September 2020 Specialty Exams to be Administered Virtually

July 10, 2020 Media Contact: Alyson Maloney , 215-568-4000

To minimize travel requirements and the need to gather in public spaces in light of the continuing COVID-19 situation, the ABS is in the process of finalizing a web-based examination for the Pediatric Surgery QE, the Vascular Surgery QE, the Complex General Surgical Oncology QE and Surgical Critical Care CE for fall 2020. Additional information will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

All candidates who have applied or will apply for one of these exams are advised that you must take the exam over a two-day period, September 14 and 15. This is in place of the traditional single-day exam that would have been administered on September 14. You must take the exam on BOTH days, as it will be administered in fewer hours per day than the traditional exam, with exam security ensured through live, video proctoring.

We are pleased to be able to make this accommodation to the challenges that we all continue to face due to COVID-19. Our intention is that these exams are safer as well as more convenient for all candidates. Further details about technical requirements will be forthcoming. If you have an approved application and have registered for one of these exams, there is nothing further for you to do at this time. We will communicate with you directly and post updates on our website when they become available.

If you have not completed the application for your specialty's September exam, you have until July 15 to meet the initial application deadline, and July 31 to meet the late application deadline.

Candidates who do not wish to take a virtual exam this year have the option to postpone, as always. If you choose to wait, please note that 2020 will be counted as a missed opportunity. Please see our website for information about examination admissibility:

If you have any questions at this time, please contact the exam coordinator.