ABIM Subspecialty Boards Score Release Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
pavetta

pavetta

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
May 31, 2014
Messages
42
Reaction score
23
Making this thread for those who are anxiously waiting for their scores to release and looking for historical data:

Historically the "pass rates" data is released in March.

2023
Cards: 10/10, results 12/21
Rheum: 10/18, results 11/28
Endo: 10/25, results 11/28
Infectious disease: 11/1, results 12/6
GI: 11/6, results 12/6
Heme onc: exam 11/8, results 12/11

2024
Heme Onc: 10/9, results 12/11
Cards: 10/29 and 10/30, results 12/16
Infectious disease: test 11/13; results 12/19
Nephrology: Test 11/14, results 12/19
Critical Care: 11/14
Gi: 11/20, results 1/7
Endo: 11/20, results 1/7
Rheum: 11/21, results 1/7

2024 set a precedent that scores CAN and will be released after the holidays.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
Thank you so much for this! Not a lot of info on the internet regarding this. I am rooting for GI results soon. Perhaps upcoming week based on 2023 trend? Hope it doesn't go beyond Christmas
 
Last edited:
pavetta said:
Making this thread for those who are anxiously waiting for their scores to release and looking for historical data:

2023
GI: 11/6, results 12/6
ID: 11/1, results 12/6
Endo: 10/25, results 11/28
Heme onc: exam 11/8, results 12/11
Cards: 10/10, results 12/21

2024
Heme Onc: 10/9, results 12/11
Gi: 11/20
Endo: 11/20
Cards 10/29 and 10/30
Click to expand...

2023:

Rheumatology: 10/18, results 11/28
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Took the nephrology boards on 11/14/24, waiting for results... supposedly in previous years nephro results have come out in 4-5 weeks, so similar to other subspec exams.
 
I love how we shell out thousands for these exams yet they can't even standardize and publish score release dates (forget the fact that they take weeks to score a computerized standardized exam). Still waiting for endo scores. I think GI and rheum are still waiting too. Didn't expect this to go past the holidays based on previous release dates. But they were pretty much closed or taking half days these last two weeks, with warnings about "high call volume" on the rare day they were open. ABIM is such a money grab...
 
prithvi123 said:
I love how we shell out thousands for these exams yet they can't even standardize and publish score release dates (forget the fact that they take weeks to score a computerized standardized exam). Still waiting for endo scores. I think GI and rheum are still waiting too. Didn't expect this to go past the holidays based on previous release dates. But they were pretty much closed or taking half days these last two weeks, with warnings about "high call volume" on the rare day they were open. ABIM is such a money grab...
Click to expand...
Agree. It's ridiculous. But we can't do anything but wait...
 
dozitgetchahi said:
Wow that is really crazy. They were back in about 6 weeks when I took it last year. I wonder what’s going on.
Click to expand...
For those challenged by calendar math, this past Thursday was exactly 6 weeks after 11/21/2024. So not exactly 3SD away from expected.
 
gutonc said:
For those challenged by calendar math, this past Thursday was exactly 6 weeks after 11/21/2024. So not exactly 3SD away from expected.
Click to expand...

I looked at it quickly and didn’t think too closely about the exact number of weeks. Regardless, to my knowledge this is still somewhat later than ABIM rheumatology results have ever come out in the past. I don’t recall anyone I know in rheumatology ever waiting past the new year for results (even when the test date was later in the year).
 
Still waiting for critical care results, exam was on 11/14/2024
 
Passing along the knowledge I've gleaned over the years -

I heard through the grapevine that the subspecialty exams have lower pass rates because while they do curve the exam to some extent (some complicated methodology for scoring and validation ), it's also more "straight scale" than the internal medicine exam, and a pass is expected to be a raw score higher than the speculated 65%.

How Exams Are Developed | About ABIM Exams | ABIM.org

Their website suggests as long as you score the "minimum" you will pass. So there is a passing score, not necessarily a passing rate where the bottom X% don't pass, unlike the other boards.

Research does show that the ITEs do predict success on passing:
for Cards and Rheum, if you score >500 (out of 800) on the ITE, you have 95% chance of passing
for Endocrine, if you score >70% on the ITE, you have 95% chance of passing

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Performance on the adult rheumatology in-training examination and relationship to outcomes on the rheumatology certification examination - PubMed

The predictive value of the ACR ITE score with regard to predicting performance on the Rheumatology Certification Examination supports use of the Adult Rheumatology ITE as a valid feedback tool during fellowship training.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

When comparing the various score reports of the actual exam, the mean score is usually around 500, and the passing score is usually 400.

My conclusion is, for future test takers, to aim to score ~80% on all practice materials to comfortably pass. The real exams are vague, blurry images, a lot of first order you know it or you don't questions, a lot of ??? questions, the fatigue of a 10 hr exam that WILL tank your score by 5-10% because you have no idea what they're asking because of how isoteric and left field it is. You can't rely on the curve/compared to other applicants, because there is a set passing score.

This means that if you are underperforming as a fellow on the ITE, gotta hit those books and refresh ALL the foundational knowledge and guidelines. Their standards are literally higher for specialists. These exams aren't impossible, just... annoying. If you aren't scoring at least 70% on your prep before your exam your chances of passing is "unlikely". Read read read!

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Wish I knew this "Cards and Rheum, if you score >500 (out of 800) on the ITE, you have 95% chance of passing" before taking the exam. Waiting 7 weeks for the results was pure torture. I could not convince myself that I passed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

kaycee18
what subspecialty will protect against job loss?
Replies
1
Views
663
Drrrrrr. Celty
Drrrrrr. Celty
I
Endocrine boards23
Replies
0
Views
2K
IM2fellow
I
Purple Orchid
Did not pass ID boards...Any Advice or Suggestions?
Replies
1
Views
715
I-dont-do-source-control
I-dont-do-source-control
CCM-MD
ABIM Board Eligibility with foreign residency + US fellowship
Replies
5
Views
4K
Renal_Prometheus
R
J
  • Sticky
Official 2024-2025 Nephrology Fellowship Application Thread
Replies
6
Views
3K
kacelius
K
Top