ABPN Geriatric Psychiatry exam-day guide
ABPN Geriatric Psychiatry · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID in the name that matches your registration. Confirm with the provider which specific ID forms are accepted and whether a secondary ID is required.
Admission/confirmation document
Print or save the scheduling confirmation or admission letter you received after registering. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or a digital copy is acceptable.
Know your testing location and route
Confirm the exact address and arrival time on your admission document, and check the test center's parking/transit and security screening process in advance.
Arrival timing
Plan to arrive earlier than your scheduled start to allow for check-in and security. Confirm the provider's recommended arrival window and late-arrival policy with the provider.
Review the provider's test-day rules in advance
Read the current candidate handbook or rules page for permitted items, prohibited items, and break policy. Policies vary and can change; confirm with the provider.
Personal items plan
Expect that phones, watches, bags, and study materials will likely need to be stored or left outside the testing room. Confirm the provider's specific permitted/prohibited item list.
Medications and health needs
If you need medication, food, or water during the exam, confirm the provider's accommodation and break procedures before test day rather than assuming.
Rest and logistics the night before
Confirm your alarm, transportation, and a light meal plan. Avoid last-minute cramming that disrupts sleep; the exam tests broad clinical judgment, not trivia memorized overnight.
Time-management plan for the test
Decide in advance how you will pace yourself (e.g., note the number of items and remaining time at checkpoints) and how you will handle flagged or uncertain items.
Scoring and results expectations
Know how and when results are released and what the passing standard is. Confirm the current scoring and reporting policy with the provider.
Plan the day
Stop introducing new material. Do focused review of high-yield geriatric psychiatry domains (dementia workup and staging, delirium, late-life depression, psychopharmacology in older adults, capacity and guardianship, elder abuse, end-of-life issues) using your own notes. Confirm test center logistics and re-read the provider's rules.
Protect sleep. Shift toward your normal sleep schedule so you are alert at your scheduled test time. Avoid all-night study sessions.
Do a light pass over summary sheets only. Pack your ID and confirmation document, lay out clothes, confirm transportation and parking, and set two alarms. Confirm with the provider any last questions about arrival time and permitted items.
Eat a normal dinner, avoid excess caffeine and alcohol, and go to bed at your usual time. Do not attempt to learn new content.
Eat a normal breakfast, hydrate moderately, and arrive with buffer time for check-in and security. Leave study materials at home or in the car unless the provider permits them in a waiting area.
Read each stem fully and identify what is being asked before looking at options. Answer every item; there is generally no benefit to leaving items blank unless the provider's scoring says otherwise. Flag uncertain items and return to them if time allows.
Use breaks as permitted by the provider to stand, hydrate, and reset. Watch the clock at planned checkpoints rather than continuously, and reserve time at the end to review flagged items.
Rules to check
Bring valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID in the name on your registration; confirm accepted ID forms and any secondary ID requirement with the provider.
Follow the provider's permitted and prohibited item list exactly. Assume phones, smartwatches, and outside materials are restricted in the testing room; confirm specifics with the provider.
Follow all proctor and test-center instructions, including security screening and any room-entry/exit procedures.
Breaks are governed by the provider's policy; confirm in advance whether breaks are scheduled, optional, or counted against your time, and whether you may access personal items during them.
Do not communicate with other candidates about exam content during or after the test, and do not reproduce or share exam items.
Scoring, passing standards, and score reporting are set by the provider; confirm the current policy rather than relying on secondhand information.
If you need testing accommodations, they must typically be requested and approved in advance; confirm the provider's accommodation process and deadlines.
If an emergency or illness affects your ability to test, contact the provider as soon as possible to learn your options; confirm the specific rescheduling or withdrawal policy with the provider.