ABOMP Oral Pathology
American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Certifying Examination
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ExploreAbout this exam
The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (ABOMP) is the certifying board for the dental specialty of oral and maxillofacial pathology. According to the Board, the specialty encompasses clinical diagnosis of disease, microscopic diagnosis of disease, and management of those diseases, with oral and maxillofacial pathologists often serving as the key component in establishing a diagnosis. The Board traces its origins to the American Academy of Oral Pathology, organized in 1946; its formation was announced on February 6, 1948, it was incorporated in Washington, D.C. on November 8, 1948, its first certifying examination was held in the Fall of 1949, and it was approved by the American Dental Association in 1950. The specialty and Board adopted the Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology name in 1995. This material is for candidates preparing for the certifying examination and is organized around the three activities the Board identifies: clinical diagnosis, microscopic diagnosis, and management. Preparation should combine systematic review of oral and maxillofacial pathology with disciplined practice in diagnostic reasoning and management decision-making. This independent study resource is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the ABOMP; candidates should confirm all examination logistics, eligibility, and scoring details directly with the Board.
What you'll study
About ABOMP Oral Pathology preparation
What does the ABOMP certifying examination cover?
The Board describes the specialty as practicing clinical diagnosis of disease, microscopic diagnosis of disease, and management of those diseases in the oral and maxillofacial region. Build your preparation around those three areas rather than treating any one of them as secondary.
Who should sit for this examination?
It is the certifying examination for the dental specialty of oral and maxillofacial pathology, leading to diplomate status. Confirm your eligibility pathway with the Board before applying, since this independent resource does not administer the examination or verify credentials.
How many questions are on the examination and how long does it take?
Those details are not published in the source material available to us, so we do not state a number. Check the Board's site and your application materials for the current item count, timing, and section structure before you build a timed practice plan.
What score do I need to pass, and can I retake it?
Passing standards and retake rules are set by the Board and are not stated in our source material. Rather than rely on secondhand figures, confirm the current passing standard and any re-examination policy directly with the Board.
How difficult is the examination?
Expect the microscopic diagnosis component to demand pattern recognition under time pressure, and the management component to demand defensible next-step reasoning. Difficulty is less about obscure trivia than about consistent accuracy across all three domains the Board names.
In what order should I study?
Start with clinical diagnosis to organize differentials by presentation, move to microscopic diagnosis to attach histologic criteria to those entities, then finish with management so each diagnosis has a defined next step. Revisit weak entities in all three domains rather than perfecting one.
What are the most common failure modes?
Three recur: memorizing histologic descriptions without linking them to clinical presentation, choosing a diagnosis without committing to management, and overconfidence on familiar entities that have close mimics. Practice justifying each answer in one sentence across all three domains.
How current is this page?
It is built only from the Board's public pages as retrieved on 2026-10-31. Examination logistics, fees, and policies change, and unstated values are deliberately left blank here. Treat the Board's own materials as authoritative for anything operational.