How to Prepare for the OMCQ
Apart from the points with a reference number, this page is OMCQ Prep’s own advice, not AOA guidance.
What AOA says
- The test is set at the level of a competent unaccredited orthopaedic registrar starting training.1
- The JDocs PGY3 competencies are suggested as reference material.1
- Experience on the job is the best preparation.1
Our advice
Cover all four areas
AOA names four content areas and does not say how the 50 questions are split between them.1 Do not leave one out. Clinical examination and surgical approaches are the areas registrars most often learn by doing and least often revise.
Practise the format, not just the facts
Four independent true/false statements reward precise knowledge. A statement that is nearly right is wrong. Practising in this format shows you where your knowledge is vague.
Practise to time
Seventy-five minutes for 50 questions is 90 seconds a question.1 Sit at least a few full papers under timed conditions before test day.
Answer everything
There is no negative marking, so never leave a statement blank.1
Read the explanation every time
You are not told your score after the real test,1 so practice is the only feedback you get. Read why each statement is true or false, including the ones you got right.
Start early
In the 2027-intake cycle the test was held three days after applications closed.1,2 Your preparation needs to be done before you are busy with the application.
What we reference
Every OMCQ Prep explanation cites a source, mainly Miller’s Review of Orthopaedics and Apley’s System of Orthopaedics and Fractures. These are the texts we wrote from; AOA does not prescribe a textbook for the OMCQ.
OMCQ Prep has true/false questions across all four content areas, each with an explanation and reference, plus timed 50-question practice exams.
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More about the OMCQ
- What Is the OMCQ?
- Exam Format and Scoring
- What’s in the OMCQ
- Dates, Venues and Cost
- How the OMCQ Is Used
- Eligibility and Applying
References
- Australian Orthopaedic Association. Orthopaedic Multiple Choice Question (OMCQ) Test Information – 2027 Intake. https://aoa.org.au/docs/default-source/selection-documents/2026-selection-updates-to-website/omcq-information_2027-intake_final-v0-2.pdf
- Australian Orthopaedic Association. Regulations for Selection to the AOA 21 Training Program in Orthopaedic Surgery – 2027 Intake. https://aoa.org.au/docs/default-source/selection-documents/2026-selection-updates-to-website/aoa-21-selection-regulations_2027-intake_final.pdf
OMCQ Prep is an independent educational platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) or the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). This page summarises AOA’s published documents; where the two differ, the AOA documents are correct.