AMC Clinical Exam Fees, Dates and Booking: The Full Breakdown
A practical, fully sourced guide to AMC clinical exam fees: the complete fee table, a transparent total-cost calculation for the Standard Pathway, and how booking, scheduling and refunds actually work.
AMC clinical exam fees, as published on the AMC's own fees page and current as at August 2026, are 3,400 AUD for the online sitting and 3,000 AUD for the in-person sitting, on top of earlier Standard Pathway fees that most candidates forget to add in: 642 AUD to establish your portfolio and 2,920 AUD for the CAT MCQ examination you must pass before you are even eligible to book. Add those together correctly and the realistic total to reach the clinical exam is 6,562 AUD in-person or 6,962 AUD online, not the 3,000-odd figure most candidates have in their head. This article gives you the full fee table, the arithmetic behind that total so you can check it yourself, and exactly how booking, scheduling and refunds work.
The Complete AMC Clinical Exam Fees Table
Every figure below comes directly from the AMC fees page, read on 4 August 2026. All amounts are in Australian dollars and are GST-free. Fees change, so before you budget or pay, confirm the current figure on that page yourself.
| Item | Fee (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Establish initial portfolio (includes 1 qualification) | $642 |
| Add an additional qualification | $107 each |
| CAT MCQ examination authorisation | $2,920 |
| Clinical examination — online | $3,400 (stated as $3,000 + $400 levy) |
| Clinical examination — in-person | $3,000 |
| Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) | $1,070 |
| Result reissue (MCQ or clinical) | $107 |
| Appeals application (1 station) | $910 |
| Additional appeal stations | $235 each |
| Card payment surcharge | 0.96% |
Two things stand out. First, the online clinical exam is 400 AUD more expensive than the in-person sitting, entirely because of the stated levy — the AMC's own phrasing is 3,000 plus a 400 levy, not a single blended figure. Second, the CAT MCQ authorisation fee, at 2,920 AUD, is larger than either version of the clinical exam fee on its own, yet it rarely appears in informal cost discussions about "the clinical exam" because candidates mentally file it as a separate, earlier hurdle. It is not separate for budgeting purposes: you cannot book the clinical exam without having paid it and passed it, per the eligibility rule stated on the AMC clinical examination page.
The Realistic Total Cost of the Standard Pathway
Here is the arithmetic, laid out so you can check every step against the table above rather than trusting a single headline number.
Step 1 — Portfolio. Establishing your initial portfolio, which includes your first qualification, costs $642. If you need to declare more than one primary medical qualification, add $107 for each additional one.
Step 2 — CAT MCQ. The CAT MCQ examination authorisation costs $2,920. Running total after this step: $642 + $2,920 = $3,562.
Step 3 — Clinical exam. Add either the in-person fee or the online fee:
- In-person: $3,562 + $3,000 = $6,562
- Online: $3,562 + $3,400 = $6,962
So the realistic total cost of the Standard Pathway from portfolio to a single sitting of the clinical exam is $6,562 AUD in-person or $6,962 AUD online, assuming one qualification and no resits. If you pay every stage by card, the 0.96 percent surcharge adds roughly $63 to the in-person total and $67 to the online total, bringing the card-paid totals to approximately $6,625 and $7,029 respectively.
This figure is not the whole story. It excludes AHPRA registration fees, travel and accommodation for an in-person sitting, and any preparation resources, none of which appear on the AMC's own fee schedule, so we will not invent numbers for them here. It also excludes resits: the AMC's fee list does not show a discounted rate for resitting the clinical exam, so if you need a second attempt, budget for the full exam fee again. Our how to pass the AMC clinical exam guide and AMC clinical common mistakes article exist precisely because a resit at these prices is expensive in more than money — treat first-attempt preparation as the cost-effective option.
How to Book the AMC Clinical Exam
Booking is not an online self-service checkout. The AMC clinical examination page states that applications go by email to clinical@amc.org.au, and must include:
- Your full name and Candidate ID
- Your preferred examination dates within the current scheduling window
- Your employment location
- A valid employment letter (particularly relevant for candidates working in rural or remote areas)
- Proof of current AHPRA registration
- Proof of residence
Once submitted, applications are allocated on a first-applied, first-allocated basis. This is worth taking literally: the AMC does not describe a lottery or a merit ranking, it describes processing order. Two practical consequences follow. Get every required document ready before a scheduling window opens rather than gathering them after you decide to apply, and apply the moment a window opens rather than waiting for a "better" moment, because there is not one — earlier applications are simply allocated first.
Because eligibility for the clinical exam depends on having already passed the CAT MCQ, do not send a clinical exam application before that result is confirmed. If you are still in the CAT MCQ stage, our AMC clinical study plan article covers what comes before this point.
Online vs In-Person: Which to Choose
The fee difference is clear and stated directly by the AMC: the online exam costs $3,400 against $3,000 in-person, a $400 gap attributed to the stated levy. Beyond the exam fee itself, the practical trade-offs are:
| Factor | Online | In-person |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $3,400 | $3,000 |
| Travel/accommodation | Not required | Often required, cost varies by location |
| Technical requirements | Stable internet, quiet private space, compatible device | None beyond attending the venue |
| Technical-issue refund | AMC policy distinguishes candidate-side issues from external outages beyond anyone's control | Not applicable |
If your internet and workspace are reliable, online removes travel cost and disruption. If you are uncertain about your technical setup or prefer a controlled venue environment, in-person is $400 cheaper on the exam fee itself before any other cost is considered. Either way, confirm current availability and eligibility for each format on the AMC clinical examination page, since not every scheduling window offers both formats identically.
How Scheduling Windows and Dates Actually Work
We will not print specific 2026 exam dates here, because the AMC does not run a single fixed annual calendar — it releases scheduling in windows, each covering a period of a few months, and publishes a dedicated scheduling document for that window (for example, documents titled for a "February–April" or "May–August" period have appeared on the AMC site). Within a published window, you nominate preferred dates in your application, and the AMC allocates an actual sitting on the first-applied, first-allocated basis described above.
Some releases have also used a staged allocation structure, giving an earlier access stage to candidates who already hold AHPRA limited registration and are working in Australian health services, before opening more broadly to all eligible candidates. Whether a given window uses staged or open allocation, and exactly which dates and places are available, changes from release to release. The only reliable way to know your window's structure is to read the current scheduling document linked from the AMC clinical examination page yourself, not a coaching blog's summary of a previous one.
Refunds, Withdrawals and Other Costs to Plan For
The AMC publishes a formal Assessment Withdrawal and Refund Policy, and the headline terms for the clinical exam are strict: withdrawing within one month of payment gets a 50 percent refund; withdrawing after that, on the day of the exam, or simply not attending gets no refund at all. For the online exam specifically, the policy distinguishes technical problems on the candidate's side, which get no refund, from genuine outages beyond anyone's control, which may attract a partial refund. Read the full policy document linked from the AMC fees page before you pay, because half of a 3,000-to-3,400 AUD fee is not a trivial amount to lose over a preventable scheduling mistake.
Two other fees worth planning for even if you never expect to need them: a result reissue costs $107 if you lose access to your original result, and an appeal costs $910 for one station plus $235 for each additional station, should you ever need to challenge a result. Neither is part of the core Standard Pathway total above, but both are real, published costs that can arise. Our AMC clinical marking domains guide explains how stations are actually scored, which is the more useful preparation for avoiding an appeal than knowing the appeal fee itself.
Results, once you do sit the exam, are downloaded from your AMC account, becoming available at 4pm on the Friday three weeks after your exam date — plan your next steps, including any AMC clinical time management revision if a resit becomes necessary, around that timeline rather than expecting an earlier result.
Putting the Budget Together
If you are mapping out the Standard Pathway financially, the sequence is: portfolio ($642, plus $107 per extra qualification), CAT MCQ authorisation ($2,920), then the clinical exam itself ($3,000 in-person or $3,400 online), for a realistic total of $6,562 to $6,962 before card surcharges, travel or accommodation. Treat that clinical exam fee as the single most expensive line item you cannot afford to spend on unprepared, given the strict refund terms above. Structured, timed mock exams and the study plans on the AMC clinical hub exist specifically so that the $3,000-plus you commit to a booking is spent on an exam you are genuinely ready to sit, not a rehearsal for a second attempt at the same price.
This article is general exam-preparation guidance, not clinical advice. Always follow current Australian guidelines (eTG, RACGP) and confirm exam details with the Australian Medical Council.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the AMC clinical exam cost in total?
As at August 2026, sitting the AMC clinical exam under the Standard Pathway costs 6,562 AUD in-person or 6,962 AUD online, once you add the 642 AUD portfolio fee, the 2,920 AUD CAT MCQ authorisation fee, and the clinical exam fee itself. Add roughly 1 percent if paying by card, since the AMC applies a 0.96 percent surcharge. This excludes travel, accommodation and AHPRA registration costs. Confirm current figures on the AMC fees page before budgeting.
What is the fee for the online AMC clinical exam versus in-person?
The online clinical exam is listed at 3,400 AUD, described by the AMC as 3,000 AUD plus a 400 AUD levy, while the in-person clinical exam is 3,000 AUD. The online option is therefore 400 AUD more expensive on the exam fee alone, though it removes travel and accommodation costs that an in-person sitting usually adds. Both figures are current as at August 2026 and are GST-free; confirm on the AMC fees page.
How do I book the AMC clinical exam?
You apply by emailing clinical@amc.org.au with your full name and Candidate ID, your preferred examination dates, your employment location, a valid employment letter, proof of current AHPRA registration, and proof of residence. Applications are allocated on a first-applied, first-allocated basis, so applying as early as a scheduling window opens genuinely improves your chances of getting a preferred date rather than being left on a waitlist.
Can I choose my exact AMC clinical exam date?
Not precisely. You submit preferred dates within a published scheduling window, and the AMC allocates an actual date on a first-applied, first-allocated basis, so an early preference is more likely to be honoured than a late one. The AMC publishes a scheduling document for each window, covering roughly a few months at a time, rather than a single fixed annual exam calendar. Always check the current scheduling document on the AMC site for your window's exact dates.
Can I get a refund if I cancel my AMC clinical exam booking?
The AMC's published withdrawal and refund policy gives a 50 percent refund of the clinical exam fee if you withdraw within one month of payment, and no refund if you withdraw after that, on the day of the exam, or for non-attendance. This is a meaningful amount of money to lose, so confirm your eligibility and readiness before paying, and read the AMC's full Assessment Withdrawal and Refund Policy before booking.
Do I have to pass the CAT MCQ before booking the clinical exam?
Yes. The AMC clinical examination page states plainly that you must have passed the AMC CAT MCQ examination before you are eligible to apply for the clinical exam. There is no way to book or sit the clinical exam first, so the CAT MCQ authorisation fee of 2,920 AUD is an unavoidable earlier step in the Standard Pathway's total cost, not an optional add-on.
When do I get my AMC clinical exam results and does reissue cost extra?
Results become available to download from your AMC account at 4pm on the Friday three weeks after your clinical exam. If you later need a duplicate result, the AMC charges a flat 107 AUD result reissue fee for either the MCQ or the clinical exam, so keep your original result downloaded and saved rather than relying on being able to access it indefinitely for free.
What does it cost to appeal an AMC clinical exam result?
An appeal covering one station costs 910 AUD, with each additional station added to the same appeal costing 235 AUD. These are the AMC's published appeal fees as at August 2026 and are separate from the exam fee itself, so an appeal is a genuine additional cost to weigh, not a free right of review. Confirm current appeal fees and grounds for appeal on the AMC fees page before applying.
This article is educational content for OSCE exam preparation and does not replace professional clinical judgement or local guidelines. Management, prescribing, and guideline references cite named sources for each jurisdiction — always confirm against the current official guidance before acting. Last reviewed 4 August 2026 by MedRevisions Clinical Team.
MedRevisions Team
OSCE educators & NHS-experienced clinicians
NHS-experienced doctors and medical educators dedicated to helping candidates pass their OSCE exams. All clinical content is reviewed by the MedRevisions Clinical Team before publication.