I wonder if you need to pass each section i.e. practical, written, etc... to pass the board?
Do you need to pass each section in order to pass board?
- Thread starter TJMAXX
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2007
- Messages
- 1,654
- Reaction score
- 37
I wonder if you need to pass each section i.e. practical, written, etc... to pass the board?
Yes, you have to pass both the practical and the written - you can't do really well on one to make up for doing poorly on the other.
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
- Messages
- 440
- Reaction score
- 8
I haven't taken the boards yet and haven't started really preparing for them yet (current PGY2 here), but I was under the impression that the boards are broadly broken down into the "written" and "practical" portions, each one given on its own day (hence a 2-day exam). According 2121115, you must get an overall pass on both portions to pass boards.
Now with regard my first reply, as far as I know the "written" and "practical" portions are further broken down into heme, cyto, autopsy/forensics, microbiology, chemistry, etc. just like on the RISE. On the "written" portion, it's possible for you to fail one of these subsections (microbiology, for example), but still do well enough on the other subsections to score enough points to get you over the passing threshold/cutoff, and end up with an overall pass of the "written" portion.
Others more experienced than myself can feel free to chime in and correct me if I'm wrong about this.
Now with regard my first reply, as far as I know the "written" and "practical" portions are further broken down into heme, cyto, autopsy/forensics, microbiology, chemistry, etc. just like on the RISE. On the "written" portion, it's possible for you to fail one of these subsections (microbiology, for example), but still do well enough on the other subsections to score enough points to get you over the passing threshold/cutoff, and end up with an overall pass of the "written" portion.
Others more experienced than myself can feel free to chime in and correct me if I'm wrong about this.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
- Messages
- 1,369
- Reaction score
- 23
Yes, that's basically my understanding/recollection of it. It's a little misleading to call things like microbiology, chemistry, heme, forensics, neuro, peds, cyto, etc. a "section" or even "subsection" -- they're just questions, where each exam has a number of questions with a focus in a given subspecialty. For those who don't initially pass their scores are broken down so they can see how they did on questions from most of the subspecialties, but those aren't really subsections in and of themselves as far as pass/fail on the exam goes. Just written and prac are.
I am deep in board prep right now. It's not fun.
Here's the exam schedule: http://abpath.org/APCPSchedule.pdf
There are three subsections for both AP and CP. To my understanding, you must pass each subsection to pass AP or CP overall. Furthermore, if you went to a combined AP/CP residency, you must pass both AP and CP exams before you get a board certificate and can say you are "board certified." Now, if you can manage to pass by aceing hematology and bombing micro or whatever, I think that is fine.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, because the degree of opacity about the mechanics of the exam itself and how it is scored is very high.
Here's the exam schedule: http://abpath.org/APCPSchedule.pdf
There are three subsections for both AP and CP. To my understanding, you must pass each subsection to pass AP or CP overall. Furthermore, if you went to a combined AP/CP residency, you must pass both AP and CP exams before you get a board certificate and can say you are "board certified." Now, if you can manage to pass by aceing hematology and bombing micro or whatever, I think that is fine.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, because the degree of opacity about the mechanics of the exam itself and how it is scored is very high.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,801
- Reaction score
- 1,187
No, this is NOT correct.
There are only 2 parts to the boards- the written and the "practical". The "practical" is broken down into 2 sections- 50 slides + 25 virtual slides, and a second section that is a series of questions based on an image (think- lots of cytology). These are graded together as the "practical". Exactly how that happens is anyone's guess. The other part is the written- it's a bazillion short questions that test your fund of knowledge (think- esoterica).
Once you take the boards, you will get a nice letter saying you "passed". If not, you get a letter telling you did not, and you get a breakdown of the section you failed.
Thanks, I was uncertain about that.
While we're vaguely on the topic, are the glass (and virtual) slides strictly identification without like second-level questions? And they have multiple choice answers to pick from, or it's fill in the blank?
While we're vaguely on the topic, are the glass (and virtual) slides strictly identification without like second-level questions? And they have multiple choice answers to pick from, or it's fill in the blank?
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,801
- Reaction score
- 1,187
Everything is multiple choice. That's a blessing and curse- the DDX will be the answer choices. If you can distinguish the DDX and get the correct answer (based on histology or supplemental info) you'll be golden.
The slides and virtual slides are MOSTLY (but not entirely) identification. I felt that they were straight forward, and if it was a secondary or tertiary question it was pretty reasonable (of course there were exceptions).
Ive completed the test. There are three exam periods each for AP and CP portions. Each section has to be passed. Each started easy, then got hard, then part 3 was WTF? Im not aware that two of the sections in either are combined for scoring. You can sit for both AP and CP and pass one or the other portion and need only come back and repeat the other that you failed. If you initially apply for AP/CP and pass only one portion you have the option to pay them $1,000 to convert you to board certified in the portion you passed- ie CP or AP only. Yes thats 1k- total BS. You may initally apply for CP or AP only whether or not your training was both.
I thought this option went away in past 1-2 years...?
IDK i took it before that. It was then.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,801
- Reaction score
- 1,187
Not to nitpick but ABP only reports two scores. It may be true that all three parts have to be passed, but it is not clear if this is true since, again, they only report a "practical" and a "written" score.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2007
- Messages
- 1,654
- Reaction score
- 37
The practical is given in 2 parts - one session with slides and one with computer images. These two together constitute the practical portion. Then there is one session that is the written - no images just straight old school multiple choice. Thus, three sessions make up two portions of the test.
The same format applies to CP, except the slides session of the practical is replaced by a "calculations" session.
Another question: are the sample questions the board makes available (http://abpath.org/ExamPractice.htm) representative of the level of difficulty you actually encounter? They seem almost reasonable, imo...
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 2,801
- Reaction score
- 1,187
Yes, I think they are as close as anything you're going to see.
I was pleasantly surprised during the actual test not to see many ALL ARE TRUE EXCEPT: type questions. God I hate those. They are like 90% of Lefkowitch.
That's good to know. I hate those questions because more often then not, I eliminate all the choices... 😳
Hi, the "calculations" session is not all about number calculations, most are not number related analysis, correct?
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2007
- Messages
- 1,654
- Reaction score
- 37
They call it "calculations" but it is more like "problem solving". But be aware - you will need to know some equations stone cold from memory, particularly for blood bank.
Similar threads
