If an employer asks you to attend a pre-employment medical, clarify the purpose, appointment instructions, job requirements and handling of results before attending. The tests and information needed depend on the role and the assessment; there is no single medical package for every job.
JobAccess guidance says recruitment medical checks should relate to the job’s requirements. This article helps you prepare questions. It cannot determine medical fitness or whether a particular assessment is lawful in your circumstances.
Confirm who is organising the appointment
Verify the employer, assessment provider, booking details and contact for questions. If the request arrives unexpectedly, confirm it through a known recruitment channel before uploading documents or making any payment.
Ask what stage of recruitment the appointment belongs to and whether an offer is conditional on further checks. Attending an assessment does not itself mean you have been offered a job or passed every recruitment stage.
Check the practical arrangements: location, duration estimate, accessibility, costs and what happens if you need to change the booking. Do not assume the candidate pays or the employer pays without confirmation.
Ask what preparation the provider requires
Use the provider’s actual instructions about identification, clothing, documents or preparation. If the instructions are unclear or conflict with your health needs, contact the clinician or provider. Do not change prescribed medication, restrict food or undertake extra physical preparation based on a generic internet checklist.
Ask how to discuss relevant health information privately with the clinician. A recruitment coordinator and a medical practitioner have different roles; avoid sending a detailed medical history to a general hiring inbox simply because it is the contact you already have.
A candidate question checklist
- What job requirements is the assessment intended to address?
- Which provider is conducting it, and how do I verify the booking?
- What activities or checks are planned, and whom can I ask about them?
- What should I bring, and are there provider-specific preparation instructions?
- How can I request access or communication support?
- What consent am I being asked to give?
- What information will the employer receive, and who else can access it?
- How will I receive an explanation of results or arrange follow-up?
- Who handles questions about cost, rescheduling or an unclear outcome?
This is an original planning checklist. It is not a list of tests an employer must order or a set of answers that determines eligibility.
Understand information handling before consenting
Read the consent and privacy documents supplied by the provider. Ask what the assessment report contains and how information is transferred. Do not assume the employer receives either the whole clinical record or only a pass/fail result; establish the actual process.
The OAIC employment guidance distinguishes employment records from recruitment information and notes exceptions. Privacy coverage depends on the organisation and relationship. Seek the relevant authority’s advice if you need a decision about access, disclosure or a complaint.
Keep medical and recruitment questions separate
Ask the clinician about health findings and any recommended follow-up. Ask the employer about recruitment timing, duties and workplace arrangements. Do not try to interpret a technical result alone or assume one result establishes an outcome for every occupation.
Keep appointment records securely and share only what is needed through verified channels. If further information is requested, clarify its purpose and recipient before sending it.
Use our job-opportunity checklist for wider role conditions. Keep the assessment provider’s instructions and your recruitment contact together so you can resolve medical and application questions with the appropriate person.
