ABEM Qualifying Exam: question practice and revision.

Choose a topic for focused revision and check your plan against the official specification.

• Signs, symptoms and presentations
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Traumatic disorders
• Procedures and skills
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Pulmonary disorders
• Systemic infectious disorders
• Toxicologic disorders
• Nervous system disorders
• Obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics
• Other (renal, MSK, psych, environmental)

Categories that consistently dominate the ABEM Qualifying.

• Cardiovascular emergencies — STEMI/NSTEMI, aortic dissection, PE, tamponade, dysrhythmia management
• Trauma — ATLS principles, head injury, hemorrhagic shock, pelvic fracture, spinal cord injury
• Toxicology — common overdose antidotes, decontamination, specific syndromes (cholinergic, anticholinergic, sympathomimetic)
• Procedures — ultrasound interpretation (FAST, RUSH, lung), airway management, central line, lumbar puncture
• Paediatric emergencies — fever workup by age, paediatric resuscitation, dehydration assessment, NAI red flags
• ECG and imaging interpretation — STEMI mimics, common dysrhythmias, CT head bleeds, CXR findings

Themes from candidate feedback and ABEM Chair reports.

Candidate-reported observations — not official guidance.

1. Overemphasis on rare diseases while neglecting high-yield common emergency conditions.
2. Not practising enough image- or signal-based questions (ECGs, CTs, ultrasounds) — these are tested heavily.
3. Assuming strong ITE performance guarantees board success — different question style and content emphasis.
4. Neglecting paediatric or geriatric components which have minimum mandated weightings.
5. Time pressure across two 3h10min books — each question gets just over 1 minute on average.
6. Underestimating procedures and skills (8%) — including indications, contraindications and complications, not just technique.

Designed for EM residents preparing during PGY-3 / PGY-4 year.

1. Months 1–2

   Foundation pass across all EM Model categories. 50 questions/day. Use Rosen, Tintinalli or comparable text alongside.

2. Months 3–4

   Targeted weak-category drilling with spaced repetition. Pictorial practice — ECG, US, CT interpretation daily.

3. Month 5

   Mixed adaptive mocks. Two full timed 305-question mock exams under exam conditions.

4. Month 6

   Bookmark review only. Confirm testing centre and admission requirements.

Dedicated ABEM Qualifying Exam question practice with answer explanations, guided Tutor review and study planning.

• Focused question practice — Choose the relevant bank and use your answers to identify what to study next.
• Guided reasoning — Explore a difficult answer with Tutor, then apply the distinction independently.
• Review and timed practice — Return to important mistakes and choose a timed practice set where available.

Choose the relevant bank and use the official exam guidance to plan your preparation.

ABEM publishes the Qualifying Exam dates, fees and candidate rules, but the current page used for this manifest does not expose a national pass-rate figure. iatroX therefore does not hard-code an unsourced ABEM pass rate.

Criterion-referenced — candidates need a final score of approximately 77 or greater (effectively 80%) to pass. Pass marks are independently replicated for each version of the exam; ABEM does not provide rescore services.

The Qualifying Examination (written) format remains unchanged. The Certifying Examination is being introduced in 2026 as an OSCE-based assessment, replacing the previous virtual Oral format. Candidates who passed the Oral Exam in 2024 or 2025 do not need to take the new Certifying Exam.

Held annually over approximately 10 days in late October to early November (2026: 29 October – 7 November) at Pearson VUE testing centres across the United States.

Full ABEM Qualifying Exam bank access is included in all-access. Up to 10 new sample questions per day are shared across exams, with no account required. A verified free account includes one guided Tutor session; continued Tutor use is included in all-access.