ABIM Geriatric Medicine exam-day guide
ABIM Geriatric Medicine · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID with your signature
Bring a current, unexpired government-issued photo ID that bears your signature, and make sure the name matches your registration record exactly (including middle names or suffixes). Confirm with the provider whether a second form of ID is required.
Appointment confirmation or admission document
Locate the scheduling confirmation from the testing vendor and any admission permit issued by the board. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or whether an electronic version on a phone shown at check-in is acceptable.
Exact test center address, arrival time, and parking plan
Look up the center the week before, note the arrival time printed on your confirmation, and plan transit or parking plus a buffer. If the center is unfamiliar, do a dry run so test-day navigation is not a source of stress.
Arrival cushion of at least 30 minutes
Plan to reach the center well before your appointment so that check-in, ID verification, and locker storage do not eat into testing time. Ask the provider how late arrivals are handled before you finalize your travel plan.
Layered clothing and nothing that beeps or connects
Test rooms vary in temperature, so dress in layers that can be removed. Leave smartwatches, fitness bands, phones, and any other transmitting device at home or plan to lock them away; they are not permitted at the workstation.
Approved accommodations documentation, if applicable
If you requested extra time, a separate room, or another accommodation, confirm that it has been approved in advance and bring the approval letter. Accommodations generally cannot be arranged on the day of the test; verify the process with the provider.
Glasses, hearing aids, and backup batteries
Bring whatever you need to read the screen and hear the proctor comfortably, plus spare batteries or a backup pair. Comfort aids and medical devices may need to be declared at check-in, so be ready to describe them.
Any medication you may need during the day
If you take scheduled medication (for example insulin, an inhaler, or a rescue medication), ask the provider in advance how it can be stored and accessed during breaks, since personal items usually stay outside the testing room.
Snack and water for breaks, kept outside the testing room
Food and drink are typically not allowed at the workstation but may be accessible in the locker area during breaks. Pack something quiet and easy to eat quickly so a break is not spent searching for food.
Confirm the current exam-day rules on the board's website
Rules on ID, break timing, scratch materials, and results reporting are updated periodically. Read the current candidate or exam-day information page in the final week rather than relying on what a colleague told you last year.
Know how and when results will be released
Note where results will be posted and the expected reporting window. Timing varies by administration, so confirm the expected release window with the provider rather than assuming a fixed number of weeks.
A realistic sleep and caffeine plan
Decide now on a bedtime that gives you a full night before the exam, and cap caffeine so you are not managing withdrawal or jitters in the testing room. Alertness on a long computer-based exam is a performance variable you can control.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Spend review time on high-yield frameworks you already know: geriatric syndromes and functional assessment, falls and gait, delirium and dementia, incontinence, polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication lists, advance care planning and goals of care, pressure injuries, nutrition and failure to thrive, and care transitions and long-term care settings. Do a small number of practice questions to rehearse pacing and item-reading habits, then review why you missed them rather than chasing volume.
Re-read the current exam-day rules and confirm logistics: center address, arrival time, ID requirements, accommodation approval, and whether the confirmation must be printed. Resolve any ambiguity by contacting the provider now, not on the morning of the exam.
Protect your sleep schedule. Shift bedtime earlier gradually rather than planning an early night the day before, and keep the last 48 hours low on new commitments so fatigue does not accumulate into test day.
Pack the bag: ID, confirmation, layers, glasses or hearing aids, approved accommodation letter, snack and water for breaks, and any medication you may need. Put the bag by the door so the morning requires no decisions.
Do a light pass over your own summary notes or error log for 60 to 90 minutes, then stop. Confirm your alarm, transportation, and wake-up plan, and avoid a late-night cram session that trades a few facts for reduced attention across a long exam.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate modestly, and arrive with a buffer. Leave phones and smartwatches secured per the center's instructions, complete ID verification, and store personal items in the locker or designated area before entering the testing room.
Read the full stem before looking at the options; geriatric items often hinge on a qualifier such as setting, time course, or functional consequence. For each item, commit to an answer before moving on, since review time is limited and changing answers without a specific reason tends to hurt.
Watch the clock relative to the number of items remaining, and take short breaks before you feel you need them. Use the provided scratch materials to jot frameworks or calculations rather than holding them in working memory.
Flag only items that are genuinely uncertain and return to them after completing the section. If time is short, answer every remaining item with your best choice - an unanswered item cannot earn credit.
Rules to check
Bring a government-issued photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly. A mismatch, an expired document, or a missing ID can prevent you from testing and may forfeit your fee; confirm the exact ID policy with the provider before test day.
Expect to sign a confidentiality agreement covering exam content. Do not reproduce, discuss, or post item content afterward, and do not bring notes, study sheets, or recording devices into the testing room - doing so can invalidate your result.
No phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, or other transmitting devices at the workstation. Store them as directed, keep them off during breaks, and follow proctor instructions if you need to access medication or another permitted item.
Scratch materials are supplied by the testing center. Do not bring your own paper or writing implements; raise your hand to request a replacement if yours run out or malfunction.
Break timing and whether break time counts against your total testing time vary by exam and administration. Confirm the break policy with the provider, and raise your hand rather than leaving the room unannounced.
Scoring is criterion-referenced: the passing standard is set in advance through the board's standard-setting process, not by a fixed percentage of correct answers or by comparison with other examinees. Your result is reported as pass or fail rather than as a numeric score.
Arrive early and follow check-in procedures. Late arrival may result in denied entry or a shortened testing session, and the exact cutoff is set by the provider - confirm it in advance rather than assuming a grace period.
Follow all proctor directions and center rules. Suspected misconduct, unauthorized materials, or disruptive behavior can lead to removal from the session and review of your result.