Who needs the AMC Standard Pathway?

IMGs who do not qualify for the Competent Authority pathway (UK, Ireland, US, Canada, New Zealand) or the Specialist Pathway — generally doctors trained elsewhere. It is the exam-based route, centred on the AMC CAT MCQ plus a clinical examination or Workplace-Based Assessment.

How long does the AMC Standard Pathway take?

Typically about 24–30 months from first exam sitting to general registration if each exam is passed first time, longer with re-sits, driven mostly by exam scheduling and securing a supervised post.

AMC Standard Pathway: Guide for IMGs

Whether this pathway applies to you depends on where you qualified, your qualification and your timing. Confirm your exact eligibility in 2 minutes with the free checker at doctorpathways.com.au/eligibility — no account needed.

The AMC Standard Pathway is the route to Australian medical registration for international medical graduates who do not qualify for the Competent Authority or Specialist pathways — typically doctors without PLAB, a UK or Irish degree, USMLE or COMLEX, LMCC or NZREX. An Indian, Pakistani or other non-UK graduate who passed PLAB and completed 12 months of supervised practice in the UK (or equivalent) is on the Competent Authority pathway, not the Standard pathway. It is run by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and centres on two assessments.

The pathway in one line

Pass the AMC CAT MCQ (a computer-adaptive multiple-choice exam), then either the AMC Clinical Examination or a Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA), then complete supervised practice to move from provisional to general AHPRA registration.

The stages

1. Primary source verification and AMC application

Your medical qualification is verified at source (via ECFMG/Intealth) and you open an AMC portal account. See AMC Pathways Overview ↗.

2. AMC CAT MCQ (Part 1)

A computer-adaptive multiple-choice exam covering the breadth of clinical medicine, sat at a Pearson VUE centre. Details: AMC CAT MCQ ↗.

3. Clinical assessment (Part 2)

Either the AMC Clinical Examination (a structured OSCE ↗) or a Workplace-Based Assessment at an AMC-accredited provider, which you can only start once you hold limited registration (available after the CAT MCQ) — increasingly the preferred route because it lets you earn while assessed. See WBA overview ↗.

4. Provisional registration and supervised practice

With the AMC requirements met, AHPRA grants provisional registration. You then complete a period of supervised practice before applying for general registration.

How long does it take?

Typically about 24–30 months if each exam is passed first time; longer with re-sits, driven mostly by exam scheduling and securing a supervised post. Our Standard AMC timeline breaks down each stage, and the focused article on the Standard AMC timeline covers the realistic waits.

How it differs from the other pathways

Competent Authority (UK/Ireland/US/Canada/NZ) skips the AMC exams entirely.
Specialist Pathway is for those seeking recognition of an overseas specialist qualification.
Standard is the general route for everyone else and is exam-based.

Fees

AMC charges per-stage fees (application, CAT MCQ, clinical/WBA), and AHPRA charges separate registration fees. Always confirm current amounts against the official schedules rather than third-party summaries: AMC Fees & Charges ↗ · MBA Schedule of Fees ↗.

Sources: AMC Standard Pathway ↗ · AMC examinations and assessments ↗ · AHPRA Registration Process ↗

Pathway Navigator

Your own dated plan, kept current: these steps dated from today, the documents each one needs and any rule change that touches them, opened at the step you are reading.

Every step, dated. When you could start work, and the steps that set that date. Put in your own dates and every later step moves to match.
Your pathway in five stages. Each stage checked for registration, working rights and Medicare billing. Tick off each step as you go, on any device.
The documents each step needs. Where to get each one, and why it is asked for.
Told when a rule on your route changes. When the Medical Board, Ahpra or the AMC change something on your route: the official source, the date and the steps it touches.

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General information, not legal or migration advice.

The AMC Standard Pathway: Complete Guide for IMGs