An AIMS exam study plan: 16 weeks from application to sitting, weighted by section

An AIMS exam study plan has to do three jobs. It has to cover seven sections, give each compulsory section enough time to clear its 50% floor, and rehearse 150 items in three hours before the real sitting. Reading in section order and hoping the timing works out does the first job only.

The plan below is 16 weeks long. That figure is our template, not an AIMS requirement, and you can stretch or squeeze it to your own calendar. Remember also that only Option 2 applicants sit this paper; see who sits the AIMS Professional Examination if you are not sure that is you.

How do you plan backwards from the March or September sitting?

Plan backwards from the sitting month, then check the plan against AIMS's application dates. The exam is held twice a year, in March and September, and applications close at 4pm by email on 1 December for March and 10 July for September (AIMS exam pack v8.2). The full calendar, including payment dates and notification, is in our schedule and deadlines post.

Count back 16 weeks from the sitting month to find your start week. For a March sitting, that is roughly late November, near the closing date; for September, it is roughly early June. AIMS notifies candidates of their sitting after the application, so confirm the exact date from AIMS before you fix week 16.

You must complete Stage 1 and be assessed as eligible before sitting (AIMS professional examinations page). If Stage 1 is still in progress, begin weeks 1 to 4 now, because the review does not depend on the date.

How should you split hours in an AIMS exam study plan?

Split your hours roughly by each section's share of the paper, then shift a little from the large sections to the small ones so every compulsory floor is safe. The AIMS sections are Chemical Pathology 30 items, Haematology 30, Medical Microbiology 26, Transfusion Science 20, Molecular Pathology 16, Anatomical Pathology 14 and Immunopathology 14 (AIMS exam pack v8.2).

The suggested hours below are ours. They assume about 100 hours of section-block study in weeks 1 to 10 and leave the later weeks for mixed practice.

Molecular Pathology and Immunopathology are an either-or pair for the floor, but both count toward the 75 overall, so we do not recommend dropping either. See the passing score guide.

What goes into weeks 1 to 10, the section blocks?

Weeks 1 to 10 are section blocks, each starting from the study guide in the AIMS exam pack. Open the pack, read the list for the section, rate yourself on each line, and study the low-rated lines first. The pack's list is the authority on topics, and our guides to each section show how to review them.

Within a block, follow the same rhythm. Read or watch a topic, answer practice items on it at once, review every miss and write a one-line reason, then finish the week with a timed set of the section at 72 seconds per item.

The 60% target is our margin above the 50% floor. Section guides: Chemical Pathology and Haematology, Transfusion Science and Molecular Pathology.

What goes into weeks 11 to 14, full-length practice?

Weeks 11 to 14 move from blocks to mixed, timed work, with one full 150-item practice a week. The real paper moves between disciplines, and three hours on a screen is a stamina test as much as a knowledge test. Practise it before the sitting does.

Start the first full mock in week 11, even if you feel unready. It shows where you stand. Our Full Mock has 150 items in three hours across all seven disciplines, with a per-discipline score report on raw marks that applies the published minimums. It does not produce AIMS's scaled score, so use it to find weak sections, not to predict a result.

After each mock, spend as long on the review as on the paper. Rank the seven sections by error count and move the next week's hours toward the two weakest, while keeping a short daily session on the others.

Use the other days for sets from your weakest sections and flashcards for recall. For pacing, see our time management guide.

What goes into weeks 15 and 16, the trial exam and the taper?

Weeks 15 and 16 hold the AIMS trial exam and a taper. The exam pack describes a practice test, then a trial exam within the two weeks before the official exam, run in the WebLock secured browser on the same computer you will use (AIMS exam pack v8.1). That is the June 2025 pack, so check the current one for any change.

In week 15, sit the trial exam, then one last full mock early in the week if you have not just had one. Use the trial exam to test the computer, the camera and the room, not to judge your knowledge.

In week 16, taper. Review your error log, re-read the one-line reasons and do short sets only. Start no new topics in the final days. Our final month guide and online exam rules post cover this period in detail.

What should you track each week?

Track three numbers each week: hours studied, the score on your timed set, and the count of misses by cause. These are your own figures, kept in a notebook or a spreadsheet, and they tell you more than a feeling of progress does.

Sort every miss into one of three causes: a fact you did not know, a pattern you misread, or a rushed answer. Knowledge gaps send you back to the textbook. Misread patterns send you to more drills on that topic family. Rushed answers send you to pacing practice. A candidate whose misses are mostly rushed answers does not need more reading.

Check the seven sections against the 50% floor every two weeks, not only the total. A section that sits at 55% on short sets can drop below 50% on a long, tired paper, so keep a margin. If one section stays under your 60% target for two weeks running, move four hours a week toward it and take the hours from your strongest section.

What does a sample week look like?

A sample week mixes one block topic, one timed set, daily recall and a protected rest day. In weeks 1 to 10, a 10-hour week might hold five weekday sessions of about 1.5 hours, one longer weekend session of about 2.5 hours, and one rest day. Each session follows the rhythm above: learn, then answer items on it, then review.

If you work rotating shifts, your week will not look like this one. Shorter sessions, bench work as revision and mocks on days off all work; we cover that in reviewing for the AIMS exam while working.

Try our free demo on one discipline before you commit to a schedule. Five items in each of the seven disciplines show you how an explanation reads and whether the pace suits you.

Frequently asked questions

Is 16 weeks enough for the AIMS exam?

It depends on your starting point, your experience and your working hours. Sixteen weeks is our planning template, and AIMS does not publish a recommended length. If your first full mock in week 11 shows several sections below 50%, extend the plan or move to the next sitting.

How many hours a week should I study?

There is no AIMS figure for this. Our template assumes about 10 hours a week, but candidates who work full time may do fewer with a longer plan. Consistent weekly sessions work better than occasional long ones, and every compulsory section needs a share.

When should I start full 150-item mocks?

Start in week 11 of this plan, after the section blocks, and then take one each week. A first mock earlier is also reasonable if you want a baseline. The aim is to rehearse three hours of mixed items several times before the sitting.

Sources

• AIMS Professional Examination Pack, Medical Laboratory Scientist ANZSCO 234611, v8.2 — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
• AIMS Professional Examination Pack, v8.1 (study guide and proctoring rules) — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
• Professional Examinations for Migration — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists