To find out when examination applications are due, check our Board Examination page here.

• Certification Exam: $1,750.00

To apply for the board examination, click here and click the button under Certification Exam to begin the Board Examination process.

Applicants who are unable to take the examination may request a refund. Appropriate fees will be refunded up to 30 days prior to the examination. There is $250 application fee that is non-refundable upon receipt.  If headquarters is notified less than 30 days prior to the examination, refund fees listed on the application will apply.  Any documentation that is submitted for a refund is reviewed by committee and determinations are made on an individual basis.  Applicants who do not request a refund prior to the examination, and who do not appear for any portion of the examination, waive the right to have any of their examination fee refunded.

Examinations are administered through a network of national testing centers.  ABPM will provide contact information to examination candidates on how to schedule their test-center appointment approximately 8 weeks prior to the examination date.  Candidates are responsible for scheduling their own examination. Access to the test center location of choice is subject to a given center's availability.

Test centers are designed to provide a consistent, standardized testing experience in a quiet, distraction-free environment.  All centers are designed to provide candidates with the most comfort possible during the examination process.

Special accommodations requests can be arranged through ABPM headquarters with proper documentation.  You must provide documentation to board headquarters and special accommodations will be arranged with Pearson VUE on an individual basis.

The board certification examination consists of 125 multiple choice items and 9 clinical scenarios.  The clinical scenarios need to be worked through by the candidate.  Candidates are provided initial patient information and other relevant clinical material from which to work through the case. Each segment of the case is assigned scoring criteria.  As the clinical content varies from case to case the particular scoring criteria, likewise, varies accordingly.  The test includes 25 multiple choice items and 1 clinical scenario that are unscored and included for field testing purposes.

The examination subject area content is delineated further in the Subject Outline of the General Examination Information link on the website.

All applicants confirmed to take the examination in the current year will have access to an online study guide and sample questions and will receive information from Board Headquarters on how to access after applications are processed. In addition, the American College of Podiatric Medicine offers a Review Text. Information can be found on their website www.acpmed.org.

Candidates will be furnished examination results on line approximately 6-8 weeks from the examination date, along with an explanation of their results.  There is no appeal after the conclusion of the examination.  The Board will not discuss the specifics of an individual candidate’s performance for any reason, including, but not limited to, using examination results as a study guide for future needs, etc.

Upon achieving board certified classification individuals are subsequently required to pay annual re-registration fees. Payment is due in March of each year and will incur a late payment penalty if delinquent. The following is the present fee structure:

• Emeritus Status (25+ years of ABPM Membership): $175
• Board Qualified: $200
• Board Certified: $350

Individuals who achieve board certification are granted this classification for a 10-year period with the following provision:

·        Enrollment and Participation in the ABPM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program.

·        The program outlines the re-credentialing requirements over the duration of the Diplomate’s 10-year cycle.

·        The Diplomate is required to pay annual dues and fees associated with the MOC process.

·        Enrollment begins the calendar year following certification.

ABPM now has an app for iOS/Android devices which contains practice questions to help prepare for the Part 1 (Qualification) examination.  To download the app, please search for ABPM in Apple iTunes or Google Play.  In addition, The American College of Podiatric Medicine offers a Review Text. Information can be found on their website ACPMed.org.

Sample case scenarios are available on the ABPM PearsonVUE homepage, https://home.pearsonvue.com/abpmed.  Candidates do not need to log in to use this feature, it is available on the lower right hand side menu.

You may schedule your appointment after receiving your authorization by logging on to the Pearson VUE website at http://www.pearsonvue.com/abpmed or calling (800) 990-1976.  After scheduling your appointment, you will be sent a confirmation that provides additional details, including directions to the test center, instructions on what to bring with you and other pertinent information.

The following subject areas are tested to determine Board Certified status, along with their approximate proportional representation in the Certification examination.include the blueprint.

Categories may include topics from the blueprint with special considerations in pediatric and geriatric patients. Both local and systemic manifestations of relevant podiatric pathology are assessed.

The Didactic portion, or multiple choice section, is primarily designed to assess a candidate's breadth of knowledge. The Didactic portion of the examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Each question is followed by four or more responses, of which there is a single best response available. Key words in the question stem, such as most, least, only, or except are highlighted to facilitate comprehension. There are no questions with responses such as: all of the above; none of the above; or combined responses, e.g. A and C.

The Case Review Section of the Examination consists of a variety of separate clinical scenarios that need to be worked through by the candidate. The clinical scenarios and related questions may involve any of the areas listed in the subjects listed above. Candidates are provided with patient and clinical information from which to work through the case. Each segment of the question is assigned specific scoring criteria, such as an appropriate history and physical examination, requesting appropriate additional laboratory and/or imaging studies, making the proper diagnosis, determining the appropriate treatment plan, etc. The particular scoring requirements of each case vary based on the presented information.

When should I arrive?

• Arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.
• Make sure to familiarize yourself with the testing center location and parking before your appointment.
• Your confirmation from Pearson will have specific details for the center.

What if I arrive late?

• If you arrive at your appointment time or later you may not be able to test.  Availability at the centers is limited.

What identification will I need?

• A primary government issued photo ID such a driver’s license or passport (must not be expired)
• A secondary ID with either your signature or photograph such as a Social Security card or credit/ATM card.
• Your name must match exactly to what ABPM has on file or you will not be allowed to test.

Exam Structure and Scheduled Breaks

• The exam consists of two 200 minute sections.
• There is a scheduled 20 minute break between the sections.
• You make take unscheduled breaks as needed, but the time will continue to run on your exam.

Lodging and Travel

• ABPM cannot guarantee that center near you is available.  In the event you need to travel, you are responsible for making your own arrangements.

In order to determine whether or not you are eligible to sit for the ABPM Board Examinations, go to our Exam Certification Examination page and click the Am I Eligible? button.

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements, pass both the didactic and case sections of the Certification Examination and must provide evidence of an active license to practice podiatric medicine to be granted board certified classification.

If you pass one section of the exam, your scores are valid for the length of your eligibility.  For example: if you complete residency in 2021 you are eligible until 2029.  If you take the exam in October 2021 and pass the cases but not the didactic section, you have until 2029 to take and pass just the didactic section.  Your case section score is valid until your eligibility expires.

How long am I eligible to sit for the Certification Exam?

As of October 2022 you are considered eligible to sit for the Exam for eight years from the date you completed your CPME approved PMSR-36 or PMSR/RRA-36 residency. If you do not attempt the examination in that time period you are no longer eligible. If you attempt to take the Certification Exam during this eight year period and fail, your eligibility period is extended out for an additional 5 years. The maximum eligibility range is therefore 13 years.

How does passing/failing work for the current Certification Examination?

As of October 2022, the Certification Exam is scored as a single exam composed of two sections (Cases & Didactic). You must pass both sections in one sitting in order to pass the exam. If you fail one part of the exam you must take the entire exam over again the next time it is offered in the Fall. Failing one part of the exam adds a one-time 5 year extension onto your original eight year eligibility period, for a maximum eligibility period of 13 years.

What happens if I passed only one section of the exam that I took prior to October 2022?

If you passed only one section of the exam prior to October 2022, your scores are valid for eight years from your residency graduation date. For example: if you completed residency in 2021, and you attempted and passed only the Cases or Didactic section o the exam, you are eligible until 2029 to pass the remaining part of the exam you failed.

If there is an Examination provided in May, who is eligible to sit for this exam?

The only people eligible to sit for the ABPM examination in May are those who were tested prior to 2022 and have only passed one section.

As of October 2022 you are considered eligible to sit for the Exam for eight years from the date you completed your CPME approved PMSR-36 or PMSR/RRA-36 residency. If you do not attempt the examination in that time period you are no longer eligible. If you attempt to take the Certification Exam during this eight year period and fail, your eligibility period is extended out for an additional 5 years. The maximum eligibility range is therefore 13 years.

As of October 2022, the Certification Exam is scored as a single exam composed of two sections (Cases & Didactic). You must pass both sections in one sitting in order to pass the exam. If you fail one part of the exam you must take the entire exam over again the next time it is offered in the Fall. Failing one part of the exam adds a one-time 5 year extension onto your original eight year eligibility period, for a maximum eligibility period of 13 years.

If you passed only one section of the exam prior to October 2022, your scores are valid for eight years from your residency graduation date. For example: if you completed residency in 2021, and you attempted and passed only the Cases or Didactic section o the exam, you are eligible until 2029 to pass the remaining part of the exam you failed.

The only people eligible to sit for the ABPM examination in May are those who were tested prior to 2022 and have only passed one section.

Unfortunately, most of the podiatrists who fall into this category are no longer eligible to obtain Board Certification from ABPM. This is due to the confluence of several factors and determinations made both by the ABPM Board of Directors and the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) why recognizes and empowers certifying boards to conduct Board Certification.

CPME 220 regulates how recognized specialty certifying boards may conduct their certification procedures in section 5, stating:

5.2 The specialty board shall require candidates for certification to have successfully completed a minimum of three years of CPME-approved residency training.

This generally means that, presently, the Board can only certify only those podiatric physicians who have completed a 36-month CPME-approved Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR). This regulation was adopted and standardized in 2011 and both recognized certifying boards are required to comply.

The Board of Directors of ABPM has also adopted the following policy regarding Board Eligibility:

19.1 Board Eligibility – Candidates completing a CPME-approved residency program are considered Board Eligible at the conclusion of their final residency year.

19.1.1 Board Eligibility status is granted for a period up to eight (8) years, after which a candidate will no longer be permitted to sit for the examination process. If a candidate attempts certification within the eight (8) year period but does not achieve certification they will be granted an additional five (5) years of eligible status.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Board Headquarters at (310) 375-0700 or sarah@podiatryboard.org for official verification of their eligibility status.

The eight-year eligibility window specified in 19.1.1 allows a reasonable period following the completion of 3-year CPME approved podiatric medicine and surgery residency. The eight-year window exceeds that provided generally by our allopathic and osteopathic colleagues.

Additionally, ABPM’s policy allows those who have yet to obtain specialty certification from the other CPME-recognized certifying board an additional year to consider certification with ABPM and ensure their professional and economic viability. Both eligibility periods are comparable to those offered by our allopathic MD/DO colleagues, including the 24 distinct specialty certifying boards under the American Board of Medical Specialties umbrella.

More recently, ABPM’s Board of Directors has approved an additional 2-3 years due to the training and education impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided the candidate reaches out to ABPM to request extra time. Extra time is not approved simply by asking the question, but is only available on a case-by-case basis, only to those whose eligibility may have expired between 2020-2022.

Finally, the ABPM Board of Directors has determined that it cannot now elect to certify some practitioners who are presently outside of the eligibility window while others have been timed out of the process and were denied the opportunity to sit.

From ABMS Standards for Certification of Allopathic and Osteopathic Medicine

GS-3. Each ABMS Member Board will determine criteria for eligibility, including the expiration date for the Board Eligible period. The expiration date must be no fewer than three and no more than seven years following the successful completion of accredited training, and in accordance with the corresponding Member Board requirements, plus time (if any) in practice required by the Member Board for admission to the certifying examination.