Appeal – Clinical Examination

Rules Relating to Appeal of Clinical Examination Stations for Clinical Examinations occurring after 15 March 2021.

These rules apply to appeals from examinations occurring after 15 March 2021.

Where candidates have commenced an appeal process by lodging a stage 1 appeal (under the
previous appeal rules prior to that date), the process will be conducted in accordance with the
rules that applied at the time the appeal process was commenced.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Candidates for an AMC clinical examination may appeal their result in a station or stations in which
the candidate has been awarded a fail in relation to that clinical examination.

1.2 Candidates should study these Rules carefully before lodging their documentation.

1.3 These Rules apply only to AMC clinical examinations. They replace the previous rules relating to
clinical appeals.

1.4 A candidate may only appeal a station or stations where a change or changes to the scoring could
change the overall result awarded to entitle the candidate to a Pass for the exam.

2. TIMETABLE

2.1 An appeal must be submitted on the relevant Application Form to the AMC within 28 days of the
examination result being available to candidates via the AMC candidate portal.

3. PROCESS

3.1 An appeal must:

1. be submitted on the relevant application form available from the AMC’s web site;
2. be accompanied by the relevant fee.

3.2 An appeal will not be accepted unless:

1. the results of the appeal could result in the candidate’s overall result for the exam changing
   to a Pass;
2. the application form has been properly completed; and
3. the relevant fee has been paid.

4. PROCESS OF APPEAL

4.1 Following receipt of an appeal in accordance with paragraph 3.2, the AMC will review any vision or
sound recording of the candidate’s performance in the station or stations the subject of the appeal
(“administrative review”). The AMC may discuss any matter including the subject of the station or
stations with the clinical examiner or examiners and any other person involved.

4.2 If the AMC considers:

4.2.1 that the procedural requirements for one or more stations of the clinical examination, as
specified in the AMC Clinical Examination Specifications booklet current at the time of the
examination, were not followed by the AMC in a significant manner or to a significant extent; or the
candidate’s performance in one or more stations of the clinical examination was impaired by
significant deficiencies in the examination procedures beyond the control of the candidate, then the
AMC may set aside the result of the clinical examination awarded to the candidate, in which case
the AMC will:

1. direct that the candidate be offered a further attempt at the whole or part of the clinical
   examination; and
2. determine what if any fee is to be paid by the candidate if the offer is accepted.

4.2.2 that the video or audio recording for the station or stations the subject of the appeal are not
available or not of sufficient quality to enable the appeal to proceed, then the AMC may set aside
the result of the clinical examination awarded to the candidate, in which case the AMC will:

1. direct that the candidate be offered a further attempt at the whole or part of the clinical
   examination; and
2. determine what if any fee is to be paid by the candidate if the offer is accepted.

If the AMC does not take action under paragraph 4.2 above, then the appeal will proceed as a re-mark,
and the AMC will appoint a first and a second ‘re-mark’ examiner to re-mark each station in the appeal.

The first examiner will re-mark the station by reviewing the vision and sound recording of the
candidate’s performance in the station.

If the first ‘re-mark’ examiner assesses the candidate’s overall performance in the station as a fail,
then the fail result for the station will be confirmed.

However, if the first ‘re-mark’ examiner assesses the candidate’s overall performance in the station
as a pass, then the second ‘re-mark’ examiner will re-mark the station by reviewing the vision and
sound recording of the candidate’s performance in the station. This will be done independently of
the first ‘re-mark’ examiner.

A candidate’s overall result for the station will be altered from a fail to a pass only if both the first
and second ‘re-mark’ examiners agree.

Following re-mark of all stations in the appeal the AMC will notify the candidate of the results for
each station, and whether the candidate’s overall result for the clinical examination is changed from
a fail to a pass.

Candidates will not be given access to the clinical examination information sheets for candidates or
the vision and/or sound recording of the candidate’s performance in the station or stations. Further
the AMC will not have regard to any submissions from the candidate.

Neither the re-mark examiners nor the AMC will hear oral representations from the candidate or any
person on the candidate’s behalf.

4.9 Neither the re-mark examiners nor the AMC are required to give reasons for their decision.

4.10 A candidate who is permitted a further clinical examination, or offered to sit part of a clinical
examination, must apply to sit the examination within any period specified by the AMC, and must
provide satisfactory evidence in writing that they have met or complied with any conditions imposed
by the AMC.

4.13 The AMC’s decision is final and not subject to further review or appeal.

5. IMPORTANT NOTES

5.1 The AMC will notify the candidate in writing of the decision on the appeal.

5.2 The AMC reserves the right to change its examination and appeal procedures. Candidates should
check with the AMC Secretariat concerning the current procedures.

5.3 Further information regarding these Rules may be obtained from the AMC Secretariat at the
following address:

AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL COUNCIL LIMITED.
PO BOX 4810
KINGSTON ACT 2604
Telephone: (02) 6270 7878
Facsimile: (02) 6270 9799
Email: appeals@amc.org.au