MCQ Exam Facts for OTD/IMG

1. MCQ Exam Facts for OTD/IMG Australian Medical Recognition Services “Coaching OTD/IMG through the AMC Journey and Beyond” www.australianmrs.com.au

2. MCQ • AMC writing groups produce questions, most of which contain clinical scenarios requiring test-taker to analyse, synthesise and evaluate the information provided and though their selected response. • Through the selected response, demonstrate an understanding of the specific underlying principles in the question.

3. MCQ • Test takers may find that all the answers options are feasible, but they are required to make a judgment , based on the information provided as to which of the five options is the “most likely diagnosis”, “the most appropriate test”, “the first step in management”, the “most appropriate treatment” or the “most appropriate response”.

4. MCQ • “It is not focus on recall of knowledge; it is rather focus on testing powers of reasoning” and problem solving.

5. MCQ • Many or all responses may be partially correct, but only one is the most correct or most appropriate option for the specific scenario (difficulties with this approach became evident when shades of opinion are used and ranked; and when experts differ amongst themselves).

6. MCQ • In some contents, MCQ assessments have simply been used to determine what the test-taker knows and does not know in recall of core knowledge. • These type of questions have been replaced by MCQ concentrating on problems-solving skills in real-life clinical situations

7. MCQ • Application of basic clinical sciences of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology to important clinical knowledge is included as part of core knowledge to be tested.

8. MCQ • Questions may include written material or may incorporate radiograph or scans (ultrasound, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine imaging, etc), colour photographs or brief video clips, ECG traces and line drawings. • The format and performance of the examination is now fully computer based.

9. MCQ • Question may include up to 4 consecutive questions of the same initial template.

10. MCQ • Questions are elaborated from five discipline banks: Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Psychiatry. Questions related to population and Community Health, general practice, emergency and critical care medicine are spread all over all disciplines.

11. MCQ • Questions relating to ethical, legal, statistical, epidemiological, socioeconomic, humanistic and history of medicine aspects are included and are also cross-disciplinary.

12. MCQ • 3.5hrs x 2 session (total 7 hrs); each containing 150 questions • 300 questions (60 with NO score) • All MCQ in the AMC examination are of the type A (one out of five correct-format). • Score; 1 for a correct response, 0 for an incorrect response or no response. There is no negative marking.

13. MCQ’s • The 60 non-scored questions are used to test and calibrate new questions, which may be used in future examinations, but will not be counted towards the overall score of the candidate

14. MCQ’s • A total of 80 questions within the 240 scored questions (e.g. approximately one-third of the questions) in the examination are ‘mastery’ questions which are individually identified to candidates throughout the examination.

15. MCQ: Key Issue (Mastery”) question • Key or critical Issue (Mastery”) questions regarded as critical to the safety or critical outcome or threat to life for the patient; or based upon important common conditions; together with:

16. MCQ (cont) • Related to life threatening illness • Critical to safe practice (includes professionalism) • Successful clinical outcome • Important aspect of public health (“mastery questions were identified by an asterisk”)

17. MCQ ; “Scoring System” • derived from the 240 scored items. Advanced statistical methods are used to equate the ‘raw score’ by separately derived measures of ‘candidate ability’ and ‘item difficulty’ to a standard scale

18. MCQ “Scoring System” (cont) • Candidates receive a derived score between 0 and 500 on the standard scale for the examination overall and for the mastery questions. The 240 scored items and the 80 mastery items are scored and converted to the AMC scale.

19. MCQ’s “Scoring System” (cont) • For the 240 scored items the pass mark is currently set at 250 on the AMC scale. For the mastery items the pass mark is set at 300 on the AMC scale. The passing scores have been determined following calibration tests with Australian universities.

20. MCQ’s “Scoring System” (cont) • A score of 300 requires approximately two-thirds of the mastery items to be answered correctly in order to attain a score of 300 or higher. The AMC score is not solely determined on the ‘raw score’ correct.

21. AMC Scale • AMC score overall (based on 240 scored items): Passing score overall 250 • AMC score in mastery questions (based on 80 scored items): Passing score (mastery questions) 300 • A candidate must complete both Part 1 and Part 2 to obtain an overall score and satisfy the requirements of the MCQ examination.

22. AMRS Bridging Course • The AMRS Bridging Course is focus in dealing with these very important facts. • OTD/ IMG need to be aware that passing the exam depends not only in medical knowledge itself, but in the awareness of these facts and the constant practice and development of skills to analyse and conquer each MCQ question.