AMC Part 1 MCQ Exam: Smart Strategies for IMGs in 2025

The AMC Part 1 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Exam is often the first formal hurdle for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) on the road to Australian registration. While thousands sit this exam each year, many candidates feel overwhelmed by the vast syllabus, the subtle tricks in clinical reasoning, and the pressure to ‘study everything’. However, those who pass aren’t the ones who know the most - they’re the ones who apply knowledge in context.

What Is the AMC MCQ Exam?

The exam consists of 150 questions in a computer-delivered, single-best-answer (SBA) format. It covers medicine, surgery, paediatrics, O&G, psychiatry, and public health. You get 3.5 hours - and only one scheduled break. The pass mark is typically 65%, but subject to equating.

Exam Specifications

Smart Strategies to Succeed

Focus on High-Yield Topics First. Prioritise high-yield areas such as chest pain, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, paediatrics milestones, public health (e.g. vaccinations, screening), and psychiatry and risk management. Avoid deep-diving into rare conditions before you’ve mastered these.

“This isn’t a content exam. It’s a clinical thinking exam,” says A/Prof George Eskander, Chief Examiner at PassGP and former AMC Clinical Examiner. To succeed, you must think like an intern in Australia. AMC MCQ is grounded in safe, supervised practice. Choose options that reflect patient-centred care, escalation and senior support, clear differentials and safe investigations. Always ask: what’s the most logical next step for a safe intern under AHPRA in Australia?

Mastering the Exam Logic

Avoid the Trap of Overthinking. Many IMGs fail not due to lack of knowledge - but due to misreading the question, overthinking common presentations, or choosing theoretically correct, but clinically unsafe answers. That means you should consider: What would you do on the ward in a public hospital? What’s safest - not flashiest? What would AHPRA expect?

Master the Art of Elimination

Every question has 1 best answer, 1 plausible distractor, and 2-3 poor choices. You should be able to rule out at least two. If not, stop and reread the stem - not the options. Tip from A/Prof Eskander: “Always focus on how to think, not just what to memorise.”

Practise with Real Exam Format Questions

A common mistake is using non-Australian resources or flashcards that don’t mimic exam reasoning. At PassGP, we build our AMC MCQ bank with Australian-first guidelines and clinical logic that matches the exam. Our 1,500+ AMC MCQs include immediate answers and explanations, distractor rationales, and feedback by former AMC examiners. Don’t study in isolation. Do timed mock exams to train your brain to perform under pressure and use your mobile to study on the go - any time, any device.