ABEM Sports Medicine exam-day guide
ABEM Sports Medicine · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the exact form of identification your testing provider requires. Confirm acceptable ID types and name-matching rules with the provider, since an expired or mismatched ID can bar entry.
Admission/confirmation document
Print or save your scheduling confirmation, eligibility permit, or admission ticket if your provider issues one. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required.
Know your test-center logistics
Confirm the exact address, parking or transit options, and arrival time. Do a dry run or map the route the day before. Verify reporting time with the provider.
Review the provider's day-of rules in advance
Read the current candidate handbook or testing-center rules for permitted items, storage of personal belongings, and security screening. Policies change, so confirm with the provider.
Scheduling a break strategy
Decide in advance how you will use scheduled or optional breaks. Confirm break rules and timing with the provider, as they vary by exam and center.
Comfort items within policy
Plan layers of clothing and any permitted comfort items. Confirm what is allowed in the testing room with the provider before relying on it.
Hydration and a light snack for before/after
Eat a normal meal beforehand and bring water/snack for after the exam if permitted to store items. Confirm storage and food/drink rules with the provider.
Rest and sleep plan for the prior night
Protect sleep in the 48 hours before the exam; avoid last-minute cramming that trades sleep for marginal gains.
Logistics for travel and lodging
If traveling, arrive the day before, confirm reservation, and set multiple alarms. Keep confirmation numbers accessible.
Backup plan for delays
Identify a backup transport option and the provider's late-arrival/emergency contact policy. Confirm with the provider how lateness is handled.
Personal medication and necessities
Bring any needed medication and confirm with the provider how it may be brought into the testing area.
A calm pre-exam routine
Plan a short, familiar routine (light review of high-yield frameworks, not new material) to settle nerves before entry.
Plan the day
Shift from new content to consolidation: review high-yield frameworks, common injury patterns, and your own weak-topic notes. Confirm test-center logistics and ID requirements with the provider. Protect sleep and keep activity routine; avoid all-nighters.
Do a light pass over summary sheets only; stop heavy studying early. Lay out ID, confirmation, clothing, and travel items. Confirm alarm and route. Eat a normal dinner and prioritize sleep.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate, and arrive early per the provider's reporting time. Leave buffer for delays. Keep pre-exam review minimal and calming. Follow all check-in and security instructions.
Read each question fully; answer confidently and flag uncertain items for review if the interface allows. Pace yourself against the clock and use breaks as planned. If a question stalls you, mark, move on, and return. Manage anxiety with brief breathing pauses at natural breaks.
Rules to check
Bring only identification and items the provider explicitly permits; confirm the permitted-items list with the provider before exam day.
Follow all check-in, security-screening, and personal-belongings storage instructions from testing-center staff.
Confirm the provider's policy on breaks, including whether they are scheduled or optional and whether the clock runs during them.
Understand the scoring and reporting policy for your exam (pass standard, score reporting timeline) by reviewing the provider's official materials; do not rely on secondhand claims.
Arrive by the provider's stated reporting time; confirm in advance how late arrival is handled, as it may affect eligibility to test.
Do not bring or use unauthorized materials or devices in the testing area; confirm what counts as prohibited with the provider.
If you need an accommodation, confirm approval and arrangements with the provider well before exam day.
Keep questions or issues during the exam directed to the proctor or provider per their stated procedures.