AMC MCQ Blueprint Breakdown 2026: Exactly What Each Specialty Covers

Last reviewed: May 2026 | Written by the MplusX Editorial Team Reading about MplusX vs AMEDEX might also be helpful.

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“What topics come up in the AMC MCQ?”

It is one of the most searched questions in every IMG preparation group. And for good reason.

Walk into an exam without knowing the blueprint and you are gambling. You might spend 6 weeks drilling rare surgical conditions only to find they represent 5 questions across 150. You might underestimate Public Health and Ethics — and lose 15 marks you could have gained with two focused weeks of study.

The blueprint is not a secret. The AMC publishes its specialty weightings. But most candidates have never sat down and actually mapped what those weightings mean in practice — how many questions per specialty, which topics are highest yield, and exactly where to prioritise their limited study hours.

That is what this article does.

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The 6 Specialty Domains: Overview

The AMC MCQ examines candidates across six core clinical domains. Every question belongs to one of these categories.

Specialty Domain	Approximate Weighting	Scored Questions (of 120)
General Medicine and General Practice	~30%	~36 questions
Surgery	~20%	~24 questions
Paediatrics and Child Health	~12.5%	~15 questions
Obstetrics and Gynaecology	~12.5%	~15 questions
Psychiatry and Mental Health	~12.5%	~15 questions
Population Health and Ethics	~12.5%	~15 questions

These are approximate weightings. The AMC reserves the right to adjust distributions across sitting cycles without notice. However, the general proportions are consistent and well-established based on multiple candidate reports over recent years.

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Domain 1: General Medicine and General Practice (~30%)

Approximate questions: 36 of 120 scored

This is the biggest domain. By a significant margin. Thirty percent of your score lives here.

General Medicine encompasses the broad clinical presentations a GP or general physician encounters most frequently in Australia. It is not a narrow specialty — it is the widest clinical canvas on the exam.

High-Yield Topic Areas:

Cardiovascular Medicine

• Chest pain differentiation (ACS, PE, aortic dissection, pericarditis, GORD)
• Heart failure management — HFpEF vs HFrEF, current drug targets
• Atrial fibrillation — rate vs rhythm control, anticoagulation thresholds
• Hypertension management — first-line agents per patient profile (eTG-aligned)
• Cardiovascular risk assessment using the Australian CVD risk calculator

Respiratory Medicine

• Community-acquired pneumonia — eTG antibiotic protocol, severity stratification
• COPD management — GOLD staging, inhaler stepup protocol, acute exacerbation management
• Asthma — step therapy under Australian guidelines, MART strategy
• Pulmonary embolism — Wells score, d-dimer interpretation, anticoagulation initiation

Endocrinology

• Type 2 diabetes — HbA1c targets, first-line agents, SGLT2 inhibitor indications, diabetic foot
• Thyroid disorders — hypothyroidism dosing, hyperthyroidism management (carbimazole vs radioiodine)
• Adrenal conditions — Addison’s disease presentation, Cushing’s syndrome features
• Osteoporosis — fracture risk assessment, bisphosphonate initiation thresholds

Gastroenterology

• Peptic ulcer disease — H. pylori eradication regimens per eTG
• Inflammatory bowel disease — distinguishing Crohn’s vs UC, management priorities
• Colorectal cancer — NBCSP screening criteria, referral triggers
• Liver disease — hepatitis B and C management, cirrhosis complications

Neurology

• Stroke and TIA — ABCD2 score, antiplatelet vs anticoagulation, thrombolysis window
• Epilepsy — first-line agents, driving restrictions under Australian law
• Headache — migraine vs tension vs cluster vs secondary causes
• Dementia — diagnosis, MMSE interpretation, medico-legal obligations (driving, enduring power of attorney)

Renal Medicine

• CKD management — ACE inhibitor use, hyperkalemia management, renal referral criteria
• Urinary tract infections — eTG antibiotic protocol, complicated vs uncomplicated
• AKI — MUDPILES causes, pre-renal vs renal vs post-renal differentiation

Musculoskeletal

• Rheumatoid arthritis — DMARD initiation, methotrexate monitoring
• Osteoarthritis — management stepup, surgical referral criteria
• Gout — acute management (colchicine, NSAIDs, corticosteroids), allopurinol timing

Infectious Diseases

• Sepsis — SIRS criteria, early management priorities
• STIs — Australian screening guidelines, treatment protocols per eTG
• HIV — when to test, ART initiation, post-exposure prophylaxis

Study Priority: This is your non-negotiable highest-priority domain. Every study plan should allocate at least 35% of total QBank time to General Medicine.

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Domain 2: Surgery (~20%)

Approximate questions: 24 of 120 scored

Surgery in the AMC MCQ context does not mean advanced operative technique. It tests your ability to recognise surgical conditions, manage perioperative care, and make correct initial management decisions before or after a surgical team is involved.

High-Yield Topic Areas:

Acute Abdomen

• Appendicitis — clinical scoring, CT vs ultrasound, when to operate
• Cholecystitis and gallstones — biliary colic vs cholecystitis vs cholangitis, management pathway
• Bowel obstruction — causes, X-ray findings, conservative vs operative management
• Perforated viscus — clinical presentation, immediate management
• Ischaemic bowel — high-risk features, investigation, surgical urgency

Trauma

• Primary and secondary survey structure (ABCDE)
• Fracture management — open fractures, compartment syndrome recognition, growth plate injuries in children
• Head trauma — CT indications (Canadian CT Head Rule), intracranial pressure management
• Spinal cord injury — neurogenic shock vs haemorrhagic shock distinction

Vascular Surgery

• Peripheral arterial disease — ABI interpretation, claudication vs critical ischaemia
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm — screening criteria, rupture management, elective repair thresholds
• Deep vein thrombosis — Wells score, investigation protocol, anticoagulation

Breast and Endocrine Surgery

• Breast cancer — triple assessment, BreastScreen criteria, management overview
• Thyroid nodules — investigation pathway, when to biopsy, surgical indications

Urology

• Renal stones — presentation, KUB vs CT, conservative vs procedural management
• Prostate cancer — PSA interpretation, TRUS biopsy indications
• Testicular torsion — time-critical recognition, “blue dot” sign vs torsion vs epididymo-orchitis

Study Priority: High priority, particularly trauma, acute abdomen, and vascular. Questions are clinically direct and well-suited to systematic QBank drilling.

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Domain 3: Paediatrics and Child Health (~12.5%)

Approximate questions: 15 of 120 scored

Paediatric questions test clinical decisions across the child’s lifecycle — from neonatal emergencies through to adolescent health. The Australian context here includes the National Immunisation Programme and child development milestones.

High-Yield Topic Areas:

• Developmental milestones — age-specific motor, language, and social milestones
• Fever in children — NICE traffic light system adapted to Australian guidelines, febrile convulsions
• Respiratory — bronchiolitis, croup (stridor management), asthma exacerbation in children
• Gastroenterology — dehydration assessment and rehydration, intussusception, pyloric stenosis
• Neonatology — jaundice thresholds, neonatal sepsis, APGAR interpretation
• Immunisation — National Immunisation Programme schedule, catch-up protocols, contraindications
• Child abuse — mandatory reporting obligations under Australian law, non-accidental injury patterns
• Failure to thrive — organic vs non-organic causes, investigation pathway

Study Priority: Do not underestimate this domain because it is “only” 15 questions. Fifteen marks at a pass rate of around 250/500 is the difference between passing and failing.

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Domain 4: Obstetrics and Gynaecology (~12.5%)

Approximate questions: 15 of 120 scored

OB/GYN questions are split approximately 50/50 between obstetric (pregnancy-related) and gynaecological (non-pregnancy) presentations.

High-Yield Topic Areas:

Obstetrics

• Antenatal care schedule — routine investigations, gestational diabetes screening (OGTT timing)
• Pre-eclampsia — diagnostic criteria, management, delivery timing
• Antepartum haemorrhage — placenta praevia vs abruption differentiation
• Postpartum haemorrhage — causes (4 Ts), immediate management priorities
• Ectopic pregnancy — risk factors, beta-hCG interpretation, management options

Gynaecology

• Cervical screening — HPV test (5-yearly, age 25 to 74), abnormal result management pathways
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome — diagnostic criteria, management of individual features (anovulation, hirsutism, metabolic risk)
• Endometriosis — diagnostic delay, management options, fertility impact
• Menopause — HRT indications, contraindications, alternatives
• Pelvic inflammatory disease — criteria for hospital admission, antibiotic selection per eTG

Study Priority: High-yield because the questions are clinically specific and the Australian-context differences (screening schedules, management protocols) frequently catch IMGs off guard.

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Domain 5: Psychiatry and Mental Health (~12.5%)

Approximate questions: 15 of 120 scored

Psychiatry is consistently under-studied by IMGs from clinical backgrounds where psychiatry has less prominence. Yet 15 questions represent nearly the same weight as the entire Surgery domain in relative pass/fail impact.

High-Yield Topic Areas:

• Depression — diagnostic criteria, first-line SSRI selection, safety planning, mandatory documentation
• Bipolar disorder — distinguishing Type 1 vs Type 2, lithium monitoring, acute mania management
• Schizophrenia and psychosis — positive vs negative symptoms, antipsychotic selection, metabolic monitoring
• Anxiety disorders — GAD, panic disorder, social phobia — CBT vs pharmacotherapy decision points
• Substance use disorders — alcohol withdrawal management (CIWA-Ar, benzodiazepines), opioid substitution therapy
• Suicidality assessment — risk stratification, mandatory reporting in Australia, duty of care
• Mental Health Act — involuntary admission criteria under Australian state legislation
• Eating disorders — recognition, medically unstable thresholds requiring admission

Study Priority: Do not skip Psychiatry. IMGs who treat it as low priority consistently underperform in this category. Fifteen marks is too significant to write off.

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Domain 6: Population Health and Ethics (~12.5%)

Approximate questions: 15 of 120 scored

This domain is uniquely Australian. It cannot be prepared for using generic international resources — the correct answers are rooted in Australian public health programs, legislation, and medico-legal frameworks.

High-Yield Topic Areas:

Preventive Medicine and Screening

• Cancer screening — NBCSP (bowel, 50–74 yrs, 2-yearly), BreastScreen (50–74 yrs, 2-yearly), HPV test (25–74 yrs, 5-yearly)
• Immunisation — National Immunisation Programme, influenza, pneumococcal, zoster vaccination criteria
• Cardiovascular prevention — absolute risk calculation, statin thresholds, blood pressure targets

Ethics and Medico-Legal

• Informed consent — capacity assessment, who can consent for incapacitated adults, children’s consent
• Confidentiality — exceptions under Australian law (mandatory reporting, notifiable diseases)
• Mandatory reporting — child abuse, elder abuse, notifiable infectious diseases
• Advance care directives — recognition, legal weight, when to override
• Driving and medical fitness — reporting obligations for conditions affecting driving (epilepsy, dementia, vision)

Population Health

• Health determinants — social determinants of health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health priorities
• Epidemiology — sensitivity vs specificity, NNT, NNH, absolute vs relative risk
• Study design — RCT vs cohort vs case-control vs cross-sectional

Study Priority: This domain is often the deciding factor for borderline candidates. Its questions are predictable, well-structured, and heavily Australian-context dependent — making them very learnable with focused preparation.

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How to Use the Blueprint in Your Study Plan

Step 1 — Run a Baseline Mock. Before allocating your time, identify which specialties are currently your weakest. The blueprint tells you the theoretical allocation. Your mock data tells you where you personally need the most work.

Step 2 — Allocate 35% of QBank time to General Medicine. The volume and variety of this domain means you cannot over-study it. Every extra hour in General Medicine returns more marks than an equivalent hour in any other domain.

Step 3 — Never drop a specialty below 8% of your total study time. Even Population Health and Ethics — a domain many IMGs find dry — represents 15 marks. Neglect it and you may need 15 additional marks from elsewhere just to compensate.

Step 4 — Use MplusX category filters to drill weak specialties. The MplusX performance dashboard shows your accuracy by category after every session. Any specialty below 55% accuracy gets a dedicated drilling session before you move on.

Step 5 — Do not ignore unscored questions on exam day. You cannot identify which of the 150 questions are the 30 unscored pilot items. Treat every question as if it counts — because 120 of them genuinely do.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important specialty for the AMC MCQ?

General Medicine and General Practice is the highest-weighted specialty at approximately 30% of scored marks. It is the highest-return study investment for all candidates. However, every specialty matters — the four equal-weighted domains (Paediatrics, OB/GYN, Psychiatry, Population Health) together represent 50% of scored marks.

Does the AMC MCQ blueprint change each year?

The AMC does not publish sitting-specific blueprints, but the specialty weightings have been broadly stable across recent cycles. General Medicine consistently holds the highest weighting. The four equal-weighted domains have remained consistent at approximately 12.5% each.

How many questions in the AMC MCQ are actually marked?

Of the 150 questions in each sitting, 120 are scored and contribute to your result. The remaining 30 are unscored pilot items used to calibrate future exam versions. You cannot identify which questions are pilot items during the exam.

Should I study specialties equally?

No. Study time should be proportional to specialty weighting — with a slight over-allocation to General Medicine given its breadth. Do not make the mistake of equal allocation across all six specialties, as it underweights your highest-return domain.

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References

• John Murtagh‘s General Practice (8th Edition): Chapter 9: A safe diagnostic model, Page 208
• RACGP Red Book (10th edition): Chapter I: Introduction
• Therapeutic Guidelines (eTG): Clinical Prescribing Principles Reading about best AMC MCQ resources might also be helpful.

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Disclaimer: This article is written for AMC MCQ examination preparation and general informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Clinical decisions should always be based on individual patient assessment, current Australian Therapeutic Guidelines (eTG), and consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. MplusX is an exam preparation platform and is not a substitute for supervised clinical training.