AMC CAT MCQ eligibility: who can sit and what comes first

Where the CAT MCQ sits in the pathway

The AMC CAT MCQ is the multiple-choice examination set by the Australian Medical Council for international medical graduates. The standard pathway is for doctors seeking general registration with the Medical Board of Australia. To obtain an AMC certificate on that pathway, a candidate must pass the CAT MCQ and then either the AMC clinical examination or workplace-based assessment (WBA). The CAT MCQ assesses medical knowledge and clinical reasoning across six patient groups rather than practical skills.

Passing it is one step in that sequence. Registration to practise medicine in Australia is decided by the Medical Board of Australia, and some pathways do not use the AMC examinations at all. The Board says doctors on the competent authority pathway do not need to sit the AMC exams, and there are separate specialist and short-term training pathways. The AMC and the Medical Board publish the requirements for each, and they are the authoritative sources.

The broad eligibility requirements

The AMC sets out the application steps in a fixed order, and the detail of each can change.

• An eligible medical degree. The standard pathway requires an eligible primary medical qualification in medicine and surgery. The AMC's online check confirms whether your medical school, degree title and graduation year are eligible, and it is the first step.
• Primary source verification through ECFMG. Verification confirms the qualification directly with the awarding institution. It now runs through ECFMG's MyIntealth, which replaced EPIC. Qualifications already verified through EPIC do not need to be verified again.
• An AMC account and initial portfolio. Every pathway requires an AMC initial portfolio. The portfolio fee is A$642, which includes one qualification.
• A CAT MCQ authorisation. You apply through your AMC account and pay A$2,920. The authorisation covers one examination event in the 12 months from payment and is not extended. From 9.00am AEST on 1 October 2026 the AMC no longer charges a card payment surcharge.

The English language requirement is set by the Medical Board of Australia rather than the AMC.

What is not required

Several things candidates worry about are not among the AMC's stated requirements.

• You do not need to be in Australia. The examination is delivered at Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and overseas. The exception is residents of Iran: since 8 September 2026 Pearson VUE cannot schedule or deliver the exam for them without proof of residency elsewhere.
• The AMC does not handle visas. It does not process visas or give visa advice, and it directs visa questions to the Department of Home Affairs. It also says an authorisation cannot be cancelled because of visa issues or delays.
• You do not need a preparation course. No course appears among the AMC's requirements, and the AMC does not support or endorse external preparation resources.

Timing your application against your preparation

The gap between deciding to sit and being able to sit is usually longer than candidates expect, because of verification. That gap is useful, and the sensible approach is to run preparation and paperwork in parallel.

A reasonable order:

1. Confirm your medical school's eligibility, start verification through MyIntealth and set up your AMC account and portfolio.
2. Take a baseline assessment across the six patient groups so that preparation starts from evidence rather than assumption.
3. Build a study plan against a realistic target window, allowing for the verification timeline.
4. Pay for the authorisation when a window within the following 12 months suits the plan, because the 12 months run from payment and cover one event. The AMC CAT MCQ dates page lists the windows, the date scheduling closes for each and the rules for booking.

Documents: practical points

Document problems cause avoidable delays.

• Check which documents count as qualifications. The AMC's primary source verification page lists what it does not accept: medical registrations or licences to practise, PhDs and research degrees, internship or housemanship documents, partially completed training, science degrees such as a Bachelor of Science, short courses, and Australian or Australasian qualifications. Ineligible documents incur an administrative processing fee.
• Contact your medical school early. Verification requires the institution to respond, and an early enquiry from you can prevent a query later.
• Prepare your exam-day identification in good time. The AMC asks for two IDs on the day, in English or with a certified translation, the primary one with a photo and a signature.
• Keep copies of everything submitted, with dates, so that a query can be answered quickly.

After the CAT MCQ

A pass in the CAT MCQ opens the next stage of the standard pathway: the AMC clinical examination or workplace-based assessment. The AMC sets out the current structure and fees for both. A CAT MCQ result does not expire.

For preparation itself, the exam format guide describes what the exam contains and the preparation guide sets out how to work towards it. The free diagnostic samples every patient group and gives a first read on every subject, which is useful even while an application is still in progress.