The ABTS Part II Oral Examination: Current Format, Blueprint, and Preparation Strategy
A source-aware guide to the three-room, 12-scenario examination—and how to prepare for separate cardiac and general thoracic judgment under pressure.
Key takeaways
- The current ABTS Part II examination is in person and includes a 15-minute briefing, three 30-minute exam sessions, and a 15-minute debriefing.
- The published blueprint contains 12 equally weighted scenarios: six cardiac and six general thoracic.
- Candidates must satisfy separate cardiac and general thoracic standards—at least two of three examiners in each domain.
- The public exam matrix emphasizes patient selection, diagnosis or staging, preparation, operative judgment, postoperative care, and complication management.
- ABTS currently lists June 4–5, 2027 for the next Part II examination, subject to change; candidates should verify location and instructions in the portal.
- ABTS currently states that the Part II Oral Examination uses the ninth edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.
Purpose
What the examination is designed to reveal
ABTS describes the examination as a test of knowledge, judgment, and the ability to correlate information while managing clinical problems across general thoracic and cardiac surgery, including congenital cardiac surgery.
The practical implication is that preparation cannot stop at factual recall. A candidate must convert incomplete information into a safe plan, say what matters first, commit to an operative or nonoperative strategy, and continue reasoning when the case changes.
The strongest answers make priorities visible. They distinguish the immediate threat from the complete differential, identify the next discriminating information, and explain why the chosen action is appropriate for this patient at this moment.
Two hours, three rooms
The current public examination architecture
Each room has two examiners, for six examiners total. The published room distribution yields six cardiac scenarios and six general thoracic scenarios across the full examination.
ABTS states that results are mailed, usually within two to four weeks, and are not provided by phone or posted on the internet. Candidates should follow the current portal instructions rather than relying on historical logistics.
| Phase | Published structure | Preparation implication |
|---|---|---|
| Briefing | 15 minutes | Arrive ready to absorb operational instructions without using the briefing as a last-minute content review. |
| Room 1 | 30 minutes · four cardiac protocols | Transition quickly among short scenarios while maintaining cardiac breadth and concise operative reasoning. |
| Room 2 | 30 minutes · four general thoracic protocols | Demonstrate staging, resectability, physiology, operative planning, and rescue across thoracic disease. |
| Room 3 | 30 minutes · two cardiac plus two general thoracic protocols | Switch cognitive frames cleanly; do not carry assumptions from one specialty domain into the next. |
| Debriefing | 15 minutes | Follow Board instructions; do not treat the debrief as an opportunity to relitigate answers. |
Twelve equal scenarios
How the published blueprint distributes content
| Domain | Published scenario count | Public topic emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| General thoracic total | 6 | Two malignant lung; one malignant esophageal; one benign esophageal; remaining scenarios drawn from benign lung, pleural, mediastinal, and chest-wall disease. |
| Cardiac total | 6 | Two ischemic; two valvular including transcatheter therapies; one root, ascending, or arch aortic disease; remaining breadth may include MCS, adult congenital anomalies, or rhythm disorders. |
| Every protocol may test | Applied across all 12 | Patient selection; diagnosis or staging; preoperative preparation; operative technique and intraoperative decisions; postoperative care; complication management. |
Separate majorities
What the public scoring description does—and does not—say
All 12 scenarios are equally weighted
A dramatic aortic emergency is not publicly assigned more weight than a concise pleural or benign-esophageal scenario. Treat every transition as consequential.
Cardiac and thoracic are judged separately
The matrix states that a candidate must pass at least two of three examiners in both cardiac and thoracic.
ABTS does not publish a candidate-facing numeric point rubric on these pages
Do not reverse-engineer an official score from practice percentages. Use educational scoring to identify observable behaviors and missing decisions.
Consistency matters more than one memorable flourish
Because scenarios are equal and domains are separate, preparation should reduce repeated unsafe or vague behavior rather than optimize one showcase topic.
Current cycle
Dates, sequence, and verification responsibilities
As reviewed July 27, 2026, ABTS lists the 2027 Part II examination for June 4–5, 2027, subject to change. The ABTS homepage currently identifies Dallas, while the detailed dates-and-fees table displays the location as TBD. Candidates should use the portal and current Board communications as the source of truth for travel.
Passing Part I is required before admission to Part II. ABTS currently states that the Part II Oral Examination uses the ninth edition of the AJCC TNM staging system. ABTS also publishes timing rules for application and completion of the examination sequence. Those eligibility rules have material consequences, so candidates should verify their own deadlines directly rather than infer them from a study guide.
- Confirm current Part II eligibility in the ABTS portal.
- Verify exam dates, location, reporting time, identification, and travel instructions.
- Review the current ABTS oral-exam page and matrix after any Board announcement.
- Use current staging conventions and clinical guidance referenced by ABTS.
- Keep the address and contact information in the candidate portal current.
Preparation architecture
Build for two domains and twelve short decisions
- 01
Map every practice case to the public matrix
Track cardiac and general thoracic volume separately. Do not let comfort with CABG, valves, or lung cancer hide a deficit in the rest of the matrix.
- 02
Practice in protocol-sized segments
Use short cases that force rapid framing, then combine four protocols into 30-minute room simulations. Long lectures train the wrong pacing.
- 03
Say the operation and the rescue plan aloud
An internal plan is not examinable evidence. Rehearse setup, sequence, verification, complications, and the threshold for bailout in complete sentences.
- 04
Score cardiac and thoracic separately
Review each domain with independent trend lines and repair goals. A single blended average can conceal the exact risk built into the public standard.
- 05
Finish with three-room mocks
Simulate four cardiac protocols, four thoracic protocols, then a mixed room. Preserve transitions, neutral interruption, and the published time structure.
Put the framework under pressure
Practice the answer out loud—not only on paper.
Voice-first cases, adaptive examiner follow-up, imaging, complications, and structured educational feedback for cardiothoracic surgery.
Questions candidates ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the current ABTS Part II Oral Examination format?
ABTS publicly describes an in-person examination with a 15-minute briefing, three 30-minute exam sessions, and a 15-minute debriefing. Candidates rotate through three rooms with two examiners in each room: one cardiac room, one general thoracic room, and one mixed room.
How many scenarios are on the ABTS oral examination?
The published blueprint contains 12 equally weighted scenarios: six cardiac and six general thoracic. The cardiac room has four cardiac protocols, the thoracic room has four general thoracic protocols, and the mixed room has two of each.
Do candidates have to pass cardiac and general thoracic separately?
Yes. ABTS states that candidates must receive a passing grade from a majority of cardiac examiners and a majority of general thoracic examiners. The published blueprint expresses this as passing at least two of three examiners in both cardiac and thoracic.
Are a candidate’s operative-log cases used as the oral exam scenarios?
The public ABTS oral-exam description presents 12 standardized protocols. Operative logs support training and credentialing requirements; ABTS does not publicly describe the candidate’s logged cases as the source of the 12 oral scenarios.
Does SurgiTest use official or recalled ABTS questions?
No. SurgiTest uses original educational scenarios aligned to the public format and topic matrix. It does not reproduce, solicit, or distribute secure examination content.
Does SurgiTest calculate an official ABTS score or guarantee a result?
No. SurgiTest provides educational feedback for deliberate practice. It does not reproduce ABTS psychometrics, assign an official pass or fail, or guarantee certification.
Source transparency
Official references
Board requirements, dates, and candidate instructions can change. Confirm current details directly with ABTS and the Board’s candidate portal.
Continue preparing