AMC Clinical (Part 2 OSCE) exam-day guide
AMC Clinical (Part 2 OSCE) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification matching your registration
Bring the original current photo ID (typically a passport or driver licence) in the name you registered under. Exact accepted ID types and name-change evidence are set by the provider, so confirm with the provider before test day.
Confirmation of registration and test centre details
Carry your booking confirmation (printed or on your phone) showing date, arrival time, and venue address. Confirm the venue and reporting time with the provider, since these are communicated directly to candidates.
Professional attire and comfortable shoes
OSCE candidates are generally expected to dress as they would for clinical work: neat, professional, and safe. Avoid clothing that restricts movement, and wear shoes you can stand and walk in for long periods.
Stethoscope
Bring your own stethoscope; it is the one item almost always required for physical examination stations. Label it clearly. Check with the provider whether any other equipment is supplied or prohibited.
Watch with a seconds hand (non-smart)
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you track time in stations if timing displays are not visible. Smart watches and phones are usually not permitted in the circuit; confirm with the provider.
Water and a light snack for breaks
Circuits are long and tiring. Bring water and something easy to eat if the provider permits food outside the test area. Check the provider's rules on food, drink, and where items can be stored.
Leave valuables and study notes at home or in storage
Only bring what you need. Phones, notes, and personal belongings are typically stored or surrendered during the circuit; confirm the provider's policy on what can be taken into the venue.
Rehearse the station format aloud
Practise the standard structure for each station: read the task, introduce yourself, take a focused history or perform the examination, explain findings, and close with a plan and safety net. Time yourself to the provider's stated station length.
Practise physical examination sequences on a partner
Run through cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological, and musculoskeletal examinations in a logical order, verbalising technique and findings as you go, since examiners score communication and technique as well as content.
Plan your travel and arrival buffer
Know the route, allow extra time for delays, and aim to arrive ahead of the reporting time the provider specifies. Late arrival rules vary, so confirm with the provider.
Prepare a brief personal introduction script
Have a consistent opening (name, role, purpose, consent) so you start every station smoothly and demonstrate professional communication from the first seconds.
Sleep, hydration, and a normal meal beforehand
Treat the day like a clinical shift: rest, eat, and hydrate. Fatigue and hunger degrade communication and examination performance more than last-minute revision helps.
Plan the day
Shift from reading to rehearsing. Run timed mock stations with a partner or study group, covering history-taking, counselling, examination, and practical skills. Focus on your weakest two or three station types rather than broad revision. Rehearse the standard opening and closing for every station, and practise thinking aloud while examining. Confirm your venue, reporting time, and ID requirements with the provider, and check transport options and journey time.
Prepare logistics: lay out professional clothing, stethoscope, watch, ID, and confirmation. Check the weather and plan for delays. Avoid starting new topics or relying on unfamiliar resources; consolidate what you already know. Protect sleep in the nights before the test rather than cramming.
Do a light final review only: station frameworks, common counselling structures, and a short list of examination sequences. Stop studying early enough to rest. Pack your bag with ID, confirmation, stethoscope, watch, water, and snack. Set two alarms, confirm your route and departure time, and eat a normal meal. Avoid discussing difficult stations with other candidates, which tends to increase anxiety.
Eat breakfast, hydrate, and dress professionally. Arrive with a generous buffer before the reporting time the provider gave you. Follow registration and ID checks as instructed. Use waiting time for calm breathing and a brief mental rehearsal of your opening script, not for new content. Keep phones and notes stored as directed.
At each station, read the task carefully, note the key deliverables, and use the full time. Introduce yourself, confirm the patient's identity and consent, and state your purpose. Structure your history or examination logically, summarise findings, explain your impression in plain language, and close with a plan and safety net. If you run out of time, state what you would do next rather than stopping silently. Between stations, reset quickly and leave the previous station behind. Follow all instructions from marshals about movement, reading time, and breaks.
Do not attempt to reconstruct or share station content, which may breach the provider's confidentiality rules. Note any logistical issues and report them to the provider if relevant. Rest, and if a retake may be needed, confirm the provider's results timeline and re-sit policy rather than acting on rumour.
Rules to check
Bring original photo identification in your registered name and present it when asked; accepted ID types and any name-change evidence are set by the provider, so confirm with the provider in advance.
Follow all instructions from examiners, marshals, and invigilators about movement between stations, reading time, and permitted equipment; non-compliance can be treated as misconduct.
Do not bring notes, phones, smart watches, or recording devices into the circuit unless the provider explicitly permits them; store belongings as directed.
Maintain patient confidentiality and professional conduct in every station, including simulated patients; treat scenarios as real clinical encounters.
Take only the breaks the provider allows, and leave the test area only as directed; confirm the provider's break and withdrawal rules beforehand.
Do not discuss, record, or share station content with other candidates before, during, or after the test; this is typically prohibited and may affect your result.
Scoring is set by the provider and is usually based on examiner ratings across stations; the exact weighting, pass standard, and any global rating are not public, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
If you feel unwell or cannot continue, notify a marshal immediately; the provider's policy on illness, withdrawal, and special consideration varies, so confirm with the provider.