ABA Cancels June BASIC Exam, Offers August Administration

We are cancelling the June BASIC Exam due to the incredible disruption in practice, training and study caused by COVID-19. We want physicians to be in the best position to take the exam and believe giving additional time to manage through the pandemic will help.

We’re inviting residency programs to offer an Aug. 7 – 8 BASIC Exam administration at their institutions, like they do the In-Training Exam, for residents who don’t want to wait for the November exam. Programs have until June 30 to inform the ABA of their plans and are not required to offer this option.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re a resident that’s already registered for the June BASIC Exam:

• If you have scheduled an appointment with Pearson VUE for the June BASIC Exam, we will cancel it for you.
• You will only be registered for and allowed to take the August BASIC Exam if your program offers one. You may not take an August exam at another institution, even if there is one nearby.
• You are not required to take the August exam. If it is offered at your program and you decline to take it, you will automatically be registered for the Nov. 13 -14 BASIC Exam.
• Your registration fee will be held on account until you take the August or November exam.
• If you are approved for a nonstandard exam accommodation, we will work with your program to ensure the accommodation is provided. If the accommodation cannot be provided at your program, you will automatically be registered for the November exam at a Pearson VUE testing center.
• If you take and fail the August exam, you may register for the November exam and schedule an appointment at a local Pearson VUE center.
• If your program does not administer an August exam, we will automatically register you for the November exam. You will receive an email from Pearson VUE in late August/early September to schedule an appointment at a local testing center.
• We will email you in July to confirm whether your program is offering an August administration and, if so, to confirm your interest in taking that exam.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re a resident that’s NOT currently registered for the June BASIC Exam:

• If you register for the cancelled June exam by May 14 and your institution offers the August exam, your registration will automatically be transferred to the August exam.
• If you register for the June BASIC Exam, you are not required to take the August exam. If you decline to take an August exam, you will automatically be registered for the Nov. 13 -14 BASIC Exam.
• Your registration fee will be held on account until you take the August or November exam.
• If you are approved for a nonstandard exam accommodation, we will work with your program to ensure that the accommodation is provided. If the accommodation cannot be provided, you will automatically be registered for the November exam at a Pearson VUE testing center.
• If you take and fail the August exam, you may register for the November exam and schedule an appointment at a local Pearson VUE center.
• If your program does not administer an August exam, we will automatically register you for the November exam. You will receive an email from Pearson VUE in late August/early September to schedule an appointment at a local testing center.
• We will email you in July to confirm whether your program is offering an August administration and, if so, to confirm your interest in taking that exam.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re taking the BASIC Exam to re-establish your eligibility for board-certification.

• We will automatically register you for the Nov. 13-14 BASIC Exam and will hold your registration fee on account until then.
• There is no action you need to take unless you wish to cancel your November exam registration, which you may do upon receiving your exam scheduling email in the fall. You will not incur a cancellation fee if you cancel the exam.

If you have questions, please contact our staff at (866) 999-7501 or exams@theABA.org.