CAQ-Psychiatry study guide
CAQ-Psychiatry · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certification of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Psychiatry is an ABPN subspecialty credential for physicians already board certified in psychiatry who want formal recognition in a focused area of practice. ABPN is a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, and its stated mission is "Setting the highest certification standards for psychiatrists and neurologists since 1934." Candidates typically pursue a CAQ after completing accredited subspecialty fellowship training and passing the corresponding examination. The subspecialty areas ABPN currently lists for continuing certification examinations include Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Psychiatry; each has its own content outline, so confirm the specific blueprint for your intended subspecialty rather than assuming a single shared syllabus. Preparation should combine a structured review of that blueprint with high-volume practice questions, focused reading of major subspecialty texts and recent guidelines, and rehearsal of the computer-based testing interface at Pearson. Because ABPN periodically revises requirements, verify current eligibility, application deadlines, fees, and examination scheduling directly through the ABPN Physician Portal and the ABPN Exam Schedule before you commit to a test date. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ABPN. Topics on this exam: Psychiatry (content domains not enumerated in source). The CAQ-Psychiatry study guide has 1 section and about 371 words.
01Psychiatry: Diagnosis, Risk, and Treatment Selection
The Psychiatry section assesses whether you can move from a clinical presentation to a defensible diagnosis, safety plan, and treatment choice using current diagnostic criteria and psychopharmacology. Expect item stems that combine risk assessment, differential diagnosis, and medication monitoring rather than isolated fact recall. Items often ask for the next best step. Diagnose by criterion count, duration, and exclusion.
371 words, about 2 minMore study resources for CAQ-Psychiatry
- Practice questionsA 28-year-old man is brought to the emergency department with agitation, dilated pupils, sweating, and a heart rate of 128.
- FlashcardsDelirium core features. Acute onset with fluctuating attention and awareness, often due to a medical condition, medication, or withdrawal; management targets the cause, with antipsychotics reserved for distressing agitation.
- Cheat sheetDelirium hallmark: acute onset, fluctuating attention/awareness, and a medical cause; antipsychotics treat agitation but do not treat the underlying etiology.
- Key termsTherapeutic alliance. The collaborative, trusting relationship between clinician and patient, including agreed goals and tasks.
- Study planMap the full CAQ-Psychiatry blueprint into a one-page topic inventory covering all major content areas: psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, trauma-related and dissociative disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, neurocognitive disorders, somatic symptom and factitious disorders, psychiatric emergencies, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy modalities, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.
- Common mistakesCandidates trained on broad clinical exposure answer from pattern recognition rather than applying the explicit DSM/ICD criteria the item is testing; stems are deliberately written so the intuitive answer is the near-miss diagnosis.
- Exam-day guideBring the original, unexpired ID in the name on your registration.