The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on American Board of Surgery's Oral Certifying Exams

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Board of Surgery (ABS) shifted from in-person to remote administrations of the oral certifying exam (CE). Although the overall exam architecture remains the same, there are a number of differences in administration and staffing costs, exam content, security concerns, and the tools used to give the exam. Overall, the remote oral CEs have been a success, being well-received by candidates and examiners, having comparable psychometric performance to the in-person exams, and allowing over 2,300 candidates to obtain board certification on time. Although the ABS will continue remote administrations in the near future, a permanent switch will require careful consideration of exam security, psychometrics, validity, examiner quality and engagement, and other issues related to comparability across administration modes.