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amc clinical exam vs wba: how to choose (and avoid the catch-22)

a decision framework for amc clinical examination vs workplace-based assessment, including the job-first constraint and site accreditation realities.

The Bottom Line

  • Both AMC Clinical and WBA can satisfy the Standard pathway’s ‘clinical’ requirement — but their dependencies differ.
  • WBA is only available if you’re already working in a clinical position at an AMC-accredited WBA site (job-first).
  • You can still sit AMC Clinical even if you cannot obtain a job/limited registration yet, provided you meet eligibility requirements.
This is the most misunderstood fork in the Australian IMG journey. On paper, the Standard pathway requires AMC CAT MCQ plus **either** the AMC clinical exam **or** an AMC-accredited workplace-based assessment (WBA), followed by a defined period of supervised practice. In reality, your choice is constrained by your ability to secure the *right kind* of job at the *right kind* of site at the *right time*.

The key operational difference

**WBA is job-first.** The WBA option is only available to IMGs already working in clinical positions at AMC-accredited sites. **AMC Clinical can be exam-first.** AMC guidance indicates you can pursue the clinical exam even if you cannot get a clinical position / limited registration yet (subject to eligibility requirements).

The WBA catch-22 (and how to neutralise it)

The catch-22 is: **you need a job at an accredited site to do WBA**, but you may be trying to use WBA as the reason an employer should hire you. Neutralisers: - Focus job search on services that openly run WBA programs (or routinely host IMGs). - Ask upfront: “Are you an AMC-accredited WBA site, and do you currently have program places?” - If not accredited: assume WBA is not a viable plan for that employer until proven otherwise.
One more nuance worth making explicit: WBA is **an authentic workplace performance assessment**; it tests how you practise in real clinical environments. That’s an advantage if you learn best in-context and can access the right environment. It’s a disadvantage if you need a pathway you can progress via scheduled examinations with fewer organisational dependencies.
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