New Certification Process, Effective September 2020

ABFAS made changes to the Board Certification process that went into effect starting in September 2020.

ABFAS' goals through the Board Certification process:

• Simplify the Board Certification steps with fewer exams
• Save candidates time and money
• Candidates will be able to use their passing ITE score for qualification purposes upon payment of a qualification fee.
• Changes to the PGY 1 & 2 In-training (ITE) examinations will provide residency directors with additional knowledge of how their residents are progressing 

ABFAS reserves the Fall Part I and Final-year In-training Exam window for current and newly graduated residents.

Process Changes to the In-training Examinations

First and Second Year Residents (and Third Year Residents in Four-Year Residency Programs)

Residents will take separate foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle (RRA) surgery didactic (80 items) and CBPS exams (8 cases) for a total of four exams.

Final-year Residents

Residents will take an 80 item didactic exam and the NEW 12 case CBPS exam for both Foot and RRA. Residents who pass any component of their final year ITE will be able to use their passed exam for ABFAS Board Qualification purposes.

The new ABFAS Board Certification process allows residents three (3) consecutive opportunities during and post-residency to become Board Qualified (Fall Final-year ITE, Spring Final Year Part I, and Fall Part I after Graduation).

Process Changes to the Part I Board Qualification Examinations 

Board Qualified Candidates who have taken the current 8 case CBPS examination will still need to take two exams to achieve Board Certification: Case Review and another CBPS exam, the NEW CBPS. The NEW CBPS examination, made up on 12 cases, is not the psychometric equivalent of the current 8 case CBPS examination.

Candidates who become Board Qualified by passing their final residency year ITE or the Part I Didactic examination along with the NEW CBPS examination need to take only Case Review to become Board Certified. 

Overview

* If you are, or become, Board Qualified before September 2020, under the current Part I examination requirements, you will still need to fulfill the current Part II exam requirements to become certified (passing the Part II CBPS and Case Review).

If you take the CBPS exam to become certified in Spring 2020 - you will take the current version of the Part II CBPS examination (12 Foot Surgery/16 RRA Surgery cases). If you choose to wait until after Spring 2020 - you will take the NEW CBPS exam (12 Foot Surgery/12 RRA Cases).