The ABPN Exam Blueprint and Format Broken Down

If you’re walking into your ABPN exam unsure of what’s to come it can just complicate and add stress to the process.

Two of the most common questions we get are… 

“How is the Psychiatry Certification Exam formatted?” and “Are there any breaks during the Exam?”. 

We are here to break it down and walk you through the process!

Let’s start out with breaks!

Naturally, when taking an exam that’s 425 questions across 8.5 hours, we can’t imagine not being able to take a moment to collect your thoughts. Due to this, you’re given some time for yourself.

The exam is broken up into 8 total sections and after completion of each, you’ll have the opportunity to take a break. You’re allotted 60 total minutes of break time and you can choose to use as little or as much time as you wish.

So what happens if you use up all your break time?

You won’t just be forced back into the exam and can choose to keep taking as much time as you need (outside of your 60 total minutes). With that said, note that any time outside of your 60-minute time frame will be taken from your exam time. You are expected to manage your pace and timing of the exam. The optional break sections are part of the pooled break time. Once taking a break, a proctor must log candidates in after breaks. Candidates must be signed in and out each time they enter and leave the testing room.