ABIM ACHD

ABIM lists the examination as lasting approximately 10 hours, divided into four sessions. Each session contains up to 60 multiple-choice questions, so a full form holds up to about 240 items. Each session is allotted up to two hours, and an optional tutorial of up to 30 minutes plus instructions precede testing.

All questions are multiple choice with a single best answer. ABIM states that the overwhelming majority use a clinical stem, a patient-based scenario testing higher-order decision-making, while a small number address specific knowledge points without a stem. Some questions require interpreting electrocardiograms, radiographs, or photomicrographs.

It is administered on odd-numbered years only, so there is no administration in even-numbered years. For 2027 the exam date is Oct. 13; registration runs Dec. 1, 2026 through Jun. 15, 2027, and late registration runs Jun. 16 through Jun. 28, 2027 with a non-refundable late fee. All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. ET.

Yes. You have 100 total minutes of break time that can be divided between three breaks during the exam. Any break time taken after a test session is deducted from that total. An optional post-exam survey of up to 10 minutes is also listed in the exam day schedule.

Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect, so ABIM advises answering every question. The pass-fail decision is based on performance across the entire examination rather than on any single session, and the minimum passing score reflects an absolute standard independent of how any group of candidates performs. No numeric passing score is published on the exam page.

Final results are released within three months of the last date of the exam in that area. You receive an email notification with instructions for accessing your score report through the Physician Portal. Score reports are maintained for two years, and questions about results must be submitted in writing within six months of the release date.

You may request a rescore for a fee of $250, submitting a written request within six months of the results' release date. The request should include your name, ABIM ID, the examination to be rescored, and a check payable to the American Board of Internal Medicine. Rescore results are mailed within eight weeks of receipt.

Yes. Physicians certified in Pediatric Cardiology by the American Board of Pediatrics who want ABIM certification in Adult Congenital Heart Disease must contact ABIM to apply for an ABIM candidate number before registering. Plan ahead so the candidate number is issued in time to register before the deadline.

Start with ABIM's ACHD blueprint, which lists the content categories and target percentages, then allocate study time in proportion. Review the exam tutorial and the laboratory reference ranges so formatting holds no surprises. Because most items are clinical vignettes, practice applying physiology and imaging reasoning to patient scenarios rather than memorizing isolated facts.

Recurring risks include leaving items blank, since unanswered questions score as incorrect; mismanaging the 100 minutes of break time; and misreading long vignettes that combine imaging, catheterization, and medication data. ABIM also notes that occasional items are excluded from scoring when new evidence removes a single best answer, so answer according to current clinical practice.