 min read
- Common AMC CAT MCQ mistakes and how to avoid them5 min read
- Free AMC CAT MCQ mock test2 min read
Common questions
Performance is reported as a scaled score rather than a percentage, which allows results from adaptive papers of differing difficulty to be compared. Check the AMC for the current pass score and how it is reported.
Adaptive delivery selects each question from the answers already given, so questions cannot generally be revisited. Confirm the navigation rules in the AMC candidate information before the day.
Several sittings are held each year and the dates are published by the AMC. Places at individual test centres are limited, so booking early gives more choice of date and location.
Check the AMC for the current rules on the number of attempts and any waiting period between them, because these change from time to time.
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.