Complex General Surgical Oncology Qualifying Exam
7-Year Limit
- Individuals who complete a surgical oncology fellowship in the 2018-2019 academic year or thereafter will have no more than 7 academic years immediately following training to become certified (i.e., pass both the CGSOQE and CGSOCE). See Exam Opportunities below for details.
General Requirements
It is expected that trainees will meet all of the requirements listed. To be eligible for this exam, applicants must:
Application Process
- Individuals who meet ABS requirements may apply for the exam through the online application process, which is posted in early spring (see How to Apply). After your application is approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to register for this year's exam.
- Once you complete registration and submit the examination fee, it will take up to five business days to process. Following processing, an Exam Admission Card/Authorization Letter with instructions on how to schedule your exam center directly with Pearson VUE will then be posted on your Exam Records and Results page.
- Active duty military personnel who may encounter difficulty taking the exam due to their service should contact the ABS as soon as possible. Please see How to Apply for information about other exam accommodations.
Exam Registration/Scheduling
- After registering for the exam, an Exam Admission/Authorization Letter will be posted to the applicant’s ABS portal within 2-5 business days. The Exam Admission/Authorization letter will not be mailed or emailed. Once posted, applicants will need to log on to their portal to access the Exam Admission/Authorization letter in order to schedule a test center with Pearson VUE immediately.
- The ABS provides Pearson VUE with the applicant’s mailing address that is on file at the time of registration. If this information is not updated, an incorrect mailing address will be transmitted to Pearson VUE. To facilitate the best exam center scheduling experience with Pearson VUE, applicants should ensure that the ABS has a current mailing address at the time of registration.
- If requesting accommodations, applicants must have submitted the appropriate forms and documentation and have obtained ABS approval prior to registering for the examination. Registering and scheduling an exam center without prior ABS approval will result in an examination appointment without accommodations.
- Be advised that testing centers have limited capacity and may fill up well before the exam date, particularly in urban areas. Applicants should contact Pearson VUE as soon as the admission letter is posted to the ABS portal to reserve space at a local testing center. If applicants delay, they will likely have to travel outside of the local geographical area in order to schedule the exam.
Exam Opportunities
Current Applicants:
- Individuals who complete a surgical oncology fellowship in the 2018-2019 academic year or thereafter will have no more than 7 academic years following training to complete the certification process (i.e., pass both the CGSOQE and CGSOCE). The 7-year period begins immediately upon completion of fellowship training.
- Upon application approval, applicants will be granted up to 4 opportunities within a 4-year period to pass the CGSOQE, providing they applied immediately after training. Individuals who delay in applying will lose opportunities to take and pass the CGSOQE.
- If the applicant decides not to take the exam in a given year, it is a lost opportunity. See our exam admissibility policy for further details.
- Primary certification in Surgery is a requirement for certification in Complex General Surgical Oncology, and is part of the application process. Delays in completing initial certification in surgery will delay the CGSO application, and therefore diminish the number of available attempts to take the CGSO exam. It is highly recommended that you attain certification in Surgery BEFORE the end of your CGSO fellowship.
Prior Policy:
- Individuals who completed training prior to July 1, 2018, were granted up to 5 opportunities within a 5-year period.
- During the four-year period, During the five-year period, examinees who postponed or were unsuccessful will be able to register for the next exam without completing a new application; the original application will suffice.
- The above limits are absolute. Individuals who exhaust their four-year admissibility period should contact the ABS regarding the readmissibility requirements in effect at that time.
CGSO Certifying Exam
- Upon successful completion of the CGSOQE, you will be admissible to the CGSO Certifying Exam (CGSOCE), an oral exam, and will be contacted with registration information for the next exam.
For specific inquiries, please send an email to the exam coordinator.