Australia · Licensing examHow does the AMC clinical exam work?
You rotate through 16 assessed stations and four rest stations. Each station takes 10 minutes: two minutes to read the task and eight minutes to do it. Stations may use real or simulated patients, telephone consultations, models, video presentations and materials such as charts and prescription pads.
The stations cover medicine, surgery, women’s health, paediatrics and mental health, in community and hospital settings. Each focuses on one of four assessment areas: history taking, examination, diagnostic formulation, or management, counselling and education. Every candidate in a session gets the same stations.
The AMC clinical exam pass mark
Two of the 16 assessed stations are pilot stations being tried for the first time. Your result comes from the other 14. If a scored station has a problem, the Clinical Results Panel can swap in a pilot station, but the result is based on 14 all the same.
You pass with a pass score in 9 or more of the 14 stations, and fail with 8 or fewer. The AMC lowered the mark from 10 of 14 for exams from 21 March 2024. In each station the examiner gives a global rating based on the key steps, the assessment domains and your overall performance. There’s no limit on the number of attempts. Results come out at 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after your exam, under Clinical Results in your AMC account.
How AMC clinical exam dates are released
The AMC doesn’t publish a fixed clinical calendar. It releases places in scheduling events and announces each one on its clinical exam page and in your AMC account. In late 2026 it said the first release of in-person places for 2027 was planned for November 2026, and that it was adding exam capacity. Check that page for any open release and the dates of planned ones.
Online sessions are released separately. Online places go first to IMGs registered and working in rural and remote areas, rated 3 to 7 under the Modified Monash Model (MMM), and they aren’t open to candidates who live overseas.
Booking an in-person place
- When a scheduling event opens, sign in to your AMC account and open the AMC Clinical Scheduling Application, from 10:00am AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on the day.
- Pick a session. If it’s booked out, choose another date.
- Pay by Visa or Mastercard credit card through Stripe. The AMC’s FAQ gives you 30 minutes; the June 2026 specifications say 15, so pay straight away.
- Your placement letter and receipt appear in your AMC account within 24 hours of payment.
Use one browser tab and one device, and no private or incognito window. Placements can’t be moved to another date for any reason. If you miss out, email clinical@amc.org.au to join the expression of interest list for that scheduling period, which offers places only when someone cancels.
Online places work differently: when the AMC opens online applications you apply with an employer statement and proof of address in an MMM 3 to 7 area, and if you’re offered a place you pay by the due date in the AMC’s email.
Where it’s held, and the online version
The AMC Test Centre is at Level 3, 1010 La Trobe Street, Docklands VIC 3008. Your report time is in your placement letter. Arrive or log in late and you can’t start, because of the multi-station structure.
The online exam has the same structure over video. You need a Windows 11 desktop or laptop with a screen of at least 14 inches, a webcam at eye level, plug-in headphones with a microphone plus a spare pair, a fast internet connection and a room to yourself. One phone on silent is allowed so the AMC can reach you.
Preparing, withdrawing and appealing
The AMC recommends the clinical specifications, its candidate briefing video, the suggested reading list and its Tips from Examiners. It says reviewing journals on common clinical conditions in Australia helps more than large reference texts, and that you should practise the rate and clarity of your speech.
To withdraw, send the Clinical Examination Withdrawal Notification form. The AMC says refunds need exceptional circumstances with a medical certificate or statutory declaration, and minor illness or travel plans don’t count; the fees page has the refund amounts. You can appeal a result, but you can’t apply for another clinical exam until the appeal outcome arrives.
The workplace based assessment instead
Instead of the clinical exam, you can complete an AMC-accredited workplace based assessment (WBA) program over 6 to 12 months. To be eligible you must have passed the MCQ, hold limited registration from the Medical Board of Australia and have a hospital or general practice position with a contract for the whole program.
You apply to an accredited provider, not to the AMC. The AMC’s list includes health services in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Programs assess you on the job, with at least the Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX), case-based discussion and multi-source feedback. You can’t do a WBA and the clinical exam at the same time.
Sources: AMC and 9 more. Checked November 2026.
- AMC: Clinical examination ↗
- AMC: Clinical Examination Specifications, V8.3, June 2026 (PDF) ↗
- AMC: Changes to the clinical pass requirement (25 April 2024) ↗
- AMC: Frequently asked questions ↗
- AMC: AMC Test Centre ↗
- AMC: Tips from Examiners, October 2024 (PDF) ↗
- AMC: Eligibility and how to apply for workplace based assessment ↗
- AMC: Accredited assessment programs ↗
- AMC: Workplace based assessment ↗
- AMC: Fees and charges ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
Explore