Longitudinal Assessment

Longitudinal Assessment Registration

If you hold primary certification in Anesthesiology, please follow the guidelines below to determine when you should register for longitudinal assessment:

• If you previously participated in the AOBA Cognitive Assessment process in 2019 – 2021:
  You are required to continue annual participation in the new longitudinal assessment, beginning with the June 2022 assessment.
• If your initial primary certification was issued before Jan. 1, 2021:
  You are required to participate in longitudinal assessment each year, beginning in the expiration year of your current 10-year certificate. Registration will open in June prior to the following year’s assessment.
• If your initial primary certification was issued on Jan. 1, 2021, or later:
  You are not required to begin participation in longitudinal assessment for one full calendar year after becoming board certified. One year from the issue date of your initial primary certification, you will be required to register during the next available registration cycle and begin participation in longitudinal assessment the following year. Example: If you received initial certification in 2022, you would register for longitudinal assessment in 2023 and begin participation in 2024.

Longitudinal Assessment Schedule

Longitudinal Assessment Process

Each longitudinal assessment cycle will coincide with the OCC cycle, lasting three years.

During each calendar year of the three-year cycle, you will be required to:

• Answer 30 untimed multiple-choice questions per calendar year. All questions must be answered during the calendar year in which they were issued.

Number of reattempts:

If a question is answered incorrectly, the assessment platform will display the reference and correct answer. You will have the first nine months of the calendar year to submit answers. During the final three months of the year, you will have an opportunity to re-attempt any incorrectly answered questions from the current calendar year only. Once the segment is closed at the end of the calendar year, no additional re-attempts will be allowed.

Prorated items:

If your certification expiration falls in year two or three of the three-year longitudinal assessment cycle, the number of questions you are required to complete for that longitudinal assessment cycle will be prorated. If your certification expiration year falls in year two of the longitudinal assessment cycle you will be required to complete a total of 60 questions (30 questions each calendar year) or if your certification expiration year falls in year three of the cycle you will be required to complete a total of 30 questions during the calendar year.

Longitudinal Assessment Scoring

You must achieve a score of 70% each calendar year of the assessment, and a cumulative grade of 70% at the conclusion of the three-year cycle to successfully pass the longitudinal assessment (for both full and prorated participants).

If you do not achieve a 70% cumulative grade or you fail to participate in a required longitudinal assessment, your certification may be placed in inactive status. In that case, you may contact the AOBA to explore options for remediation.

Longitudinal Assessment Fees

You must register and participate each year of the three-year longitudinal assessment cycle. A $210 fee will be assessed annually at the time of registration.

2024 Longitudinal Assessment References

The following references are provided as a preparation tool for the 2024 Longitudinal Assessment.

Longitudinal Assessment FAQs

General information:

• What is longitudinal assessment?
  Longitudinal assessment is a process that leverages technology to facilitate continuous learning by providing shorter assessments of knowledge relevant to your specialty training and career, delivered over time and accessible via a convenient online learning assessment platform.
• When can I begin longitudinal assessment?
  Your certification issue or expiration date will determine when should begin participating in longitudinal assessment. Please review the available applications on the AOBA website. Should you have additional questions, please contact us at aoba@osteopathic.org.
• How do I know when my certification was issued or expires?
  Visit the AOA Physician Portal to view your certification details and check the status of your Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC).
• I have a non-time limited certificate. Do I need to participate in longitudinal assessment?
  No. Participation in longitudinal assessment is voluntary if you hold a non-time-limited certificate.
• Do I need to complete longitudinal assessment if I received certification through the AOA’s ABMS reciprocity campaign?
  You must fulfill the requirements for each OCC component to maintain your AOA Board Certification.

Exam platform:

• How is longitudinal assessment administered?
  The AOBA longitudinal assessment is administered through the CATALYST platform, hosted by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
• How do I access the CATALYST platform?
  The CATALYST platform can be accessed anytime via computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Longitudinal assessment registration:

• How do I register for longitudinal assessment?
  If you are eligible to participate in longitudinal assessment, you can register on the AOBA website.
• How much does longitudinal assessment cost?
  The annual fee is $210 and must be paid at the time of registration.

Longitudinal assessment process:

• Are the assessments timed?
  The assessment is untimed, but questions must be answered within the 9-month assessment period for the first attempt.
• Can I begin questions and then resume my assessment?
  Yes, you may stop and resume the assessment as needed within the assessment period.
• What is the passing score?
  You must achieve 70% each year of the assessment, and a cumulative score of 70% over all three years of the assessment cycle.
• What happens if I am unsuccessful in meeting the passing score?
  If you are unsuccessful in meeting the passing score at the end of the 3-year assessment cycle, within 6 months of the end of the cycle, you will be presented with the content of the full cycle’s assessments (total 90 questions). You will need to achieve a 70% score. In addition to passing the 90-question assessment you will be required to complete and submit 25 hours of category 1-A CME within that same 6-month time frame.