ABU Qualifying Exam
Qualifying Examination (Part 1)
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ExploreAbout this exam
The American Board of Urology (ABU) Qualifying Examination, also called Part 1, is the first step in the ABU initial certification process. Its stated purpose is to determine whether a candidate demonstrates the minimum level of knowledge a panel of experts considers necessary for the safe practice of urology. It is aimed at residents who have met the ABU's pre-urology training requirements and completed at least six months of chief residency in an approved U.S. or Canadian program by June 30 of the exam year. The exam is computer-based and delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers across the United States on three consecutive dates in mid-July; candidates choose one date. It runs during one day in two three-hour periods with a break between. Content is organized into four task-force areas: physiology, immunology, molecular biology, hypertension, transplantation, sexual dysfunction, and voiding dysfunction; infections, inflammatory diseases, endocrinopathy, calculus disease, trauma, obstructive uropathy, and fertility; neoplasms, urinary diversion, and fistulae; and pediatric urology, anatomy, and fluid and electrolyte disorders. Preparation should center on contemporary urologic core knowledge across all four areas, since questions span the full breadth of the discipline rather than a single subspecialty.
What you'll study
About ABU Qualifying Exam preparation
How many questions are on the exam, and how many count toward my score?
The exam contains 300 multiple-choice questions. Two hundred are previously tested questions used to grade candidates, and 100 are new field-test questions being evaluated that do not count toward the final grade. Field-test items are not identified, so treat every question as if it counts.
How long is the exam, and how is it delivered?
It is a computer-based exam given at Pearson VUE testing centers in the United States. It is administered during one day in two examination periods of three hours each, with a break between them. Candidates select one of three consecutive mid-July dates.
What score do I need to pass?
There is no fixed numeric passing score. The ABU uses criterion-referenced testing against a benchmark examination, so the passing score varies with the difficulty of that year's exam. The probability of passing stays constant year to year, and there is no mandatory failure rate; in theory all candidates could pass.
What percentage of first-time candidates pass?
On average, approximately 90% of first-time examinees pass the Qualifying Examination. That figure is an average across administrations, not a guarantee for any individual year, and it does not reflect the performance of repeat examinees.
How do I apply, and what does it cost?
Applications are emailed in mid-September to residency programs and eligible practitioners in the US and Canada, and are completed through the ABU portal. Program Director evaluations of eligible residents must reach the Board office no later than March 1. The Qualifying (Part 1) Examination application fee is $1,575.
Does the exam include pathology images to interpret?
No. The ABU states that the Qualifying (Part 1) Examination will no longer include items requiring candidates to interpret pathology images. The exam will continue to test pathologic findings and principles that impact management, so know the clinical implications of pathology rather than image interpretation.
What content areas should I study, and in what order?
Content is organized into four task-force areas covering physiology and transplantation through voiding dysfunction; infections, calculi, trauma, and fertility; neoplasms, diversion, and fistulae; and pediatric urology, anatomy, and fluids and electrolytes. Because questions span all four, build a study plan that cycles through every area rather than deep-diving one subspecialty.
What is the most common preparation mistake?
Over-investing in a single subspecialty. The exam reflects contemporary urologic core knowledge across all four task-force areas, so a narrow deep dive leaves large gaps. Also avoid assuming difficult questions mean you are failing: unidentified field-test items can make the exam feel harder or skewed toward one area than the scored set actually is.