ABOS Part II Exam-Day Logistics: Chicago, Timing, Materials, and Oral Performance
A practical exam-week guide for preserving decision quality, protecting voice and sleep, organizing selected-case recall, and avoiding preventable logistics errors.
Key takeaways
- ABOS states that the oral examinations are given each summer in Chicago.
- Candidates should confirm date, time, location, materials, upload status, accommodations, and instructions through the ABOS Candidate Dashboard.
- The exam includes four 30-minute periods separated by short breaks; timing and recovery matter.
- Final preparation should prioritize selected-case fluency, voice preservation, sleep, travel buffers, and a calm answer structure.
Before travel, verify official instructions rather than relying on memory
Public summaries are useful for planning, but the Candidate Dashboard and current ABOS instructions control the actual examination. Confirm details before booking, traveling, or assuming a deadline has not changed.
- Confirm examination date and time in the ABOS Candidate Dashboard.
- Confirm the location and travel route, including buffer for Chicago transportation and weather.
- Confirm selected-case upload completion and payment deadlines were met.
- Confirm identification, allowed materials, phone or device rules, attire, and check-in instructions.
- Confirm accommodations deadlines and approvals if applicable.
The day before should protect performance, not chase new content
| Time window | What to do | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Review selected-case one-liners, complications, and outcomes. | Opening new textbooks or changing your answer framework. |
| Afternoon | Run a short timed oral set and stop when cadence feels clean. | Practicing until your voice is tired or confidence drops. |
| Evening | Prepare logistics, meals, hydration, clothing, transit, and sleep environment. | Late caffeine, doom-scrolling, or reviewing every possible domain. |
| Exam morning | Warm up with two or three answer openings and a calm first-minute script. | Reading dense notes that increase anxiety without improving recall. |
Use the 5-minute break as a reset, not a postmortem
ABOS describes a 5-minute break between oral examination periods. The safest use of that time is physiologic reset: breathe, hydrate, release the prior exchange, and re-enter the next period with the same structure.
Do not spend the break trying to score yourself. A perceived weak case should not contaminate the next period. Your task is to answer the next selected case safely and clearly.
Put the framework under pressure
Rehearse the exact decisions in your own cases.
Voice-first cases, adaptive examiner follow-up, imaging, complications, and structured educational feedback for orthopedic surgery.
Questions candidates ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the current ABOS Part II Oral Examination format?
ABOS describes the Part II Oral Examination as four 30-minute periods with two examiners in each period and a 5-minute break between periods. Case selectors choose 12 cases from the candidate case list for presentation.
Does the ABOS Part II examination use my own cases?
Yes. ABOS requires candidates to submit a case list, and 12 selected cases are used at the oral examination. SurgiTest Personal Case Uploads are educational rehearsal tools for fully de-identified material and do not submit anything to ABOS.
What must 2027 candidates submit for the case list?
ABOS states that 2027 candidates must collect and submit all consecutive primary-surgeon cases from January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026, and at least 35 surgical cases are required for eligibility.
How is the ABOS Part II examination scored?
ABOS states that oral examiners use nine scoring facets with a 0–3 score for each selected case and that 216 total scores are accumulated before adjustment for examiner severity, case difficulty, and skill difficulty.
Does SurgiTest reproduce official or recalled ABOS questions?
No. SurgiTest uses original educational cases and de-identified user practice material aligned to public ABOS format information. It does not solicit or reproduce secure examination content.
Can SurgiTest predict whether I will pass ABOS Part II?
No. SurgiTest provides educational practice, timing trends, and structured feedback. It does not calculate an official ABOS score, replace the ABOS rubric, or guarantee certification.
Source transparency
Official references
Board requirements, dates, and candidate instructions can change. Confirm current details directly with ABOS and the Board’s candidate portal.
Continue preparing