Exam guide · USA
ABS — Pediatric Surgery
Route Overview
American specialty certification follows residency. Each board examines in two stages — a Qualifying Examination (written) and a Certifying Examination (oral or clinical) — and they are separate examinations with separate preparation.
Exam Structure
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Qualifying Examination (PSQE) | Written. About 200 multiple-choice questions over approximately five hours, in three 90-minute sessions. Offered once per academic year at Pearson VUE test centres |
| Certifying Examination (PSCE) | Virtual oral examination — five consecutive 30-minute sessions, each conducted by two examiners, with four cases per session. Offered once per academic year |
| Eligibility | ABS certification in General Surgery · an ACGME- or RCPSC-accredited pediatric surgery fellowship · a full, unrestricted US or Canadian licence · published operative case minimums |
| Attempts | PSQE: four opportunities within four years. PSCE: three opportunities within three years. Both must be passed within seven academic years of completing fellowship |
| Pass standard | PSQE: not published. PSCE: no preset pass rate — the aggregate evaluation of the ten examiners |
Content Blueprint — Qualifying Examination
Official content outline — published by ABS.
| Category | Weighting |
|---|---|
| General Pediatric Surgery | 55% |
| Critical Care | 13% |
| Trauma | 13% |
| Oncology | 13% |
| General Pediatrics | 6% |
Certifying Examination Sessions
Oncology · Trauma and critical care · GI, hepatobiliary and abdomen · Head and neck, endocrine and GU · Thoracic, airway and chest wall.
What we offer
ABS Pediatric Surgery Qualifying Examination preparation built to the official content outline, with Certifying Examination preparation in development.