ABPMR Sports Medicine exam-day guide
ABPMR Sports Medicine · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring an unexpired, signature-bearing photo ID (driver's license or passport). The name must match your registration record exactly; if it differs, contact the board well before test day rather than at the center. Confirm with the provider which ID forms are accepted.
Appointment confirmation / admission document
Print or save your scheduling confirmation with the test center address, appointment time, and confirmation number. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital copy is acceptable.
Verified test center logistics
Know the exact address, parking or transit plan, and building entrance. Do a dry run or map the route in advance, and check for construction, events, or weather that could delay you. Aim to arrive at least 30 minutes early - confirm the recommended arrival window with the provider.
Knowledge of prohibited and permitted items
Review the candidate handbook rules on phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, notes, books, and outerwear. Plan to store personal items in a provided locker or leave them at home or in your vehicle. Confirm with the provider whether the center supplies lockers and what size.
Accommodation approval documentation, if applicable
If you were granted extended time, a separate room, or another accommodation, confirm it appears in your scheduling record and bring any approval letter the board issues. (needs_review)
Medication, hydration, and snack plan
Bring only medications or supplies the provider permits at the workstation, and confirm in advance whether food, water, or medication can be accessed during breaks. Check the provider's policy on medical necessities and break access. (needs_review)
Glasses or contacts and layered clothing
Screens and test-center temperatures vary; bring any vision correction you normally use and dress in layers you can remove without disrupting others. Confirm the provider's policy on hats, hoodies, and outerwear in the testing room.
Timed practice completed
Complete at least one full-length timed practice set under exam-like conditions in the final week so your pacing plan is calibrated before test day, not during it.
Contact information for the testing vendor
Save the provider's phone number and your confirmation number in case of a delay, illness, or emergency on test day, and know the rescheduling policy and any deadline that applies.
Rest and sleep plan
Set two alarms, plan a normal bedtime, and avoid alcohol or late caffeine the night before. Sleep is a better investment than one more hour of review.
Plan the day
Confirm appointment time, address, and arrival instructions; verify your ID name matches the registration and resolve any mismatch with the board immediately. Review the candidate handbook for permitted items, break rules, and conduct expectations. Finish your last full-length timed practice, then stop introducing new content and shift to review of your own weak-area notes and high-yield summary sheets.
Pack your ID, confirmation document, glasses, and any permitted medication; lay out clothing in layers. Do light review only - skim condensed notes or a one-page summary, no new topics and no marathon question blocks. Eat normal meals, check weather and transit, set alarms, and go to bed at your usual time. If you feel ill or face an emergency, call the provider immediately to learn your options before the appointment time.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate without overdoing it, and arrive at the center early per the provider's recommendation. Bring only what the handbook permits; store the rest. Expect identity verification and a security screening at check-in, and use the restroom before you are seated. Do not attempt heavy last-minute review in the waiting area - a brief glance at a short summary is enough.
Read each stem fully and watch for qualifiers such as 'most likely' or 'next best step.' Answer every item; there is no benefit to leaving a blank. Flag uncertain items and keep moving so a single hard question does not consume time meant for easier ones. Track your pace against the number of items and the time remaining, and take breaks only as the provider allows, remembering that the clock may keep running. Change an answer only when you identify a concrete reason to do so.
Rules to check
Your photo ID must match the name on your registration exactly. If your legal name has changed, contact the board before test day; the test center generally cannot resolve a mismatch for you.
Personal items - phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, notes, and books - are not permitted at the workstation. Turn electronics off and store them as directed; confirm the provider's specific policy on lockers and permitted items.
Confirm the break policy with the provider before test day: whether unscheduled breaks are allowed, whether the exam clock continues during breaks, and whether food, water, or medication can be accessed. Plan your pacing around the answer you receive.
Do not communicate with other examinees about exam content during breaks or afterward. Most boards require you to keep exam content confidential; disclosing questions or answers can invalidate your score.
Follow all test-center instructions and cooperate with proctors and security screening. Irregular behavior, prohibited items, or attempts to access outside information can result in dismissal and score cancellation.
Scoring is criterion-referenced against a standard set by the board, not curved against other examinees. Confirm with the board how and when results are released - do not expect a pass/fail decision at the test center.
If you must reschedule or cancel, do so before the provider's deadline; late changes typically incur a fee or forfeiture. Confirm the exact deadline and fee schedule with the provider.
Report any testing irregularity, equipment problem, or distraction to the proctor immediately and note the time. Issues raised only after the exam may be harder to resolve.