ABPM Addiction Medicine exam-day guide
ABPM Addiction Medicine · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID in the exact name under which you registered. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether a secondary ID is required.
Admission/authorization documents
Print or save any scheduling confirmation, authorization-to-test letter, or candidate number the provider issues. Confirm with the provider what must be presented at check-in.
Appointment details and test-center logistics
Note the exact address, arrival time, and parking/transit plan. Confirm with the provider whether early arrival is required and what happens if you are late.
Accepted calculator or none
Determine whether a calculator is permitted and which models are allowed. If unsure, plan to attempt the exam without one and confirm with the provider.
Personal items plan
Most testing centers restrict bags, phones, and watches to secure storage. Confirm with the provider the storage rules and prohibited-item list.
Comfort needs (water, medication, snacks)
Bring only what the provider permits; many centers restrict food and drink to breaks. Confirm with the provider the policy on personal medication and hydration.
Break strategy
Decide in advance whether you will take scheduled or unscheduled breaks and how they affect your clock. Confirm with the provider how break time is counted against total test time.
Scratch materials policy
Determine whether scratch paper or an erasable board is supplied and whether you may bring your own. Confirm with the provider; do not assume.
Review key content the day before, not the morning of
Use the final 24 hours for light review of high-yield addiction medicine topics (intoxication/withdrawal syndromes, medication-assisted treatment, screening tools, legal/ethical frameworks) rather than new material.
Sleep and travel buffer
Plan to arrive rested with a buffer for traffic or transit delays. Confirm with the provider the consequences of arriving after the scheduled start.
Accessibility or special accommodations confirmation
If you requested accommodations, bring the approval documentation and confirm with the provider the check-in process for accommodated testing.
Backup plan for technology or scheduling issues
Save the provider's contact number and know the process if the test center has an outage or your appointment is disrupted. Confirm with the provider the rescheduling policy.
Plan the day
Confirm appointment time, location, and ID requirements with the provider. Review the exam blueprint and your weakest addiction medicine domains. Take one timed practice set to calibrate pacing, then stop adding new material.
Organize documents and permitted items in one place. Confirm transportation and, if traveling, lodging. Protect sleep; avoid all-night study.
Light review only: high-yield lists, medication dosing and withdrawal timelines, and screening/assessment frameworks. Pack your bag with ID and confirmation documents. Set two alarms. Go to bed at a normal hour.
Eat a normal meal, hydrate moderately, and arrive early per the provider's instructions. Leave phones and prohibited items secured. Do a brief calm-down routine rather than cramming.
Read each stem fully; watch for qualifiers like 'most likely' and 'next best step.' Answer straightforward items first, flag uncertain ones, and return if time allows. Use breaks deliberately and monitor your clock.
For clinical vignettes, identify the syndrome and the question being asked before evaluating options. Eliminate clearly wrong choices, then commit. Do not leave items blank unless the provider's scoring penalizes guessing-confirm with the provider.
Note any content areas that felt weak while memory is fresh, for future CME planning. Confirm with the provider the timeline and process for score reporting.
Rules to check
Bring original, unexpired government-issued photo ID matching your registration name exactly; confirm with the provider the accepted ID types and name-change documentation.
Arrive at the time the provider specifies; late arrival may forfeit your seat or shorten your time. Confirm with the provider the late-arrival and rescheduling policy.
Follow all test-center security rules: no phones, smartwatches, notes, or unauthorized materials in the testing room. Confirm with the provider the full prohibited-items list and storage options.
Breaks are typically taken at designated points and may or may not stop your clock. Confirm with the provider how break time is counted and whether unscheduled breaks are allowed.
Scoring policies, including whether unanswered questions are penalized, vary by provider. Confirm with the provider before deciding whether to guess on flagged items.
Do not discuss, record, or reproduce exam content. Follow the provider's confidentiality and candidate agreement exactly.
If you need accommodations, request them through the provider's process well before the exam and bring approval documentation to check-in.
If technical or scheduling problems occur, notify test-center staff immediately and document the issue; confirm with the provider the incident-reporting and remedy process.