Primary 2020 Examinations

SPRING SESSION

  *All exam dates are subject to change.   

*The Spring 2020 Primary exam has been canceled. All candidates will be accommodated during the Fall 2020 Primary exam session. 

If you choose to cancel from the Spring Primary examination and do not wish to be reassigned to the Fall Primary examination session, please email mary@abpath.org by May 1, 2020 to cancel. You will receive a full refund of your exam fee.

For detailed updates on the exam changes due to coronavirus COVID-19, please visit the Spring Primary Exam Updates. 

FALL SESSION 

** Please note: For the Fall 2020 Primary Examination, exams will be administered remotely.  For more information see the Announcement on the homepage.

 *All exam dates are subject to change.

 Exam Application Fees 

• The examination application fee includes a nonrefundable administrative fee of $100.
• Additional late filing fees are nonrefundable.
• AP/CP Applicants only- The AP and CP examinations do not have to be taken within the same examination session (i.e. spring or fall), but both must be passed before an AP/CP candidate is considered certified and a diplomate. If an AP/CP applicant takes the AP and CP examinations at different times, there is a separate examination fee for each sitting. 
• The ABPath accepts credit card payments only (MasterCard, Visa, and American Express). Checks are not accepted. Online payment must be completed before the application can be submitted.
• A candidate for the Spring primary examinations (AP and/or CP) who wishes to apply for a subspecialty examination in the same year must submit the subspecialty application prior to the subspecialty application deadline.
  • If the candidate is successful in the primary examination, the ABP will automatically process the application for the subspecialty examination.
  • If the candidate is not successful, he/she will be notified and the subspecialty examination fee minus the $100 administrative fee will be refunded. A new subspecialty application must be completed for future examinations.
• If the candidate fails the examination, he/she may register for a future examination within the 5-year period of board qualification (refer to your qualification table located in your My Profile tab in PATHway). The candidate must pay the examination fee upon submission of the registration form.
• Date assignments for all examinations are made by the ABPath. Primary examination dates for the spring session will be posted to your Board Correspondence Screen in March, for the fall session in September. Special requests for date assignments cannot be accepted. There is no opportunity to change the date assignment within a given examination period (spring or fall).
• Once an examination date assignment is posted to a candidate’s Board Correspondence tab in PATHway, the candidate has two weeks from the date that the assignment is posted to cancel.  If a candidate is unable to accept the date assignment for a primary examination only, he/she must cancel from his/her Board Correspondence tab in PATHway. The examination fee minus a $500 cancellation fee will be refunded to the candidate’s credit card within 2 weeks of cancellation.  If you are registered for combined AP/CP, you do not have the option to cancel one portion of the examination.
• Results are posted to your Board Correspondence tab in PATHway approximately 6 weeks after the final week of exams.

Primary 2021 Examinations

SPRING SESSION

   *All exam dates are subject to change.

FALL SESSION 

  *All exam dates are subject to change.

 Exam Application Fees

• The examination application fee includes a nonrefundable administrative fee of $100.
• Additional late filing fees are nonrefundable.
• AP/CP Applicants only- The AP and CP examinations do not have to be taken within the same examination session (i.e. spring or fall), but both must be passed before an AP/CP candidate is considered certified and a diplomate. If an AP/CP applicant takes the AP and CP examinations at different times, there is a separate examination fee for each sitting. 
• The ABPath accepts credit card payments only (MasterCard, Visa, and American Express). Checks are not accepted. Online payment must be completed before the application can be submitted.
• A candidate for the Spring primary examinations (AP and/or CP) who wishes to apply for a subspecialty examination in the same year must submit the subspecialty application prior to the subspecialty application deadline.
  • If the candidate is successful in the primary examination, the ABP will automatically process the application for the subspecialty examination.
  • If the candidate is not successful, he/she will be notified and the subspecialty examination fee minus the $100 administrative fee will be refunded. A new subspecialty application must be completed for future examinations.
• If the candidate fails the examination, he/she may register for a future examination within the 5-year period of board qualification (refer to your qualification table located in your My Profile tab in PATHway). The candidate must pay the examination fee upon submission of the registration form.
• Date assignments for all examinations are made by the ABPath. Primary examination dates for the spring session will be posted to your Board Correspondence Screen in March, for the fall session in September. Special requests for date assignments cannot be accepted. There is no opportunity to change the date assignment within a given examination period (spring or fall).
• Once an examination date assignment is posted to a candidate’s Board Correspondence tab in PATHway, the candidate has two weeks from the date that the assignment is posted to cancel.  If a candidate is unable to accept the date assignment for a primary examination only, he/she must cancel from his/her Board Correspondence tab in PATHway. The examination fee minus a $500 cancellation fee will be refunded to the candidate’s credit card within 2 weeks of cancellation.  If you are registered for combined AP/CP, you do not have the option to cancel one portion of the examination.
• Results are posted to your Board Correspondence tab in PATHway approximately 6 weeks after the final week of exams.

 For a quick reference tool, you can download The Path to Certification.

Subspecialty 2020 Examinations

Due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing recommendations,  the Subspecialty exam administration dates are being adjusted to provide a safer testing experience for our candidates and ABPath staff. The testing dates will be announced as soon as they are available and the exams will be administered remotely. 

     2020 Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine............................................... TBA 

     2020 Chemical Pathology...........................................................................TBA

     2020 Clinical Informatics...........................................................................TBA

     2020 Cytopathology.................................................................................. TBA

     2020 Dermatopathology...............................................................TBA 

     2020 Forensic Pathology..............................................................................TBA

     2020 Hematopathology.....................................................................TBA

     2020 Medical Microbiology.........................................................................TBA

     2020 Molecular Genetic Pathology...................................................TBA

     2020 Neuropathology.........................................................................................TBA

     2020 Pediatric Pathology..........................................................................TBA

• Please note: For the 2020 Subspecialty Examinations, exams will be administered remotely. For more information, please see the Announcement on the homepage.
• Exam dates may be subject to change. 
• Exams will continue until all registered candidates have been examined.  

• The examination application fee includes a nonrefundable administrative fee of $100.
• Additional late filing fees are nonrefundable.
• The ABPath accepts credit card payments only (MasterCard, Visa, and American Express). Checks are not accepted. Online payment must be completed before the application can be submitted.
• Some subspecialty examinations are given on more than one day, depending on the number of registrants. If that is the case, the examination date assignment will be posted approximately 6 weeks prior to the examination date to your Board Correspondence tab in PATHway.
• A candidate for the Spring primary examinations (AP and/or CP) who wishes to apply for a subspecialty examination in the same year must submit the subspecialty application prior to the subspecialty application deadline.
  • If the candidate is successful in the primary examination, the ABPath will automatically process the application for the subspecialty examination.
  • If the candidate is not successful, he/she will be notified and the subspecialty examination fee minus the $100 administrative fee will be refunded. A new subspecialty application must be completed for future examinations.
• If the candidate fails the examination, he/she may register for a future examination within the 5-year period of board qualification (refer to your qualification table located in your My Profile tab in PATHway). The candidate must pay the examination fee upon submission of the registration form.
• Results are posted to your Board Correspondence tab in PATHway approximately 6 weeks after the final week of all subspecialty exams.

Subspecialty 2021 Examinations

     2021 Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine...............................................August 31- September 1 

     2021 Chemical Pathology...........................................................................September 2

     2021 Clinical Informatics...........................................................................October (TBA)

     2021 Cytopathology..................................................................................August 24-26

     2021 Dermatopathology...............................................................September 8-9 

     2021 Forensic Pathology..............................................................................August 30

     2021 Hematopathology.....................................................................September 20-22

     2021 Medical Microbiology.........................................................................September 2

     2021 Molecular Genetic Pathology...................................................September 14-15

     2021 Neuropathology.........................................................................................August 27

     2021 Pediatric Pathology..........................................................................September 3

• Exam dates may be subject to change. 
• Exams will continue until all registered candidates have been examined.  

• The examination application fee includes a nonrefundable administrative fee of $100.
• Additional late filing fees are nonrefundable.
• The ABPath accepts credit card payments only (MasterCard, Visa, and American Express). Checks are not accepted. Online payment must be completed before the application can be submitted.
• Some subspecialty examinations are given on more than one day, depending on the number of registrants. If that is the case, the examination date assignment will be posted approximately 6 weeks prior to the examination date to your Board Correspondence tab in PATHway.
• A candidate for the Spring primary examinations (AP and/or CP) who wishes to apply for a subspecialty examination in the same year must submit the subspecialty application prior to the subspecialty application deadline.
  • If the candidate is successful in the primary examination, the ABPath will automatically process the application for the subspecialty examination.
  • If the candidate is not successful, he/she will be notified and the subspecialty examination fee minus the $100 administrative fee will be refunded. A new subspecialty application must be completed for future examinations.
• If the candidate fails the examination, he/she may register for a future examination within the 5-year period of board qualification (refer to your qualification table located in your My Profile tab in PATHway). The candidate must pay the examination fee upon submission of the registration form.
• Results are posted to your Board Correspondence tab in PATHway approximately 6 weeks after the final week of all subspecialty exams.

Continuing Certification (CC) Examinations

• ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, JUDGMENT, AND SKILLS Overview and Assessment Methods
• Continuing Certification Examination - Registration and Examination Dates