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General Information

During each hour of the examination, approximately 30 minutes of questions will be developed from the cases you submitted. Selected cases will be displayed on the computer screen for your reference and the examiner's reference. Some of the questions will specifically address how you evaluated and managed your actual patients.

 

The examiner will also use the cases to explore your management of similar patients with different specifications. For example, you might list a 48-year-old woman with an adnexal mass. After discussing the actual management, you might be asked if the management would have been different (and how) if the patient were 18 years old or 78 years old.

 

Questions will test your ability to:

  1. develop a diagnosis, including the necessary clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic procedures;
  2. select and apply proper treatment under elective and emergency conditions;
  3. prevent, recognize, and manage complications; and
  4. plan and direct follow-up and continuing care.

 

Carelessly prepared or incomplete case lists may contribute to failure to pass the Certifying Exam. All case lists will be submitted electronically. You can't bring a copy of your case list to the Certifying Exam for personal reference.

 

View a list of approved abbreviations for the 2025 Specialty Certifying Examination in Appendix C of the bulletin. 

 

All information for the case list for the Certifying Examination must be entered online. The information can be entered through any device with an internet connection, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers.

  • To enter a case, open your ABOG portal and click on "Case List Entry."
  • The entry process is simple, and common abbreviations are acceptable.
  • If a problem is encountered, there is an FAQ button where most questions will be answered. However, if the problem is not resolved, you should contact the Exams Department at initialcert@abog.org or 214.871.1619.


You will be asked to enter patient-identifying information on the case list that you print and give to your hospital medical records for verification. This information will be stored on a non-ABOG HIPAA-compliant server. The electronic copy of the case list that is submitted to ABOG must not contain patient-identifying information.


There has been concern expressed over the reduction in categories for the GYN case list. In an effort to align the case list to the blueprint, there was a decrease in categories and a shift of categories in some cases to other case lists.   


To better meet your needs and ensure a fair examination, GYN case list categories have been added. In this expansion, you may note a duplication with other case lists. One example is the categories for abortion management on both the OB and Office Practice case lists. In these instances, please populate the area that allows you to meet category requirements. All examiners are trained in test administration and scoring guidelines before each exam cycle and will be made aware of the category variance.  


We offer the opportunity to further clarify the expanded case list. If you would like to speak in person, please email initialcert@abog.org to schedule a phone call. 

You will submit your case list, summary sheets, and case list affidavit(s) electronically to the ABOG office through the Case List Entry System located on your ABOG portal.

  • All patients primarily cared for by you in all hospitals and surgical centers between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, must be listed.
  • Patient case lists that fail to provide the required information, include an insufficient number of patients, are inadequately or incompletely prepared, are not appropriately de-identified, or fail to provide sufficient breadth and depth of clinical problems may disqualify you from admission to the Certifying Examination. You are personally responsible for the proper preparation, de-identified accuracy, and completeness of the case lists.
  • The completeness and accuracy of submitted case lists are subject to audit by the ABOG. All audits will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Permission to conduct on-site audits will be required of you prior to final approval to take the Certifying Exam.
  • Falsification of information in the case lists may result in ineligibility to apply for the Certifying Exam for a minimum of three years. You must then meet all requirements in effect at the end of the deferred period.
  • If the falsification is discovered after you have successfully completed the Certifying Exam, the results of the test will be voided, and your certification will be revoked.