ABOS Orthopaedic Surgery

Part I is the written examination component of ABOS certification, taken by candidates who have completed orthopaedic residency training. It is listed as a distinct examination from Part II in the ABOS site navigation. Specific item counts, timing, and scoring are published by ABOS and are not reproduced here; check the official Part I pages for current details.

Part II is a separate examination component that follows Part I in the certification sequence. ABOS organizes it around a submitted case list, and publishes case-list instructions, procedures that should not be included, a scoring rubric, and peer review information. Those documents, not third-party summaries, are the authoritative source for what to submit.

No. This is independent study material produced by a separate platform. It is not sponsored, endorsed, reviewed, or approved by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and no ABOS content is reproduced here. All questions are original. Always confirm exam logistics and rules against official ABOS publications.

Those figures are not stated in the source material available to us, so we do not publish a number. Item counts and timing are set by ABOS and can change between administrations. Consult the official ABOS examination pages and calendar for the current format rather than relying on figures from older study guides.

The passing standard and retake policy are not stated in the source material we hold, so we do not state them. Both are governed by ABOS rules and procedures, which are published separately for Part I and Part II. Read the current Rules and Procedures document for your examination before applying, and contact ABOS directly with eligibility questions.

ABOS publishes a blueprint describing the content areas and their relative emphasis for the written examination. Study to that blueprint rather than to a generic orthopaedic textbook table of contents. Our questions span the major subspecialty domains plus basic science and professional practice, but the official blueprint should drive how you allocate your study time.

Build broad coverage first, then narrow. Work through high-yield subspecialty topics with spaced repetition, take timed mixed-topic blocks to build stamina and test-taking rhythm, and reserve the final weeks for your weakest domains and for reviewing missed questions by concept rather than by answer choice.

Two patterns recur. First, uneven coverage - deep comfort in one subspecialty and thin preparation in another, which mixed-topic practice exposes early. Second, for the oral component, weak case documentation and vague articulation of why a decision was made. Practice explaining indications, alternatives, and complications out loud before the exam.

Only on the ABOS website. The organization maintains separate calendars and fee pages for Part I, Part II, continuing certification, and each subspecialty examination. Because dates and fees change, verify them there immediately before you apply; this page intentionally does not restate them.