If you have heard that the AMC "raised the pass mark" for 2026, the accurate version is more precise than that, and the precision matters for how you prepare. From 2026, the AMC has introduced a slight increase to the pass standard for the CAT MCQ Examination, but the number you will actually see on your results, 250 on a 0 to 500 scale, has not changed at all. What changed sits behind that number, in how the exam's computer-adaptive scoring translates ability into a score. Here is exactly what moved, why the reported figures look identical, and what it means for your preparation.
In brief: From 2026 the AMC has slightly raised the underlying cut score for its CAT MCQ Examination, following routine benchmarking against Australian medical school graduates. Results are still reported on the same 0 to 500 scale, and the pass mark is still described as 250. The exam's format, content, and blueprint are unchanged, and because the test is computer-adaptive rather than percentage-based, you do not need to answer a higher proportion of questions correctly. The AMC's free MCQ preparation app remains available and is being refreshed with new questions.
Key takeaways
- From 2026, the AMC has slightly increased the underlying cut score for the CAT MCQ Examination.
- Results are still reported on the same 0 to 500 scale, and the pass mark is still described as 250.
- The exam's content, format, and blueprint have not changed, only the standard-setting behind the reported score.
- Because the test is computer-adaptive, there is no fixed percentage of correct answers required to pass.
- Results before 2026 are assessed under the previous standard; results from 2026 onward use the new one.
What actually changed
The AMC has confirmed that, from 2026, it is introducing a slight increase to the pass standard for the Multiple Choice Question Examination, the CAT MCQ that forms the first step of the Standard Pathway for international medical graduates. The change is described as the result of routine, periodic benchmarking, where the AMC works with representatives from Australian medical schools to confirm that the exam continues to reflect the level expected of a graduating Australian medical student. It is explicitly framed as ordinary standard maintenance rather than a response to any particular concern about difficulty or candidate performance.
Why the number 250 has not changed
Here is the part that trips people up. The AMC CAT MCQ is scored using Item Response Theory, which estimates your underlying ability from the pattern and difficulty of the questions you answered correctly, and that ability estimate is then mapped onto a 0 to 500 scale for reporting, with the pass mark described as 250. What has moved for 2026 is the underlying cut score, the actual ability threshold a candidate must reach to be awarded that reported 250. The mapping has simply been recalibrated so that the reported pass mark still reads 250 on the same scale, even though the ability required to reach it is marginally higher than before. In practice, this means you will never see a "251" or a "255" as the new official pass mark anywhere in AMC communications. The number stays 250. The bar behind the number moved slightly.
Why this does not mean a higher percentage correct
A natural but mistaken response to hearing "the pass standard went up" is to assume you now need to answer a higher percentage of questions correctly. That is not how the CAT MCQ works. Because it is computer-adaptive, the exam does not have a fixed set of questions with a fixed correct-answer percentage; instead, correct answers lead to harder subsequent questions and incorrect answers lead to easier ones, so your score reflects your estimated ability level based on the difficulty of questions you handled, not a raw tally of right answers. Two candidates can answer a different number of questions correctly and land on the same reported score, because the difficulty of what they were asked differs. The AMC's own guidance on this update is explicit that candidates will not need to answer a greater percentage of questions correctly as a result of the change. The practical implication is that "study harder" is the right response, but "aim for a specific higher percentage" is not a meaningful target under this scoring system.
What has not changed
It is worth being equally clear about what this update does not touch. The content, format, and structure of the MCQ Examination remain exactly as they were: 150 questions, of which 130 are scored and 20 are unscored pilot items, delivered over 3.5 hours at Pearson VUE test centres, covering the same blueprint of data gathering, data interpretation and synthesis, and management across the breadth of Australian clinical practice. The way results are reported to candidates is unchanged, still the familiar 0 to 500 scale with feedback on your performance. And the free AMC MCQ preparation app, developed with eMedici and containing 210 practice questions with feedback, remains available for 2026, with a refreshed set of questions planned to keep the content current. If your preparation strategy was sound before this announcement, it remains sound now.
Which standard applies to your result
Timing matters here in one specific way. Results from examinations sat in 2025 are assessed under the previous standard, while results from examinations sat from 2026 onward are assessed under the new, slightly higher one. Every candidate is assessed against whichever standard was in force at the time they actually sat the exam, so there is no retrospective reassessment and no advantage to trying to time a sitting around the transition. If you are booking for 2026, simply prepare thoroughly and treat the change as background context rather than a reason to change your target or your timeline.
What this means for your preparation
Given that the format, content, and reported scale are unchanged, the practical advice does not change either. Build broad, transferable clinical reasoning across the full blueprint rather than narrowly rehearsing a limited question pool, since the adaptive format specifically rewards candidates who can handle harder items as they arise, not those who recognise familiar ones. Use the AMC's own materials, including the refreshed free preparation app, to calibrate against the genuine style and expected standard, and layer broader question practice on top for volume and reasoning depth. A slightly higher underlying bar is, by the AMC's own description, a marginal adjustment, not a step change, so thorough, well-structured preparation that would have passed comfortably before this update should continue to do so.
Where iatroX fits
Preparing for a computer-adaptive exam means training the reasoning that holds up as questions get harder, not memorising a fixed pool. iatroX's AMC CAT question bank is set in Australian clinical context, with an adaptive engine that mirrors the exam's format and a Socratic Tutor that rebuilds the decision behind a missed question rather than simply restating the answer, so preparation targets transferable reasoning rather than recognition. Free sample questions are available to try at iatroX. For the exam's full format and timing, see the AMC CAT exam guide, and for a structured revision approach, the AMC CAT MCQ revision plan.
Frequently asked questions
Did the AMC raise the pass mark for the MCQ exam in 2026? Not the reported number. The AMC slightly raised the underlying cut score, the ability threshold required to reach a passing result, but results are still reported on the same 0 to 500 scale and the pass mark is still described as 250.
Do I need a higher percentage correct to pass in 2026? No. The CAT MCQ Examination uses computer-adaptive testing based on Item Response Theory, so your score reflects your estimated ability level from the difficulty of questions you answered correctly, not a fixed percentage. The AMC has confirmed no change to the proportion of correct answers needed.
Has the exam format or content changed for 2026? No. The MCQ Examination remains 150 questions, 130 scored and 20 unscored pilot items, over 3.5 hours at Pearson VUE centres, covering the same blueprint. Only the standard-setting behind the reported score has been adjusted.
Which standard applies if I sat the exam in 2025 versus 2026? Results are assessed against the standard in place when you actually sat the exam. A 2025 sitting is assessed under the previous standard, and a 2026 sitting onward is assessed under the new, slightly higher one. There is no retrospective reassessment.
Is the AMC's free MCQ preparation app still available? Yes. The app, developed with eMedici and containing 210 practice questions with feedback, continues to be available in 2026 and is being refreshed with a new set of questions to keep the content current with the exam blueprint and expected standard.