The AIMS explained7-minute readFor medtechs starting an AIMS skills assessment
Not every applicant sits the AIMS exam: the three AIMS skills assessment options, explained
AIMS skills assessment explained: Options 1, 2 and 3, who sits the Professional Examination, what Stage 1 requires, and the Special Professional Examination.
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.
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.
Sources
- Guidelines for Skills and Qualifications Assessment, MLS and MLT, v18.2 (06/2024) — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
- Special Professional Examination Pack v1.0 (07/2023) — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
- Professional Examinations for Migration — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
- Medical Laboratory Scientist Professional Examination Pack v8.2 (03/2026) — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
- Skills Assessment for Overseas Qualified Professionals — Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists
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About this article
Written by the TerumoEdge AIMS editorial team, who build the TerumoEdge AIMS Ex-Sim. Exam facts are checked against the AIMS Professional Examination Pack and the AIMS Guidelines for Skills and Qualifications Assessment, and every article lists its sources. How we write and check our articles.
First published .