Longitudinal Assessment on CATALYST
The American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP) will no longer administer the traditional high-stakes exam taken by its diplomates at least once every 7 to 9 years to fulfill the Component 3 requirement of Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC). Diplomates will now be required to participate in the AOBFP Longitudinal Assessment on CATALYST to fulfill the Component 3 requirement of OCC.
This FAQ is intended to answer questions related to the Longitudinal Assessment on CATALYST, including the platform, assessment administration and assessment exam content. These FAQs will be updated on a periodic basis as additional information becomes available.
General Information
In terms of medical certification, longitudinal assessments generally combine formative and summative assessment features, including feedback and other opportunities for learning. The Longitudinal Assessment is a shorter, more frequent assessment opportunity that occurs during an assessment cycle. The AOBFP LA cycle is three years and includes a set number of questions that must be answered by diplomates during each year of the cycle.
The goal of ongoing physician certification through LA is to support diplomates as lifelong learners while elevating the osteopathic medical community and profession. LA incorporates aspects of formative assessment, such as feedback and opportunities for remediation, and is a crucial component that promotes learning during the assessment. In this sense, assessment as learning becomes as important as assessment of learning.
Your certification issue/expiration date will determine when you should begin participating in LA. This information along with all the OCC requirements is available on the AOBFP website.
| Certification Expiration Date | Start Longitudinal Assessment |
|---|---|
| Dec. 31, 2023 | January 2023 |
| Dec. 31, 2024 | January 2024 |
| Dec. 31, 2025 | January 2025 |
| Dec. 31, 2026 | January 2026 |
| Dec. 31, 2027 | January 2022 |
| Dec. 31, 2028 | January 2022 |
| Dec. 31, 2029 | January 2022 |
| Dec. 31, 2030 | January 2023 |
Visit the AOA physician portal to view your certification information and to check the status of your OCC.
Diplomates who hold a non-time limited certification are not required to participate in the LA. The Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC) process for the diplomates that hold a non-time-limited certification (non-expiring, non-dated) is voluntary
Yes. To maintain an active AOA family medicine certification, diplomates must fulfill the requirements for OCC. Your OCC requirements are based on the certification issue/expiration date. These requirements can be accessed and viewed from the AOBFP website.
Exam Platform
The AOBFP Longitudinal Assessment is administered through the CATALYST platform. CATALYST is a learning platform managed by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). In addition to the learning opportunities that the CATALYST platform offers, assessments delivered on CATALYST provide both performance feedback and educational resources for the concept being assessed.
The LA on the CATALYST platform is accessible 24/7 (within AOBFP’s designated testing window) and can be taken on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Additional detailed information regarding CATALYST platform can be found on the NBOME website.
Longitudinal Assessment Registration
Registration for the LA is available on the AOBFP website. If you are not eligible to enroll for the current application period, the registration system will not allow you to submit an application. Registration consists of a pre-populated application and a $225 annual fee payable by credit/debit card only. The AOBFP will send routine email reminders regarding upcoming applications as registration for the LA is required every year.
The LA application open and close dates are available on the Important Dates page on the AOBFP website.
The annual LA fee is $225 and must be paid at the time of registration on the AOBFP website. The fee is payable by credit or debit card only.
Longitudinal Assessment Content
Subject matter experts practicing in the field of osteopathic family medicine developed the content for the LA. The AOBFP selected content that is appropriate for ongoing osteopathic certification.
The AOBFP Longitudinal Assessment covers a single area of practice from the osteopathic continuous certification blueprint. You will be presented with a list of subjects to choose from in order to fulfill your requirement.
If you are interested in becoming an item writer, send an email to AOBFPVolunteer@osteopathic.org and include CV.
Longitudinal Assessment Administration
Questions are administered on the CATALYST platform each quarter and can be answered during a specified date range. The LA questions in each quarter are not timed and can be completed at your own pace.
Diplomates apply for longitudinal assessment starting in October of the prior year The annual fee for Longitudinal Assessment is $225.
Q1: January – March (10 questions)
Q2: April – June (10 questions)
Q3: July – September (10 questions)
Q4: October – December (remediation period for unanswered or incorrect questions)
Yes. Once you have completed a question and advanced to the next question, you may exit the CATALYST platform. Upon returning to CATALYST the exam will resume at the last unanswered question.
No, the LA is not a collaborative effort. The LA is to be completed independently using educational resources.
The pass point is a cumulative score of 80% for the 3 quarters.
The LA consists of three quarters and one quarter of remediation. Diplomates will receive 10 questions during each of the three quarters. A cumulative score of 80% is required to pass. Diplomates receiving a score of less than 80% will have another opportunity during the 4th quarter. It is expected that diplomates participate each quarter and correctly answer 80% of questions. The AOBFP will review the results for all diplomates that do not meet the 80% score. From 2022-2024, the AOA will provide an additional attempt(s) to pass the following year. Upon successful completion of the remediation, the diplomate will enter into the Longitudinal Assessment process the following year.
No. The remediation quarter is designed to give diplomates a second attempt at questions that were answered incorrectly on the first attempt. The remediation quarter only displays questions that were not answered correctly in previous quarters. Diplomates who do not participate in the first three quarters will only have one attempt to answer the questions during remediation.
Other Questions
Active participation in each component of OCC is required in order to maintain continuous certification. If you are unable to complete the LA or any other component of OCC you should contact the AOBFP directly as early as possible at AOBFP@osteopathic.org.
Yes. Five (5) category 1-B credits will be awarded at the end of each calendar year upon successful completion of the LA.
A longitudinal assessment plan will be developed for all subspecialty certifications. Currently, Diplomates who hold a subspecialty certification in Geriatrics and Addiction Medicine will no longer take the OCC high-stakes exam. They will be required to begin LA in 2024. For all other certifications, please contact the conjoint or certifying board directly.