Administrative Medicine  Examination Description

Physicians certifying or recertifying in Administrative Medicine must successfully complete a Computer-Based (Written) Examination.

The Written Examination

The written certification examination consists of 150 multiple-choice items and is administered over a three-hour session. The written recertification examination consists of 100 multiple-choice items and is administered over a two-hour session. Each question has four potential responses, but only one correct answer. Each response to a question is scored as correct or not correct.

The outline below provides details of the subject areas (domains) covered on the examinations and the approximate number of items from each area. This domain listing is provided to help candidates prepare for the examination and is based on a comprehensive practice analysis of the key topics and knowledge in the specialty, as identified by practitioners, instructors, and other leaders in Administrative Medicine. Candidates should review this outline carefully and focus study on the areas listed. Each item on the examination is linked to a specific domain. The information in the outline is meant to serve as a study aid only and not as a guarantee of success in taking the examination.

		Approximate Percentage of Questions on Exam
	Section I: Health Care Management and Operations Governance (10%) Organizational structures (e.g. flat vs. hierarchical, form vs. function) Building effective teams Relationships between boards & operations Community Relations Medical Staff Professionalism/Leadership (10%) Appropriate span of control Supervision of non-physician providers (e.g. GME, NP’s, PA’s, etc.) Delegation/ time management Communications Change/ crisis management Media relations Culture Advocacy Business ethics Human Potential (10%) Labor force Talent/performance management Disability management Compensation & Benefits Disruptive behavior Marketing,  Strategy, and Business Development (10%) Business plans Marketing Product development Advertising	40%
	Section II: Finance and Health Policy Finance (15%) Accounting Revenue cycle Payor contracting Resource utilization Supply chain Budget Management Health Policy (10%) Models of Care Delivery (e.g. ACO’s, ACA, clinical integration, etc.) Economics Payor relations (Commercial/Government) Population health/Public Health Payment Models Utilization Management (e.g. basics re: admission status, readmissions, etc.)	25%
	Section III: Quality Quality and Safety (15%) Performance improvement Joint commission Managing sentinel events Disaster management Data Analytics and Information Integration (10%) Data standards, security and oversight (e.g. PHI) EHR and business application evaluation and oversight Virtual health (e.g. e-health, telemedicine, e-prescribing, internet-based/cloud-base information systems) Valuation of hardware and software Business Intelligence & Decision Support Impact of innovation/technology on care models	25%
	Section IV: Health Care Law/ Corporate Compliance Health Law/Corporate Compliance (10%) Regulatory compliance (e.g. Stark, HIPAA, Fair market value, EMTALA) Corporate Risk Management Human Research (e.g. clinical trials w/external partners/vendors) CMS provider-based regulations Malpractice	10%

 References

A candidate should focus their examination preparation on the content provided in the examination blueprint. The Reference list is not meant to be a list of comprehensive study materials but rather to aid candidates who may wish to prepare more in a specific area of the examination blueprint that they may not be as familiar with. You may wish to use the study materials to prepare for the written certification examination. All items appearing on our examinations have been written based on the material presented in these study references.

Click here for list of Study References

Sample Questions

These are provided to candidates as an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the format of the test questions on the ABAM Certification Examination. It is important to note that performance on the sample questions is not a predictor of whether a candidate will pass or fail the ABAM Certification Examination.

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Examination Administration

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Examination Results

Candidates will receive score reports indicating their pass/fail status on the written examination. Candidates who fail are provided a breakdown of their performance by subject content domains. ABPS sends examination results to candidates within 60 days of the last day of the administration window. Each examination is scored against predetermined standards of acceptable performance, utilizing modified Angoff procedures for establishing the minimum acceptable scores. A candidate who is successful in passing the written examination is then certified and attains Diplomate status within ABPS and AAPS.

Retaking Examinations

A candidate may take the written examination as many as three times to attain a passing score. Candidates who are not successful in passing the examination within the number of allowable attempts may reapply for certification by completing a new application and meeting all the requirements in effect at the time the new application is submitted.

Accommodations for Religious Reasons and Disabilities

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