Exam Eligibility
CORE Exam
Residents become eligible for the CORE Exam during their second year (DRY2) of residency, after completing at least 1.5 years of dermatology training. Individuals who do not pass the CORE Exam modules before completing residency training may continue to attempt the module(s) after graduation. Graduated residents with CORE Exam modules outstanding will receive invitations to apply for each CORE Exam during their 5-year eligibility period after graduation. Because passing the CORE Exam is necessary to qualify for the APPLIED Exam, they will not be able to apply for the APPLIED Exam until they complete the CORE Exam.
APPLIED Exam
Individuals who have passed all 4 CORE Exam modules and completed residency training are eligible to take the APPLIED Exam. Candidates have five years after completing residency to pass the APPLIED Exam and become board certified. During this period candidates are considered “board eligible”. Eligible candidates will be invited to register for the APPLIED Exam when the application opens.
Candidates will not be permitted to take the APPLIED Exam more than five years after the completion date of training. The eligibility window could be extended if the candidate has been prevented from taking the exam within the five-year period by military deployment or by catastrophic illness. If either of these situations exists, a candidate seeking extended board eligibility may be granted a one- or two-year deferral by submitting a request to the Board. The decision to grant or deny a deferral will be at the sole discretion of the Board.
Subspecialty Exams (Dermatopathology, Pediatric Dermatology, Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery)
Individuals with primary certification in dermatology who have completed an ACGME-approved fellowship are eligible for the corresponding subspecialty certification exam for a period of five years after completing their fellowship.
Exam Fees
Fees for the BASIC Exam are paid by the resident’s program. Fees for the CORE, APPLIED and Subspecialty certification exams are paid by the candidate when registering. Cancellation requests must be submitted (in writing) 2 weeks prior to the exam; the fee will be refunded minus $500. Candidates who do not provide 2-weeks’ notice for cancelling an exam, or who are “no shows” on exam day, forfeit the entire fee. The exam fee for the APPLIED and Subspecialty certification exams entitles the candidate to one attempt for the exam. Reattempts will require additional payments.
Honor Code
When registering for an ABD exam, all candidates are presented with and asked to affirm their understanding of the American Board of Dermatology Honor Code. On Exam Day, candidates are asked to reaffirm their agreement with the Honor Code.
Candidates with Disabilities
The American Board of Dermatology complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, therefore, allows the use of necessary auxiliary aids, services or testing conditions that do not fundamentally alter the measurement of the skills or knowledge the Board assessment program is intended to test. To request accommodations for an exam, candidates must notify the Board of the need for special testing when registering for the exam. After requesting an accommodation on the exam application, the candidate will use the Application for Special Accommodations to submit the request and supporting documentation to the ABD.
CME Credit
Individuals who PASS the APPLIED Exam or a subspecialty exam will automatically receive 60 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits. The ABD has contracted with the AMA to provide these credits at no cost to diplomates. After the ABD releases the exam results, the AMA will email passing candidates a certificate for this credit.
