ABR Radbio/Physics passing score thresholds [Resurfacing the discussion]

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NotARadiologist

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With the exam coming up in 2 weeks and given that the last time this was discussed on SDN was in 2015, I'm curious to know if anything has changed.
Does anyone know what the ABR uses as their threshold to pass? It's 100 questions for each, radbio and physics. So what number of questions do they normally use for a passing score? >50% or ≥60% or is it higher?
I remember seeing many times before that 70% on Raphex is normally what you should aim for but I wonder if it is because that is the cutoff they use, or if that's a much higher goal so you can be 99% sure of passing.
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NotARadiologist said:
With the exam coming up in 2 weeks and given that the last time this was discussed on SDN was in 2015, I'm curious to know if anything has changed.
Does anyone know what the ABR uses as their threshold to pass? It's 100 questions for each, radbio and physics. So what number of questions do they normally use for a passing score? >50% or ≥60% or is it higher?
I remember seeing many times before that 70% on Raphex is normally what you should aim for but I wonder if it is because that is the cutoff they use, or if that's a much higher goal so you can be 99% sure of passing.
Click to expand...

I believe the point of the Angoff method is that it's custom to each test based on the expected performance of each question. So there is not general "cut off" that marks a passing threshold but it can vary from test to test.
 
In general it’s pretty low. Except for the class of 2019 which Paul Wallner unilaterally decided all had worms in their brain and weren’t even minimally competent to drive to the testing center.
 
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At the risk of feeling like self-promotion, I wanted to post these. They will not answer your question, so save it for after boards or a study break.

We interviewed the new Rad Onc director Mike Yunes and asked him a lot about procedure and process. They have put effort in to trying better standardize the inherently subjective Angoff and oral boards grading process. I think this is a good effort assuming theyve decided they aren't bailing on Angoff.

accelerators.buzzsprout.com

“Squatting Under the Table Feeding Them Answers”: In Conversation With Mike Yunes of the ABR - The Accelerators Podcast

The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host new Associate Executive Director for Radiation Oncology at The American Board of Radiology (ABR), Dr. Michael Yunes! Mike is a community radiation oncologist in Springfield, MA and l...
accelerators.buzzsprout.com accelerators.buzzsprout.com

If people want to better understand what happened in 2018, Beckta did this podcast, it is excellent. It's a bigger story than "Wallner is a weirdly mean person", there was a lot more going on.

 
NotARadiologist said:
With the exam coming up in 2 weeks and given that the last time this was discussed on SDN was in 2015, I'm curious to know if anything has changed.
Does anyone know what the ABR uses as their threshold to pass? It's 100 questions for each, radbio and physics. So what number of questions do they normally use for a passing score? >50% or ≥60% or is it higher?
I remember seeing many times before that 70% on Raphex is normally what you should aim for but I wonder if it is because that is the cutoff they use, or if that's a much higher goal so you can be 99% sure of passing.
Click to expand...
The simple fact that you are asking these questions makes me doubt you have anything to worry about other than the annoyance of suffering this right of passage. These things are not designed to make you feel good and no matter how much you study, it is likely you will not walk out saying to yourself "nailed it." People may choose to agree or disagree with me, but in general (2018 excluded) there are 2 categories of folks who fail the written exams and neither should be shocked when it happens. The first are the people who don't adequately prepare. These are not testing walking around knowledge and take quite a bit of preparation to pass. I guarantee not one of your attendings could walk in and pass them tomorrow. Despite all the warnings, there will always be a percentage of folks who don't prepare or make bone-headed decisions like getting married a week before the boards. Then there is the other group of people who are bad test takers or just don't get the material. If you did decent on your step exams and are regularly doing better than 20th percentile on your in-service exams, there is almost no chance you are in this group.
 
Pour one out for the good old days when residents had to fly to Arizona, take the paper test at the ABR testing center, then get ratchet on some enormous Tucson airport margaritas before a late afternoon flight home
 
I did my written exams in local Prometric testing centers (they were all electronic). But I had the displeasure of doing the oral board exam in Louisville, KY. Nowadays, it looks like examiners have to go through quite a bit as this recent email from the ABR illustrates:


DEI Training Helps Optimize the Oral Exam Experience​

By Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, and Paul J. Rochon, MD, ABR Trustees
2024;17(3):5​
The ABR is dedicated to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in all its efforts and activities with candidates, diplomates, volunteers, staff, and the public. The ABR DEI Committee is responsible for making recommendations and developing and supporting initiatives to create and sustain a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. The DEI Committee comprises trustees from diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, medical physics, and radiation oncology as well as representatives from the ABR Board of Governors. Over the past year, the committee has been evaluating options for introducing DEI unconscious bias training for ABR volunteers. Since most receive DEI workplace training at their places of employment, the ABR has

​
Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, and Paul J. Rochon, MD, ABR Trustees
been focused on developing DEI training geared more toward ABR activities.
We recently conducted a pilot to compare prerecorded versus live DEI training for oral examiners. We tailored one vendor’s DEI training program for use with the examiners who participated in the Medical Physics Oral Certifying Exam. A prerecorded version of the DEI training was sent to all examiners to review in advance of the exam. On-site examiners received additional DEI training that was similar to the prerecorded version but presented in a live interactive format. The purpose was to determine which format would work best for future DEI training.​
 
Radadabbadoo said:
Pour one out for the good old days when residents had to fly to Arizona, take the paper test at the ABR testing center, then get ratchet on some enormous Tucson airport margaritas before a late afternoon flight home
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You mean the good old days of going to Louisville? Not sure it was in Tucson more than a few years if that. For decades, it was in Louisville KY
 
medgator said:
200.gif


You mean the good old days of going to Louisville? Not sure it was in Tucson more than a few years if that. For decades, it was in Louisville KY
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Ahhh the Crown Plaza hotel. The Whiskey was decent, I'll give it that.
 
NotARadiologist said:
With the exam coming up in 2 weeks and given that the last time this was discussed on SDN was in 2015, I'm curious to know if anything has changed.
Does anyone know what the ABR uses as their threshold to pass? It's 100 questions for each, radbio and physics. So what number of questions do they normally use for a passing score? >50% or ≥60% or is it higher?
I remember seeing many times before that 70% on Raphex is normally what you should aim for but I wonder if it is because that is the cutoff they use, or if that's a much higher goal so you can be 99% sure of passing.
Click to expand...

ABR dare not have the fail rate anywhere near the 70s again unless they want ANOTHER Rad Onc riot on their hands.
Reason it hasn't been discussed in-depth is because the pass rate has been 90-95%+ since the 2018 fiasco.
 
evilbooyaa said:
ABR dare not have the fail rate anywhere near the 70s again unless they want ANOTHER Rad Onc riot on their hands.
Reason it hasn't been discussed in-depth is because the pass rate has been 90-95%+ since the 2018 fiasco.
Click to expand...
The whole thing could have been prevented if they admitted their methodology was flawed and offered a retake. But nope, dig your heels in and eat your young is the professional way.
 
MidwestRadOnc said:
The whole thing could have been prevented if they admitted their methodology was flawed and offered a retake. But nope, dig your heels in and eat your young is the professional way.
Click to expand...

Was brought up by a PD/aPD during the ASTRO meeting that year. Kachnic looked everyone in the eyes and told them no, that their residents were all stupider that year. I forget if Wallner was at that meeting or he left Kachnic out to dry...
 
Hi, does anyone have ASTRO radbio study guide for 2021 and 2022? If so, kindly post here or DM me please. Thank you! Exam in a week!
 
evilbooyaa said:
Was brought up by a PD/aPD during the ASTRO meeting that year. Kachnic looked everyone in the eyes and told them no, that their residents were all stupider that year. I forget if Wallner was at that meeting or he left Kachnic out to dry...
Click to expand...

Wallner and Kachnic should have both been removed from all leadership positions when they did this. The fact that they seem to have suffered no repercussions for this behavior tells you both how the "leadership" of this field feels about its trainees and how rad onc "leadership" lacks any accountability.
 
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