When did ABA stop letting you cross off 50 questions from MOCA exam?

[aneftp]

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Going to take MOCA next month.

Was 2011 the last year the ABA stopped the 50 question cross off?

Or was 2010 the last year it was available?

Was 2012 the first true year they made u do all 200 questions?

 

[deleted126335]

Going to take MOCA next month.

Was 2011 the last year the ABA stopped the 50 question cross off?

Or was 2010 the last year it was available?

Was 2012 the first true year they made u do all 200 questions?

I know it was available in 2009 - The year they ended the "recertification" exam. The last year for us "Grandfathers" to recertify and last most of us to the end of our careers if necessary.

I think that it was 2010, coincidentally, once there was no more benefit to the "grandfathers".

 

[aneftp]

Yeah. Just texted my friend. I thought he took it in 2011. His certificate expires Dec 2013.

But he told me he took it in 2010 and got to cross off 50 questions.

I think the exam pass rate was like 97% for first time test takers up in 2010.

Now exam pass rate is like 88% cause they are counting all the questions.

Still a very high pass rate. But I like me odds with the old style 50 question cross off than the newer test.

Rules are always changing.

 

[deleted126335]

Yeah. Just texted my friend. I thought he took it in 2011. His certificate expires Dec 2013.

But he told me he took it in 2010 and got to cross off 50 questions.

I think the exam pass rate was like 97% for first time test takers up in 2010.

Now exam pass rate is like 88% cause they are counting all the questions.

Still a very high pass rate. But I like me odds with the old style 50 question cross off than the newer test.

Rules are always changing.

Very few of us practice all the subspecialties. It is a real PITA for those who practice in a niche practice to relearn stuff that twe will never use for the sake of the exam. That was the point of the 50 question cross off.

 

[Jay K]

I was told it was all strategically planned to maximize income from exam fees. If they made it "easier" to pass, this would encourage individuals who didn't have to take MOCA to go ahead and apply. As time goes on, the exam will get hardwr and pass rates will fall to mimic the boards in order to then maximize potential income from fees and retakes.

 

[aneftp]

Very few of us practice all the subspecialties. It is a real PITA for those who practice in a niche practice to relearn stuff that twe will never use for the sake of the exam. That was the point of the 50 question cross off.

I still don't understand why they let people with time limited certificates (those boarded from 2000-2003). They let all those people cross off 50 questions (if they take the exam before 2011).

I understand letting the grandfathered folks cross off 50 questions cause those guys may be decades removed from standard question testing.

Seems like the ABA just winging it in their requirements. Or maybe the ABMS told the ABA they couldn't allow the crossing off of 50 questions.

 

[deleted126335]

I still don't understand why they let people with time limited certificates (those boarded from 2000-2003). They let all those people cross off 50 questions (if they take the exam before 2011).

I understand letting the grandfathered folks cross off 50 questions cause those guys may be decades removed from standard question testing.

Seems like the ABA just winging it in their requirements. Or maybe the ABMS told the ABA they couldn't allow the crossing off of 50 questions.

The grandfathers who enter MOCA now have the same rules as you (no crossoffs). The only difference is that if we fail the exam or don't meet the other requirements we don't get our lifetime certification revoked.

I have entered MOCA, for the sole reason that I am not sure that my current position will be my last and I thought that it might buff the CV, or at least not give some youngun such as yourself reason to judge us oldfarts who apply to your group for a job🙂

 

[aneftp]

The grandfathers who enter MOCA now have the same rules as you (no crossoffs). The only difference is that if we fail the exam or don't meet the other requirements we don't get our lifetime certification revoked.

I have entered MOCA, for the sole reason that I am not sure that my current position will be my last and I thought that it might buff the CV, or at least not give some youngun such as yourself reason to judge us oldfarts who apply to your group for a job🙂

Gotcha.

I totally understand your view. Some of the older guys (like in late 60s now, maybe retired by now ) told me board certification wasn't really a big deal in anesthesia unless you were going into academics.

Than something changed around the mid/late 80s when community hospitals started requiring board certification. Many of those guys eventually got booted out of their own group because of the lack of board certification standing and the young guy took control of the group.

Maybe the same with happen with the MOCA certification where u have to show MOCA recertification every 10 years regardless of your lifetime certificate.

That's understandable.

But like I said. Those who were already on a time limited certificate (certified between 2000-2003) were still able to cross off 50 questions if they took exam in year 2010.

But same peeps who were certified (2001-2003) if they took exam 2011-2013 had to answer all 200 questions. It's unfair to those people certified in those years.

My year (2005) is a mute point because the earliest i could have taken the exam would have been 2012 and the ABA changed the exam structure in 2011. So it doesn't affect those certified after 2004.

 

[Gern Blansten]

Or maybe the ABMS told the ABA they couldn't allow the crossing off of 50 questions.

When the change occurred, I was told it was a mandated change that came from the ABMS and that a 99% pass rate would not fly because it gave the appearance of a sham recert exam.

 

[aneftp]

When the change occurred, I was told it was a mandated change that came from the ABMS and that a 99% pass rate would not fly because it gave the appearance of a sham recert exam.

Now that is what I am beginning to believe that's what happen.

The ABMS is the organization the ABA has to follow.