Spring ABFM Exam:
April 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 2020

Spring ABFM Registration:
Dec. 6, 2019 through Jan.27, 2020

Deadline to select Spring testing date:
March 23, 2020

Final deadline to submit Spring application*:
March 20, 2020

Fall ABFM Exam:
November 9–14, 2020

Fall ABFM Registration:
July 17, 2020 through Aug. 24, 2020

Deadline to select Fall testing date:
Oct.26, 2020

Final deadline to submit Fall application*:
Sep.14, 2020

The American Board of Family Medicine is one of 24 medical specialty boards that make up the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Through ABMS, the boards work together to establish common standards for physicians to achieve and maintain board certification.

Board certification is a meaningful indicator that a physician has the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to provide high-quality patient care. Although board certification is voluntary, ABFM certification is recognized throughout the world as signifying excellence in the practice of Family Medicine.

The ABFM Family Medicine examination is referred to as the Family Medicine Certification Examination. The same examination is delivered to initial certification and continuing certification candidates

ABFM publishes a content blueprint * of the material that will appear on the exam, the primary medical content categories of the blueprint are shown below. This is how we determine which material appears in ABFM board exam simulations.

• Population-based Care :
  This includes topics such   as biostatistics and epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, prevention, health policy and legal issues, bioterror, quality improvement, and geographic/urban/rural issues.
• Patient-based Systems :
  This includes topics such as clinical decision-making, communication and doctor patient interaction, family and cultural issues, ethics, palliative care,and end-of-life care.
• Module:
  Selected from seven possible choices at the time of the examination.

The ABFM Certification Examination in Family Medicine is a test of family medicine knowledge and clinical problem-solving ability relevant to Family Medicine.  Appropriate subject areas of the following disciplines are included: Community Medicine; Adult Medicine; Maternity Care; Gynecology; Care of Neonates, Infants, Children and Adolescents; Behavior & Mental Health; the Surgical Patient; and the Older Patient.

Elements of the examination include, but are not limited to, diagnosis, management, and prevention of disease. The examination consists of four sections and is a full day in length.

The Family Medicine Certification Examination is divided into four (4) equal sections of 100 minutes. Each section contains 80 multiple choice questions. The modular exam portion of the examination is contained in the second section of the examination and consists of 40 multiple choice questions over the topic selected.

The second section of the examination will first present the 40 questions over the modular exam topic selected and then 40 questions which cover the breadth of Family Medicine. The modular exam topic will be selected prior to beginning the second section of the examination. Once a modular exam topic has been selected and confirmed, the selection cannot be changed.

The One-Day Family Medicine Certification Examination consists only of single best response, multiple-choice questions. On exam day there will be a brief orientation/tutorial prior to starting, which will allow you to re-familiarize yourself with the exam process.