AMC Part 1 High-Yield Topics

Blueprint weightings

A. Medicine (30%)

Cardiology

• Heart failure, including anaemia in heart failure

• Acute coronary syndrome and myocardial infarction

• Acute chest pain and cardiac biomarkers

• Tachyarrhythmias

• Bradyarrhythmias

• First, second and third degree atrioventricular block

• Atrial fibrillation

• Supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia

• ECG pattern recognition

• Pericarditis and ECG findings

• Stroke prevention and the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score

• Cardiovascular disease risk assessment

• Hyperlipidaemia management

• Familial hypercholesterolaemia

• Statin side effects and statin-associated muscle symptoms

• Blood pressure management and antihypertensive therapy

• Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

• Pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy

• Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in the medical inpatient

Respiratory Medicine

• Pulmonary embolism: risk scoring, imaging choice and initial anticoagulation

• Pulmonary function testing

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Asthma in adults: severity assessment and stepwise management

• Spontaneous pneumothorax: chest X-ray recognition and management by size

• Allergic rhinitis

• Cystic fibrosis

• Bronchiectasis

• Interstitial lung disease and treatment

Gastroenterology

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

• Eosinophilic oesophagitis

• Barrett's oesophagus and screening

• Achalasia

• Distal oesophageal spasm

• Drug-induced oesophageal injury

• Functional dysphagia

• Globus sensation

• Peptic ulcer disease

• Bleeding peptic ulcer and management

• Drug-induced ulceration

• Helicobacter pylori infection and testing considerations

• Inflammatory bowel disease with extraintestinal manifestations

• Ulcerative colitis with ocular manifestations such as uveitis and scleritis

• Coeliac disease: serology, and staying on gluten before testing

• Diverticular disease: uncomplicated diverticulitis and outpatient management

• Small bowel and mesenteric ischaemia

• Colorectal carcinoma

• Pancreatitis: causes, severity scoring and complications

• Iron deficiency anaemia as a red flag for gastrointestinal malignancy

Nephrology and Urology

• Acute kidney injury

• Chronic kidney disease

• Glomerulonephritis

• Nephrotic syndrome

• IgA vasculitis, formerly Henoch-Schönlein purpura

• Polycystic kidney disease

• Renal artery stenosis

• Haematuria

• Renal and ureteric stones

• Renal cell carcinoma

• Prostatitis

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia

• Prostate carcinoma

• Scrotal swelling and pain

• Testicular carcinoma

Haematology

• Anaemia, general approach

• Iron deficiency anaemia: causes and investigation

• Thalassaemia

• Sickle cell disease

• Haemolytic anaemia

• G6PD deficiency

• Hereditary spherocytosis

• Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria

• Fanconi anaemia, which is not Fanconi syndrome. The latter is renal.

• Bleeding disorders

• Immune thrombocytopenia

• Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

• Haemolytic uraemic syndrome

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation

• Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: timing, the 4Ts score, and which anticoagulant to switch to

• Venous thromboembolism: choice and duration of anticoagulation

• Warfarin and INR

• Warfarin around surgery

• Multiple myeloma

• Leukaemias

• Lymphomas

Endocrinology

• Diabetes mellitus

• Thyroid disorders

• Parathyroid disorders

• Adrenal disorders

• Pituitary disorders

• Disorders of water balance, meaning diabetes insipidus and SIADH

• Osteoporosis

• Gynaecomastia

Neurology

• Stroke

• Transient ischaemic attack

• Carotid artery stenosis

• Intracranial lesions and their localisation

• Intracranial haemorrhage

• Epilepsy

• Acute seizure management

• Headache types

• Migraine management

• Multiple sclerosis, with optic neuritis and fundoscopic correlation

• Guillain-Barré syndrome

• Bell's palsy

• Myasthenia gravis

• Motor neurone disease

• Vertigo

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

• Ménière's disease

• Tinnitus

Rheumatology

• Rheumatoid arthritis, seropositive and seronegative

• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy

• Seronegative spondyloarthropathies: ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic, reactive, enteropathic

• Osteoarthritis

• Gout

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Polymyalgia rheumatica

• Giant cell arteritis

• Back pain and red flags

Dermatology

• Skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, seborrhoeic keratosis

• Dermatitis: atopic, seborrhoeic, contact, discoid

• Psoriasis

• Acne vulgaris, mild through severe, and management

• Human papillomavirus warts

• Herpes simplex infection

• Tinea

• Scabies, including school exclusion criteria

• Pityriasis rosea and pityriasis versicolor

• Lichen planus

• Lichen sclerosus

• Cutaneous drug reactions, timing and type

• Angioedema and urticaria, including ACE inhibitor reactions

• Granuloma annulare

• Infantile haemangioma

• Napkin dermatitis

Infectious Diseases

• Vaccination in the immunocompromised and before travel

• HIV

• Hepatitis

• Cytomegalovirus

• Epstein-Barr virus

• Toxoplasmosis

• Measles, mumps, rubella

• Chickenpox

• TORCH infections

• COVID-19

• Cellulitis

• Urinary tract infection: organisms and empirical antibiotic choice

• Clostridioides difficile infection

• Rabies

• Cat scratch disease

• Hydatid disease

• Travel-related infections

• Traveller's diarrhoea

• Sexually transmitted infection testing and contact tracing

• Abnormal vaginal discharge

• Men who have sex with men health

Geriatrics

• Comprehensive geriatric assessment

• Polypharmacy

• Falls

B. Surgery (20%)

General Surgery

• Large bowel obstruction, usually malignant

• Small bowel obstruction, usually adhesional

• Complicated diverticulitis: abscess, perforation and Hinchey staging on CT

• Caecal volvulus

• Ogilvie syndrome, or acute colonic pseudo-obstruction

• Cholangitis

• Choledocholithiasis

• Acalculous cholecystitis

• Mirizzi syndrome

• Post-cholecystectomy syndrome

• Acute pancreatitis: gallstone aetiology and timing of cholecystectomy

• Pancreatic pseudocyst, image-based

• Hepatic abscess

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm

• Mesenteric artery aneurysm

• Rectus sheath haematoma

• Salivary gland stones

• Neck masses

• Oesophageal carcinoma

• Bladder carcinoma

• Bariatric surgery complications

• Conservative versus operative management

• Red flags for urgent surgery

Orthopaedic Surgery

• Upper limb fractures

• Lower limb fractures

• Open fractures

• Stress fractures

• Compartment syndrome

• Bone infection

• Overuse injuries

• Knee joint injuries

• Achilles tendon rupture

• Biceps tendon rupture

• Shoulder dislocation

• Ankle dislocation

• Frozen shoulder

• Tenosynovial giant cell tumour, formerly pigmented villonodular synovitis

Anorectal Surgery

• Haemorrhoids and grading

• Anal fissure

• Anorectal abscess and fistula-in-ano

• Pilonidal sinus

Urology

• Acute scrotum in adults: torsion, epididymo-orchitis and torted appendix testis

• Testicular torsion: time to theatre and operative fixation

• Hydrocele in adults

• Varicocele

• Epididymo-orchitis

• Inguinal and femoral hernia in adults

• Urinary tract infection in adults, including complicated and catheter-associated infection

Otolaryngology

• Rinne and Weber testing

• Otitis media

• Ear pain

• ENT lumps

• Sinusitis

Breast

• Mastitis

• Breast abscess

• Fibroadenoma, including popcorn calcification on imaging

Ophthalmology

• Acute red eye, painful and painless

• Sudden vision loss

• Acute visual disturbance

• Central retinal artery occlusion

• Central retinal vein occlusion

• Amaurosis fugax

• Optic neuritis

• Retinal detachment

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Hypertensive retinopathy

• Corneal ulcer and keratitis: viral, bacterial, dendritic

• Acute angle-closure glaucoma

• Chronic glaucoma

• Chalazion and stye

• Ocular trauma: blunt, penetrating, chemical

• Orbital floor fracture

Trauma and Emergency

• Road traffic trauma

• Head and neck trauma

• Splenic rupture

• Traumatic and tension pneumothorax, including needle decompression

• Haemothorax

• Cardiac tamponade

• Snake bite: tiger, brown, red-bellied black

• Spider bite: redback, funnel-web

• Marine stings: bluebottle, stonefish

• Poisoning and antidotes

• Paracetamol poisoning

• Opioid poisoning

• Alcohol withdrawal in the emergency setting: delirium tremens and Wernicke prophylaxis

• Button battery ingestion

• Canine bite

• Heat stroke

C. Women's Health (12.5%)

Obstetrics

• Preconception care

• Prenatal care

• Iodine and folic acid supplementation, dose and timing

• Genetic screening

• Chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, with timing

• Trisomy 21, 18 and 13

• Gestational hypertension

• Preeclampsia and eclampsia

• Gestational diabetes mellitus

• Anaemia in pregnancy

• Thyroid disease in pregnancy: Graves versus gestational thyrotoxicosis

• Systemic lupus erythematosus in pregnancy

• Antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy

• ABO incompatibility and haemolytic disease of the newborn

• Rhesus isoimmunisation and clinical picture

• Indirect Coombs test

• Indications for anti-D immunoglobulin

• Placenta praevia

• Vasa praevia

• Placental abruption, including concealed

• Preterm labour and fetal fibronectin

• Contraindications to tocolysis

• Cervical insufficiency and cerclage

• Premature rupture of membranes

• Polyhydramnios

• Fetal macrosomia

• Multiple pregnancy, monozygotic and dizygotic

• Fetal lie and malpresentation: transverse, breech, face, brow

• Stages of labour and management

• Shoulder dystocia

• Umbilical cord prolapse

• Meconium-stained liquor

• Uterine rupture

• Uterine inversion

• Postpartum haemorrhage

• Retained products of conception

• Uterine atony management

• Fetal demise

• Urinary tract infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy

• Group B streptococcus

• Parvovirus B19

• Hepatitis B and C in pregnancy

• Varicella in pregnancy

• Maternal sepsis

• Genital herpes, syphilis, trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis

• Venous thromboembolism in pregnancy: diagnosis, imaging and LMWH dosing

Gynaecology

• Contraception

• Primary dysmenorrhoea

• Amenorrhoea

• Abnormal uterine bleeding

• Polycystic ovary syndrome

• Endometriosis

• Adenomyosis

• Uterine fibroids

• Ectopic pregnancy

• Hydatidiform mole

• Menopausal hormone therapy

• Atrophic vaginitis

• Postmenopausal bleeding

• Bartholin gland cyst and abscess

• Vulvar masses

• Cervical carcinoma

D. Paediatrics (12.5%)

Neonatology and Development

• Neonatal jaundice: types and pathophysiology

• Growth and development

• Developmental milestones

• Immunisation: the childhood NIP schedule and catch-up

• Developmental dysplasia of the hip

Infection and Respiratory

• Fever without source: assessment and red flags

• Bronchiolitis

• Croup

• Asthma in children: acute severity and preventer decisions

• Allergic disease

• Paediatric rashes

Gastroenterology

• Pyloric stenosis

• Intussusception

• Hirschsprung's disease

• Meckel's diverticulum

• Necrotising enterocolitis

• Intestinal atresia

• Meconium plug syndrome

• Umbilical hernia

• Dehydration

• Gastroenteritis

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux in infants: physiological posseting versus disease

• Cow's milk protein allergy

• Lactose intolerance

• Coeliac disease in children: growth failure and screening in type 1 diabetes

Paediatric Urology

• Vesicoureteral reflux: grading, and imaging after a first febrile urinary tract infection

• Urinary tract infection in children, and when to image

• Testicular torsion in adolescents, and why the window matters

• Undescended testis: timing of orchidopexy

• Hydrocele and inguinal hernia in infancy

• Bladder and bowel dysfunction

Paediatric Psychiatry

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Oppositional defiant disorder

• Conduct disorder

• Tic disorders and Tourette syndrome

E. Mental Health (12.5%)

• Major depressive disorder

• Bipolar disorder and mania

• Anxiety disorders

• Panic attacks and de-escalation

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Postpartum psychosis

• Personality disorders

• Eating disorders

• Dementia and Alzheimer disease

• Delirium, and telling it apart from dementia

• Grief and bereavement

• Acute behavioural disturbance and the agitated patient

• Anticholinergic effects

• Antipsychotic side effects, including hyperprolactinaemia

• Antidepressant side effects

• Substance intoxication and withdrawal

• Alcohol use disorder: intoxication, withdrawal scoring and relapse prevention

• Carbamazepine toxicity

• Involuntary assessment and treatment under state Mental Health Acts

F. Population Health and Ethics (12.5%)

Other screening

• Cardiovascular risk screening

• Diabetes screening

• Hypertension screening

• Skin cancer screening

• Prostate cancer screening and its controversies

• Sexually transmitted infection screening: who to screen and how often

Immunisation

• National Immunisation Program schedule

• Adult pneumococcal vaccination. From 1 July 2026 the 21-valent conjugate vaccine (21vPCV, Capvaxive) replaced both Prevenar 13 and Pneumovax 23 on the adult NIP schedule. Eligibility widened at the same time: funded from age 65 rather than 70, and from age 25 rather than 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. Children stay on 20vPCV.

• COVID-19 vaccines move onto the NIP from 1 October 2026, replacing the stand-alone National COVID-19 Vaccine Program. Funding narrows to groups at highest risk of severe disease rather than the whole population.

• Influenza: trivalent formulations for 2026

• Australian Immunisation Register reporting requirements

Ethics and Law

• Informed consent and capacity

• Consent in minors: Gillick competence, Marion's case, and the NSW and SA statutory positions

• Right to refuse treatment

• Not-for-resuscitation orders and advance care directives

• Substitute decision-making

• Organ donation

• Neonatal death and perinatal loss

• Confidentiality and its exceptions

• Mandatory reporting: child protection

• Mandatory notification to Ahpra about other practitioners

• Notifiable disease reporting

• Fitness to drive, where obligations differ by state and territory

• Child abuse

• Domestic and family violence

• Management of the aggressive patient

• Elder care and elder abuse

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, including MBS item 715

• Doctor-patient relationship

• Clinical referral

Epidemiology and Statistics

• Sensitivity and specificity, which are properties of the test

• Positive and negative predictive value, which depend on prevalence

• Study design hierarchy

• Types of bias

• Absolute versus relative risk reduction

• Number needed to treat

• Lead time and length time bias in screening

Public Health

• Adolescent health

• Nutrition

• Obesity

• Smoking cessation

• Genetic testing

• Infection prevention

• Needlestick and sharps injuries

• Foodborne illness

Next steps

• Audit yourself with this month's free quiz

• Build the timeline: How to Pass AMC Part 1 in 3 to 6 Months

• Compare question banks: platform comparison

• AMC Academic as the main question bank

• Pair with the free official AMC preparation app for house-style calibration

• Use the RACGP Red Book for screening and immunisation schedules

• AMC Academic’s blueprint-weighted questions, timed mocks and performance reports keep study hours aligned with the actual exam

• Secondary: eMedici for broader clinical coverage

• Secondary: Amedex for a topic-driven approach

More questions answered

How is AMC Part 1 structured, and how many questions are on the AMC MCQ?

AMC Part 1 has 150 questions, each with five options and one correct answer, sat in a single 3.5-hour session at a Pearson VUE centre; it is a computer adaptive test with no going back and no negative marking, and results are reported on a 0–500 scale on which 250 is a pass. Practising in that format, as AMC Academic’s mocks allow, removes most surprises on the day.

The adaptive part is what catches people out. The software picks each new question based on how you answered the previous one: a correct answer leads to a harder question, an incorrect one to an easier question. Because each answer shapes what comes next, there’s no flagging and no review screen; once you move on, you can’t return. That works out to about 84 seconds per question.

Two practical consequences. You need to answer all 150, because the AMC says it expects every scored item completed and an unfinished exam may not produce a result. And since nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, a guess is always better than a blank. If the exam feels like it’s getting harder, that usually means you’re doing well.

Most questions are short clinical scenarios asking for a diagnosis, the next investigation, or most often the next step in management, sometimes with an ECG, X-ray or clinical photo. Results come out at 4:00 pm on the Friday three weeks after your exam week. For 2026 the AMC raised the underlying standard slightly but kept 250 as the pass mark.

What topics are on the AMC Part 1 exam?

AMC Part 1 covers six patient groups in fixed proportions: adult medicine (30%), adult surgery (20%), women’s health (12.5%), child health (12.5%), mental health (12.5%), and population health and ethics (12.5%), all pitched at the level of a doctor graduating from an Australian medical school. AMC Academic’s bank follows the same six groups.

Out of 150 questions, that’s around 45 on adult medicine, 30 on surgery and about 19 on each of the remaining four groups. On top of the subject, each question tests a task: collecting information, interpreting it, or deciding management. Management is the biggest share, and it’s where the exam is distinctly Australian, because the right answers come from Therapeutic Guidelines for prescribing, the RACGP Red Book for screening and the Australian Immunisation Handbook for vaccines.

Within each group, the common presentations matter most: chest pain, atrial fibrillation, asthma and COPD, pneumonia, the acute abdomen, testicular torsion, antenatal screening and gestational diabetes, the sick child and bronchiolitis, depression and postpartum psychosis. Population health and ethics is the block most candidates neglect, yet it’s largely learnable rules: bowel screening from 45, cervical screening from 25 with a five-yearly HPV test, breast screening from 50, and, since 1 July 2026, a single 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine for adults from 65.