Announcing AOBFP pretest items
The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP) is committed to ensuring a fair, valid and high-quality certification process. As part of our continuous improvement efforts, AOBFP will introduce a modest update to exam content beginning in 2027.
What is changing?
Starting with the 2027 exam administrations:
- The Early Entry Initial Certification (EEIC) Examination will include 200 total questions
- The Initial Certification Examination will include 300 total questions
This update includes the addition of 25 pretest items on each exam.
What are pretest items?
Pretest items are unscored questions embedded within the exam. They are not identified during testing and do not affect your score.
Why are pretest items important?
Pretesting is best practice in high-quality assessment programs. It allows AOBFP to:
- Evaluate new questions under real testing conditions
- Ensure questions are fair and reliable
- Maintain the overall quality and integrity of the examination
Only questions that meet rigorous statistical standards are used as scored items on subsequent exams. This process helps ensure that every scored question on the exam meets AOBFP’s standards.
Exam timing and structure
The addition of pretest items results in minor adjustments to total testing time and section length.
2027 EEIC Examination: 200 items (including 25 pretest items)
- Two, 105-minute sections with 100 items per section
- Total test time: 210 minutes (3.5 hours), plus break time
2027 Spring Initial Certification Examination: 300 items (including 25 pretest items)
- Three, 105-minute sections with 100 items per section
- Total test time: 315 minutes (5.25 hours), plus break time
Exam dates, application windows and fees remain unchanged. We appreciate your commitment to osteopathic board certification and your dedication to excellence in family medicine.