NEW! 2025 Internal Medicine Review Course (2024)

FAQs

What is the pass rate for the internal medicine board exam? ›

Internal Medicine

In 2023, the pass rate for first-time test takers remained level, with 87% of takers passing the exam.

Here's what to expect and how to prepare for the ABIM Internal Medicine Certification Exam. The ABIM certification exam is traditionally challenging, but it's survivable.

You're able to take the ABIM exam 3 times. If there are 3 failed attempts, you must wait a full year before enrolling in the exam again. But don't worry, after a solid board review and some Q&As you'll be well on your way to a passing ABIM exam score!

10-14 hours per week for 3 months.

It's highly recommended to spend 10-14 hours a week for three or more months. Take a practice exam simulation as see where your weaknesses are. Work through the individual topics of difficulty to master them, then re-assess overall knowledge with larger exam simulations.

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) takes the top spot as the most challenging exam in the US, with an average preparation time ranging from 200 to 400 hours for each of its three steps.

INTERPRETATION OF OVERALL PERFORMANCE

Overall performance is reported on a standardized scale ranging from 200 to 800 points. Your performance on the entire exam determines the exam pass- fail decision. To pass the exam, your standardized score must equal or exceed the standardized passing score of 366.

Upon completing your post-doctoral studies, you must meet training requirements, licensure requirements, and procedural requirements. You will then be considered “board eligible,” for a seven-year period and can take the ABIM initial certification examination.

ACP's MKSAP is another popular choice for ABIM board studying. MKSAP questions are slightly easier, with little to no reading between the lines, which may more closely resemble the ABIM exam.

Of note, having failed the ABIM exam on your most recent attempt has no influence on your next attempt. You can take the exam annually for up to three years, but if you have not passed after your third attempt, you'll have to wait one year before registering again.

Since 1967, ACP's Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program^® has been the go-to resource for internal medicine self-assessment. MKSAP includes well-researched content in 11 subspecialty areas as well as 1,200+ case-based, board-like questions.

Can you use up to date on ABIM exam? ›

MOC Exam Day Schedule (traditional 10-year assessment)

Each session is open-book, meaning that you will have access to an online external resource (UpToDate^®) for these questions. You can take the exam tutorial and visit the UpToDate User Academy for ABIM Exam to practice using the open-book feature.

They can be particularly difficult for new clinical students. Shelf exams are difficult for a variety of reasons. Each shelf exam for the core clinical rotations is different, and the tests cover broad content that requires extensive understanding of medicine and clinical applications.

1) Grades: below 10th percentile you fail the shelf. You must achieve >50th percentile to be considered "high pass" and greater than 70-80th percentile for honors depending on the clerkship.

The passing score is determined by the ABIM, and typically varies from one exam administration to another based on the performance of the group of candidates being tested. In 2023, the ABIM exam saw an overall pass rate of 94%.

Statistics on the Internal Medicine Match

As of the most recent NRMP data, internal medicine had a total of 11,598 applicants and 9,809 spots. This equates to 1.18 applicants per position. Of the 3,689 U.S. MD seniors who applied, 73 did not match.