OSTEOPATHIC BOARD CERTIFICATION

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Child and Adolescent Neurology Certification Process

Subspecialty Certification Exam

Eligibility

To be eligible for subspecialty certification in Child and Adolescent Neurology, candidates must meet the criteria below:

  • Hold AOBNP certification in general neurology that is active and in good standing.
  • Satisfactorily complete four years of AOA-approved training, of which two years must be in child neurology, and at least two years of AOA-approved residency in general or child neurology, or one year of an AOA-approved residency general in neurology and one year in pediatrics.
  • Practice in the specialty should be a minimum of 75% of your total clinical time.
  • Successfully sit for and pass all sections of the certification examination.

Requirements

Once training requirements for eligibility are met, candidates must submit the following:

  • Completed application.
  • Proof of graduation from a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine or an ACGME-accredited program.
  • Proof of satisfactory completion of an AOA-approved internship.
  • A letter from the director of the residency program certifying that you are within six months of completion of residency program and in good standing.

Exam Fees

An application fee of $1,500 must be submitted with your completed application. No application will be considered complete until all fees have been paid.

If an applicant fails any part of the exam, the fee for reexamination is $950.

Exam Cancellation Fees

  • 0 – 30 days before the exam: no refund
  • 31 days or more prior to the exam date: 50% refund
  • No refunds of late fees
  • Rejected Applications: 75% refund

Note: Prior to submitting your application, please be certain that you meet the criteria to apply.

Exam Dates and Deadlines

The Child and Adolescent Neurology Subspecialty Certification Exam is typically offered once annually. The application period opens six months prior to the exam. Upon successful completion of the application process, the AOBNP will advise applicants via email of acceptance to take the exam.

The first application deadline will be 60 days prior to the first date of the exam administration window. The final deadline will be 30 days prior to the exam administration window.

All candidates requesting exam accommodations must submit their requests at the time of application and by the final application deadline (30 days prior to the exam).

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Exam Content

The Child and Adolescent Neurology Subspecialty Certification Exam consists of a written examination. The two-hour examination consists of 100 questions containing material on child development, adolescent development, diagnoses, case presentation, pharmacology and neurology. Questions are taken from current literature and texts.

Exam Scoring

Scoring Criteria

AOA reports candidates’ certification results using standardized scaled scores. Scaled scores are more valid and reliable compared to raw scores and make scores comparable across different forms of the exam. The AOA reports scores on a 200 to 800-point scale with a scaled score of 500 or higher required to pass.

  • A scaled score of 500 represents the minimum level of knowledge and skill necessary to pass the exam as established by AOA Certifying Boards.
  • The highest possible scaled score is 800.
  • The lowest possible scaled score is 200.
  • Overall scores are based on the total number of items answered correctly, regardless of content area.

Results by Content Area

  • When possible, a breakdown of exam scores by content area is provided to help you identify your areas of strength and areas that may need more development.
  • The number of items for each content area indicates the relative amount of test questions on the exam for that content area.
  • Content area scores are not weighted to calculate your overall score; each content area is scored separately after the overall analysis is complete.

Exam Failure

Candidates who fail an exam will be advised of their weakness in failed area(s) and may, upon payment of the re-examination fee, repeat the examination the following year.

Applicants who fail to sit for the examination they have registered for will be required to submit a new application and pay the full fee for the next examination. Candidates who are unable to sit for their scheduled exam due to an emergency should contact the Board within 30 days of the exam to be given consideration of waiving the reapplication process and fees for the next exam.

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