What Is the OMCQ?
The Orthopaedic Multiple Choice Question (OMCQ) Test is a written test that every applicant sits as part of selection into the AOA 21 Training Program in Orthopaedic Surgery in Australia. It was introduced for selection in 2025 and has been kept for the 2027 intake, alongside interviews and verbal referee reports.5
It assesses orthopaedic knowledge and clinical understanding at the level expected of a competent unaccredited orthopaedic registrar who is about to start training.1
Which year this covers. The figures on this page come from the AOA documents for the 2027 intake (selection run in 2026), the most recent published. AOA revises its Selection Regulations every year, so check the current documents before you rely on any date, fee or rule.2
The OMCQ at a glance
| Run by | Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA)1 |
|---|---|
| Who sits it | Applicants to the AOA 21 Training Program who have registered with RACS and applied to AOA1 |
| Format | One paper of 50 true/false multiple-choice questions, each with four statements1 |
| Time allowed | 75 minutes1 |
| Marks | 100 in total: 2 marks per question, 0.5 per statement, no negative marking1 |
| Content | Basic orthopaedic sciences, common orthopaedic conditions, surgical approaches and anatomy, orthopaedic clinical examination1 |
| Delivery | In person at test centres around Australia1,3 |
| Is it compulsory? | Yes. An applicant who does not sit the test is withdrawn from selection.2,3 |
| Pass mark | None. The score is combined with the Departmental Referee Report score.1 |
Where it sits in selection
AOA selection uses five tools in turn: a structured CV, the OMCQ, a Departmental Referee Report, an interview and verbal referee reports.2 The OMCQ comes early. Your OMCQ score is combined with your Departmental Referee Report score, and that combined score decides who is invited to interview.2,3 See How the OMCQ Is Used for the detail.
Why it matters
The OMCQ does not count towards your final selection score, which is made up of the interview and the verbal referee reports. But you cannot reach the interview without getting past the OMCQ stage, and interview places are offered in order of the combined score.2 A strong OMCQ result is what gets you in the room.
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
- Exam Format and Scoring
- What’s in the OMCQ
- Dates, Venues and Cost
- How the OMCQ Is Used
- Eligibility and Applying
- How to Prepare
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
- Australian Orthopaedic Association. Selection FAQs – 2027 Intake. https://aoa.org.au/docs/default-source/selection-documents/2026-selection-updates-to-website/selection-faq-2026-for-2027-intake-v0-2.pdf
- Australian Orthopaedic Association. Changes to Selection for the 2027 intake (web page). https://aoa.org.au/orthopaedic-training/selection-into-training/2027-intake-changes-to-selection
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.