What happens after you pass the AMC MCQ?

Passing the MCQ is the first big milestone on the standard pathway, but it is not the end. Next you either sit the AMC clinical exam or complete a workplace-based assessment, and you apply for registration with the Medical Board through Ahpra. The Board's page describes three routes, and which one suits you depends on how quickly you want to start working and how you prefer to be assessed.

First, your registration type

• If you have passed only the MCQ, you apply for limited registration, either for postgraduate training or supervised practice, or for an area of need.
• If you have passed both the MCQ and the clinical exam, you can apply for provisional registration.

The three routes

1. Pass the clinical exam first. You get the AMC Certificate, find a position, and apply for provisional registration. After orientation and three months of reports to the Board, you complete a period of supervised practice and then apply for general registration.

2. Sit the clinical exam after limited registration. You find a position and apply for limited registration. After orientation and the three-month reports, you sit the clinical exam during your supervised practice. Then you apply for general registration.

3. Complete a workplace-based assessment (WBA) after limited registration. You find a position with an AMC-accredited WBA provider and apply for limited registration. After orientation and the three-month reports, you finish the assessment during supervised practice. Then you apply for general registration.

For general practice roles, the Board also requires a pre-employment structured clinical interview.

The timings to plan around

• Supervised practice runs for 12 months, with a minimum of 47 weeks full-time equivalent.
• General registration: you can apply near the end of supervised practice, and possibly earlier.
• Applying for provisional or limited registration: do it at least three months before your intended start date. You can lodge up to six months ahead.
• Delaying your start: once your registration is decided, you can delay it by up to 90 days from the start date.

The AMC releases MCQ results at 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam. Our post on when results come out has the detail.

Choosing between the routes

Your situation matters more than any rule of thumb, but here is how the routes differ.

• Route 1 means finishing both exams before you start work, then applying for provisional registration.
• Routes 2 and 3 let you start work on limited registration and complete the assessment during supervised practice.
• The workplace-based assessment is assessed at work, not in a single exam, and needs a position with an AMC-accredited provider.

Think about how ready you are for the clinical exam, what you can afford, and how soon you want to be working.

Whichever you choose, check the cost. Our post on how much the pathway costs lists each fee.

Questions people ask