August 1, 2025

The ABA Is Calling for New Authors To Write Assessment Questions

The American Board of Anesthesiology is actively recruiting new question authors to write for the ADVANCED, BASIC, Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain Medicine and Pediatric Anesthesiology exams. We’re also seeking new volunteers to write questions for MOCA Minute, including all MOCA Minute subspecialty committees, and Resident Reach, the ABA’s new formative assessment for residents and programs.

Question authors will be responsible for preparing multiple-choice questions from assigned content areas and will be paired with experienced question editors who provide guidance and feedback. Current question authors do not need to reapply to continue writing for their current assessments.

Please review the eligibility criteria below before applying. The deadline to apply is Aug. 31.

Eligibility criteria:

Have a valid, unexpired certification in anesthesiology or the subspecialty for which you are applying
- If interested in writing questions for a primary assessment or Resident Reach, you must have a valid, unexpired certification in anesthesiology for at least one year
- If interested in writing questions for a subspecialty assessment, you must have a valid, unexpired certification in that subspecialty for at least one year plus a valid, unexpired certification in anesthesiology for at least two years
Not participate in activities that may constitute a conflict of interest, such as exam review courses for which a fee is charged
Be “Participating in MOCA” at the time of application and, if appointed, for the entire term as a volunteer

If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in applying, please submit an online application providing two original assessment questions, demographic information and details on why you’d like to volunteer. If you are applying to write questions for multiple assessments, please submit two sample questions for each assessment.

Block out time to complete and submit the application in one sitting, as the system will not save your progress. To help prepare, review the application requirement checklist and question development tips before beginning your application.

Applicants selected as new question writers will be notified by Nov. 1. All new authors should attend an item-writing workshop Jan. 22 or June 17, 2026. You will receive more information about the preferred date for your assessment if you are selected to serve.

Apply Now