Internal Medicine
Recertification / MOC Exam Review

Spring ABIM MOC Exam Dates (Standard):
Apr. 27, 29 or May 1, 2020

Spring ABIM MOC Exam
Special Accommodation* Dates:
May 18-22, 2020

MOC Assessment Fee: $650

Spring 2020 Registration Dates:
Dec. 1, 2019 through Feb. 28, 2020

Fall ABIM MOC Exam Dates (Standard):
Oct. 27, 30 or Nov. 2, 2020

Fall ABIM MOC Exam
Special Accommodation* Dates:
Nov. 16-20, 2020

MOC Assessment Fee: $650

Fall 2020 Registration Dates:
Dec. 1, 2019 through Aug. 15, 2020

*Special accommodation dates are only offered to candidates who have a documented disability requiring a special testing schedule, as provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act. See the ABIM policy on Testing Accommodations for Exam Takers with Disabilities..

Spring Exam dates (Standard):
Mar. 7 or 11, 2020

Spring Exam Special Accommodation* dates:
Mar. 7-13, 2020

Spring Registration dates:
Dec. 1, 2019 through Jan. 15, 2020

Summer Exam dates (Standard):
Jul. 11, 15 or 17, 2020

Summer Exam Special Accommodation* dates:
Jul. 11-17, 2020

Summer Registration dates:
Dec. 1, 2019 through May. 15, 2020

Fall Exam dates (Standard):
Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 2, 4. 5, 10, 13, 2020

Fall Exam Special Accommodation* dates:
Nov. 9-13, 2020

Fall Registration dates:
Dec. 1, 2019 through Sep. 15, 2020

* Special accommodation dates are only offered to candidates who have a documented disability requiring a special testing schedule, as provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please see the ABIM policy on Testing Accommodations for Exam Takers with Disabilities..

ABIM Board Certification demonstrates that physicians have met rigorous standards through intensive study, self-assessment and evaluation. MOC assessments are designed to evaluate whether a certified internist has maintained competence and currency in the knowledge and judgment required for practice.  The MOC assessments emphasizes diagnosis and management of prevalent conditions, particularly in areas where practice has changed in recent years.

As a result of the blueprint review by ABIM diplomates, the assessments place less emphasis on rare conditions and focuses more on situations in which physician intervention can have important consequences for patients. For conditions that are usually managed by other specialists, the focus is on recognition rather than on management.

ABIM 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 IM board exam simulations.

The traditional 10-year exam comprises up to 220 single best-answer multiple-choice questions, of which 50 are new questions that do not count in the examinee’s score.

The exam consists of single best answer questions only. This type of question consists of a brief statement, case history, graph or picture followed by a question and list of possible options. You must choose the one answer that is better than the others; note that other options may be partially correct.  Examinees taking the traditional 10-year MOC exam will have access to an external resource (e.g., UpToDate®) for the entire exam.Familiarizing yourself with the question format in advance may help you work more effectively. Take the tutorial.

Most questions describe clinical scenarios and ask about the work done (that is, tasks performed) by physicians in the course of practice:

• Diagnosis: making a diagnosis or identifying an underlying condition
• Testing: ordering tests for diagnosis, staging, or follow-up
• Treatment/Care Decisions: recommending treatment or other patient care
• Risk Assessment/Prognosis/Epidemiology: assessing risk, determining prognosis, and applying principles from epidemiologic studies
• Pathophysiology/Basic Science: understanding the pathophysiology of disease and basic science knowledge applicable to patient care

Reflecting the overall predominance of office-based internal medicine practice, most questions describe patient encounters that take place in outpatient settings; some encounters will occur in hospital or other inpatient settings as most general internists provide patient care in these settings as well. Clinical information presented may include patient photographs, radiographs, electrocardiograms, and other media to illustrate relevant patient findings.