The American Board of Anesthesiology

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Examinations and Certifications

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Primary Certification in Anesthesiology

Primary certification in Anesthesiology is available to individuals not yet certified by the ABA or who are not currently a candidate in the ABA examination system.

Examination Information


Examination Dates


Application and Examination Fees


In-Training Examination


Part 1 Examination


Part 2 Examination


  • An overview of the Part 2 Examination process is available in PDF format here.
  • A description of Part 2 Examination is available in PDF format here.
  • The Part 2 Examination example is available in PDF format here.
  • The Part 2 Examination video is available here.

Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA)

Diplomates must demonstrate their cognitive expertise once every ten years by passing an ABA examination. The examination may be completed only in years 7 through 10 of the MOCA cycle. Diplomates are allowed to take the examination up to twice a year. If the examination is not passed before the end of the 10-year MOCA cycle, the diplomate’s certification will expire. Diplomates may register for the Cognitive Examination through their online portal account.

Examination Information


Examination Dates


Current Fees


Examination Tutorial

  • If you are unable to load the tutorial, you may access a PDF of the tutorial here.
  • A sample of 20 examination questions may be viewed here.

Content Outline


The examination consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, of which 150 questions will be in General Anesthesia, and 50 questions will be divided approximately evenly among the following areas: Pediatric Anesthesia, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Neuroanesthesia, Critical Care Medicine, Obstetrical/Gynecologic Anesthesia, and Pain Medicine.

MOCA Keywords


Pearson VUE Professional Examination Rules


Pearson VUE Security Procedure (Palm Vein)



Critical Care Medicine Certification

The critical care medicine physician is a specialist whose knowledge is of necessity broad, involving all aspects of management of the critically ill patient, and whose primary base of operation is the intensive care unit (ICU). This physician has completed training in a primary specialty and has received additional training in critical care medicine aspects of many disciplines. This background enables the physician to work in concert with the various specialists on the patient care team in the ICU; to utilize recognized techniques for vital support; to teach other physicians, nurses, and health professionals the practice of intensive care; and to foster research.

Examination Information


Initial Certification


Available for Anesthesiologists holding primary certificates in Anesthesiology. Part 2 Examination candidates may provisionally apply for certification in Critical Care Medicine.
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Recertification


The American Board of Anesthesiology’s Critical Care Medicine Recertification program is available to diplomates of the ABA who have been certified in Critical Care Medicine.
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Pain Medicine Certification

Pain medicine is the medical discipline concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of the entire range of painful disorders. Because of the vast scope of the field, pain medicine is a multidisciplinary subspecialty. The expertise of several disciplines is brought together in an effort to provide the maximum benefit to each patient. Although the care of patients is heavily influenced by the primary specialty of physicians who subspecialize in pain medicine, each member of the pain treatment team understands the anatomical and physiological basis of pain perception, the psychological factors that modify the pain experience, and the basic principles of pain medicine.

Examination Information


Initial Certification


Available for Anesthesiologists holding primary certificates in Anesthesiology. Part 2 Examination candidates may provisionally apply for certification in Pain Medicine.
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Recertification


The American Board of Anesthesiology’s Pain Medicine Recertification program is available to diplomates of the ABA who have been certified in Pain Medicine.
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Hospice & Palliative Medicine Certification

Hospice and palliative medicine is based on expanding scientific knowledge about symptom control when cure is not possible and appropriate care during the last months of life. Research, teaching, and practice efforts in this field have led to a vast increase in knowledge in the effort to relieve suffering of seriously ill patients and their families. Physicians who acquire subspecialist-level knowledge and skills in hospice and palliative medicine largely practice in one of two distinct professional roles: hospice medical director and institution-based palliative care practice.

Examination Information


Initial Certification


Available for Anesthesiologists holding primary certificates in Anesthesiology. Part 2 Examination candidates may provisionally apply for certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Examination is administered every other year.
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Examination Dates


Application and Examination Fees


For more information, refer to Section 3.01.C of the  Booklet of Information.


Sleep Medicine Certification

The Sleep Medicine Subspecialty Certification Program is designed to recognize excellence among physicians who are specialists in the care of patients with sleep problems and specific sleep disorders. Sleep medicine encompasses a multidisciplinary body of knowledge regarding the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathophysiology, and pharmacology of sleep and wakefulness, and their disorders.

Examination Information


Initial Certification


Physicians interested in obtaining subspecialty certification in sleep medicine must:
  1. Possess an appropriate medical degree or its equivalent;
  2. Hold an unexpired license to practice medicine or osteopathy in at least one state or jurisdiction of the United States or Canada that is permanent, unconditional and unrestricted;
  3. Be a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology;
  4. Be a participant in the ABA’s Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) program;
  5. Complete the specified education and training requirements or practice experience in sleep medicine.

Applicants who have completed training in anesthesiology in an ACGME-accredited core residency training program after July 1, 2009, will be required to have further successfully completed an ACGME-approved sleep medicine fellowship in order to qualify for the subspecialty certification process in sleep medicine. The applicant must provide documentation from the program director that the fellowship was satisfactorily completed. The applicant must be actively providing sleep medicine care at least one day per week. A letter to the ABA from the current Department Chair attesting to the extent and quality of their sleep medicine practice will also be required.

Applicants who completed training prior to July 1, 2009 may be eligible to apply for the sleep medicine examination if they have been certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine or if they have provided attestation of 12 months of full time post training practice experience in sleep medicine. Practice experience must include the clinical care of patients with sleep disorders, accumulated over a maximum of five years prior to application for examination. The clinical practice must involve a minimum experience of 400 patient evaluations, as well as interpreting and reviewing the complete raw data of 200 polysomnograms and 25 multiple sleep latency tests. This will be demonstrated by a letter from the applicant’s Department Chair or other institutional official certifying that the applicant’s clinical efforts are devoted to the practice of sleep medicine, at least to this extent. This application process for those who completed training prior to July 1, 2009, ("grandfathering") will be time-limited for the 2011 and the 2013 examination only.

The Sleep Medicine Certification Examination will be a comprehensive one-day computer-based examination of multiple-choice questions in the single best answer format with an absolute standard for passing. The examination is designed to evaluate the extent of the candidate's knowledge and clinical judgment in the areas in which a sleep medicine specialist should demonstrate a high level of competence. The Sleep Medicine Examination is administered every other year. The detailed content outline, or examination blueprint, is available on the ABIM's web site at www.ABIM.org.



Pediatric Anesthesiology Certification

Pediatric Anesthesiology is a discipline of anesthesiology that includes the evaluation, preparation, and management of pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in operative and critical care settings. In addition, this discipline also entails the evaluation and treatment of children with acute and chronic painful disorders. This application reflects the increasing scientific knowledge of the pathophysiology, pharmacology, genetics, psychology, and technology that is applied to the care of pediatric patients, especially pediatric patients with extensive preexisting medical conditions or undergoing extensive surgical procedures, requiring more advanced training and knowledge than expected of a general anesthesiologist.

Examination Information

Physicians who apply for subspecialty certification in pediatric anesthesiology must:

  • Possess an appropriate medical degree or its equivalent;
  • Hold an unexpired license to practice medicine or osteopathy in at least one state or jurisdiction of the United States or Canada that is permanent, unconditional and unrestricted;
  • Be a Diplomate of The American Board of Anesthesiology;
  • Be participants in the ABA's Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) program;
  • Have satisfactorily completed fellowship training in pediatric anesthesiology or possess the required experience in pediatric anesthesiology.

The ABA is currently developing guidelines that will address specific requirements for fellowship training as well as clinical experiences. These will be announced in 2012 prior to the application process opening.

The Pediatric Anesthesiology Examination will comprise multiple-choice questions designed to broadly assess knowledge in the field of pediatric anesthesiology. This examination will be given under secure conditions in a computer-based format at testing centers throughout the United States. It will be drawn from the areas specifically identified in both the ACGME Program Guidelines as well as the Pediatric Anesthesiology Content Outline posted here. A committee composed of experienced pediatric anesthesiologists will develop items for the pediatric anesthesiology qualifying examination.


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