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AIMS Chemical Pathology and Haematology: how to review the two 30-item sections that make up 60 of 150

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

AIMS Chemical Pathology and Haematology are the two biggest sections of the Professional Examination. Each has 30 items, so together they are 60 of the 150 questions, or 40% of the paper. Both are compulsory sections: you need at least 50% in each, which is 15 correct answers apiece, and a strong score in one cannot cover a weak score in the other.

Not every applicant sits this exam, so first check that it applies to you. Only Option 2 applicants do, as we explain in who sits the AIMS Professional Examination. If you are one of them, this guide shows how to review these two sections: what to master, how items tend to test it, and how to drill. It is about method. Your own textbooks and the study guide in the AIMS exam pack supply the detail.

Why do AIMS Chemical Pathology and Haematology carry the paper?

Together the two sections hold 60 of the 150 items, and each one has its own pass floor, so they decide the result more than any other pair. The AIMS Professional Examination Pack sets Chemical Pathology and Haematology at 30 items each and lists both among the disciplines that must be passed at 50% (AIMS exam pack v8.2). The overall rule also asks for 75 of 150 correct, which we set out in the passing score post.

The practical lesson is that a lopsided review fails. A candidate who scores 25 of 30 in Chemical Pathology and 13 of 30 in Haematology has 38 of 60 across the pair and still fails Haematology. Split your hours so both sections stay comfortably above 15 correct, then aim higher in whichever you enjoy less.

Our bank holds 1,193 Chemical Pathology items and 1,193 Haematology items for practice. Those are the size of our bank, not AIMS's own counts.

How should you review quality control and method verification?

Review quality control as a set of decision rules you can apply to a control chart, because items usually give you values and ask what to do. The Westgard multirule scheme is the usual frame: a 1-2s result is a warning only, a 1-3s result or an R-4s result signals random error and rejects the run, and 2-2s, 4-1s and 10-x signal systematic error.

Work one example until it is automatic. A control has a mean of 5.0 mmol/L and an SD of 0.2. A value of 5.4 sits at +2 SD: a 1-2s warning, so inspect the other rules before deciding. A value of 5.7 sits at +3.5 SD and breaks 1-3s, so the run is rejected. Two successive controls at +2.2 SD and +2.4 SD both exceed the same 2 SD limit, which is a 2-2s rule violation and points to systematic error such as calibration drift.

Pair this with method verification. Know what each experiment tests: precision from repeated measurement, trueness against a reference or comparison method, linearity or the reportable range, and verification of the reference interval. Know also what carryover and interference mean.

How do Chemical Pathology items test panels and interpretation?

Chemical Pathology items usually give a small set of results and ask for the most likely disorder, the next test or the source of an error. The reliable way to prepare is to learn each panel as a decision tree, then check yourself on a timed set.

Acid-base is the clearest case. Read the pH first, then the primary disturbance, then the compensation. For the anion gap, subtract chloride and bicarbonate from sodium: with sodium 140, chloride 104 and bicarbonate 12 mmol/L, the gap is 24, which is high and fits a high anion gap metabolic acidosis such as ketoacidosis or lactic acidosis. A normal gap with the same low bicarbonate points toward bicarbonate loss, as in diarrhoea.

Endocrine items follow feedback loops. A high TSH with a low free T4 means primary hypothyroidism, while a low free T4 with a low or inappropriately normal TSH points to a pituitary cause. Do the same for cortisol, calcium with PTH, and the liver, cardiac and renal markers.

Be fluent in conventional and SI units. Glucose of 126 mg/dL is 7.0 mmol/L (divide by 18), and creatinine of 1.0 mg/dL is about 88 µmol/L (multiply by 88.4). The AIMS pack says a calculator will not be required (AIMS exam pack v8.1), so rehearse these without one.

A pre-analytical item: the tube additive that stops glycolysis is the answer, and the distractors are other common additives.

How should you review Haematology morphology and malignancy?

Review Haematology morphology by pattern: start from the red cell indices, then the smear, then the confirmatory test. That order is how most items are built, and it keeps you from guessing from one clue.

For a microcytic hypochromic picture, separate three causes. Iron deficiency shows low ferritin, high total iron binding capacity and a raised red cell distribution width. Thalassaemia trait shows a normal or raised red cell count with a low MCV, and the Mentzer index (MCV divided by red cell count) is below 13. Anaemia of chronic disease shows low iron with normal or raised ferritin. In beta-thalassaemia trait, haemoglobin A2 is raised on electrophoresis or HPLC.

For macrocytic anaemia, hypersegmented neutrophils and oval macrocytes suggest vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.

For leukaemia, match the feature to the lineage. Auer rods and myeloperoxidase positivity mark myeloid blasts, TdT positivity marks lymphoblasts, and smear cells fit chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Know the classic translocations, such as t(9;22) in chronic myeloid leukaemia and t(15;17) in acute promyelocytic leukaemia with its link to disseminated intravascular coagulation.

How should you review haemostasis and coagulation?

Review coagulation as two pathways meeting at a common pathway, and learn which test reads which. The prothrombin time reflects the extrinsic pathway (factor VII) and the common pathway, while the APTT reflects the intrinsic pathway and the common pathway. A prolonged PT with a normal APTT points to factor VII, early warfarin effect or early liver disease. A prolonged APTT with a normal PT points to factor VIII, IX, XI or XII deficiency, heparin or a lupus anticoagulant.

Use the mixing study as the next step. A prolonged APTT that corrects when mixed with normal plasma suggests a factor deficiency, and one that does not correct suggests an inhibitor, such as a lupus anticoagulant or a factor VIII inhibitor.

Know the vitamin K dependent factors (II, VII, IX and X) and why warfarin raises the INR. Know that von Willebrand disease can prolong the APTT through low factor VIII and that platelet disorders give a normal PT and APTT with abnormal platelet function tests. Connect D-dimer, fibrinogen and thrombin time to the picture of disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Which topic families should you drill, and how?

Drill by topic family, then mix them. The table below groups the two sections into families, says what to master in each and gives a drill you can run in a short session.

Topic family	What to master	How to drill
QC and Westgard rules	Which rule fires, random vs systematic error, the action	Plot invented control points and name the rule
Method verification	Precision, trueness, linearity, reference interval	Match each experiment to the question it answers
Acid-base and electrolytes	pH first, compensation, anion gap	Work five gases a day on paper
Endocrine function	Feedback loops and suppression or stimulation tests	Draw the axis, then predict each result
Red cell disorders	Indices, smear, iron studies, haemoglobinopathies	Sort ten blood pictures into causes
Leukaemia and lymphoma	Lineage markers, translocations, smear features	One flashcard per translocation and marker
Haemostasis	PT, APTT, mixing studies, factor pathways	Predict PT and APTT for each factor deficiency

Keep each drill short, then check yourself with a timed set. You can try our free demo to see how an item is explained, or use flashcards for quick recall of markers and translocations between shifts.

What does a three-week block look like?

A three-week block gives each section a full week and then tests them together. In week one, work Chemical Pathology: quality control and method verification on the first days, then acid-base, electrolytes and the endocrine axes. In week two, work Haematology: red cell patterns first, then leukaemia, then coagulation.

In week three, do timed mixed sets of both sections. The AIMS paper moves between disciplines, so you need practice switching from a Westgard question to a blood picture. Aim for 36 minutes per 30 items, which is the 72 seconds per item pace we explain in our time management post. Keep a log of every missed item with the reason it was missed: a fact you did not know, a pattern you misread or a rushed answer. After week three, rank the two sections by their error counts and let that ranking set your hours in the wider AIMS exam study plan.

Then move on to Transfusion Science, the next block in the order we suggest.

Frequently asked questions

How many Chemical Pathology items are in the AIMS exam?

The AIMS Professional Examination has 30 Chemical Pathology items out of 150. Haematology also has 30. Chemical Pathology is a compulsory section, so you need at least 50% of it correct, which is 15 items, in addition to the overall requirement of 75 of 150.

Can a strong Chemical Pathology score cover a weak section?

No. The AIMS rule requires at least 50% in each compulsory section, including Chemical Pathology and Haematology, as well as 75 of 150 overall. A high Chemical Pathology score adds to your total but cannot offset a failed Haematology, Anatomical Pathology, Microbiology or Transfusion Science section.

Do I need a calculator for the chemistry items?

The AIMS exam pack states that a calculator will not be required. Practise conversions, anion gap sums and simple ratios by hand, and expect values that work out with mental arithmetic. Check the current pack before your sitting, since the proctoring rules we cite come from the June 2025 version.

Sources

AIMS exam anxiety: how to stay steady through three hours on camera at home

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

AIMS exam anxiety has a particular shape. You will sit 150 questions in three hours, at home, while a proctor watches through your webcam and your mobile phone. Nobody can see you try again. That combination makes ordinary exam nerves feel larger, and it is worth saying so plainly.

This post is for Filipino medical technologists who are Option 2 applicants and will sit the Professional Examination remotely. It does not promise that nerves will vanish. It shows how to make the sitting familiar, how to control the room, what to do when one item stalls you, and how to get through the wait for results.

Why does AIMS exam anxiety feel bigger in a home-proctored sitting?

A home sitting feels bigger because several pressures arrive together and you cannot step away from any of them. The AIMS pack describes an exam run twice a year with online remote proctoring and live supervision by webcam and mobile phone (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2). The June 2025 pack adds that there are no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved, and that books, notes and headphones are not allowed (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.1).

Then add what comes after. AIMS states that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances, so you will never see which items you missed. Results may take up to ten weeks. A paper with seven sections, each with its own pass floor, can make any single bad item feel like a disaster.

Naming these pressures helps because each one has a counter. Familiarity answers the camera. Preparation answers the no-break rule. A plan for the wait answers the silence. The rest of this post takes them in turn.

How do you make the exam familiar? The rehearsal ladder

Climb a ladder of rehearsals, so that by the time you sit the real paper, you have already done every part of it at least once. Anxiety feeds on the unknown. A step-by-step ladder replaces the unknown with a list of things you have survived.

Step	What you simulate	The sign you are ready
1	A 20-item timed set in one discipline, at your desk	You finish with time left and read the explanations calmly
2	A 50-item mixed set, no pausing the clock	You can keep a steady pace without checking the timer every minute
3	The same set with phone away, headphones off and notes removed	Missing your usual comforts no longer distracts you
4	A full 150-item paper in one three-hour block, with no break	You finish, and your last 30 items are as careful as your first 30
5	The AIMS practice test and trial exam on the real computer	The set-up works and you know every check-in screen

Our simulator's Full Mock has 150 items across all seven disciplines in three hours, and it is a sensible way to reach step four. It reports raw marks, not AIMS's scaled score. The June 2025 pack says the practice test and trial exam fall within the two weeks before the official sitting, so step five sits late in your plan. See the final-month plan for how to fit it in.

A calm, untimed reviewer can sit beside timed practice, so not every session feels like a test.

How do you control the room on the day?

Control everything you can before the clock starts, so that one live variable is the paper. Choose the room and the desk now, and use them for every rehearsal from step three onwards. Practise with the camera angle and lighting you will use. Keep the desk clear, since the pack says books, notes and headphones are not allowed.

Plan your body as well as your equipment. The no-break rule means you decide in advance what you will eat, how much you will drink and when you will use the bathroom. Have your passport or driver's licence ready for the proctor, because fumbling for ID at the start is an avoidable stress.

Tell the people you live with when you will be on camera and for how long. A short note on the door and a quiet house reduce the chance of an interruption you cannot control. Switch off anything that might ping, and keep the mobile phone positioned for supervision as the instructions require.

Do all of this at least two days early. On the day itself, you want to be checking in, not troubleshooting.

What can you do when one item stalls you? A 30-second reset

Use a short fixed routine, because deciding what to do while panicking costs time you do not have. The routine should take about 30 seconds and have three physical steps. Nothing about it needs to be clever.

First, take one slow breath out, longer than the breath in, and drop your shoulders. Second, read the stem again from the first word, covering the options with your hand or by attention. Third, decide: answer with your best option, or flag the item and move on. The pack states that answers can be reviewed before submission, so flagging costs you nothing except the decision to come back.

Pacing helps the reset. At 72 seconds per item, which is 180 minutes divided by 150, an item that has taken three minutes is no longer a fair trade. Our time management post covers checkpoints.

Practise the reset in your mocks, not for the first time on the day. Mark the moments when you used it. If you used it ten times and still finished, that record becomes evidence that you can handle a hard item.

How do you get through the wait for results?

Plan the wait before you sit, because the ten-week estimate is an upper bound and you will not control it. The June 2025 pack says results can take up to ten weeks. AIMS reports a Pass or Fail, plus any failed compulsory disciplines, so there is no item-level feedback to analyse while you wait.

Replaying the paper in your head is the most common trap. You cannot verify any of it, and the paper is not released. When you notice yourself reconstructing questions, name it and move on to something concrete.

Give the weeks structure. Return to your normal sleep and shift pattern. Do something physical most days. Catch up with people you neglected during review. If you want to keep your knowledge warm, do short recall sessions rather than new study, unless you already know you will need to retake. In that case, our post on what to do after a result that falls short starts from the letter.

Do not read forum guesses about how the exam "went" for others. AIMS publishes no pass rates, so any figure you see online has no official source.

When does anxiety need more than tips?

Anxiety needs more than tips when it disrupts your sleep, appetite, work or relationships, or when you feel unable to prepare at all. Practical routines help ordinary exam nerves. They are not a treatment for an anxiety problem, and we are not clinicians.

If your worry is constant, your sleep is badly affected, you have panic symptoms, or you feel hopeless, please speak to a doctor or a qualified mental health professional. Many people find it helps to talk to someone before the exam, not only after it. If you are in crisis or fear for your safety, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line in your area straight away.

General habits can also support you: regular sleep, daylight and movement, steady meals, and limiting caffeine near bedtime. Tell a friend or family member what you are going through, since isolation tends to magnify exam fear.

Seeking support is compatible with careful preparation. If you are unsure whether adjustments are possible for the sitting, ask AIMS directly.

Frequently asked questions

How do I stop blanking on a hard item?

Use a fixed 30-second reset: one slow breath out, reread the stem from the first word, then answer or flag. Flagging is allowed because answers can be reviewed before submission, according to the June 2025 pack. Practise the routine in timed mocks so it is automatic when you need it.

Is it normal to feel unprepared before the trial exam?

Yes, it is common, and the feeling is not a reliable measure of readiness. The trial exam is a rehearsal of the process, held within the two weeks before the official sitting. Judge readiness by your mock results by section, not by how confident you feel that day.

How do I cope with waiting for results?

Expect up to ten weeks, as the pack states, and plan the weeks. Keep your usual sleep and routines, do something physical, and avoid replaying questions, because the paper is never released. Keep any study light and low-pressure until you know the outcome.

Does the proctor watch me the whole time?

The pack describes live supervision by webcam and mobile phone. It does not describe how closely any proctor watches, so we make no claim. Practise with your camera and phone positioned as instructed so that being observed feels ordinary by exam day.

Sources

The AIMS exam format: how many items, the seven sections, and why Genomic Pathology became Molecular Pathology

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If you are planning to work in Australia as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, the AIMS exam format is the first thing to pin down, because every review decision follows from it. How many items are there, how long do you get, and how are the sections weighted? Many candidates have only seen the paper described in forum posts, and those descriptions drift.

This post gives you the format as the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) publishes it in its current exam pack. We cover the item count, the clock, the seven sections with their exact sizes, which sections are compulsory, and the section that changed its name. For how the paper is scored, we link to a separate post.

One caution before we start. Not every applicant sits this paper at all, and we explain who does in who sits the AIMS Professional Examination.

What is the AIMS exam format at a glance?

The AIMS Professional Examination is a multiple-choice paper of 150 single-response questions, to be completed in three hours. "Single response" means each question has one best answer to choose. AIMS describes the paper in its Professional Examination Pack for Medical Laboratory Scientists (S1).

The exam is held twice a year, in March and September, and it is conducted online using remote proctored software. A proctor supervises you live through a webcam and a mobile phone (S1). AIMS also lists these sittings on its Professional Examinations for Migration page (S5).

That is the whole structure: one paper, one sitting, one three-hour clock. There are no essay questions in this paper and no separate practical component. Our post on online exam rules covers what happens on the day, and the schedule post covers the calendar.

How many items are in each AIMS section?

The 150 items are divided across seven sections, and the split is fixed: Anatomical Pathology 14, Chemical Pathology 30, Molecular Pathology 16, Haematology 30, Immunopathology 14, Medical Microbiology 26 and Transfusion Science 20. These counts come from the exam pack (S1), and the earlier June 2025 pack gives the same distribution (S2).

The table below adds each section's share of the 150 items. We calculated the percentages ourselves from AIMS's counts.

Section	Items	Share of 150	Status under the passing rule (S1)
Chemical Pathology	30	20.0%	Compulsory
Haematology	30	20.0%	Compulsory
Medical Microbiology	26	17.3%	Compulsory
Transfusion Science	20	13.3%	Compulsory
Molecular Pathology	16	10.7%	Either-or with Immunopathology
Anatomical Pathology	14	9.3%	Compulsory
Immunopathology	14	9.3%	Either-or with Molecular Pathology

The counts add up to 150. The two 30-item sections alone account for 60 questions, which is why they deserve the most review hours but never all of them.

Which AIMS sections are compulsory?

Five sections are compulsory: Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science. The exam pack says these asterisked disciplines "MUST be passed", meaning at least 50% in each, and that a pass mark of 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology must also be achieved (S1).

So the structure is five fixed floors plus one choice. You can fail Molecular Pathology and still pass if you clear 50% in Immunopathology, or the other way round. Failing both is not allowed.

Compulsory does not mean heavy. Anatomical Pathology has only 14 items, yet a weak score there fails the whole paper regardless of your total. The floors are about breadth, which is the reason a candidate cannot lean on one strong section.

The complete rule, including the overall mark of 75 correct, sits in our post on the AIMS passing score and results. We keep it there so the rule is stated once, in one place.

Is it Genomic Pathology or Molecular Pathology?

The current name is Molecular Pathology. The June 2025 and March 2026 exam packs use "Molecular Pathology" (S2, S1), while the June 2024 assessment guideline and older pack versions still say "Genomic Pathology" (S3).

This matters mostly when you choose study material. A reviewer or a set of notes written against the older documents may label the section "Genomic Pathology", and a search for the current name could miss it. The section is the same 16 items in both cases.

AIMS's study guide for the section lists topics such as PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature (S2). Those are worth checking yourself against early, since molecular methods and variant nomenclature are areas where some candidates find the pack's list longer than their bench experience. Our Molecular Pathology review post turns the list into a two-week block.

Our simulator labels this discipline "Genomic / Molecular Pathology" so that both old and new names lead you to the right place.

What level is the AIMS exam set at?

The exam is set at the level expected of a professional Medical Laboratory Scientist with at least two years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) postgraduate professional experience (S1). It is not written for a fresh graduate, and it is not written for a specialist in one discipline.

That framing explains the style of the paper. You are expected to interpret results, choose a next step and recognise a quality problem, which is closer to what a working scientist does than to recalling a definition.

It also lines up with who is eligible. The Option 2 pathway asks for at least two years of postgraduate professional experience in a medical pathology laboratory, one year of it within the five years before applying (S3). We explain the pathway in our post on Stage 1 for Filipino medtechs.

A practical reading: if your bench rotation has kept you in one or two departments, expect the other sections to feel less familiar than the exam's level assumes. That is a reason to measure each section separately early rather than to review everything evenly.

What does the format mean for your review hours?

The format asks for three things: coverage of seven sections, stamina for three uninterrupted hours, and a clear floor in each compulsory section. Review time should follow all three.

Start by splitting hours roughly by item share, then add time to any section where you score below 50% in practice. A section with 14 items can sink the paper just as surely as one with 30. Next, practise the whole paper in one sitting, because 150 questions in three hours leaves about 72 seconds per item if you spend the time evenly, and the paper has no scheduled breaks.

You can try discipline practice in our free demo, which gives five real items in each of the seven disciplines. The Full Mock is 150 items in three hours across all seven disciplines. It does not copy AIMS's section counts, and it reports raw marks rather than AIMS's scaled score, so treat it as stamina and breadth practice.

For a week-by-week plan, see our 16-week study plan.

Our practice exam room on a Chemical Pathology item. It is a simulator, not the AIMS interface.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in the AIMS exam?

The AIMS Professional Examination has 150 single-response multiple-choice questions. They are split across seven sections: Anatomical Pathology 14, Chemical Pathology 30, Molecular Pathology 16, Haematology 30, Immunopathology 14, Medical Microbiology 26 and Transfusion Science 20 (S1).

How long is the AIMS exam?

You have three hours to complete the 150 questions (S1). If you spread the time evenly, that is 72 seconds per question. The exam is conducted online with remote proctoring, and breaks are not available unless approved (S2).

Is Genomic Pathology still a section in the AIMS exam?

The section is now called Molecular Pathology in the current exam pack, with 16 items (S1). "Genomic Pathology" is the older name that still appears in the June 2024 assessment guideline (S3) and in older materials. Treat the two names as the same section, but use the current one when searching.

Is the AIMS exam multiple choice?

Yes. Every question is a single-response multiple-choice item, so you select one answer per question (S1). The separate Special Professional Examination, which applies to a different pathway, is a written paper with essay and short-answer questions (S4).

Sources

The AIMS exam schedule: March and September sittings, application closing dates and payment deadlines

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If you want to sit the AIMS exam, the AIMS exam schedule decides your whole year, because the closing dates arrive months before the paper does. The exam is held only twice annually, so missing a date by a day costs you about six months.

This post lays out the March and September pattern, the application closing dates, the payment deadlines, when AIMS notifies candidates, and what happens if you need to defer. It also shows how to plan backwards, since Stage 1 has to be finished before you can apply for the exam at all.

A note on what we cannot tell you: the sources we rely on do not publish specific sitting dates, and we found nothing for later years beyond the March and September pattern. Check the current Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) pack before you commit to a plan.

What is the AIMS exam schedule each year?

The AIMS Professional Examination is conducted twice a year, in March and September, using online remote proctored software (S1). AIMS repeats the same pattern on its Professional Examinations for Migration page (S5).

That means two sittings per calendar year and no rolling dates. You cannot book an appointment on a convenient Saturday the way you might for a computer-based test.

We do not state exact sitting dates. The sources give the months, and the closing dates below, but not the day of the exam. When AIMS confirms your date, usually through the candidate notification covered later in this post, treat that message as the authority.

You also need to have completed Stage 1 and been assessed as eligible before you can sit (S1, S5). If you are not sure whether you are in that group, read who sits the AIMS Professional Examination first.

When do AIMS applications close?

Applications close at 4pm, by email, on 1 December for the March sitting and on 10 July for the September sitting (S1). These are the dates stated in the current exam pack.

Sitting	Applications close	Payment due	Candidate notification
March	1 December, 4pm, by email	31 January	Second week of February
September	10 July, 4pm, by email	8 August	Second week of August

The 4pm cut-off matters. An application sent that evening has missed the sitting, and nothing in the sources suggests flexibility. Send yours well ahead, with every document attached, and keep the sent email.

The closing date for the March sitting falls in the previous calendar year. A candidate aiming for "March next year" has to be application-ready by 1 December, which is earlier than many people assume.

What are the payment deadlines, and when are you notified?

Payment is due 31 January for the March sitting and 8 August for the September sitting. Candidates are then notified in the second week of February or August (S1). AIMS publishes its fees separately, and we do not quote them here because they change.

The gap between closing and payment is short enough to plan around. A December applicant has until 31 January to pay, and a July applicant has until 8 August, which is only about four weeks after the closing date.

The notification arrives roughly a month or more before the March and September papers. Use it as your signal that the sitting is confirmed, and begin your practice test and trial exam steps from that point. Our post on online exam rules explains those steps.

Keep the payment confirmation with your application email. If something goes wrong with the notification, your own record is the quickest way to resolve it with AIMS.

Can you defer your AIMS exam to the next sitting?

Yes, but only before the payment deadline. AIMS states that a deferral must be requested before the payment deadline (S1). After that date, the sources we checked describe no deferral route, so we do not claim one.

If you defer, a new application must arrive within the three-year validity of your Stage 1 letter (S1, S3). That clock starts at the Stage 1 letter, not at your first exam application, so long delays use up the validity.

This is why a deferral decision belongs in the fortnight after you finish a mock and see real numbers, not in the final week. If a full-length practice shows two compulsory sections well under 50%, you still have time to defer cleanly.

We do not state anything about retake limits, waiting periods or resit fees, because none are published in the sources we use. If you are thinking about a second attempt, ask AIMS directly and read our retaker strategy post.

How do you plan backwards from your sitting?

Plan from the closing date, not from the exam month. A candidate who needs Stage 1 first has to allow for AIMS's own timing, which is to complete assessments within 16 weeks of receipt, while document verification may take up to six months (S6).

The table below is our planning template, not an AIMS timeline. Adjust the months to your Stage 1 status.

Time before the closing date	What should be done
9 to 12 months	Gather employment and qualification documents; confirm Stage 1 status
6 to 9 months	Stage 1 submitted; start section-by-section review from the pack's study guide
3 to 6 months	Stage 1 letter in hand; first timed mixed sets
1 to 3 months	Application drafted and attached documents checked; full 150-item practice
Before closing	Application emailed before 4pm; confirmation saved
After payment	Practice test and trial exam; light review only

Our Stage 1 post covers the evidence AIMS looks for, and the 16-week study plan fits the study side into the same calendar.

Start discipline practice early; save full-length mocks for the last few months.

You can begin free practice in our demo, which has five items in each of the seven disciplines.

A worked example: aiming for the September sitting

Suppose you want the September sitting. The closing date is 10 July, so the real deadline for your documents is early July, not September. Payment follows on 8 August, and the candidate notification arrives in the second week of August (S1).

Working backwards, you would want your Stage 1 letter in hand well before July. If Stage 1 takes the full six months AIMS allows for document verification (S6), you would need to submit it around the turn of the previous year. If it goes faster, you gain study time, but you cannot count on that.

The same logic applies to March: with a 1 December closing date, a Stage 1 submission in the middle of the year is already tight. This example is arithmetic from AIMS's published dates, not an AIMS prediction, and your own Stage 1 timeline may differ.

Does the Special Professional Examination use the same dates?

The Special Professional Examination, a separate written paper for Option 3 applicants, is also held in March and September, with the same closing dates of 1 December and 10 July (S4). It is not the exam this post is about.

If you are unsure which paper applies to you, the quickest check is your assessment option rather than your degree title. Our post on who sits the exam sets the three options out side by side.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next AIMS exam?

The AIMS Professional Examination is held in March and September each year (S1). The sources we use give no exact sitting dates, so check the current exam pack and your candidate notification. Plan around the closing dates of 1 December and 10 July.

When is the AIMS application deadline?

Applications close at 4pm by email on 1 December for the March sitting and on 10 July for the September sitting (S1). Payment is due 31 January and 8 August respectively. Aim to submit well before the closing date.

Can I defer my AIMS exam?

A deferral must be requested before the payment deadline (S1). A new application must then arrive within the three-year validity of your Stage 1 letter (S1, S3). The sources describe no deferral route after payment, so ask AIMS if your situation is unusual.

How long does Stage 1 take before I can apply?

AIMS aims to complete assessments within 16 weeks of receipt, but verification of documents may take up to six months (S6). Because you must finish Stage 1 before sitting (S5), build that range into your plan before choosing a sitting.

Sources

What an AIMS exam simulator is, and why reading alone won't carry you through 150 items in three hours

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

You have two or more years on the bench, a plan to work in Australia as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, and an exam standing between your Stage 1 letter and the next step. The AIMS Professional Examination is 150 single-response questions in three hours, and the obvious preparation is to read. This post explains why reading alone leaves a gap, and what an AIMS exam simulator does to close it.

TerumoEdge, which publishes this blog, makes a simulator, so weigh what follows accordingly. We try to be fair to the study guide and to reviewers, because most candidates use all of them.

What is an AIMS exam simulator?

An AIMS exam simulator is a practice environment that copies the conditions of the sitting, not only its topics. You choose a discipline or a full mock, answer single-answer items under a countdown with no notes, finish, and see your score alongside the reasoning behind every item.

Three features separate a simulator from a list of questions. It is timed, so pace becomes something you can measure. It is scored by section, so you see your standing the way the passing rule sees it. It explains each item, so a wrong answer becomes a lesson instead of a red mark.

A simulator is not a lecture and not the exam. It does not teach you haematology from scratch, and it does not use AIMS's own interface. Its job is to test what you have studied and show you where the gaps are while there is still time to repair them.

Who needs an AIMS exam simulator, and who never sits the exam?

Only Option 2 applicants sit the Professional Examination. Under the AIMS Guidelines for Skills and Qualifications Assessment, Option 1 is an AIMS accredited degree with no exam. Option 2 is another acceptable science degree: a Stage 1 document assessment, then Stage 2, this examination. Option 3, for a taught Master with a pathology research project or a doctorate with laboratory experience, ends in a different paper, the Special Professional Examination.

That Option 3 paper is two hours plus ten minutes' reading, with one or two essay questions and 15 to 20 short-answer questions. Our simulator does not model it. AIMS assesses each applicant case by case, so we make no claim about where any particular degree falls.

If you are unsure of your route, read who actually sits the AIMS Professional Exam first. Candidates must complete Stage 1 and be assessed as eligible before they can sit.

Why does the AIMS exam reward rehearsal?

The AIMS exam rewards rehearsal because three of its features punish untimed reading. The paper has 150 items in 180 minutes, the sitting allows no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved, and passing requires more than a good total.

The rule is exact. A candidate needs at least 50% in each of Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science, 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology, and 75 of 150 correct overall. A strong section cannot rescue a collapsed one. The full rule, including the 0 to 1000 scaled score and its cut score of 500, is set out in our passing-score guide.

The exam is also set at the level of a Medical Laboratory Scientist with at least two years of postgraduate experience. That is demanding material delivered at pace, and stamina is a skill you cannot build by reading.

What can a simulator reproduce, and what can none?

A good simulator reproduces the length, the single-answer format, the clock and the section floors. It cannot reproduce the scaled score or the live proctor, and any tool that claims otherwise is overselling.

AIMS reports a Rasch-based scaled score from 0 to 1000, with a cut score of 500. A simulator reports raw marks and percentages, and nobody outside AIMS can convert one into the other. The sitting itself is also supervised live by webcam and mobile phone, and the pack describes a secured browser called WebLock. A practice room can approximate the quiet and the clock, but it is not that browser and should never be mistaken for it.

What a simulator can honestly give you is rehearsal: finishing 150 items without drifting, noticing which section falls under half, and learning to move on from an item you cannot resolve.

How does a simulator compare with the study guide and the sample questions?

Each tool trains something different, and none replaces the others. The study guide builds knowledge, the 25 sample questions show the style, and a simulator tests retrieval at length.

Tool	What it trains	What it cannot do
The study guide and recommended reading in the AIMS pack	Knowledge of the topics AIMS lists, such as the Molecular Pathology topics and QA in the blood bank	Test recall, timing or stamina
The 25 sample questions in the pack	Familiarity with the item style	Give a section score, since 25 items cannot cover seven sections
A simulator	Retrieval under a clock, section-level feedback, explanations	Produce AIMS's scaled score or release real AIMS items

AIMS states that further sample questions will not be provided, and that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances. Anything sold as "actual AIMS questions" therefore cannot be released exam content. Treat that claim with suspicion wherever you see it.

What does TerumoEdge include?

TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim includes 5,981 four-option, single-answer items across the seven AIMS disciplines, a Full Mock, fixed sets, random draws and a written English explanation for every item. The items are text-only, with no image-based questions.

The Full Mock is 150 items in three hours, drawn from all seven disciplines and shuffled together. Its score report applies the published 50% minimums and the Molecular-or-Immunopathology rule to raw marks. We do not claim it uses AIMS's exact section counts.

For practice by discipline there are 39 fixed sets in each discipline, 273 in all, plus random draws. The free demo gives five items in each of the seven disciplines, so you can judge the explanations before you commit. Open it from the exam picker.

Every item carries an explanation that covers the correct answer and each wrong option.

How should you use a simulator from Stage 1 to the sitting?

Start reading during Stage 1, add timed sets by discipline in the middle months, and move to full mocks and the AIMS trial exam near the end. Stage 1 can take AIMS 16 weeks to assess and document verification may take up to 6 months, so the waiting period is review time, not dead time.

Phase	Focus	Simulator use
During Stage 1	Read the pack's study guide; find your weakest sections	A free demo in each discipline as a baseline
Building months	Section blocks	Timed discipline sets, then read every explanation
Final weeks	Stamina and pacing	Full 150-item mocks, scored against the floors
Within 2 weeks of the sitting	AIMS's own practice test and trial exam	Light review only

Pair it with a free laboratory science reviewer and flashcards for background reading and recall. They are general study aids, not the AIMS study guide. For pacing, see our time-management guide.

The practice room also works at phone width for short sessions, though the real sitting runs on a computer.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free AIMS exam simulator?

TerumoEdge offers a free demo with five items in each of the seven disciplines, with no account needed. It is a sample of the full simulator, not the whole bank. Use it to judge item style and explanations before deciding whether to buy.

Does AIMS provide practice questions?

Yes, but only 25. They are in the Professional Examination Pack, and AIMS states that further sample questions will not be provided. Completed papers are never released, so any other source of questions is written by someone other than AIMS, whatever it is called.

Can a simulator predict my AIMS result?

No. AIMS reports a Rasch-based scaled score from 0 to 1000 with a cut score of 500, and a simulator reports raw marks. A mock tells you whether you can sustain 150 items and clear the section floors, which is useful, but it cannot forecast your official result.

Do I need a simulator if my degree is AIMS accredited?

No exam is required under Option 1, which is for holders of an AIMS accredited degree. Whether your degree qualifies is for AIMS to decide, because it assesses applicants case by case. Check your route with AIMS before spending time on exam preparation.

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

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

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.

Section	Share of 150	Suggested share of hours
Chemical Pathology	20%	18%
Haematology	20%	18%
Medical Microbiology	17.3%	16%
Transfusion Science	13.3%	13%
Molecular Pathology	10.7%	12%
Anatomical Pathology	9.3%	12%
Immunopathology	9.3%	11%

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.

Weeks	Focus	Target
1–2	Chemical Pathology: QC, acid-base, endocrine	Timed 30-item set above 60%
3–4	Haematology: morphology, haemostasis	Timed 30-item set above 60%
5–6	Medical Microbiology	Timed 26-item set above 60%
7	Transfusion Science	Timed 20-item set above 60%
8	Molecular Pathology	Timed 16-item set above 60%
9	Anatomical Pathology	Timed 14-item set above 60%
10	Immunopathology and catch-up	Timed 14-item set above 60%

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.

Flashcards organised by laboratory subject suit short recall sessions between mocks.

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.

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AIMS exam time management: pacing 150 items in three hours with no breaks

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

AIMS exam time management starts with one piece of arithmetic. The Professional Examination is 150 single-response multiple-choice items in three hours, which is 180 minutes divided by 150, or 72 seconds per item. That is the average, and there is nothing spare in it. The pack describes no breaks unless approved, so the whole paper runs as one block.

Most candidates who run short do not read slowly. They get stuck on a handful of items and pay for it later. This post sets out the pace, the checkpoints, what to do with a long item, how to flag and return, and how to train it. Only Option 2 applicants sit this paper; see who sits the AIMS Professional Examination.

How does AIMS exam time management work out to 72 seconds per item?

The pace is 72 seconds per item on average, or about 66 seconds if you reserve 15 minutes for a review pass. The AIMS Professional Examination Pack describes a paper of 150 single-response questions to be completed in three hours (AIMS exam pack v8.2).

The sums are short. 180 minutes is 10,800 seconds, and 10,800 divided by 150 is 72. Reserve 15 minutes and you have 165 minutes, or 9,900 seconds, for the first pass: 9,900 divided by 150 is 66.

Use 66 seconds as the working pace and 72 as the hard ceiling. A short item will take 30 seconds and a long case will take two minutes, so the average hides a lot of variation. What matters is that you know where you should be at each point, which the next section covers.

Which checkpoints should you use through the three hours?

Check your position every 25 items, using the table below. A checkpoint turns a vague worry about time into a number you can act on. At 36 minutes, you should have answered 30 items; if you have answered only 24, you are behind by six items, about seven minutes, and you can catch up by speeding up slightly over the next block.

Checkpoint	Items answered	Latest elapsed time at 72 s	Target with a 15-minute buffer (66 s)
Start of the paper	0	0:00	0:00
Early check	30	0:36	0:33
One third	50	1:00	0:55
Halfway	75	1:30	1:22:30
Two thirds	100	2:00	1:50
Late check	125	2:30	2:17:30
Last item	150	3:00	2:45

Write the checkpoint times on a sheet before the exam, but check what the rules allow: no books or notes are permitted in the sitting, so memorise a few of them instead. Practise reading the clock on the screen, not on the wall.

What should you do with long case items?

For a long case item, give it one fair attempt and move on if you are not progressing. A rule of two minutes is enough for most: if you are still unsure at 120 seconds, choose your best option, flag the item and continue. The cost of getting stuck is easy to calculate. Four minutes on one item is 240 seconds, which is more than three items at the 72-second pace, and those three are worth as much as the one you are stuck on.

Read the question stem first for what is being asked, then the options, then the case detail you need. Many case items hold more information than you need. Cross out options you can prove wrong. If two options remain, pick one, flag and go.

No calculator is required, according to the exam pack (AIMS exam pack v8.1), so a numerical item should be solvable with simple arithmetic or a quick estimate. If you find yourself in a long calculation, you have probably misread the question; step back and re-read it.

Our exam room also runs at phone width for odd minutes of recall; for pacing practice, use a computer, since the real sitting runs on one.

How does flag and return work?

Flag and return works because the exam pack states that answers can be reviewed before submission, so you can leave a hard item and come back with the time you saved. On the first pass, answer every item, even if only with a guess, and flag the ones you want to revisit.

Answering everything first matters. A flagged item with a chosen option still scores if you run out of time. A flagged item left blank scores nothing. We found nothing in the pack about penalties for wrong answers, so check the current pack and, unless it says otherwise, answer all 150.

Keep your flags to a manageable number. If you flag more than about 20 items, you are flagging too easily, and the review pass will not be long enough. Flag items for one of two reasons: you are torn between two options, or the item is long and you want to read it again with a clear head. Do not flag items just because you feel uncertain about the whole paper.

How should you spend the last 15 minutes?

Spend the last 15 minutes on flagged items first, then a sweep for unanswered ones. Start the review at the 165-minute mark if you used the 66-second pace. Go through the flagged items in order, and give each about a minute. On a second reading, you will often see the point the first reading missed.

Do a sweep before you submit. Confirm every item has an answer; the question palette helps, and the exam room in our simulator mirrors this idea so you can practise it. Change an answer only if you can name the reason. An answer changed for a stated reason is a better bet than one changed out of nerves.

Leave the final minute free. Submitting is final, and a candidate who clicks in a rush can mistake the button. If you finish early, use the time; there is no prize for submitting at 150 minutes.

How do you build stamina for a paper with no breaks?

Build stamina by practising full three-hour sittings at the time of day you will sit, on the computer you will use. The exam pack describes no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved, so the paper is one continuous block of reading and deciding. Concentration usually fades in the last third, and the last 50 items count as much as the first 50.

Prepare the practical side before the day. Eat beforehand, use the bathroom just before you start, and make the room quiet. The pack lists what you may not have, including books, notes and headphones, so rehearse without them. Our online exam rules post covers those rules.

Notice where your own pace drops. Many people slow down in the second hour. If your log shows it, set a checkpoint just before that point and push gently there. Take a slow breath and relax your shoulders for a few seconds between items if you feel tension building; that costs almost no time, and it helps you stay level through to the last item.

How do you train your pace?

Train your pace in three steps: timed short sets, timed section sets, then full-length mocks. Short sets of 30 items in 36 minutes teach the pace in small doses. Section sets teach you how long each discipline takes at 72 seconds per item, shown below. Full-length mocks teach stamina, which matters because the pack describes no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved.

Section	Items	Time at 72 seconds per item
Chemical Pathology	30	36 minutes
Haematology	30	36 minutes
Medical Microbiology	26	31 minutes 12 seconds
Transfusion Science	20	24 minutes
Molecular Pathology	16	19 minutes 12 seconds
Anatomical Pathology	14	16 minutes 48 seconds
Immunopathology	14	16 minutes 48 seconds

These times add up to 180 minutes. Our simulator's Full Mock has 150 items in three hours drawn from all seven disciplines and shuffled together, so you practise switching. Do not assume AIMS orders its items the same way; the point is to be ready for mixed topics.

Try a timed set in our free demo to feel the clock, and see the study plan for when to start full mocks.

Frequently asked questions

How many seconds per item does the AIMS exam allow?

An average of 72 seconds. The exam has 150 single-response items in three hours, and 180 minutes is 10,800 seconds, which divided by 150 is 72. If you reserve 15 minutes for review, your working pace on the first pass is about 66 seconds per item.

Can I go back to flagged questions?

Yes. The AIMS exam pack states that answers can be reviewed before submission. That is why flag and return is a sound approach: answer everything on the first pass, flag doubtful items, then use your reserved time to revisit them. Check the current pack for any change to the rules.

Are there breaks during the AIMS exam?

Not unless approved. The exam pack states that there are no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved. Plan for three hours of continuous work, and build the stamina in your practice. Our online exam rules post covers the other proctoring rules.

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AIMS Medical Microbiology and Anatomical Pathology: two compulsory sections that are easy to underweight

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

AIMS medical microbiology and Anatomical Pathology are two compulsory sections, and they are easy to underweight for opposite reasons. Microbiology has 26 items, a large section that feels like familiar bench work, so it gets less time than it needs. Anatomical Pathology has only 14 items, so it feels too small to worry about, yet it has a hard floor all the same.

Only Option 2 applicants sit the exam; our guide to who sits it explains the three options. This post covers how to review both sections: the arithmetic of the floors, then a method for each, and a two-week block.

Why is a small section a hard floor?

A small compulsory section is a hard floor because the pass rule gives it no slack. The AIMS Professional Examination Pack requires at least 50% in each of five disciplines, including Medical Microbiology and Anatomical Pathology (AIMS exam pack v8.2). In Medical Microbiology that means 13 of 26. In Anatomical Pathology it means 7 of 14.

Count the margin. In Anatomical Pathology, seven misses leaves 7 correct and passes the floor, but eight misses leaves 6 and fails it, whatever you score elsewhere. With 14 items, two or three careless answers are a large fraction of the section, so a single weak topic matters more than it would in a 30-item section.

The overall total still applies too, at 75 of 150. We set the full rule out in our passing score post. Give the small section a real block, not leftover hours.

Section	Items	Correct needed for 50%	Efficient method
Medical Microbiology	26	13	Identification flowcharts, then susceptibility logic
Anatomical Pathology	14	7	Follow the tissue from fixation to stain

How do you learn AIMS medical microbiology as a flowchart?

Learn identification as a flowchart that starts at the Gram stain and ends at a confirmatory test, because items hand you a clue or two and ask for the next step or the organism. A list of facts does not help when the item starts from a colony.

For Gram-positive cocci, the first branch is catalase: positive points to Staphylococcus, negative to Streptococcus and relatives. Among staphylococci, coagulase separates Staphylococcus aureus from the coagulase-negative species. Among streptococci, the haemolysis pattern comes first, then tests such as bacitracin or PYR for group A, CAMP for group B, optochin sensitivity and bile solubility for Streptococcus pneumoniae, and bile esculin for the enterococci.

For Gram-negative rods, ask whether the organism ferments lactose on MacConkey agar, then whether it is oxidase positive (Pseudomonas is, the Enterobacterales are not). Then use indole, urease, hydrogen sulphide production and the triple sugar iron reaction. Add acid-fast staining for mycobacteria, the germ tube test for Candida albicans, and blood film recognition for malaria and other parasites.

Draw each flowchart on one page. Redraw it from memory the next day.

How do susceptibility testing and specimen logic show up?

Susceptibility testing and specimen handling show up as questions about what the result means and what a good sample looks like. Treat both as logic, not memory.

For susceptibility, understand disk diffusion zone sizes and minimum inhibitory concentrations, and what the categories susceptible, intermediate and resistant mean. Know that interpretation depends on the breakpoint standard in use, so read which one an item names. Learn the resistance mechanisms by their screens: cefoxitin screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase confirmation, the D-test for inducible clindamycin resistance and the reason vancomycin-resistant enterococci matter for infection control.

For specimens, link the pre-analytical step to the result. Blood cultures should be drawn before antibiotics, in adequate volume, ideally as more than one set, and a coagulase-negative staphylococcus in a single bottle usually points to contamination. A midstream urine reduces contamination. A sputum Gram stain with many squamous cells and few neutrophils is a poor sample. Anaerobes and fastidious organisms need prompt transport in suitable conditions.

How does Anatomical Pathology run from fixation to stain?

Anatomical Pathology is a chain, and most items ask what happens when one link fails. Start with fixation: 10% neutral buffered formalin is the standard fixative, it works by cross-linking proteins, and the volume should be many times the tissue volume, with adequate time before processing. Delayed or poor fixation gives poor nuclear detail that no stain can repair.

Processing follows: dehydration through graded alcohols, clearing with a solvent such as xylene and infiltration with paraffin wax. Under-processed tissue is soft and crumbly to cut, and over-processed tissue is brittle. Embedding and microtomy produce sections of a few micrometres, and cutting faults, such as chatter from a blunt blade, have named appearances.

Staining is next. In haematoxylin and eosin, haematoxylin (with its mordant) stains nuclei blue-purple and eosin stains cytoplasm and collagen pink. Know the special stains by their target: PAS for glycogen and fungi, Masson trichrome for collagen, Perls for iron, Congo red for amyloid (with apple-green birefringence under polarised light), Ziehl-Neelsen for acid-fast bacilli and Grocott silver for fungi. Add immunohistochemistry: antigen retrieval, controls and what a negative control is for.

Every discipline has its own cards and sets, so you can spend a block on one section at a time.

What should you know about cytology?

For cytology, know the stains, the sample types and the adequacy criteria, because items link a technique fault to a result. The Papanicolaou stain shows nuclear detail and cytoplasmic differentiation, which is why it is the standard for cervical and many non-gynaecological smears. Romanowsky stains on air-dried smears suit fine-needle aspirates and body fluids. Prompt wet fixation or spray fixation prevents air-drying artefact on smears intended for the Papanicolaou stain, and liquid-based preparations reduce obscuring blood and debris.

Learn how to recognise a sample that cannot be reported: too few cells, poor preservation or obscuring material. Learn the basic cell features that separate reactive change from malignancy, including nuclear enlargement, irregular chromatin and a raised nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, and the common causes of a false result, such as drying, thick smears and contamination.

The AIMS study guide topic list we can confirm for this blog covers Molecular Pathology and Transfusion Science, so for these two sections follow the section names and textbook-standard content. Check the full current pack for any list it gives, using our approach in the exam format post.

What does a two-week block look like?

A two-week block gives the first week to Medical Microbiology and the second to Anatomical Pathology, with timed sets at the end of each. In week one, spend two days on Gram-positive and Gram-negative flowcharts, one day on susceptibility and resistance mechanisms, one day on specimens and one day on mycobacteria, fungi and parasites. Finish with a 26-item set in about 31 minutes at the 72 seconds per item pace.

In week two, spend two days on fixation and processing, one day on staining and special stains, one day on cytology and one day on mixed practice. End with a 14-item set in about 17 minutes. Mark every miss against the step of the chain where it occurs.

If you are weak on Anatomical Pathology, give it a third week; at 14 items, it is the quickest section to lift. Use flashcards between shifts for organism features and stain targets, and our free demo to check how items in each discipline are explained.

Frequently asked questions

How many Anatomical Pathology items are in the AIMS exam?

The AIMS Professional Examination has 14 Anatomical Pathology items out of 150. It is a compulsory section, so you need at least 50%, which is 7 correct answers. Eight misses fail the section, whatever you score in the rest of the paper.

Can I skip a small section?

No. Anatomical Pathology, with 14 items, is compulsory like Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science. Each needs at least 50%. Only Molecular Pathology and Immunopathology are treated as a pair, where one of the two needs 50%.

How many Medical Microbiology items are in the AIMS exam?

Medical Microbiology has 26 items out of 150. It is compulsory, so you need at least 13 correct answers, in addition to the overall requirement of 75 of 150 correct. That makes it the third largest section after Chemical Pathology and Haematology.

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AIMS Molecular Pathology and Immunopathology: the study-guide topics, and why the either-or rule is no excuse to skip one

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

AIMS Molecular Pathology has 16 items and Immunopathology has 14, and the pass rule treats them as a pair: you need 50% in at least one of the two. Many candidates read that as permission to drop one section entirely. That reading is risky, and this guide explains why, then shows how to review the study-guide topics for the section many candidates feel least sure of.

Only Option 2 applicants sit this paper, as our guide to who sits the exam explains. If that is you, the sections below cover the rule, the topics the AIMS study guide lists, a technique-by-technique method, and a two-week block.

What is the either-or rule, and what is its trap?

The either-or rule says you must reach 50% in Molecular Pathology or in Immunopathology, not necessarily both. The AIMS Professional Examination Pack states that a pass mark of 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology must be achieved, alongside at least 50% in each of the five asterisked disciplines and 75 correct answers overall (AIMS exam pack v8.2).

The trap is the overall total. The two sections hold 30 items between them, 20% of the paper. Skip one entirely and you can only reach the 75 you need by scoring very high elsewhere. Even a half-prepared second section lifts your total by a handful of marks, and those marks are often what separate 72 from 75.

The floors are simple arithmetic: 8 of 16 in Molecular Pathology, or 7 of 14 in Immunopathology. Prepare both, then decide on the night which is your safer pass. Our passing score guide walks through the full rule with hypothetical candidates.

What does the AIMS Molecular Pathology study guide list?

The AIMS study guide lists PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature for Molecular Pathology (AIMS exam pack v8.1). Those eight names are the topics worth extra attention early, so check yourself against them before you read anything else.

The section was named Genomic Pathology in older documents, so you may meet that name in an older reviewer; the current packs say Molecular Pathology, as we explain in the format post.

The table below sets each listed topic against what you should be able to do and one way to drill it.

Study-guide topic	What you should be able to do	How to drill it
PCR	Explain the cycle, the controls and contamination	Write the steps and name one failure per step
Sanger sequencing	Explain chain termination and read a trace	Interpret a described trace with a mixed peak
NGS	Outline library preparation, depth and variant fraction	Match each quality metric to a problem
Bcr-Abl	Link the fusion to CML and to monitoring	State the test used and what a rising level means
BRAF V600E	Name the change and where it is tested	Write it in HGVS form from memory
JAK2 V617F	Link it to the myeloproliferative neoplasms	List which diseases carry it and which do not
HGVS and ISCN	Read and write the nomenclature	Convert five descriptions each way

How do you review amplification and sequencing?

Review amplification and sequencing by listing the steps, the controls and what goes wrong at each stage. Items rarely ask for a definition; they describe a result and ask for the cause.

For PCR, the cycle is denaturation at about 94 to 95 °C, annealing at a primer-dependent temperature and extension at about 72 °C with a thermostable polymerase. Know the controls: a no-template control detects contamination, a positive control shows the reaction works, and an internal control shows the sample did not inhibit it. Amplicon carryover is the classic contamination source. In real-time PCR, a lower Ct means more starting template. RNA targets need reverse transcription first.

For Sanger sequencing, fluorescent dideoxynucleotides stop chain extension, and capillary electrophoresis reads the fragment lengths. A mixed trace beneath the main peaks can mean a heterozygous variant, and Sanger finds a low-level variant poorly, roughly below 15 to 20% of the sample.

For NGS, learn library preparation, amplification, sequencing, depth of coverage, variant allele fraction and basic quality scores. Know why depth matters for low-level variants.

How should you learn the named mutations and nomenclature?

Learn the named mutations as a short list of fact sets, each with a gene, a change, a disease link and a test. The BCR-ABL1 fusion comes from t(9;22), the Philadelphia chromosome, and is central to chronic myeloid leukaemia, where quantitative RT-PCR is used to monitor response. BRAF V600E is a valine-to-glutamate change at codon 600, found in melanoma, papillary thyroid carcinoma, some colorectal cancers and hairy cell leukaemia. JAK2 V617F is a valine-to-phenylalanine change at codon 617, found in most polycythaemia vera and in around half of essential thrombocythaemia and primary myelofibrosis.

Nomenclature is where small slips cost marks. In HGVS, "c." marks a coding DNA change and "p." a protein change, so BRAF V600E is c.1799T>A, p.(Val600Glu). JAK2 V617F is c.1849G>T, p.(Val617Phe). Check the reference sequence, the numbering and the arrow.

In ISCN, a karyotype lists the chromosome count, the sex chromosomes, then the abnormalities: 46,XY,t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) describes a male with the Philadelphia translocation, and 47,XX,+21 describes a female with trisomy 21.

How should you review Immunopathology in the same block?

Review Immunopathology by method and by disease group, because both appear in items. For methods, know ELISA formats and their controls, immunofluorescence patterns for antinuclear antibodies (homogeneous, speckled, centromere, nucleolar), serum protein electrophoresis with immunofixation, flow cytometry panels and complement testing. Know assay problems, such as the high-dose hook effect in sandwich assays, where an extremely high analyte level reads falsely low, and how dilution reveals it.

For disease groups, learn hypersensitivity types I to IV with an example of each, primary and secondary immunodeficiency testing, autoimmune disease serology (for instance anti-dsDNA with lupus, and anti-CCP with rheumatoid arthritis) and the principles of HLA typing in transplantation.

Immunopathology has 14 items, so the section is small, but the content overlaps with Haematology and Transfusion Science, particularly antibodies, complement and cell markers. That overlap makes revision time here do double duty. Our bank holds 597 items in Genomic / Molecular Pathology and 597 in Immunopathology, which is the size of our practice bank, not AIMS's count.

Short recall cards suit named mutations and nomenclature, which you can rehearse between shifts.

What does a two-week block look like?

A two-week block spends week one on the Molecular Pathology list and week two on Immunopathology plus a timed check of each. In week one, take PCR and Sanger on days one and two, NGS on day three, the named mutations on day four and nomenclature on day five. Spend the weekend writing HGVS and ISCN strings from memory, then correcting them.

In week two, take immunoassay methods, autoantibody serology and hypersensitivity, then finish with two timed sets: 16 items in about 19 minutes for Molecular Pathology, and 14 items in about 17 minutes for Immunopathology, at the 72 seconds per item pace from our time management guide. Use flashcards for the mutation fact sets and the free demo to see how a Genomic / Molecular item is explained.

Decide at the end which section is your safer pass, but keep reviewing both. The one you do not rely on should still add marks toward the 75.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pass both Molecular Pathology and Immunopathology?

No. The AIMS rule requires at least 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology, not both. Both sections still count toward the 75 of 150 correct needed overall, so preparing only one limits your total as well as your options.

What molecular topics does the AIMS test?

The AIMS study guide lists PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature for Molecular Pathology. The guide in your current pack is the authority, so check it for any changes before you build your review around this list.

Is Genomic Pathology the same as Molecular Pathology?

Genomic Pathology is the older name. The AIMS guidelines of June 2024 and pack v8.0 used it, while the current packs say Molecular Pathology. When you use an older reviewer, expect the old name on its section headings and check the topic list against your current pack.

Sources

AIMS online exam rules: remote proctoring, WebLock, no calculator and no breaks

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

The AIMS online exam runs from your own desk, but it is not casual. A proctor watches you for three hours, your computer is locked into a secured browser, and the paper has no scheduled breaks. Candidates who prepare only the content and ignore the setting can lose their composure in the first ten minutes.

This post covers the exam-day rules as the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) states them, and turns each one into something you can rehearse. The rules below come from the June 2025 exam pack (S2). Packs are reissued, so read the current version before your sitting. We do not add technical specifications, internet speeds or room rules that the pack does not state.

How does the AIMS online exam work?

The exam is conducted online using remote proctored software, with live supervision through a webcam and a mobile phone (S1). The paper is 150 single-response multiple-choice questions to be completed in three hours (S1).

You take it at your own computer, and a proctor supervises you in real time. In practice, that means two cameras: the webcam on your computer and a mobile phone, both in use during the sitting. The pack does not describe where the phone should be placed, so follow the instructions AIMS gives you for your sitting rather than a forum's advice.

The exam is held in March and September (S5). For the dates and deadlines, see our AIMS exam schedule post. For the structure of the paper itself, read the format post.

The rest of this post goes through what is asked of you, in the order you will meet it.

What are the practice test and the trial exam?

Before the official exam you complete a practice test, and then a trial exam within the two weeks before the official exam (S2). Both let you check that your computer and the secured browser work together before anything counts.

Treat them as seriously as the real thing. The trial exam is where connection, camera, browser and ID problems appear, and it is much better to find them with two weeks in hand than on the day.

Put the trial exam in your calendar as soon as you know your sitting. Use the same desk, the same computer and the same room you plan to use for the paper. If you change any of these afterwards, repeat the check.

Do not use the trial exam as content revision. Its job is to confirm the setup, so spend that session noticing glitches and writing down what you would fix. Our final-month post places the trial exam inside a taper plan.

What do WebLock and your computer have to do?

The exam is taken in the WebLock secured browser, on the same computer you used for the practice test and trial exam (S2). WebLock is the AIMS proctoring browser, so it restricts what else your computer can do during the sitting.

The same-computer rule is the one candidates forget. If your laptop fails the night before and you borrow another, the trial exam you did no longer proves anything. Plan for a backup device only if AIMS confirms it is allowed, and ask before the sitting rather than on the day.

You can rehearse part of this. Close every other application, silence notifications and sit for three hours without touching anything outside the exam window. Our simulator runs in a full-screen, timed room that models a remote-proctored sitting. It is a practice room only.

Our practice room also works on a phone, but the real exam runs on a computer.

What ID, desk and items are allowed?

You show a passport or driver's licence to the proctor, and you may not have books, notes or headphones (S2). That is the full list in the pack, so do not add rules of your own or assume rules the pack does not state.

Rehearse the opening minutes. Have your ID within reach before you log in, because looking for it with the clock running adds stress you do not need. Clear your desk so that nothing on it could be mistaken for a note.

Headphones deserve a sentence of their own. Many people study with music or a podcast on, and three silent hours is a change of habit. Do your last few mocks in the same quiet conditions you will have on the day.

The pack's silence about other items is not permission. If you wonder about a drink, a watch or a second monitor, ask AIMS before the sitting.

Do you need a calculator, and can you take breaks?

A calculator will not be required, and there are no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved (S2). The paper is built so that arithmetic is light, and three hours is meant to be sat as one block.

Both rules change how you practise. Without a calculator, rehearse quick mental estimation for dilutions, percentages and unit conversions in Chemical Pathology and Haematology. Build the habit of checking whether an answer is plausible by order of magnitude.

For the no-breaks rule, treat the sitting as an endurance task. Eat and drink before you start, and use the bathroom first. Then run at least two uninterrupted three-hour sessions in the weeks before the exam.

If you have a medical need, ask AIMS about approval well ahead of time. The pack says breaks require approval, but it does not describe the process here, so we do not guess at it. Our time management post shows how to pace 150 items without a pause.

Can you review your answers before you submit?

Yes. Answers can be reviewed before submission (S2). That makes a flag-and-return approach possible: answer what you can, mark the uncertain items, and use the remaining time to revisit them.

If you believe a question contains an error, report it within five business days (S2). Because notes are not allowed during the sitting, hold the question's position and topic in your head, and write them down as soon as you finish while the memory is fresh.

The reporting window is short, and it is the route the pack describes. Completed papers are never released (S1), so you cannot check later.

Rule (S2)	What it means	How to rehearse it
Practice test, then trial exam within 2 weeks	Setup is checked before the official sitting	Schedule it on your calendar once your sitting is confirmed
WebLock on the same computer	One device from trial to sitting	Do all mock work at the same desk and machine
Passport or driver's licence	ID shown to the proctor	Keep it within reach before logging in
No books, notes or headphones	A bare desk and a silent room	Practise three hours without either
Calculator not required	Light arithmetic only	Drill mental estimation
No breaks unless approved	One three-hour block	Run two uninterrupted full mocks
Review before submitting	Flag and return is possible	Practise flagging and revisiting

You can try the flag-and-review habit now in our free demo, which has five items in each of the seven disciplines.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a calculator for the AIMS exam?

No. The exam pack states that a calculator will not be required (S2). Practise estimating dilutions, percentages and unit conversions mentally, and check whether your answers are plausible by size. If a rule changes in a newer pack, the current pack applies.

Can I take a bathroom break during the AIMS exam?

Not unless approved. The pack says bathroom or rest breaks are not allowed unless approved (S2). Use the bathroom and eat before you start, and ask AIMS about approval before your sitting if you have a medical reason.

Can I go back and change answers?

Yes. The pack says answers can be reviewed before submission (S2). Flagging uncertain items and returning to them is a workable strategy, as long as you leave enough of the three hours for the return pass.

Can I sit the AIMS exam from the Philippines?

The exam is online and remote proctored (S1), with a proctor watching through your webcam and a mobile phone. The sources we use do not set location rules, so we cannot promise that any location is allowed. Confirm with AIMS before you apply.

Sources

The AIMS passing score: 75 of 150, the section minimums, the 500 cut score, and what your result tells you

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

The AIMS passing score is not one number. It is a short rule with three parts, and candidates who read only "75 of 150" can fail while scoring well above it. This post states the rule exactly as the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) publishes it, works out what each section floor means in questions, and walks through four made-up candidates so you can see which part of the rule decides each outcome.

We also cover the 0 to 1000 scaled score, how long results take, and what you will and will not see afterwards. If you are unsure of the paper itself, start with the AIMS exam format.

What is the AIMS passing score rule in one sentence?

To pass, you must answer at least 75 of the 150 questions correctly, score at least 50% in each of the five asterisked disciplines, and score 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology. The exam pack says the asterisked disciplines "MUST be passed" and that "to pass the examination overall 75 questions MUST be answered correctly" (S1).

The five compulsory disciplines are Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science. All three conditions apply together. A strong total does not excuse a failed compulsory discipline, and cleared floors do not excuse a total of 74.

This is why practice that reports only one percentage can mislead you. A tool that tells you "you scored 62%" has not told you whether Transfusion Science sat at 45%. Our free demo lets you try each of the seven disciplines on its own, with five items per discipline, so you can see how a section-level score feels before you commit to a study plan.

Read it as a checklist rather than a score. Seven boxes can be ticked or crossed: five compulsory sections, the Molecular-or-Immunopathology pair, and the overall mark. Nothing in the sources lets one box compensate for another.

What are the section minimums in questions?

At 50%, the floors are 7 correct in Anatomical Pathology, 15 in Chemical Pathology, 15 in Haematology, 13 in Medical Microbiology and 10 in Transfusion Science. We worked these out from AIMS's section sizes of 14, 30, 30, 26 and 20 items (S1).

Section	Items	Correct needed for 50%	Status
Anatomical Pathology	14	7	Compulsory
Chemical Pathology	30	15	Compulsory
Haematology	30	15	Compulsory
Medical Microbiology	26	13	Compulsory
Transfusion Science	20	10	Compulsory
Molecular Pathology	16	8	One of these two
Immunopathology	14	7	One of these two

Those numbers are our arithmetic, not an AIMS table, so check them against the sizes in the current pack. The smallest compulsory section leaves the least room: in Anatomical Pathology, eight wrong answers out of 14 fail the discipline whatever else happens.

A Haematology item in our practice room. Section-level practice shows you which floor is at risk.

How does the Molecular-or-Immunopathology rule work?

You need 50% in at least one of the two: 8 of 16 in Molecular Pathology or 7 of 14 in Immunopathology (S1). Clearing both is fine, and clearing neither fails the paper.

It is an either-or pair rather than a free skip. Both sections still count toward the overall 75 correct, so leaving one unstudied costs you up to 14 or 16 questions of the total. Banking on the other section to carry you is a gamble about two small sections, not a plan.

Because the Molecular Pathology section was called Genomic Pathology in older documents, make sure any practice material you use scores the same two sections AIMS names now. We explain the change in the format post, and our Molecular Pathology review covers the study-guide topics.

How do the rules decide different candidates? A hypothetical table

The four candidates below are invented to show how the rule behaves. They are not real results and not typical ones.

Hypothetical candidate	Overall	The part that decides it	Outcome under the rule (S1)
A: 92 correct, every compulsory floor cleared, Molecular 10 of 16	92 of 150	Nothing fails	Pass
B: 110 correct, Haematology 14 of 30	110 of 150	Haematology is under 50%	Fail, Haematology a failed compulsory discipline
C: every floor cleared, total 74	74 of 150	Overall mark below 75	Fail
D: 100 correct, Molecular 7 of 16 and Immunopathology 6 of 14	100 of 150	Both under 50%	Fail

Candidate B is the one that surprises people. A total of 110 is far above 75, yet one question short of the Haematology floor ends the attempt. Candidate C shows the opposite: cleared floors sum to at least 67, so a total of 74 is possible while every discipline is satisfied, and the overall mark still binds. Our retaker strategy post uses this logic to read a fail letter.

What are the 0 to 1000 scale and the 500 cut score?

AIMS reports a Rasch-based scaled score from 0 to 1000, with the pass, or cut score, set at 500 (S1). The Rasch model adjusts raw performance for question difficulty, which is why a scaled score is not the same thing as a percentage.

AIMS does not publish a conversion between raw marks and the 500 cut score in the sources we use, so we do not offer one. Do not translate "I got 80 correct" into a scaled number, and be wary of anyone who does.

What you can rely on is the raw rule above: 75 of 150, plus the section floors. Practice tools report raw marks and percentages. That includes our own Full Mock, which applies the section minimums to raw marks but cannot produce an AIMS scaled score. Use a mock to find weak sections and to build stamina, not to predict a scaled result.

What does your result tell you, and when does it arrive?

Results take up to ten weeks (S2). AIMS reports the outcome as Pass or Fail, along with any failed compulsory disciplines (S1). So a failing letter tells you which compulsory sections cost you, but not your answers.

"Completed examinations are not released under any circumstances" (S1), which means you cannot review your paper afterwards. If you believe a question contained an error, the exam pack asks you to report it within five business days (S2).

AIMS publishes no pass rates, and we found no examinee counts from AIMS, so we quote none. Any percentage you see in a forum or an advertisement is not from AIMS. For the same reason, we do not estimate how hard the paper is.

One more line from the guidelines: applicants who do not qualify for, or fail, the exam "may be assessed as suitable for" Medical Laboratory Technician ANZSCO 311213 (S3). The wording is "may", and it is AIMS's decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is the AIMS passing score?

You need 75 of 150 questions correct, at least 50% in each of Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science, and 50% in Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology (S1). AIMS reports a scaled score from 0 to 1000 with the cut score set at 500.

What is the AIMS pass rate?

AIMS does not publish a pass rate, and we found no examinee numbers from AIMS in the sources we checked. We therefore quote none and do not estimate one. Treat any figure you see online as unsourced, however confident it sounds.

How long do AIMS results take?

Results take up to ten weeks after the exam (S2). The result is reported as Pass or Fail, with any failed compulsory disciplines listed (S1). The ten-week figure is a maximum, so plan around the upper end if you have deadlines.

Can I see my exam paper afterwards?

No. The exam pack states that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances (S1). You can report a suspected question error within five business days (S2), but you cannot request your paper or a list of the questions you missed.

Sources

AIMS exam retake: how to rebuild from what your result tells you

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If your AIMS result was a Fail, you are probably tired, disappointed and unsure whether to try again. That is a normal reaction after a long review, and it does not say anything about your skill at the bench. This post is about what you can do with the little information the result gives you.

An AIMS exam retake begins with a short, honest debrief. We cover what the letter shows, which rule you may have missed, how to time the next attempt, and a 12-week rebuild. We have found no published resit rules, so we say what to confirm with AIMS and avoid guessing.

What does your AIMS result letter actually tell you?

The letter tells you whether you passed or failed and, if you failed, which compulsory disciplines you did not pass. That is all AIMS says it reports. The pack states the result as Pass or Fail plus any failed compulsory disciplines, and it adds that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2).

So you will not see which items you missed, and you will not see your answers. The pack also describes a Rasch-based scaled score from 0 to 1000 with a cut score of 500, but it does not say you receive a per-section scaled score or give a conversion to raw marks. We make no claim about a conversion.

What you can use is your memory of how the sitting felt, your pre-exam mock results by section, and the letter's list of failed disciplines. Write these down this week while the sitting is fresh: which sections felt thin, where time ran short, what the room and proctoring were like. Do not reconstruct questions. Record impressions, not items.

Which rule did you miss?

There are three ways to fail, and the letter usually points to one. Check them in order. The rule, as stated by AIMS, is at least 50% in each of Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science, 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology, and 75 of 150 answered correctly overall.

What the letter shows	Likely cause	Fix
Fail, with one or more compulsory disciplines listed	A section fell under its 50% floor, whatever the total	Rebuild the named section first, using timed sets and explanation review
Fail, no compulsory discipline listed	Possibly the overall 75 of 150 was not reached, or the Molecular-or-Immunopathology rule was not met; the letter does not say which	Raise overall accuracy through full-length mocks; check both specialist sections
Fail, with disciplines listed and a weak total	More than one rule may apply	Fix the named sections, then build breadth across all seven

The floors in questions are 7 of 14 for Anatomical Pathology, 15 of 30 for Chemical Pathology, 15 of 30 for Haematology, 13 of 26 for Medical Microbiology and 10 of 20 for Transfusion Science. For the either-or pair, Molecular Pathology needs 8 of 16 and Immunopathology 7 of 14.

The full arithmetic is in our passing score post. One caution: the letter may not tell you whether the Molecular-or-Immunopathology rule was the issue, so do not rule it out.

How do you read each failure shape?

Each shape asks for a different kind of repair, so match the plan to the shape instead of reviewing everything again. A failed compulsory floor is a local problem. A shortfall on the total is usually a pace or breadth problem. A missed either-or rule means both specialist sections were too weak.

If a floor failed, the section is small enough to rebuild. Anatomical Pathology has only 14 items, so seven misses were enough to fail it regardless of your total. Our post on Medical Microbiology and Anatomical Pathology covers those two sections.

If the total fell short, the cause is often the format. Three hours for 150 items is 72 seconds per item, and the pack says there are no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved. Candidates who read for months but seldom sat a full paper may find their accuracy falls late in the sitting. That is a hypothesis for you to test with a timed mock, not a statistic.

If neither Molecular Pathology nor Immunopathology reached 50%, choose one and bring it to its floor. You need only one of them, but it must be a real pass. Both still count toward the 75 overall.

When can you sit again?

Check the closing date for the next sitting and read AIMS's resit rules before you commit. Sittings are held in March and September. Applications close at 4pm by email on 1 December for the March sitting and 10 July for the September sitting. Payment is due 31 January and 8 August. These dates come from the March 2026 pack.

The sources we relied on contain no retake limit, no waiting period and no resit rule, and we will not guess at them. Ask AIMS directly what applies to you, including whether any waiting period, extra fee or paperwork follows a Fail.

Two timing facts matter. First, your Stage 1 letter is valid for three years, and a new application must arrive within that validity, so look at the date on your letter. Second, a deferral must be requested before the payment deadline, which matters if you apply and then decide you need more time.

Work backwards from the closing date, as in the schedule post. A twelve-week rebuild fits between a result and a closing date only if you start soon. If the date is too tight, taking the later sitting is a legitimate choice. Rushing a second attempt on four weeks of review rarely changes the method.

How should an AIMS exam retake change the method, not only the hours?

Change the method, because the same routine usually produces the same result. Ask what your first review lacked. A common pattern is plenty of reading and untimed question practice, with few full-length mocks and little explanation review. We do not have data on candidates, so treat that as a prompt to check your own history.

Three changes make a real difference. First, sit full 150-item mocks under exam conditions, at least every second week. The TerumoEdge Full Mock has 150 items across the seven disciplines and reports raw marks by discipline, so you can compare sections against the 50% floors. It does not reproduce AIMS's scaled score.

Second, read every explanation, including for correct answers. An item you got right for the wrong reason is a future miss. Third, keep an error log by topic, not by question, and review it weekly. Patterns will show up in three or four weeks.

The simulator's discipline picker, where you can choose a single section for repair work. Its Core and Specialist labels are the product's own, not AIMS's.

What does a 12-week rebuild look like?

A 12-week rebuild spends the first weeks on the sections that failed, the middle on mixed timed practice and the last on full mocks and the trial exam. The twelve weeks are our template, not an AIMS figure, and you should shorten or extend it to fit the next closing date.

Weeks	Focus	Target
1	Debrief and baseline: write your impressions, then sit one full mock	A section-by-section score against the 50% floors
2 to 5	Rebuild the failed or weakest compulsory sections with timed sets and explanation review	Each of those sections clear of its floor with margin on two sets
6 to 8	Broaden across all seven disciplines; bring one of Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology well over 50%	Mixed timed sets with a stable pace
9 to 11	Full-length mocks every week or two; practise without notes, headphones or a calculator	Finish 150 items in three hours with a review buffer
12	Practice test, trial exam and taper	A calm set-up and no new material

The June 2025 pack says the practice test and trial exam fall in the two weeks before the official exam, so check the current pack before you lock in week 12. Our study plan post has a longer version for a first attempt.

If you also work shifts, scale the weekly hours to your roster. Consistency beats volume.

What if you decide not to retake?

You are allowed to decide differently, and it is better to decide than to drift. The AIMS guideline says applicants who do not qualify for, or fail, the exam "may be assessed as suitable for" Medical Laboratory Technician, ANZSCO 311213 (AIMS Guidelines, GAPSQ v18.2). The word is "may", and we cannot say whether it applies to you.

Be careful with the rest. A pass does not grant a licence, because Australia has no statutory registration for Medical Laboratory Scientists, and the guideline says the AIMS letter "does not guarantee the awarding of any points". Decisions about your future should rest on conversations with AIMS and, where relevant, official migration advice, not on this blog.

Whatever you choose, give yourself two weeks of rest first. A rushed decision made on the day of the result is seldom the one you would pick a month later.

Frequently asked questions

How many times can I retake the AIMS exam?

The sources we used do not state a retake limit, a waiting period or a resit fee. We will not guess. Ask AIMS directly what applies to you, and check the current exam pack and the AIMS website before you plan the next attempt.

Can I see which questions I got wrong?

No. The pack states that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances. Your result is Pass or Fail plus any failed compulsory disciplines. Use that, your mock results by section and your own notes on how the sitting went to plan your review.

Is my Stage 1 letter still valid?

The Stage 1 letter is valid for three years, and a new exam application must arrive within that period. Look at the date on your letter and count forward. If you are near the end, ask AIMS what you would need to do.

Does a Fail mean I cannot work in Australia as a laboratory professional?

We cannot answer that, and this blog does not give migration or employment advice. The AIMS guideline says that applicants who fail "may be assessed as suitable for" Medical Laboratory Technician, ANZSCO 311213. Ask AIMS about your situation.

Sources

AIMS review center or self review? Choosing for an exam with no past papers and only 25 official samples

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If you are preparing for the AIMS Professional Examination, you have probably been asked whether you are joining an AIMS review center or reviewing on your own. Both can work, and neither is a guarantee. This post compares the two by category and lists what each must add to prepare you for 150 single-response items in three hours.

TerumoEdge, which publishes this blog, makes a simulator, so weigh our views accordingly. We name no review centers and quote no prices, because both change and neither belongs in a fair comparison.

Which AIMS review center or self review route should you choose?

Choose an AIMS review center when you want a fixed schedule, a teacher and people to study with. Choose self review when your shifts are irregular, you are working abroad, or you prefer to start from the AIMS pack and build your own plan. The AIMS review center route trades flexibility for structure, and self review trades structure for flexibility.

First, confirm that you sit this exam at all. Under the AIMS assessment guidelines, only Option 2 applicants sit the Professional Examination, after a Stage 1 document assessment. Option 1 applicants hold an AIMS accredited degree and sit no exam, and Option 3 applicants sit a different paper. See who actually sits the AIMS exam before you commit months or money to either route.

Whichever you choose, the sitting is the same: 150 items in three hours, online and remote proctored, held in March and September.

What does a review course give you?

A review course gives you a ready-made sequence, regular contact and accountability. Someone else decides what week three covers, which saves the planning effort that often stalls a self-driven reviewee.

The strengths are real. Lectures can explain a difficult mechanism faster than a page can, a cohort gives you people to quiz and compare with, and a fixed timetable pushes you through the less comfortable sections. For a candidate who has been away from formal study, that scaffolding matters.

The weaknesses are also real. Fixed class times can clash with rotating shifts and night duty. A course is only as good as its alignment with the current exam pack, and the pack changes. Ask whether it uses the current section names, since the older Genomic Pathology section is now Molecular Pathology, and whether it offers timed 150-item practice or only lectures and handouts.

What does self review give you?

Self review gives you control over when, where and how you study, and you can anchor it to the AIMS pack itself. The pack contains the study guide, the recommended reading and the 25 sample questions. It is the official description of what AIMS expects, and nothing else carries that status.

You choose the pace, repeat what you find hard, and study after a shift without waiting for a class. You can combine free resources, such as a laboratory science reviewer and flashcards, with the recommended reading, for example the ANZSBT Guidelines the pack lists for Transfusion Science.

The cost is discipline and design. Nobody tells you that you have neglected a 14-item section, and no cohort notices when you stall. You must build the schedule, balance seven sections, and schedule timed practice on your own. Without a plan, self review drifts toward the topics you already like.

How do they compare side by side?

The two routes differ most on structure and schedule, and least on the gap that matters. Neither supplies timed practice unless you add it.

Factor	Review center or course	Self review
Structure	Set by the provider	Set by you
Schedule	Fixed class times	Fits your shifts
Materials	Lectures, handouts, sometimes mocks	The AIMS pack, textbooks, free and paid tools
Timed 150-item practice	Varies; ask before enrolling	Only if you add it
Cohort and accountability	Built in	You must find a study group
Cost of time	Travel, set hours, fixed pace	Planning effort, self-discipline

The last row of the table is the one candidates underestimate. A course that meets in the evening may not fit a week of nights, and a self-study plan with no accountability may not survive the third week.

A timed practice room is the piece both routes must add: a clock, four options and no notes.

Who should choose which?

Choose a course if you learn best with a teacher, struggle to start alone or want a cohort. Choose self review if you work rotating shifts, live far from any class, or already have strong foundations and need to target gaps.

Consider your situation honestly. If you work nights and a weekday class is impossible, an online or recorded course may fit better than an in-person one. If you are abroad, self review plus a study group over video can work. If you have not studied formally in years, a short course to rebuild habits can pay for itself.

Your weakest area also matters. The pack's study guide lists Molecular Pathology topics such as PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature. Areas Filipino-trained graduates often need to strengthen should be checked against that list early, whichever route you take. For rotating-shift schedules, see reviewing for the AIMS exam while working.

Is a hybrid better?

A hybrid often fits best: a course, tutor or study group for content, and your own timed practice for rehearsal. The two halves cover different weaknesses.

A typical hybrid uses lectures or a group to cover unfamiliar topics, the AIMS pack as the checklist, and a simulator to test retrieval under a clock. The simulator is where you find out whether the lecture stuck. TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim has a Full Mock of 150 items in three hours, and a score report that applies the published 50% minimums to raw marks. It does not produce AIMS's scaled score, and no outside tool can.

You can try it free. The demo gives five items in each of the seven disciplines at the exam picker. Our study-plan guide shows how to lay out the weeks.

What red flag should you watch for either way?

The red flag is any material sold as "actual AIMS questions". AIMS states that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances, and that further sample questions will not be provided beyond the 25 in the pack.

That means a course, a group or a seller cannot legitimately hold past papers. Material may be called "recalled" or "exam-style", and some of it may be useful, but treat it as the provider's own writing. Memorising it as the real thing can leave you confident about items that will not appear and unprepared for those that do.

Other warning signs are promises of a certain pass, which no one can honestly give, and claims about pass rates. AIMS publishes no pass rates or examinee counts, so any number quoted is invented or unsourced. Also ask whether a provider follows the current pack, because the old section name and old deadlines still circulate.

Frequently asked questions

Can you pass the AIMS exam through self review?

Many candidates prepare alone, but there are no published pass statistics to quote either way. Self review works when it covers all seven sections, uses the AIMS pack as its checklist and includes timed 150-item practice scored against the section minimums. It tends to fail when it has no schedule.

Does AIMS endorse any review course?

The AIMS documents we relied on name no review course, and we make no claim beyond that. The exam pack and website are the authoritative description of the exam. Ask any provider which pack version it follows and confirm exam details directly with AIMS.

What should I study first?

Start with the AIMS pack itself. It contains the study guide, the recommended reading and the 25 sample questions. Then check your weakest compulsory sections against it, and add timed practice early rather than saving it for the last weeks.

Is a review center worth it if I work night shifts?

It can be, if the schedule fits. Look for recorded or evening options, and check that timed practice is included. If the timetable would force you to skip shifts or sleep, self review with a fixed weekly routine may serve you better.

Sources

AIMS exam reviewer vs simulator: textbooks for the seven sections, timed items for the three hours

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

Most candidates for the AIMS Professional Examination collect materials in a predictable order: a PDF reviewer, perhaps some notes, and later a question source. The useful question is not which is best. It is what each one trains. This post sorts an AIMS exam reviewer, the official pack and a simulator by the job each does, so you can spend your hours where they count.

TerumoEdge, which publishes this blog, makes a simulator and also offers a free reviewer, so we benefit from a mixed answer. We have tried to be fair to both and to say what each cannot do.

What is the short answer on an AIMS exam reviewer versus a simulator?

An AIMS exam reviewer trains knowledge. A simulator trains retrieval under pressure. You need both, in that order, with timed practice starting well before the last month.

The reason is the exam's shape. The AIMS Professional Examination is 150 single-response questions in three hours, online and remote proctored, so success depends on recalling accurately and quickly across seven sections. Reading can show you what a Westgard rule is. Only answering questions shows whether you can apply it in 72 seconds, with a distractor that looks right.

If you only have time for one habit, make it this: read a topic, then test it the same week with items and read every explanation, including those for options you got right.

What does the AIMS pack itself give you?

The AIMS pack gives you three things: a study guide, a recommended reading list and 25 sample questions. It is the official description of what the examination expects, and everything else should be checked against it.

The study guide lists topics by section. For Molecular Pathology it names PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature. For Transfusion Science it includes quality assurance in the blood bank. The recommended reading includes the ANZSBT Guidelines for Transfusion and Immunohaematology Laboratory Practice.

The 25 sample questions show the style, but AIMS states that further sample questions will not be provided, and completed examinations are not released. Twenty-five items cannot cover seven sections or test stamina, so they are a starting point, not a practice programme. Download the current pack from the AIMS website, because it is reissued from time to time.

What do PDF reviewers do well?

PDF reviewers condense a large body of content into something you can carry, annotate and re-read. For a working medtech, a good reviewer saves hours of hunting through textbooks.

They are strongest at review of familiar ground, the quick pass before a shift or a sitting. A reviewer can lay out a coagulation cascade, a bacterial identification flow or a staining sequence in a page, and you can read it on a break. They are also cheap to share, easy to print and usable offline.

Good ones are organised by discipline, which matches the way the exam is scored. If a reviewer follows the seven sections under their current names, you can map your reading directly onto the passing rule.

Treat the source with care. Many reviewers are written for other exams, and some predate the move from Genomic Pathology to Molecular Pathology. A reviewer built for another exam may cover topics AIMS does not test and skip ones it does. Check any reviewer against the pack's study guide before you rely on it.

Where do reviewers stop?

Reviewers stop at the point where recall under time begins. They cannot time you, cannot score you by section, and cannot tell you why a plausible wrong option is wrong.

Reading creates a feeling of familiarity, and familiarity is not recall. Highlighting and re-reading are the most comfortable ways to study and among the least revealing, because nothing in them can fail. A page you have read three times can still leave you stuck when the same fact appears as a four-option item with a close distractor. The gap between recognising and retrieving is the one a reviewer cannot measure.

A reviewer also gives no feedback on balance. The passing rule needs at least 50% in each of five compulsory sections, 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology, and 75 of 150 overall. A reviewer cannot tell you that you are sitting at 45% in Transfusion Science while a strong Chemical Pathology result hides it in your total.

Finally, a reviewer cannot rehearse the sitting: 150 items, three hours, no breaks unless approved. Sitting for three hours without a pause is a physical skill. Candidates who have only ever read in forty-minute blocks often find the fourth section of a long mock is where concentration thins, and the first time you meet that should not be the real paper.

What does a simulator add?

A simulator adds timed items, section-level scoring and an explanation for each option. It turns reading into measurable retrieval.

TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim has 5,981 four-option, single-answer items across the seven AIMS disciplines, each with a written English explanation and references. Its Full Mock is 150 items in three hours, with a per-discipline score report that applies the published 50% minimums and the Molecular-or-Immunopathology rule to raw marks.

It cannot give you AIMS's Rasch-based scaled score of 0 to 1000, and its items are text-only. It is also not the official exam interface. What it can do is show you, before the sitting, which section falls under half.

How do the three compare?

Each tool covers a different criterion. The grid below shows where each is strong and where it needs help.

Criterion	AIMS pack	PDF reviewer	Simulator
Coverage of the seven sections	Study guide and reading list	Depends on the author	Item bank across all seven
Retrieval under time	25 samples only	None	Timed sets and full mocks
Explanations	Check the pack; not a feature we rely on	Often brief	Written per item
Section-level feedback	None	None	Per-discipline report
Official status	Official	Unofficial	Unofficial, not AIMS

Use the pack as the reference, the reviewer as the compact text and the simulator as the test. If you are still deciding between a course and studying alone, our comparison of a review center and self review sets out the trade-offs. Our free laboratory science reviewer and flashcards can serve as general background and recall aids, but they are not AIMS-specific.

Flashcards are organised by laboratory subject, not by the seven AIMS sections.

When should you use which?

Read first for new topics, test within days, and switch to mostly timed work as the sitting approaches. The balance shifts across your preparation.

In the first weeks, spend most time on the pack's study guide and a reviewer, and use short discipline sets to find weak spots. In the middle months, alternate: study a section, then drill it with timed items. In the last weeks, run full mocks and repair the weakest compulsory section. Our study-plan guide sets out one way to do this, and the molecular pathology review applies it to a section candidates often find hard.

Try the free demo at the exam picker to see how a simulator explanation reads, with five items in each discipline. Then judge for yourself whether it fills a gap in your current materials.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the official AIMS study guide?

It is inside the AIMS Professional Examination Pack, which AIMS publishes on its website. The pack contains the study guide, the recommended reading and 25 sample questions. AIMS reissues the pack from time to time, so download the current version and check the date before you rely on it.

Are old AIMS reviewers still valid?

Partly. The core science does not change, but older reviewers may use outdated section names, notably Genomic Pathology, which is now Molecular Pathology in the current packs. Check the reviewer against the current study guide and see our format guide for the naming history. If a section you cannot find in the reviewer is one that the pack lists, the reviewer has a gap, however polished it looks.

Should I read first or answer questions first?

Do both, in short cycles. Attempt a few items on a section before you read, to find what you do not know, then read, then test again. Answering first often makes reading more focused, and explanations teach as well as grade.

Sources

Two years on the bench and ready to apply? Building your AIMS Stage 1 file as a Filipino medtech

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

You have worked at the bench for a couple of years and you want to apply to the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, ANZSCO 234611. AIMS Stage 1 is the first step on the route that leads to its Professional Examination, and it is mostly a test of paperwork and patience.

This post lays out what AIMS itself says Stage 1 requires: the experience rule, the foundation subjects, English, how long assessment takes and how long your letter lasts. Where AIMS says nothing, we say so instead of guessing. Not everyone sits the exam at all, so check which option applies to you first.

What is AIMS Stage 1, and is it the route for you?

Stage 1 is the document assessment for Option 2 applicants, and passing through it makes you eligible to sit the Professional Examination. AIMS is specified under the Migration Regulations 1994 as the assessing authority for ANZSCO 234611 (AIMS Guidelines for Skills and Qualifications Assessment, GAPSQ v18.2). Its guidelines describe three options. Option 1 is an AIMS accredited degree, with no exam. Option 2 is another acceptable science degree, followed by Stage 1 and then Stage 2, the Professional Examination. Option 3 is postgraduate study with laboratory experience, followed by a different paper.

AIMS says candidates must complete the document assessment in Stage 1 and be assessed as eligible to sit the exam (Professional Examinations for Migration).

Whether a Philippine degree places you in Option 1, Option 2 or elsewhere is a case-by-case decision. AIMS says it does not provide a simple assessment that compares your qualification to Australian levels, and its guideline has no statement about BS Medical Technology. We make no claim about how AIMS will treat your degree. Ask AIMS if you need certainty.

How does the experience rule work, and what is the recency trap?

Option 2 requires at least two years of postgraduate professional experience in a medical pathology laboratory, and one of those years must fall wholly within the five years before you apply. The guideline counts full-time work or its part-time equivalent (AIMS GAPSQ v18.2).

The recency requirement catches people who left bench work. Suppose you worked three years in a laboratory, then moved into a sales or administrative job six years ago. You have the length of experience, but no year of it falls in the last five. Read the wording carefully: the year must be completed wholly within the five-year period immediately before applying.

Two other points deserve a check. The experience must be in a medical pathology laboratory, so ask yourself whether each role qualifies under that phrase. And it must be postgraduate, meaning after your degree.

Start collecting evidence of dates and duties now. We cannot list the exact documents AIMS accepts, because the sources we rely on do not give a checklist. The current guideline and application form are the authority.

How do you check your transcript against the foundation subjects?

Compare your transcript against the guideline's list before you apply, so there are no surprises. AIMS names six foundation subjects: Chemistry, Statistics, Cell and tissue biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Genetics and Molecular Biology. It also requires basic studies in all the professional disciplines and advanced studies in at least two, preferably three, of the asterisked ones (AIMS GAPSQ v18.2).

The asterisked disciplines are the five compulsory exam sections: Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science.

Make a grid with the subjects down the side and your course titles beside them. Mark each as basic or advanced and note the credit or hours if your transcript shows them. Gaps in the grid are information, not a verdict, because AIMS assesses cases individually and we cannot say how it will read any transcript.

Keep in mind that the guideline's wording is your test, not a general impression that your degree was thorough. Keep course descriptions or syllabi if you can, since they may help explain what a subject covered.

What about English before you apply?

Plan your English test early, because a failed or ineligible test can delay the whole file. Since 12 March 2026, AIMS requires the Department of Home Affairs "Proficient English" level. Tests with a One Skill Retake component are not accepted, and all four components must be sat in one sitting (Skills Assessment for Overseas Qualified Professionals).

That last rule means you cannot combine scores from two sittings. A candidate who scores well in three components and misses the fourth has to take the whole test again.

The June 2024 guideline listed IELTS 7.0 in each band, PTE 65 in each, OET grade B, TOEFL and Cambridge C1 at 185, with no exemptions. Treat those as the June 2024 figures, because they predate the March 2026 rule. We do not state the current Proficient English scores, since our sources do not give them. Confirm today's accepted tests and scores with AIMS before booking.

Book the test with your timeline in mind. Results take time to arrive, and a retake may need weeks. Sitting the test first means the rest of the file is not waiting on it.

How long does Stage 1 take, and what does the timeline look like?

AIMS aims to finish assessments within 16 weeks of receiving them, but verifying documents can take up to six months. That is AIMS's own statement (Skills Assessment for Overseas Qualified Professionals). Treat 16 weeks as an aim, not a promise, and plan for the longer figure.

Step	Who acts	How long
Book and sit an English test	You	Varies
Gather degree, transcript and experience evidence	You, plus your university and employers	Varies
Submit the Stage 1 application	You	Varies
AIMS assessment	AIMS	Aims for 16 weeks from receipt
Document verification	AIMS and issuing bodies	Up to 6 months
Stage 1 letter issued	AIMS	Valid for 3 years
Exam application	You	Closes 1 December (March sitting) or 10 July (September sitting)

The closing dates come from the March 2026 pack (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2). Work backwards from the sitting you want, as in our post on the exam schedule and deadlines. If verification takes six months, a September sitting needs an early start.

How long is the Stage 1 letter valid, and why does it matter?

The Stage 1 results letter is valid for three years, and your exam application must arrive within that period. The pack states that a new application must arrive within the three-year validity of the Stage 1 letter, and the guideline says the same (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2).

Three years sounds generous, but it is easier to use up than you think. A deferral must be requested before the payment deadline. A sitting you postpone for work reasons moves you to the next March or September. If you need more than one attempt, the clock keeps running from the date on your letter.

Note the date on your letter the day it arrives and set two calendar reminders: one at two years and one at 30 months. Keep your experience and English evidence current as well, since details like recency are judged against the date you apply.

AIMS does not publish resit rules in the sources we used, so we say nothing about retake counts here. If a retake is a possibility, read our retaker post and ask AIMS.

Why should you start reviewing during Stage 1?

Start reviewing during Stage 1, because the waiting time is one stretch of the process when you control your hours. The exam is 150 single-response questions in three hours, set at the level of a Medical Laboratory Scientist with at least two years of experience, so your bench years already give you a base.

Use the wait to find your gaps instead of to cram. The study guide in the exam pack lists Molecular Pathology topics such as PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature. Check yourself against that list early. It also lists quality assurance in the blood bank for Transfusion Science. These are areas Filipino-trained graduates often need to strengthen only if their own self-check shows gaps, and yours may not.

The free demo gives five items in each of the seven disciplines, which is enough to see how the practice room feels.

A practice exam room item from the simulator, which is a practice environment and not AIMS's own interface.

Frequently asked questions

How many years of experience does AIMS need for Option 2?

Option 2 needs a minimum of two years of full-time postgraduate professional experience, or the part-time equivalent, in a medical pathology laboratory. At least one of those years must be completed wholly within the five years immediately before you apply. These are the terms of AIMS's June 2024 guideline, so check the current version.

Which English tests does AIMS accept?

From 12 March 2026, AIMS requires the Department of Home Affairs Proficient English level, and tests with a One Skill Retake component are not accepted. The June 2024 guideline listed IELTS, PTE, OET, TOEFL and Cambridge scores, but those predate the change. Confirm current accepted tests and scores with AIMS.

How long does the AIMS assessment take?

AIMS aims to complete assessments within 16 weeks of receiving them. It also warns that verification of documents may take up to six months. Plan for the longer figure, and do not treat 16 weeks as a guarantee.

Can I combine English scores from two sittings?

No. AIMS states that all four test components must be sat in one sitting. Scores from separate sittings cannot be combined to meet the requirement.

Will AIMS accept my BS Medical Technology degree?

We cannot say. AIMS assesses applicants case by case, and its guideline has no statement on Philippine BS Medical Technology degrees. Do not assume a particular option or outcome, and contact AIMS if you need an answer for your own situation.

Sources

AIMS Transfusion Science: 20 compulsory items, and why the pack points you to the ANZSBT guidelines

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

AIMS Transfusion Science is one of the five compulsory sections, with 20 items out of 150. It is still compulsory, so at least 10 correct answers are needed, whatever you score in Chemical Pathology or Haematology. That makes it a section where steady, logical preparation pays off faster than anywhere else.

Remember that only Option 2 applicants sit this paper; our guide to who sits the AIMS Professional Examination explains the three options. For those who do, this post covers how to review the blood bank in a way the items reward: a map of what the pack points to, then grouping, antibody work, component logic, reactions and quality assurance, and a two-week block.

Why does AIMS Transfusion Science deserve its own block?

Transfusion Science deserves a separate block because it is compulsory, because it is logic-heavy, and because its floor is only 10 correct answers. The AIMS Professional Examination Pack sets Transfusion Science at 20 items and lists it with the disciplines that must be passed at 50% (AIMS exam pack v8.2). Ten correct is not many, but a candidate who treats the section as an afterthought can still end with 9.

It also rewards a different skill. Chemistry and haematology reward pattern recall. Blood bank items often present a worked-out puzzle: a panel grid, a discrepancy between forward and reverse grouping, a patient history. You win those by following the same steps each time. The section is 13.3% of the paper, and our bank holds 810 items in this discipline for practice (our bank, not AIMS's own count).

The way to prepare is to learn the steps, then rehearse them under a clock. See how the section fits the whole paper in our guide to the exam format and sections.

What does the AIMS pack point you to?

The AIMS pack points to two things for Transfusion Science: quality assurance in the blood bank in the study guide, and the ANZSBT Guidelines for Transfusion and Immunohaematology Laboratory Practice in the recommended reading (AIMS exam pack v8.1). Those are the two named topics worth extra attention early in your review.

We suggest a simple check. Open the study guide in the pack, find the Transfusion Science list, and rate yourself against each line before you pick up a textbook. Then read the ANZSBT guidelines themselves. We do not restate their rules here, because the guideline is the authority and an article is a poor substitute; items written from it will use its terms.

A general blood bank textbook remains useful for mechanisms and for practice with panels. Use it for the "why", and the guideline for the local expectations. If an item names a standard or a term you have not met in your textbooks, check yourself against the guideline before assuming it is a trick.

How do you approach grouping and antibody identification?

Approach grouping and antibody identification as a fixed sequence, and you will rarely lose the plot. For grouping, always compare the forward and reverse groups. A mismatch is a discrepancy to resolve, not to guess at.

The common causes are well known. Weak or missing reverse reactions occur in neonates, in older patients and in hypogammaglobulinaemia. Rouleaux can mimic agglutination and is resolved by saline replacement. Cold autoantibodies cause unexpected reactions that warm incubation can clear. Subgroups such as A2 with anti-A1 appear as an extra reverse reaction. The Bombay phenotype lacks the H antigen: the cells type as group O, yet the serum contains anti-A, anti-B and anti-H, so the patient can receive only H-negative blood.

For antibody identification, follow the steps. Check the autocontrol and the direct antiglobulin test. Exclude specificities using cells that carry the antigen in a homozygous form, because heterozygous cells may give weak reactions, which is called dosage and applies to Rh (c, e), Kidd, Duffy and MNS antigens. Confirm the remaining candidate with the rule of three: three antigen-positive cells reacting and three antigen-negative cells not reacting. Then select antigen-negative blood and crossmatch.

What are the compatibility and component rules?

Compatibility and component questions apply a small number of principles to the clinical story. For red cells, the donor's red cells must be compatible with the recipient's plasma, so group O red cells are the universal red cell choice when the recipient's group is unknown. Plasma works the other way: the donor's plasma must not contain antibodies against the recipient's red cells, so group AB plasma is the universal plasma.

For RhD, remember the clinical rule of thumb that a RhD-negative woman of childbearing potential should receive RhD-negative red cells, because alloimmunisation can cause haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn later.

Know each component's role. Platelets treat or prevent bleeding from low counts or dysfunction and are stored with agitation at room temperature. Fresh frozen plasma replaces clotting factors. Cryoprecipitate is the source of fibrinogen, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor and factor XIII. Irradiation prevents transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease in at-risk recipients, and leucodepletion reduces febrile reactions and alloimmunisation.

Where an item involves local policy, such as which crossmatch method applies, answer from the guideline, not from habit.

Choosing a discipline, a set and a clock: the simulator's launch sheet for Transfusion Science.

How are reactions, HDFN and blood bank QA tested?

Reactions, haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, and quality assurance are tested as scenarios: symptom, cause, next step. Learn reactions by trigger and timing. An acute haemolytic reaction, usually from an ABO incompatibility caused by a clerical or sampling error, brings fever, back pain and haemoglobinuria; the first action is to stop the transfusion, keep the line open, recheck the identification and send samples for investigation. A febrile non-haemolytic reaction is a diagnosis of exclusion. Allergic reactions are mild, while anaphylaxis suggests IgA deficiency. TRALI brings acute breathlessness with non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, TACO is circulatory overload, and a delayed haemolytic reaction follows an anamnestic response to a previously sensitising antigen.

For HDFN, anti-D is the classic cause, and ABO incompatibility with a group O mother is usually milder and often shows a weak or negative DAT. Know why a fetomaternal haemorrhage test is done and what anti-D immunoglobulin is for.

For quality assurance, think in categories: identification and traceability, reagent and equipment control, validation, competency, incident reporting and records. Our approach is to learn the categories first, then read the guideline for the detail.

What does a two-week block look like?

A two-week block gives the first week to grouping, antibodies and components, and the second to reactions, HDFN, quality assurance and timed practice. The table below shows the topics, the core idea of each and a drill.

Topic	Core idea	Drill
ABO and RhD grouping	Forward and reverse must agree	Resolve five written discrepancies
Antibody identification	Exclude, confirm, choose antigen-negative blood	Work three panels on paper, timing yourself
Compatibility and components	Red cells vs plasma rules	Pick the right product for ten case sketches
Transfusion reactions	Trigger, timing, first action	Flashcards: symptom to reaction to action
HDFN	Antibody class, titre, prevention	Trace a mother and baby through the steps
Blood bank QA	Traceability, reagent QC, validation	List the checks for one batch of reagents

In week one, finish three panels each day and read the matching guideline sections. In week two, do two timed 20-item sets, which at 72 seconds each take 24 minutes. Review every miss, then use the free demo to see how explanations lay out the reasoning.

Frequently asked questions

How many Transfusion Science items are in the AIMS exam?

The AIMS Professional Examination has 20 Transfusion Science items out of 150. The section is compulsory, so you need at least 50% of it correct, which is 10 items, in addition to the overall requirement of 75 of 150 correct answers.

The AIMS exam pack's recommended reading includes the ANZSBT Guidelines for Transfusion and Immunohaematology Laboratory Practice. The study guide also lists quality assurance in the blood bank. Read the current pack for the full list, because AIMS reissues it from time to time.

Is Transfusion Science compulsory?

Yes. Transfusion Science is one of five compulsory disciplines, along with Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology and Medical Microbiology. You need at least 50% in each, plus 75 of 150 overall. Our passing score guide sets out the full rule.

Sources

AIMS vs ASCPi vs the MTLE: which exam a Filipino medtech heading to Australia actually needs

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If you are a Filipino medical technologist weighing a move abroad, three exam names keep coming up: AIMS, ASCPi and the MTLE. They are often discussed as if they were competing versions of the same test. They are not. This post sets out what each one is for, so that AIMS vs ASCPi stops being a guessing game and becomes a question about where you want to work.

TerumoEdge, which publishes this blog, makes separate simulators for the AIMS, ASCPi, MTLE and Gulf MLS exams, so we have an interest in all of them. We rank none, and we make no claim about difficulty. We have limited what we say about the exams other than AIMS to what we can source.

AIMS vs ASCPi vs MTLE: what is each exam for?

The three exams serve three different purposes, run by three different bodies. Choosing between them starts with asking which country you want to work in and what that country requires.

Exam	Run by	What it is for	What to confirm
AIMS Professional Examination	Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists	Stage 2 of a skills assessment for Medical Laboratory Scientist, ANZSCO 234611, for Option 2 applicants	Your option, and whether AIMS needs a PRC licence
MTLE	Philippine Professional Regulation Commission (Board of Medical Technology), under RA 5527	The Philippine licence to practise medical technology	Your licence status and any renewal rules
ASCPi	A US certification body	A different exam, run by a different body	Its own requirements

In short, one is an assessment step for an Australian occupation, one is a Philippine licence, and one belongs to another country's certification system. The rest of this post concentrates on AIMS, because that is the exam this blog covers in depth.

What is the AIMS exam: an assessment for one Australian occupation?

The AIMS exam is a step in a skills assessment, not a licence. AIMS is specified under the Migration Regulations 1994 as the assessing authority for Medical Laboratory Scientist, ANZSCO 234611, and for Medical Laboratory Technician, ANZSCO 311213.

Not everyone sits it. Under AIMS's guidelines, Option 1 is an AIMS accredited degree, with no exam. Option 2 is another acceptable science degree: Stage 1 document assessment, then Stage 2, the Professional Examination. Option 3, for a taught Master with a pathology research project or a doctorate with laboratory experience, ends in the Special Professional Examination. AIMS assesses case by case and names no country, so we make no claim about any particular degree.

The Professional Examination is 150 single-response questions in three hours, online and remote proctored, held in March and September. The passing rule has several parts, set out in our passing-score guide. Australia has no statutory registration of Medical Laboratory Scientists, so the exam grants no licence. AIMS also cautions that its letter does not guarantee the awarding of any points.

What is the MTLE: the Philippine licence?

The MTLE is the Philippine licensure examination for medical technologists, set up by Republic Act No. 5527, the Philippine Medical Technology Act of 1969. The Act is titled "An Act Requiring the Registration of Medical Technologists, Defining Their Practice, and for Other Purposes."

It is a separate matter from the AIMS assessment. The MTLE leads to registration in the Philippines. The AIMS exam is a step in an Australian skills assessment for one occupation, and passing it does not register you anywhere. They also differ in body, content and purpose.

Whether AIMS requires a Philippine licence as part of its assessment is not stated in the AIMS documents we relied on. We will not guess. Ask AIMS directly, and keep any licence documents handy, because experience evidence for Option 2 is assessed from your records. Our Stage 1 guide for Filipino medtechs covers the experience rule: at least two years' full-time (or part-time equivalent) postgraduate experience in a medical pathology laboratory, one year of it within the five years before applying.

A laboratory science reviewer is shared background reading across exams, not a guide to any one of them.

What about ASCPi and the Gulf exams?

ASCPi is a different exam run by a different body, and the Gulf MLS exams are different exams run by different bodies. We give them one line each because the sources for this blog cover neither, and we will not guess at formats, fees or difficulty.

If one of them is your target, go to the body that runs it. We make no claim about how either is delivered or scheduled beyond what its own body publishes. Do not use this blog, or any third-party comparison, as the final word on requirements.

The same caution applies to difficulty. Posts that rank "which exam is harder" compare different formats, content and pass rules, and the rankings rest on opinion. AIMS itself publishes no pass rates or examinee counts, so there is nothing sourced to compare. Choose by destination and eligibility, not by rumour. If a forum post or a friend of a friend says one exam is easier, ask what format, pass rule and preparation that claim rests on. Usually it rests on none, and it tells you nothing about your own route.

How do you decide your order?

Decide your order by working out your destination first, then your route, then the lead times. Ask these questions and answer each from an official source.

Where do I want to work, and in what role? Australia as a Medical Laboratory Scientist points to AIMS. Other destinations point elsewhere.
Which AIMS option am I? Only Option 2 applicants sit the Professional Examination. See who actually sits the AIMS exam.
Does AIMS require anything from my Philippine registration? Not stated in our sources, so ask.
What are the lead times? AIMS aims to finish assessments within 16 weeks of receipt, though verifying documents may take up to 6 months. English tests also need to be sat in one sitting.
What are the sitting dates? The exam runs in March and September, with applications closing on 1 December and 10 July respectively.

This is a list of questions, not a ranking. Write the answers down with the date and the document that supports each one, so that when a rule changes you can see what you relied on. Nobody can tell you from outside which exam you should take first, because it depends on your documents and your plans.

How do you prepare without splitting your focus?

Prepare for one exam at a time, and keep any shared reading separate from exam-specific practice. The sciences overlap, but formats, section structures and rules do not.

A laboratory science reviewer and flashcards are shared background that can serve more than one exam. TerumoEdge offers a free laboratory science reviewer and flashcards for that purpose. They are not AIMS-specific.

For AIMS, use the pack's study guide as the checklist, then rehearse the format with a simulator. TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim has 5,981 items across the seven AIMS disciplines, a 150-item Full Mock in three hours and a free demo with five items per discipline at the exam picker. Our other products are separate simulators for separate exams, so do not expect a mock built for one to match another. For the AIMS format, see our simulator guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the MTLE before applying to AIMS?

The AIMS documents we relied on do not say. Do not assume either way. Ask AIMS directly whether a Philippine licence is required for your option and what evidence of experience it expects. Confirm in writing where you can, and keep your records ready.

Is the AIMS exam harder than ASCPi?

We make no claim. They are different exams run by different bodies, with different formats and rules, and AIMS publishes no pass rates. Comparing difficulty would mean guessing. Choose by where you plan to work and which route you are eligible for.

Does passing AIMS give me a licence in Australia?

No. Australia has no statutory registration or licensing of Medical Laboratory Scientists, only voluntary certification. The AIMS exam is part of a skills assessment, and AIMS's letter does not guarantee the awarding of any points. Visa decisions rest with the Department of Home Affairs.

Sources

ChatGPT for AIMS exam prep: where a chatbot helps and where it quietly misleads

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

Plenty of candidates for the AIMS Professional Examination now ask a chatbot to explain a topic at midnight after a shift. That is a reasonable use. The risk is trusting it for the wrong job. This post sets out how ChatGPT for AIMS exam study helps, where it quietly misleads, and a workflow that keeps the benefit without the damage.

TerumoEdge, which publishes this blog, makes a simulator with curated explanations, so we have an interest. We say nothing here about artificial intelligence inside our product. The comparison is between a general chatbot and any fixed, reviewed source.

Is ChatGPT for AIMS exam prep a good idea?

A chatbot is a good tutor and a poor examiner. It can explain why a result looks the way it does, but it cannot tell you what AIMS will test, how AIMS scores, or whether its own answer is correct.

The exam is 150 single-response items in three hours across seven sections, and passing needs 75 correct plus the section minimums. A chatbot has no stake in those rules and no access to the real papers. AIMS states that completed examinations are not released under any circumstances, and that further sample questions will not be provided beyond the 25 in the pack. Whatever a chatbot generates is its own writing. A chatbot can even invent a convincing citation, a section number or a guideline title that does not exist, so a reference it gives you is a lead to check, never a proof.

That is fine for learning. It is not fine for measuring readiness, because you cannot tell how its items compare in difficulty, scope or accuracy with the real ones.

Where do chatbots genuinely help?

Chatbots help most with understanding mechanisms, rehearsing recall in conversation and reshaping material you already have. Used that way, they are a patient study partner.

Good uses include these:

Mechanisms. Ask why a PCR cycle needs a denaturation step, or how a Westgard multirule catches a systematic shift, and ask for a simpler version if the first does not land.
Socratic quizzing. Tell it to ask one question at a time, wait for your answer, then correct you.
Converting the study guide. Paste a topic from the AIMS study guide and ask for ten short-answer prompts.
Comparing near neighbours. Ask for the differences between two conditions or two methods in a table.

All four put you in control, and in all four you can check the output against a textbook or the pack. A habit that helps is to ask the chatbot to flag what it is least sure of, then check exactly those points first. It will not always be right about its own uncertainty, but the exercise keeps you reading critically. The help is real, provided you treat every answer as a draft to verify, not a fact. Keep a short list of what the chatbot taught you each week, and test yourself on that list with a fixed set of items a few days later. If you cannot recall it, the explanation felt clear but did not stick.

In what four ways do chatbots mislead?

Chatbots mislead through confident errors, unflagged foreign standards, nomenclature slips and stale exam facts. Each is quiet, which is why each is dangerous.

Confident wrong answers. A chatbot writes a wrong explanation in the same assured tone as a right one. Nothing on the screen warns you.
Standards from another country. Ask about blood bank practice and you may get one country's rules presented as universal. The AIMS pack recommends the ANZSBT Guidelines for Transfusion and Immunohaematology Laboratory Practice, so read that guideline for Australian specifics.
Nomenclature slips. The study guide lists HGVS and ISCN nomenclature. These are exact notations, and a single character in a variant description or karyotype is the difference between correct and wrong.
Stale or invented exam facts. Chatbots repeat the old body name, the old Genomic Pathology section name, and made-up pass rates. AIMS publishes no pass rates or examinee counts.

Can a chatbot write real AIMS questions?

No. A chatbot can write exam-style items, but it cannot write AIMS items, because no source for them is public. AIMS releases none of its completed papers and provides 25 sample questions in the pack.

Exam-style items can still be useful for recall. The risk is quality and calibration. Generated items often contain a second defensible answer, give away the key through the wording, or test trivia the exam never would. A curated bank is reviewed, fixed and answered the same way every time. That consistency lets you compare today's score with last month's.

A chatbot also has no concept of the passing rule, and no memory of your last session unless you paste it in. It will not warn you that you have answered nine Transfusion Science items and missed five, which is the thing the section minimum punishes. Section scoring, a clock and a fixed bank are what separate practice from conversation.

A fixed item, a clock and a palette: the structure a chatbot conversation does not provide.

How do chatbot help and curated practice compare, task by task?

Each does some jobs well and some badly. Match the tool to the task.

Task	A general chatbot	Curated timed practice
Explaining a mechanism	Strong, adjustable	Fixed explanation per item
Quizzing in conversation	Strong, flexible	Limited to the bank
A full 150-item, three-hour rehearsal	Poor; no clock or palette	Built for it
Section scores against the minimums	None unless you track it	A per-section report
Reliability of each answer	Varies; can be confidently wrong	Reviewed before release
Exam rules and facts	Often stale	Check the pack either way
Real AIMS items	Impossible	Impossible

The last row matters. Neither a chatbot nor any simulator has real AIMS items, because none are released. TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim has 5,981 four-option items with written English explanations. They are our own practice items, they are text-only, and we make no claim about artificial intelligence in the product.

What is a safe workflow?

A safe workflow uses the chatbot for understanding, the pack for facts and a fixed bank for measurement. The order matters.

Start from the pack. Take the topic from the AIMS study guide, not from the chatbot's idea of what is important.
Ask for explanation, not authority. Request the mechanism, then check it against a textbook or the named guideline.
Verify standards and notation. For Transfusion Science, read the ANZSBT Guidelines. For molecular topics, check HGVS and ISCN notation against the guidance itself.
Never take exam facts from it, and do not let it summarise the pack for you. Dates, minimums and format come from the pack and the AIMS website.
Measure with a fixed bank. Run timed sets and full mocks, and read the explanation for each item. The free demo gives five items in each of the seven disciplines.

For a wider view of choosing tools, see how to choose an AIMS reviewer app, and for two sections where precision matters most, Transfusion Science and Molecular Pathology.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT write real AIMS questions?

No. AIMS does not release completed papers and states that further sample questions will not be provided beyond the 25 in the pack. A chatbot can write items in a similar style, but they are its own text, not AIMS's, and may contain errors or a second defensible answer.

Can I use a chatbot during the exam?

No. The sitting is online and remote proctored, with live supervision by webcam and mobile phone. The pack states no books, notes or headphones, and a secured browser called WebLock runs on the same computer. Read the current pack for every rule rather than relying on a summary.

Is a chatbot reliable on AIMS pass rates?

No. AIMS publishes no pass rates or examinee counts, so any figure a chatbot gives is invented or taken from an unreliable source. The rule it can state correctly is the published one: 75 of 150 plus the section minimums, with a scaled cut score of 500.

Sources

How to choose an AIMS reviewer app: nine checks against the published exam pack

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

Searching for an AIMS reviewer app turns up a mix of generic laboratory quiz apps, review-center portals, exam apps built for other countries, and a few tools aimed squarely at the AIMS Professional Examination. They look similar in a store listing and differ a great deal in practice. This post gives you nine checks, grounded in the published exam pack, to tell them apart before you commit time or money.

TerumoEdge, which publishes this blog, makes a simulator, so we score ourselves openly at the end, including where we fall short. We name no apps and quote no prices.

Why does an AIMS reviewer app need to differ from generic laboratory apps?

Generic laboratory apps miss the AIMS because the exam has a specific shape that a general question pool does not follow. The paper is 150 single-response questions in three hours, split across seven sections with different weights and a layered passing rule.

The sections are Anatomical Pathology (14 items), Chemical Pathology (30), Molecular Pathology (16), Haematology (30), Immunopathology (14), Medical Microbiology (26) and Transfusion Science (20). Five are compulsory at 50% each, either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology must reach 50%, and 75 of 150 must be correct overall.

An app that serves a mixed pool of chemistry and microbiology questions with a running percentage will not tell you whether you are failing a floor. An app built for another country's exam may also lean on standards and units that the AIMS pack does not use. The nine checks below turn these differences into things you can test.

What are the nine checks?

The nine checks cover content, format, scoring, explanations, references, set-up and honesty. Each can be verified from a demo.

Check	Why it matters	How to test it in a demo
1. Seven sections under current names	The current pack says Molecular Pathology, not only Genomic	Look for all seven on the picker
2. A full 150-item, three-hour mode	Stamina and pacing only show at full length	Find a mock with the 150 and the three-hour clock
3. Section scores against the minimums	The pass rule is per section, with 75 overall	Finish a set and look for a per-section result
4. Explanations for every option, with references	A wrong answer should teach	Open an explanation and check the wrong options
5. Australian references where the pack names them	The pack recommends the ANZSBT Guidelines for Transfusion Science	Check what a Transfusion item cites
6. Practice without a calculator	AIMS states a calculator will not be required	Look for items that need none
7. Desktop practice	The real sitting runs in a secured browser on a computer	Open it on a laptop
8. Transparency about the pack version	Packs are reissued	Look for a stated version or date
9. No predictions, visa promises or "actual AIMS questions"	None can be true	Read the home page and listing

The next sections group these into what an app teaches, how it scores and what it claims.

How do you judge content and format (checks 1 to 3)?

Judge content and format by whether the app mirrors the exam's structure. On the picker, count the sections and read their names. All seven should be present. The current packs say Molecular Pathology, while the June 2024 guideline and the older pack v8.0 say Genomic Pathology, so a hybrid name is acceptable but a missing section is not.

Then look for a full-length mode of 150 items in three hours. An app that offers only short quizzes cannot train pacing. If it does offer a mock, check whether it admits that its section counts may differ from AIMS's published 14, 30, 16, 30, 14, 26 and 20. A mixed mock is fine so long as the app does not claim to copy the real split.

Finally, look at scoring. A useful report shows each section against the 50% floor and flags a failed compulsory section. It should also say plainly that raw marks are not AIMS's scaled score, which runs from 0 to 1000 with a cut score of 500.

A launch sheet lets you pick a set and a clock before you start, which is how you test checks 2 and 3.

How do you judge explanations and references (checks 4 and 5)?

Judge explanations by whether they cover every option and cite a reference. An answer key that says only "B" teaches nothing. A good explanation states why B is right, why A, C and D are wrong, and which concept the item tests.

Open three explanations in different sections. In each, ask whether you could explain the topic to a colleague after reading it. Look for references you can follow up, not an anonymous paragraph.

For Transfusion Science, check whether the app points to the Australian guideline the pack recommends. The AIMS recommended reading includes the ANZSBT Guidelines for Transfusion and Immunohaematology Laboratory Practice. We make no claim about which standards any other country's laboratories follow. We say only that the pack names this guideline, so an app should not treat transfusion practice as a single worldwide rule.

How do you judge set-up, transparency and claims (checks 6 to 9)?

Judge these by testing the environment and reading what the app promises. The pack states that a calculator will not be required, so an app that depends on one is built for a different exam. The real sitting runs in a secured browser on a computer, so check that the app works well on a laptop, even if it also runs on a phone.

Look for a stated pack version or review date. AIMS reissues its pack, and an app that does not say which version it follows may be teaching last year's rules. For example, the pack now gives March 2026 as v8.2.

Finally, read the claims. No honest app can predict your AIMS result, because AIMS applies Rasch scaling to produce a 0 to 1000 score. No app can promise a visa. AIMS is the assessing authority for ANZSCO 234611, and its own guideline says the letter does not guarantee the awarding of any points. And no source can sell "actual AIMS questions", because completed papers are never released.

What is a 10-minute demo test?

A 10-minute demo test checks five things quickly: structure, one explanation, one score report, the claims and the device. It needs no purchase.

Minutes 0 to 2: open the picker and count the sections and their names.
Minutes 2 to 5: answer five items in a discipline you know well.
Minutes 5 to 7: open the explanation for one correct and one wrong answer.
Minutes 7 to 9: read the result screen for a per-section score and any claim about AIMS.
Minutes 9 to 10: scan the listing for pass predictions, visa promises and "actual questions".

Flashcards are a separate aid from an exam simulator. Judge each by what it actually trains.

If an app has no free demo, ask yourself why you are being asked to pay before judging it.

How does TerumoEdge measure up?

TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim meets most of the nine checks and fails some, and we would rather you know which. This is our own assessment, so verify it in the free demo.

Check 1: all seven sections are present. The product labels one "Genomic / Molecular Pathology".
Check 2: the Full Mock is 150 items in three hours across all seven disciplines. Its per-section split differs from AIMS's, and we do not claim otherwise.
Check 3: the report applies the 50% minimums and the Molecular-or-Immunopathology rule to raw marks. It gives no scaled score.
Checks 4 and 5: every one of its 5,981 items has a written English explanation with references. We make no claim that it follows the AIMS study guide.
Check 6 and 7: items need no calculator, and the exam room runs best on a desktop.
Check 8: we update as AIMS reissues packs, but check the pack yourself.
Check 9: we make no predictions or visa promises. Items are text-only, and we are not affiliated with AIMS.

For how a simulator fits beside a reviewer, see our reviewer comparison and the simulator explainer. If you are using a chatbot as well, read our fair look at ChatGPT for AIMS prep.

Frequently asked questions

Is a free app enough for the AIMS?

A free app can cover content and some practice, but check the nine items above. Most free tools lack a full 150-item three-hour mode and a per-section report against the minimums. If a free tool covers the seven sections and explains each option, it may be enough for a start.

Can an app give me my AIMS scaled score?

No. AIMS reports a Rasch-based scaled score from 0 to 1000 with a cut score of 500, and only AIMS can calculate it. An app can report raw marks and percentages. Treat any claim to convert raw marks into your official score as a red flag.

Are apps built for other countries' exams enough?

Not on their own. Apps built for other countries' licence or certification exams prepare for different exams run by different bodies, so check that an app covers the seven AIMS sections under their current names and follows the pack's format. Content overlap in the science is real, but the structure and passing rule are not the same.

Sources

AIMS exam tips for the final month: the trial exam, the computer set-up and a section-by-section taper

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If you are four weeks from your sitting, these AIMS exam tips are about one change of mindset. Up to now you were learning the seven sections. From here you are rehearsing a three-hour, 150-item paper that you will take at home, on camera, with no scheduled break.

This post gives you a week-by-week plan for the last month: what to do, what to leave alone, and what to have ready on the day. It assumes you are an Option 2 applicant who has already passed Stage 1 and is eligible to sit, which is the route that leads to this paper. If you are unsure, read who actually sits the AIMS Professional Examination first.

What are AIMS exam tips for the final month really for?

The final month is for converting knowledge into performance under the real conditions. The paper is 150 single-response multiple-choice questions in three hours, held online with remote proctoring, and it is set at the level of a Medical Laboratory Scientist with at least two years of postgraduate experience (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2). You are unlikely to learn much new in four weeks. You can, however, get much better at sitting it.

Three jobs fill the month. First, sit two full 150-item mocks so that the length stops being a surprise. Second, read each score report by section, because AIMS requires at least 50% in each of Anatomical Pathology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Transfusion Science, plus 50% in either Molecular Pathology or Immunopathology, and 75 correct overall. Third, fix the logistics: computer, room, ID and the trial exam.

The full pass condition is explained in the AIMS passing score post. Here we use them only to decide where your last hours go.

What should you do four weeks before the exam?

Four weeks out, sit your first full mock under honest conditions and use it to find your weakest compulsory section. Do it in one sitting, three hours, at the same time of day as your real sitting, with no notes, no phone and no pauses. The TerumoEdge Full Mock has 150 items across all seven disciplines, shuffled together, and gives a per-discipline score report on raw marks. It does not reproduce AIMS's scaled score, so read it as a diagnostic, not a prediction.

After the mock, sort the sections by distance from their floor, not by how you feel about them. The floors in questions are 7 of 14 in Anatomical Pathology, 15 of 30 in Chemical Pathology, 15 of 30 in Haematology, 13 of 26 in Medical Microbiology and 10 of 20 in Transfusion Science. Whichever section sits closest to its floor gets the repair block in week three.

Spend the rest of week four on the two largest sections, because they hold 60 of the 150 items. Do short timed sets, then read every explanation, including those for items you got right.

What should week three look like?

Week three is the repair week: spend most of your hours on the one or two compulsory sections that sit closest to their floors. A repair block is narrow and mechanical. Pick the topic families where your mock misses clustered, do a timed set of 20 to 30 items on each, then reread the explanations and redo only the items you missed two days later.

Keep the other sections alive with short daily recall. Flashcards suit this because ten minutes fits any gap in a shift. Our flashcards cover 1,000 recall cards in 25 decks, organised by laboratory subject rather than by the seven AIMS sections, so use them for recall, not as a map of the paper.

If Molecular Pathology is one of your worries, check yourself early against the topics the AIMS study guide lists: PCR, Sanger sequencing, NGS, Bcr-Abl, BRAF V600E, JAK2 V617F, and HGVS and ISCN nomenclature. Check yourself against them early. Transfusion Science also lists quality assurance in the blood bank, and the pack's recommended reading names the ANZSBT Guidelines. Both come from the June 2025 pack (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.1).

What happens in week two, and when is the trial exam?

The AIMS pack describes a practice test followed by a trial exam within the two weeks before the official exam, so week two is when you run them. Those rules come from the June 2025 pack, which says the exam uses the WebLock secured browser on the same computer you will use on the day. Check the current pack for any change before you plan around it.

Treat the trial exam as a technical and personal rehearsal. Use the computer you will sit on, in the room you will sit in, at the hour you will sit. Confirm that your webcam works and that your mobile phone is set up for supervision, since AIMS describes live supervision by webcam and mobile phone (the March 2026 exam pack). Have your passport or driver's licence within reach for the proctor.

Do your second full mock in the same week, ideally a few days away from the trial exam so that one does not drain the other. The mock trains your pace. The trial exam trains your set-up. Our online exam rules post turns each rule into a habit you can rehearse.

Choosing a set and a clock in the simulator before a timed session.

What should you do in exam week?

In exam week, stop adding topics and spend your effort on recall, rest and the room. The knowledge you hold on Monday is almost the knowledge you will have on Saturday, and new material mostly raises anxiety. Reread your own error log, redo old misses, and skim the explanations for items that tripped you up before.

Prepare the physical set-up two days ahead, not the night before. Clear the desk of books, notes and headphones, because the pack states none are allowed. A calculator will not be required, so remove it as well and practise without one. Check that the computer is charged and plugged in, that updates are finished, and that nothing else will launch on its own.

Plan around the no-break rule. The pack says there are no bathroom or rest breaks unless approved, so decide what you will eat and drink beforehand and use the bathroom just before you start. Answers can be reviewed before submission, which gives you a safety net at the end, so leave a few minutes for it.

What about the day itself?

On the day, your only job is to execute a plan you have already rehearsed. Start the check-in early, because identity and environment checks take time and you want your first minutes to be calm. Show your passport or driver's licence to the proctor when asked.

Pace at about 72 seconds per item, which is 180 minutes divided by 150, and glance at the clock at fixed checkpoints instead of continuously. Our time management post lays out the checkpoints. When an item stalls you, flag it and move on, since you can come back before submitting.

If you believe a question contains an error, the pack asks you to report it within five business days. Make a note of the question's position and what seemed wrong, and report it after the sitting. Then step away from the screen. Results can take up to ten weeks, and the paper itself is never released, so there is nothing to gain from replaying it.

A week-by-week summary

The table below condenses the month. Use it as a checklist and adjust the order to your shifts. If you work rotating duty, the companion post on reviewing for the AIMS exam while working shows how to fit the same blocks around a roster.

Week	Do	Don't
Four weeks out	Sit a first full 150-item mock in one three-hour block; rank sections by distance from their floors	Judge yourself on one section's feel; start a new textbook
Three weeks out	Run repair blocks on the weakest compulsory sections; daily short recall	Neglect the sections you already pass comfortably
Two weeks out	Complete the practice test and trial exam; sit a second full mock; confirm ID, webcam and phone set-up	Change computers or rooms after the trial exam
Exam week	Review your error log; prepare the room two days ahead; sleep on schedule	Start new topics; sit another full mock in the last two days
Exam day	Check in early; pace by checkpoints; flag and return	Replay hard items afterwards

Frequently asked questions

When is the AIMS trial exam?

According to the June 2025 exam pack, a practice test comes first, then a trial exam within the two weeks before the official exam. The trial runs on the same computer you will use on the day, with the WebLock secured browser. Confirm the exact arrangements in the current pack and with AIMS, because procedures can change between versions.

Should I study the night before the AIMS exam?

Light recall is fine, but a new topic is not. Review your error log, skim a few flashcards and then stop. The paper is three hours with no scheduled breaks, so a rested head matters more than one extra topic. Prepare your desk, ID and computer earlier in the week so the evening is free.

Can I fix a weak section in one month?

You can improve a weak section in a month, but we cannot promise how much. A focused repair block, timed sets, and rereading explanations usually help more than hours of passive reading. Because each compulsory section has its own 50% floor, repairing the section nearest its floor is the most useful use of limited time.

Do I need a calculator for the AIMS exam?

No. The June 2025 pack states that a calculator will not be required, and it also says that books, notes and headphones are not allowed. Practise without a calculator during your mocks so that nothing about the day feels unfamiliar.

How many full mocks should I sit in the last month?

We suggest two: one at four weeks out to find the weakest section, and one in week two for pace and stamina. AIMS does not specify a number. Beyond two, full mocks can drain energy that targeted repair would use better, especially if you are working shifts.

Sources

How to review for the AIMS exam while working lab shifts: a schedule that survives night duty

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

If you are doing shift work in a laboratory and trying to review for the AIMS exam while working, you already know the problem. Your hours change from week to week, your sleep is not on a clock, and a long day at the bench leaves little for a textbook.

This post offers a way to review that survives rotating shifts. It rests on one fact: Option 2 needs at least two years of postgraduate experience in a medical pathology laboratory (AIMS Guidelines, GAPSQ v18.2), so you are not alone. Nearly everyone who sits the Professional Examination has been working. If you are still in Stage 1, our post on building your Stage 1 file covers the paperwork.

Is it realistic to review for the AIMS exam while working?

It is realistic, because the exam is set at the level of an MLS with at least two years of experience, and you are already working at that level. AIMS describes the paper as 150 single-response questions in three hours, set for professionals with at least two years of postgraduate experience (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2). Your bench years are an asset.

We cannot offer pass statistics for working candidates, because AIMS publishes none and we will not invent any. What we can say is that your limit is time and energy, and both can be planned.

Start by counting your real hours. Take a normal month and mark the days you have off, the shifts you work and the commute. Then count the pockets: the hour before a shift, the quiet gaps at the bench, the ten minutes on a bus. Most people find fewer long blocks than they hoped and more short ones than they noticed.

Write the number down. A modest, repeatable five to eight hours a week beats a heroic plan that fails by the second week. Be honest about your sleep too, since tired review is slow review.

What does a week of review look like on rotating shifts?

Build each week from two kinds of time: short weekday blocks of 20 to 40 minutes and one or two longer blocks on days off. The shape of the week changes with your shift, but the ingredients stay the same. The table gives a sample for a day-shift week and a night-shift week.

Day	Day-shift version	Night-shift version
Weekday 1	30 min timed set (one discipline) before work	30 min recall after waking, before the shift
Weekday 2	10 min flashcards at lunch; 30 min explanation review at night	20 min set at the start of the break; 10 min flashcards on the way home
Weekday 3	40 min weak-section repair after dinner	Rest or light recall only; protect sleep after the last night
Weekday 4	30 min mixed timed set	30 min mixed set on the first day back on days
Day off 1	90 min section block; error log update	90 min section block after a full sleep
Day off 2	Full 150-item mock (three hours), then 45 min review	Full mock only once you are rested; otherwise a 50-item set

Move things around freely. A night worker coming off a run of shifts should not sit a full mock the next morning. The point is the pattern: short, frequent, protected sleep, one long block.

Use our study plan for the section split. Hours should follow the section weights, with a floor of time for every compulsory section.

How do you turn bench work into review?

Treat the bench as a source of practice, because many AIMS topics appear in your daily work. The aim is to attach a small question to a task you are already doing, so the review costs no extra time.

A quality control round is the clearest case. When you check a run, name the Westgard rule that a result would break and say what you would do next. A blood grouping can become a short drill: what would a discrepancy between forward and reverse typing suggest, and what is the next step? A blood film is a prompt to describe the morphology in words before you read the report.

Keep the habit honest. Never use patient information outside your laboratory, and do not take notes that identify patients. Write only the concept on a card or in your phone.

Notice, too, what your own bench does not cover. If your laboratory has no molecular or blood bank work, the study guide topics there, such as PCR, Sanger sequencing and NGS, or quality assurance in the blood bank, need deliberate study (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.1). That is worth checking early, whichever country you trained in.

Short flashcard sessions fit the gaps of a shift.

How do phone and flashcards fit a shift?

Phone sessions fit the gaps that a textbook cannot use. Ten minutes of recall in a queue, on a break or on the way home adds up across a week. Our flashcards give 1,000 recall cards in 25 decks, organised by laboratory subject rather than by the seven AIMS sections, so they are a shared laboratory-science resource and not a copy of the AIMS study guide.

Match the tool to the energy you have. When you are fresh, do timed questions, because they demand effort. When you are tired, do recall of facts you have already met, because you can do that with little energy. Avoid learning a hard new mechanism at the end of a night shift.

The exam room also works at phone width, which helps with short sets. A full-length paper is different. The real sitting runs in a secured browser on a computer, as the June 2025 pack describes, so rehearse full mocks on the computer you will use.

Finally, keep the phone from becoming a distraction. Put the study apps on the home screen and move the rest away during a block.

When do full mocks happen, and what about leave?

Schedule full mocks on days off, because a 150-item paper needs a clear three hours with no interruptions. The exam has no breaks unless approved, so your mock should not either. Sit it when you are rested, not after a run of nights, and at the hour of your real sitting where you can.

Aim for the first full mock about four weeks before your sitting and a second in the two weeks before it. See the final-month plan for how those fit together.

Plan leave around two events. The June 2025 pack describes a practice test and then a trial exam within the two weeks before the official exam, so look at your roster for that window. Then protect the sitting itself. A night shift the evening before is a poor plan, so ask your manager early about changing a roster or taking leave. We cannot say how much leave is wise, since it depends on your laboratory and your workload.

Check the closing dates too: applications close on 1 December for March and 10 July for September (AIMS Professional Examination Pack v8.2).

Self review or a review center when you work?

Either can fit a working schedule, but they trade structure for flexibility. A review course offers a timetable and a cohort, which helps if you drift without deadlines. Self review lets you fit study around a changing roster. We make the simulator that publishes this blog, so weigh this accordingly. The point that matters most is the same for both: you need timed, full-length practice against the section floors.

If you work rotating shifts, a fixed class schedule can clash with your roster, and a self-paced plan may fit better. If you have a stable day schedule and need accountability, structure may help more. Our comparison in review center or self review sets out the trade-offs.

Whichever you choose, watch for material sold as "actual AIMS questions". AIMS says completed examinations are not released under any circumstances and that further sample questions will not be provided beyond the 25 in the pack. Such claims cannot be true of released exam content.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pass the AIMS exam while working full time?

Many candidates review while working, since Option 2 requires two years of laboratory experience. We have no statistics on how working candidates fare, because AIMS publishes none. What you can control is a repeatable schedule, regular timed practice and protected sleep.

How many hours a week should I review?

AIMS does not set a number, and the right figure depends on your starting point. A modest, repeatable amount is better than an ambitious one you abandon. Count your real free hours first, then choose a weekly total you can keep for the whole review.

Should I take leave before the exam?

Plan around two events: the trial exam, which the June 2025 pack places within the two weeks before the sitting, and the sitting itself. Avoid a night shift the evening before. How much leave you take is your decision and depends on your employer, so ask early.

Can I study with flashcards on a night shift?

Yes, for recall of material you have already learned. They suit low-energy moments better than new, difficult material. Keep sessions short, and do timed questions when you are fresh.

Sources

Not every applicant sits the AIMS exam: the three AIMS skills assessment options, explained

2026-10-20T00:00:00Z

Many Filipino medical technologists assume that moving to Australia as a Medical Laboratory Scientist means sitting one exam. The AIMS skills assessment is more particular than that. Depending on your qualifications, you may sit the Professional Examination, a different written paper, or nothing at all.

This post sets out the three assessment options as the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS) describes them, who the Professional Examination is for, what Stage 1 does, and what to expect if you do not qualify or do not pass. It makes no claim about any particular Philippine degree, because AIMS makes none in the documents we rely on.

Read it before you buy study material. The right preparation depends on which paper you will actually sit.

Who runs the AIMS skills assessment, and for which occupation?

AIMS decides. It "has been specified in accordance with the Migration Regulations 1994 as the assessing authority" for Medical Laboratory Scientist ANZSCO 234611 and Medical Laboratory Technician ANZSCO 311213 (S3). That single authority line is all this blog says about the immigration side.

AIMS also warns that its letter "does not guarantee the awarding of any points" (S3). A skills assessment is a step in a process that other bodies decide, so we say nothing here about outcomes beyond it.

There is one more difference worth knowing early. Australia has no statutory registration or licensing for Medical Laboratory Scientists, only voluntary certification (S3). The AIMS exam is therefore an assessment of your skills for migration, not a licence to practise.

The rest of this post follows the sequence a candidate meets: the options, Stage 1, then the exam. For a comparison with other exams, see how AIMS compares with other exams.

Option 1: an AIMS accredited degree, and no exam

Under Option 1, an applicant holding an AIMS accredited degree sits no exam (S3). The sources we use do not list accredited programmes, so we cannot say which degrees qualify.

This is the group most likely to be surprised by exam advice. If your degree is on AIMS's accredited list, none of the exam content in this blog applies to you, and paying for a simulator would be an unnecessary expense.

How do you find out? Ask AIMS, or check its published accreditation information. Do not infer from your degree's title that it is accredited or not. S3 states that AIMS "does not provide a simple assessment that just compares your qualification to the levels in the AQF using the Country Education Profile system".

If you are unsure which group you belong to, the answer comes from your Stage 1 outcome, not from this post. We deliberately stop short of saying where any specific degree falls.

Option 2: Stage 1, then the Professional Examination

Option 2 is the pathway for applicants with another acceptable science degree. Stage 1 is a document assessment, and Stage 2 is the Professional Examination (S3). This is the exam our blog covers.

The minimum, in S3's words, is "an acceptable science degree" (AQF level 7, 8 or 9, or equivalent through the Australian Government Country Education Profile) plus at least two years of full-time, or part-time equivalent, postgraduate professional experience in a medical pathology laboratory. One year of that must be completed wholly within the five years immediately before applying (S3).

Candidates must complete Stage 1 and be assessed as eligible before they sit the exam (S1, S5). The paper is 150 single-response questions in three hours, set at the level of a scientist with at least two years' postgraduate experience (S1). Our exam format post details it.

The Stage 1 results letter is valid for three years (S1, S3). The evidence AIMS looks for is covered in our Stage 1 post.

Our simulator models the Option 2 Professional Examination only.

Option 3: the Special Professional Examination

Option 3 is for applicants with postgraduate studies: a taught Master's degree with a pathology research project, or a doctorate, together with laboratory experience. Their Stage 2 is the Special Professional Examination (S3).

It is a different paper. The pack describes a written exam of two hours plus ten minutes of reading time, with one or two essay questions and 15 to 20 short-answer questions. The pass mark is 50%, and it is held in March and September, online and remote proctored (S4). It shares the closing dates of 1 December and 10 July.

Option	Who it fits (S3)	Stage 2	The paper
1	AIMS accredited degree	None	No exam
2	Another acceptable science degree plus two years' postgraduate experience	Professional Examination	150 single-response MCQs, three hours (S1)
3	Taught Master with pathology research project, or doctorate, plus laboratory experience	Special Professional Examination	Essays and short answers, two hours plus ten minutes' reading (S4)

Our simulator does not model the Special Professional Examination. If you are on Option 3, tell yourself plainly that a multiple-choice simulator is the wrong tool for your paper.

What if you do not qualify, or do not pass?

AIMS's guidelines say that applicants who do not qualify for, or fail, the exam "may be assessed as suitable for" Medical Laboratory Technician ANZSCO 311213 (S3). The word is "may". It is AIMS's decision, and we do not describe it as an outcome you should expect.

We also state nothing about resits. The sources we use publish no retake limit, waiting period or resit fee, so a post claiming any of these is not drawing on AIMS. Ask AIMS directly if you need to know.

What you can control is the plan. If you fail, the result lists any failed compulsory disciplines, but completed papers are not released (S1). Our passing score post explains how to read that. Our retaker strategy post covers the next attempt.

English is part of every plan. From 12 March 2026, AIMS requires the Department of Home Affairs "Proficient English" level. Tests with a One Skill Retake component are not accepted, and all four components must be sat in one sitting (S6). The June 2024 guideline listed IELTS 7.0 in each band, PTE 65 in each, OET B, TOEFL and Cambridge C1 185, with no exemptions (S3). Confirm today's accepted scores with AIMS before booking a test.

Where does a Philippine degree fit?

We cannot say. The AIMS documents we rely on name no country and contain no statement on a Philippine BS Medical Technology degree (S3). AIMS assesses each case individually.

So any claim that "BSMT graduates always sit Option 2" or "are exempt" is not backed by the sources. Treat it as a rumour until AIMS tells you otherwise in writing.

What you can do is prepare the evidence. Gather your degree transcripts, your employment records showing postgraduate laboratory experience, and the subject details AIMS lists as foundation subjects: Chemistry, Statistics, Cell and tissue biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Genetics and Molecular Biology. AIMS requires basic studies in all professional disciplines and advanced studies in at least two, and preferably three, of the compulsory ones (S3).

Timing matters too. AIMS aims to complete assessments within 16 weeks of receipt, but verification of documents may take up to six months (S6). Start the paperwork before you start the question bank. When you do start practising, our free demo has five items in each of the seven disciplines.

Frequently asked questions

Do all Filipino medtechs have to sit the AIMS exam?

No. Only Option 2 applicants sit the Professional Examination. Option 1 applicants hold an AIMS accredited degree and sit no exam, and Option 3 applicants sit the Special Professional Examination (S3). Which option applies to you depends on AIMS's assessment of your qualifications.

Is my BS Medical Technology an AIMS accredited degree?

The sources do not say. S3 states that AIMS does not simply compare qualifications to AQF levels and that assessment is case by case. It names no country and says nothing on BS Medical Technology, so confirm with AIMS rather than rely on anyone's assumption.

What is the AIMS Special Professional Examination?

It is a separate written paper for Option 3 applicants: two hours plus ten minutes of reading time, with one or two essay questions and 15 to 20 short-answer questions. The pass mark is 50% (S4). It is held in March and September, online and remote proctored.

What happens if I fail the AIMS exam?

AIMS says applicants who fail "may be assessed as suitable for" Medical Laboratory Technician ANZSCO 311213 (S3). The sources we use state no resit limits, waiting periods or fees, so ask AIMS about a second attempt rather than trusting a forum answer.