Orthopedic Board

Part I is the written examination that follows residency completion. Part II is an oral examination taken after the surgeon has been in practice, and it centers on a case list the candidate submits in advance. They are separate applications with separate calendars, fees, and rules, so plan each stage independently.

The ABOS publishes the current item count and timing in its Part I Blueprint, Rules and Procedures, and Accommodations timing pages. Those figures are revised periodically, so confirm them on the official ABOS site before you build a timed practice schedule rather than relying on numbers from older study material.

Passing standards are set by the ABOS and are not fixed public percentages; the board publishes examination statistics separately from the rules documents. Check the current Examination Statistics page for Part I and Part II rather than assuming a universal cut score carried over from prior years.

Fees differ by examination and are listed on separate ABOS fee pages for Part I, Part II, continuing certification, and each subspecialty. Fees are updated over time, so verify the current amount on the official page for your specific examination before submitting an application.

Retake eligibility, waiting periods, and any limits on attempts are governed by the ABOS Rules and Procedures for that examination, not by a general policy. Read the current rules document for the specific exam and confirm your status with the board before reapplying.

Start with the Part I Blueprint, which describes how content is weighted across orthopaedic domains. Allocate study time in proportion to those weights rather than to personal comfort areas, then use timed question blocks to expose weak domains early enough to revisit them.

Case list problems are a frequent and avoidable risk: including procedures the ABOS excludes, submitting a list that is not representative of your practice, or having incomplete documentation. Read the Case List Instructions and the Procedures Not To Include page before you start collecting cases.

Begin at the start of your collection window, not at the application deadline. Case lists require CPT codes, and the ABOS publishes a CPT code reference plus a sample scribe sheet. Tracking cases contemporaneously prevents gaps that cannot be reconstructed later.

Yes. Each examination has a dedicated Accommodations page, and Part I, Part II, continuing certification, and the subspecialties each publish their own timing information. Accommodation requests generally follow a defined process and deadline, so review the relevant page well in advance.

Yes. Surgery of the Hand and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine are distinct ABOS subspecialty credentials, each with its own rules, application instructions, fees, calendar, case list requirements, and examination statistics. General certification does not automatically confer either subspecialty certificate.