Upholding Emergency Physician Standards with a Real-World Approach to Assessment
The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) is proud to announce the successful administration of the inaugural Certifying Examination. Over 300 emergency physicians traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to take the exam between March 9 and 12, 2026.
The Certifying Exam now serves as ABEM’s final step in Emergency Medicine Certification, replacing the former Oral Exam, which took place in a hotel venue and, after 2020, via videoconference. The Certifying Exam’s modernized format introduces new case types that assess additional competencies and better reflect actual Emergency Medicine practice. During the exam, physicians demonstrate communication, professional, and technical skills in a clinical setting, contributing to patient trust in ABEM-certified physicians.
The Certifying Exam is administered at the AIME Center in Raleigh, NC, a state-of-the-art assessment facility with flexible space that can be configured to accommodate clinical, procedural, and ultrasound cases. The ABEM Certifying Exam provides a standardized experience for all examinees in a secure environment and with a network of highly trained Standardized Patient Actors who portray a wide range of clinical scenarios that reflect the diversity of the U.S. patient population.
“Medical breakthroughs happen every day, and ABEM has created an exam format that is adaptable to advances in medicine, while still setting the highest standards in Emergency Medicine certification,” said James D. Thomas, MD, ABEM President. “This exam would not have been possible without the years of research, feedback, and preparation ABEM-certified physician volunteers, subject matter experts, public members, and staff have contributed, and I am very proud of the result.”
Teams of clinically active ABEM-certified physicians from different geographic locations and practice settings work collaboratively to develop scenarios and testing points for each of the cases on the ABEM Certifying Exam. Patient and public input is also sought from the public members on case development teams. All cases are thoroughly vetted by practicing ABEM-certified physicians for continued relevance, fairness, and validity.
Following the success of the inaugural Certifying Exam, multiple administrations will take place each year, giving physicians seeking ABEM Certification more flexibility in scheduling. Learn more about the ABEM Certifying Exam.
The American Board of Emergency Medicine certifies emergency physicians who meet its educational, professional standing, and examination standards. Its mission is to ensure the highest standards in the specialty of Emergency Medicine. There are currently over 49,000 ABEM-certified emergency physicians. ABEM is not a membership organization, but a non-profit, independent, physician evaluation organization. ABEM is one of 24 medical specialty certification boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
