Exam Policies

Right to Appeal

If a candidate feels that the actions of the AOBPa with regard to any part of the examination constitute unequal application of the regulations and requirements or standards, unwarranted discrimination, prejudice, unfairness or improper conduct of the examination, he or she has the right to appeal to this Board. The AOBPa will not consider appeals based on exam content, sufficiency or accuracy of answers, scoring, or the minimum passing score.

Candidates may submit an Appeal Petition to the Board within 30 days of the written/practical examinations or within two hours after the oral examination. All late appeals will be denied.

Each appeal will be voted upon by the AOBPa’s Examination Committee. Candidates will be advised by the Examination Committee’s decision by certified mail. If an appeal is denied by the AOBPa, the candidate retains the right to appeal to the AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS) and AOA Board of Trustees.

If the Appeal Committee accepts an appeal, the candidate’s examination will not be scored or recorded.

They will be able to re-take the exam at the next scheduled date at no additional application or examination fee, and the exam will be conducted by a different team. The candidate’s original application documents will be used.

If the candidate is not satisfied with the results of an appeal before this board, he or she has the right to further appeal to the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS). Where necessary, candidates may appeal the decision of the BOS to the AOA Board of Trustees.

If for any reason the candidate elects not to retake the exam at the next scheduled date, his or her appeal will be void and the candidate will be required to reapply. Exceptions with good cause will be considered on an individual basis.

Compliance With Federal Regulations

The AOBPa complies with all applicable federal and state regulations, including:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The AOBPa complies with requirements prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation, as well as regulations for Title II and Title III (and all subsequent regulations) as printed in the federal register.
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): In compliance with the HIPAA Act of 1996 and any subsequent modifications, the AOBPa ensures that individuals’ health information is properly protected, while allowing the flow of health information to provide and promote high quality health care. Patient confidentiality as defined by HIPAA will be maintained at all times in every exam administered by the AOBPa.

Code of Conduct: Irregular or Improper Behavior

Because of the AOA’s commitment to the high level of confidentiality and integrity of our certifying board examinations, board examination results and questions of improper conduct are reviewed by board members. Improper behavior, including but not limited to, giving, receiving, or otherwise obtaining unauthorized information or assistance, looking at or utilizing the test material of others, taking notes, failing to comply with computer site staff instructions, talking with other candidates or other disruptive behavior will be considered cause for review of conduct and a possible violation of the certification process. Candidates must not discuss the examination while the session is in progress. Candidates must not disclose the contents of the examination to others or reproduce the examination or any portion of the examination in any manner, including without limitation reconstruction through memorization, electronic means, or dictation. All AOA examinations are copyrighted and protected by federal law. The above policies apply to all examinations administered by any AOA specialty certifying board.

It is a criminal offense to copy or reproduce any portion of the certifying examinations. Each board will monitor examinations for irregular or improper behavior by direct observation, statistical analysis, and by other means. Irregular or improper behavior will constitute grounds for invalidation of the candidate’s examination and each board reserves the right to invoke other sanctions, such as exclusion from future examinations, revocation of board certification, and reporting misconduct to censing bodies or law enforcement agencies.