Chicago, IL, June 30, 2020: In response to the possibility of a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus during administration of the 2020 Initial Certification Examinations, the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that it will offer a live, remotely proctored testing option for the 2020 Initial Certification Exam Cycle.  The remotely proctored option will be available for all of the board’s Specialties (Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine) and Subspecialties (Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine) during the 2020 Exam Cycle.

This expanded process will allow candidates for ABPM Certification to choose whether to take the required Initial Certification Examinations either in-person at Prometric Testing Facilities located throughout the United States, Canada and available international sites or from the comfort of the candidate’s home or office using Prometric’s state-of-the-art, live “Remotely Proctored Exam” platform.

Candidates who have not yet registered for the 2020 Initial Certification Exams will, after registration and upon receipt of an Exam permit, be prompted to select the preferred Exam administration method and will receive confirmation of the selected administration method via email.  Candidates who have previously registered for the 2020 Initial Certification Exams will receive an Exam permit that will allow the Candidate to select the preferred Exam administration method.  Candidates who have questions about the 2020 Initial Certification Exam process should contact ABPM at [email protected] .

“By providing a remote testing option in 2020, ABPM stands by our commitment to ensure the 2020 Initial Certification Examinations are administered without interruption, while maintaining the security and integrity of process.  And it doesn’t comprise the single most important factor which is the health and safety of our candidates,” said Hernando “Joe” Ortega, MD, MPH, Chair of ABPM. “The Board and ABPM Staff thank our candidates for their patience while we considered a number of options and developed a final plan for this year’s Initial Certification Exams.  We are confident that Prometric’s Remote Proctoring platform provides the state-of-the-art security required to protect the integrity of the process and ensure certification of only those physicians who are highly qualified in their specialty area of practice.”

The 2020 Initial Certification Exams will be administered beginning October 7 and continue through November1, 2020. ABPM is currently accepting applications for the Initial Certification Exams through June 30, 2020 and Initial Certification Exam registration will be open through September 18, 2020. For more information, please visit the ABPM website at www.theabpm.org.

The ABPM is a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the Specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, and in the Subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.