ABPS Psychiatry study guide
ABPS Psychiatry · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Psychiatry Certification Examination is the board exam physicians take to demonstrate competence in general psychiatry after completing residency training. It is intended for psychiatrists seeking initial certification, and the same content blueprint also frames the continuing-certification pathway. The ABPS Psychiatry study guide has 10 sections and about 2,148 words.
01Clinical Psychiatry: Core Syndromes and Differential Reasoning
Clinical Psychiatry questions reward a syndromal, longitudinal approach rather than pattern-matching single symptoms. Know the defining features and boundary conditions of the major categories: psychotic disorders (duration criteria distinguishing brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform, and schizophrenia; the role of functional decline), mood disorders (episode type, polarity, and course specifiers such as rapid cycling and seasonal pattern), anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (insight and avoidance as severity markers), trauma-related disorders (exposure criterion and timing of onset), and personality disorders (enduring, pervasive, inflexible patterns with onset in adolescence/early adulthood).
266 words, about 1 min02Psychopathology and Diagnostic Assessment: Reliability, Validity, and Measurement
This domain tests whether you can reason about how we know what we know. Understand the distinction between reliability (consistency) and validity (accuracy), and the subtypes: inter-rater, test-retest, and internal consistency for reliability; face, content, criterion, and construct validity.
247 words, about 1 min03Psychopharmacology and Somatic Treatments: Mechanisms, Monitoring, and Risk
Expect questions on mechanism, indication, adverse-effect profile, monitoring, and interactions. For antidepressants, know that SSRIs act on the serotonin transporter, that onset is delayed weeks, and that activation, sexual dysfunction, hyponatremia, and bleeding risk are common concerns.
224 words, about 1 min04Psychotherapy: Modalities, Mechanisms, and Indications
Questions test whether you can match a therapy to a presentation and understand its active ingredients. Cognitive-behavioral therapy targets maladaptive cognitions and avoidance behaviors; it is first-line for panic disorder, OCD (with exposure and response prevention), and many anxiety disorders, and effective for depression.
236 words, about 1 min05Neurosciences and Basic Science Foundations
Expect questions linking neuroanatomy, neurotransmitter systems, and genetics to clinical phenomena. Know the dopamine pathways: mesolimbic (positive symptoms, reward), mesocortical (negative and cognitive symptoms), nigrostriatal (EPS), and tuberoinfundibular (prolactin).
192 words, under 1 min06Consultation-Liaison and Emergency Psychiatry: Risk and Medical Complexity
This domain emphasizes safety, medical comorbidity, and rapid decision-making. In the emergency setting, assess suicide risk, violence risk, agitation, and capacity.
206 words, about 1 min07Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Development, Context, and Caution
Questions require developmental framing: symptoms must be judged against age-expected behavior. Know the presentation of autism spectrum disorder (social communication deficits, restricted interests), ADHD (inattention, hyperactivity, impairment across settings), and disruptive behavior disorders.
200 words, about 1 min08Geriatric Psychiatry: Cognition, Function, and Polypharmacy
Geriatric questions emphasize distinguishing normal aging from pathology, differentiating delirium, dementia, and depression, and managing polypharmacy. Know that delirium is acute and fluctuating, dementia is chronic and progressive, and depression can mimic cognitive impairment (pseudodementia) but often coexists.
192 words, under 1 min09Forensic, Ethical, and Systems Issues
This domain covers legal standards, ethical principles, and systems of care. Know the elements of informed consent (capacity, information, voluntariness) and the exceptions (emergency, therapeutic privilege, involuntary treatment).
186 words, under 1 min10Addiction Psychiatry: Neurobiology, Withdrawal, and Treatment
Questions test the neurobiology of reward and the clinical management of intoxication, withdrawal, and maintenance. The mesolimbic dopamine system mediates reinforcement, and chronic use produces tolerance, dependence, and sensitization.
199 words, under 1 min