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FAQs

How hard is the Internal Medicine Board exam? ›

How hard is the ABIM exam? The ABIM exam is one of the most difficult exams a doctor will take throughout their career. There are 240 case-based, single-best-answer multiple-choice questions that cover a wide range of Internal Medicine topics. The ABIM certification exam consists of single-best-answer questions only.

The Mayo Clinic Internal Medicine Board Review - Online course is a high-yield intensive program designed to assist with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Initial and Maintenance of Certification Examinations. The course also provides a relevant review of recent updates for clinical practice.

It's highly recommended to spend 10-14 hours a week for three or more months. Take a practice exam simulation as see where your weaknesses are. Work through the individual topics of difficulty to master them, then re-assess overall knowledge with larger exam simulations. The best IM board reviews are built for this.

If the candidate does not become board certified during the seven-year period of Board Eligibility, the candidate will no longer be deemed “Board Eligible” and may no longer represent himself or herself as “Board Eligible.”

Scoring is based on a standardized scale of 200 to 800, and anything at or over 366 is a passing score. The failure rate on the ABIM certification exam hovers around 1 in 10.

CME credits are important to physicians because some states require a specified number of credits annually to maintain medical licenses, and because most hospitals require a specified number of credits for their physicians to remain credentialed to see patients.

To stay certified, earn 100 MOC points every 5 years. In 10 years, you must pass an MOC assessment, which can be the traditional, 10-year MOC exam, the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment, or a Collaborative Maintenance Pathway assessment (available in Cardiovascular Disease and cardiology subspecialties).

Whether you're looking to fulfill your CME requirements or fill knowledge gaps, our free CME products provide valuable resources that support your professional growth and enhance patient care. Our curriculum ensures you receive well-rounded education tailored to your practice setting.

ACP's MKSAP is another popular choice for ABIM board studying. MKSAP questions are slightly easier, with little to no reading between the lines, which may more closely resemble the ABIM exam.

Is MKSAP complete worth it? ›

BOTTOM LINE: MKSAP is probably the gold standard of review materials for ABIM. It is a thorough review program with the added benefit of highlighting inpatient content for budding hospitalists.

With at least 250 questions, MKSAP Quick Qs are specifically created to help you prepare for the ABIM Certification and MOC exams. With the MKSAP Quick Qs, you can create custom quizzes in Exam and Study mode to facilitate your learning. Earn a minimum of 62.5 PRA Category 1 CME credits and MOC points.

1. Start slowly working through MKSAP questions. Aim to do just 3 MKSAP questions per day, and you will finish all of the question bank during your intern year. Try to do questions that line up with your rotations to make the content stick (e.g. cardiology questions during your cardiology rotation).

Most Comprehensive Internal Medicine Question Bank

NEJM Knowledge+ Internal Medicine Board Review delivers the most comprehensive question bank anywhere, along with two timed practice exams to help you gain the confidence you need to pass your board exam or LKA.

Of note, having failed the ABIM exam on your most recent attempt has no influence on your next attempt. You can take the exam annually for up to three years, but if you have not passed after your third attempt, you'll have to wait one year before registering again.

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) takes the top spot as the most challenging exam in the US, with an average preparation time ranging from 200 to 400 hours for each of its three steps.

They can be particularly difficult for new clinical students. Shelf exams are difficult for a variety of reasons. Each shelf exam for the core clinical rotations is different, and the tests cover broad content that requires extensive understanding of medicine and clinical applications.

But before we can call ourselves truly independent, one last exam looms on the horizon: the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification exam. On the hierarchy of medical exams, the difficulty of the ABIM exam lies somewhere in the middle, below the MCAT and USMLE Step 1, but above USMLE Steps 2 and 3.

In order to get an ABIM passing score, you need to score at least a 366, which is 64% of questions correct on the ABIM exam. The 2022 ABIM certification pass rate was 87% and the maintenance of certification exam pass rate was 94%.