Clinical examination – Frequently Asked Questions

The release runs from November to early December in three stages: Stage 1 opens on 23 November 2026, Stage 2 on 30 November 2026 and Stage 3 on 7 December 2026, each at 10:00 am AEDT. Each stage has its own preference window, notification date and payment deadline.

Eligible candidates who applied in both the February and July 2026 releases but did not secure a place in either. This applies regardless of registration status or location.

Candidates who applied but did not complete payment, candidates who retained a placement and later withdrew, and candidates who have since been offered a placement.

Candidates who meet the Stage 1 criteria will be emailed exam dates and scheduling instructions by Thursday 5 November 2026.

Candidates who missed out on a placement during the July 2026 release AND currently hold Ahpra limited registration. Candidates who meet these criteria will be emailed exam dates and scheduling instructions on Friday 20 November 2026.

All eligible candidates, regardless of application history or registration status. Exam dates and scheduling instructions will be emailed on Friday 20 November 2026.

Candidates can enter their Ahpra registration number, registration type and expiry date on their AMC Candidate Account homepage.

The details help the AMC identify candidates with limited registration who may qualify for priority scheduling.

Accurate, up-to-date details must be submitted before 5:00 pm AEDT on Thursday 19 November 2026 for a candidate to be included in priority 2 scheduling.

Any registration details entered into a candidate account after 19 November 2026 will not be eligible for Stage 2 scheduling release.

Yes. The AMC will verify the information through quality assurance checks, so candidates must submit accurate details.

The AMC has increased the number of exam date preferences from a minimum of three to a maximum of five exam dates.

Candidates are encouraged to select preferences across different months.

Places are allocated in the order that preferences are submitted.

Stage 1 opens Monday 23 November 2026 and closes Tuesday 24 November 2026. Stage 2 opens Monday 30 November 2026 and closes Tuesday 1 December 2026. Stage 3 opens Monday 7 December 2026 and closes Tuesday 8 December 2026. All open and close at 10:00 am AEDT.

Placement and outcome notifications are sent to all candidates when preferences close for each stage (24 November, 1 December and 8 December 2026), including payment instructions where applicable.

A limited waitlist is open to candidates currently residing in Australia.

Examination places typically become available at short notice, so candidates need to be able to accept and attend at short notice.

The residential address in the candidate account at the time of scheduling. Candidates are responsible for ensuring this address is accurate and up to date before scheduling.

Positions are allocated based on the timestamp of preference selections and are capped at a set number of candidates.

No. Candidates can only be waitlisted for one month, which will be the month selected as their first exam preference.

No. Being placed on the waitlist does NOT guarantee an exam place.

The AMC accepts both Mastercard and Visa credit and debit card payments.

Payment instructions, where applicable, are included in the placement and outcome notification sent when preferences close for your stage.

Stage 1: Thursday 26 November 2026, 5:00 pm AEDT. Stage 2: Thursday 3 December 2026, 5:00 pm AEDT. Stage 3: Thursday 10 December 2026, 5:00 pm AEDT.

What happens if I miss the payment deadline?