Exam Content

In This Section

The In-training Exam is a comprehensive examination covering the breadth of Emergency Medicine. The exam contains 225 multiple choice questions and takes about 4.5 hours to complete.    

Questions are drawn from the EM Model. All questions are written by a group of clinically active emergency physicians with special training in question writing. New questions undergo an extensive series of reviews, followed by field testing.

Sample Exam Questions

EM Multiple Choice Question Content Blueprint

The lists below describe the relative weight given to different elements of the EM Model in constructing the examination.

Medical Knowledge, Patient Care, and Procedural Skills

  • 1.0 Signs, Symptoms and Presentations: 10%
  • 2.0 Abdominal & Gastrointestinal Disorders: 7%
  • 3.0 Cardiovascular Disorders: 10%
  • 4.0 Cutaneous Disorders: 3%
  • 5.0 Endocrine, Metabolic & Nutritional Disorders: 5%
  • 6.0 Environmental Disorders: 2%
  • 7.0 Head, Ear, Eye, Nose & Throat Disorders: 4%
  • 8.0 Hematologic Disorders: 3%
  • 9.0 Immune System Disorders: 2%
  • 10.0 Systemic Infectious Disorders: 7%
  • 11.0 Musculoskeletal Disorders (Non-traumatic): 3%
  • 12.0 Nervous System Disorders: 6%
  • 13.0 Obstetrics and Gynecology: 3%
  • 14.0 Psychobehavioral Disorders: 2%
  • 15.0 Renal and Urogenital Disorders: 3%
  • 16.0 Thoracic-Respiratory Disorders: 7%
  • 17.0 Toxicologic Disorders: 4%
  • 18.0 Traumatic Disorders: 9%
  • 19.0 Procedures & Skills: 8%
  • 20.0 Other Components: 2%
  • Total: 100%

Acuity Frames: Target (± 5%)

  • Critical: 30%
  • Emergent: 40%
  • Lower Acuity: 21%
  • None: 9%

Physician Tasks

For this dimension, the Board has assigned the following specific percentage weights to the Modifying Factor of age:

  • Pediatrics: 8% minimum
  • Geriatrics: 6% minimum