ABP Pediatric Cardiology
Pediatric Cardiology Subspecialty Certifying Examination (American Board of Pediatrics)
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Cheat sheet
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ExploreAbout this exam
The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) offers subspecialty certification in pediatric cardiology to physicians who complete accredited fellowship training in the field and satisfy the board's admission requirements. Certification is voluntary and goes beyond state licensure: it signals that a pediatric cardiologist has met a nationally defined standard and has committed to continuous learning and improvement. The certifying examination is the knowledge-assessment step in that process. The exam samples the breadth of the subspecialty: congenital heart disease across the lifespan, including anatomy, pathophysiology, natural history and surgical or catheter-based management; acquired and inflammatory disease such as Kawasaki disease, myocarditis and pericardial disease; arrhythmias and electrophysiology; heart failure, cardiomyopathy and transplantation; pulmonary hypertension; imaging, echocardiography and catheterization hemodynamics; fetal and neonatal cardiology; cardiac intensive care and mechanical support; preventive cardiology and cardiovascular genetics; and core competencies in professionalism, communication and systems-based practice. Preparation should start with the ABP's published subspecialty content outline, which defines the domains sampled. Most candidates combine a structured review of a major pediatric cardiology reference, echocardiographic and catheterization case review, self-assessment question practice, and targeted reading in areas they rarely see clinically. Confirm current dates, fees, admission requirements and administration details directly with the ABP. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ABP.
What you'll study
About ABP Pediatric Cardiology preparation
What is the format of the pediatric cardiology certifying exam?
It is a multiple-choice, computer-based examination. The ABP maintains a Computer-Based Administration Policy plus an "Exam Day: What to Expect" guide and online tutorials, so you can rehearse the interface before test day. The ABP source material reviewed here does not state the item count or time limit for this subspecialty, so confirm those specifics with the ABP rather than relying on secondhand figures.
Is there a published passing score?
The ABP publishes a Scoring section, Scoring FAQs, and score reporting guidance. The source material reviewed here does not state a numeric passing score or a percent-correct threshold for the pediatric cardiology exam, and older figures circulate widely among trainees. Check the ABP scoring pages for the current explanation of how results are determined and reported.
How hard is the exam, and what trips candidates up?
Most difficulty comes from breadth rather than obscure trivia: fetal and neonatal disease, adult congenital follow-up, electrophysiology, and pulmonary vascular disease are areas where practicing clinicians get rusty. Another common failure mode is reading too narrowly, skipping genetics, preventive cardiology, and the professionalism and systems domains that the ABP includes in its subspecialty content outlines.
What order should I study in?
Start with the ABP subspecialty content outline and map it against your own practice. Front-load weak domains, then move to integrated case-based review, using echocardiograms and catheterization data to test physiology reasoning rather than isolated recall. Finish with timed self-assessment question blocks and revisit every miss with a reference, not just an answer key.
What happens if I do not pass, and can I retake it?
The ABP pages summarized here do not state a retake policy, attempt limit, or waiting period for subspecialty certifying exams. Policies are revised periodically, so confirm directly with the ABP before planning a second attempt, and do not budget based on numbers you hear from colleagues. Reapplication runs through the ABP's "Apply for an Exam" pathway.
When should I start preparing, and when is the exam offered?
The ABP publishes exam dates and fees on a dedicated page for subspecialties, and those dates should drive your timeline. Rather than adopting someone else's schedule, work backward from your assigned date and allocate blocks for outline review, case-based learning, and practice questions. Verify dates and deadlines on the ABP site, since cycles change and secondhand dates are often wrong.
Does this exam count toward Maintenance of Certification?
The ABP's MOC framework has four parts, with an examination component listed as Part 3. How that applies to a subspecialty certificate, and whether alternatives are available, is described in the ABP's MOC materials rather than in the summary available here. Review those pages before assuming the initial certifying exam and the ongoing MOC exam are the same instrument.
I need testing accommodations. What should I do?
The ABP lists Test Accommodations under its "Apply for an Exam" section, alongside scheduling, rescheduling, and exam-day guidance. Requests must be made in advance through the ABP, so raise the need early and follow the board's instructions rather than asking a test center directly. Documentation requirements and deadlines come from the ABP.