The Written Boards

How to Prepare for the Qualifying Exam (Written Boards)

Format

The American Board of Surgery (ABS) grants “board certification” after completion of residency and passing of the “boards”. The “boards” are comprised of two separate examinations: the ABS Qualifying Exam (QE) and the ABS Certifying Exam (CE).

The ABS-QE, also known as the “written boards”, is an 8-hour computer-based examination, similar to the ABSITE. It consists of approximately 300 multiple-choice questions given over 8-hours. It is generally taken after graduation although some residents may elect to take it early, after PGY-4. It is only offered once per year in mid-July. Graduates will have a total of 4-opportunities within a 4-year period to pass.

You must first pass the ABS-QE (written boards) before you can sit for the ABS-CE (oral boards).

The O.R. Strategy

You have been practicing the format of standardized exams in multiple-choice format your entire life. You have taken the ABSITE every year and at this point know how to study. Your efforts should primarily be directed on recall and practice questions as you will see on the exam. Similar to ABSITE, you should plan on doing a minimum of 1,000 questions. Review books and textbooks can be used to supplement as needed, but the primary focus should be placed on practice questions.

Timing

Take the Exam Immediately After Graduation While the Information from Residency and Repeated ABSITE Preparation is the Most Fresh in Your Mind
- Do Not Push It Off to the Next Year – Not All Subjects Will Be Relevant to Your Individual Practice and the Longer You Delay, the More Difficult it Will Be
Start a Dedicated Study Period 1-2 Months in Advance
Dedicate At Least a Few Hours Everyday to Studying
Consider Taking a Week Vacation Immediately Prior to the Exam for the Most Intensive Review

Practice Questions

Practice Questions Should Be Your Primary Focus When Preparing for Written Boards
Minimum of 1,000, However the More the Better
Consider Trying to Either Finish Two Separate Question Banks or Complete One Twice
Try to Finish Whatever Banks You are Working on With Enough Time to Then Repeat All of the Questions You Missed – Repeating Missed Questions Will Allow You to Focus on the Material You Struggle with Closer to the Exam and Solidify Your Understanding
SESAP & TrueLearn are the Two Most Commonly Recommended

Additional Review Material

Continue to Use Whichever ABSITE Review Book You Used During Residency to Supplement – The Content on ABSITE is Similar to the Qualifying Exam
Use Our Review of Surgery for a High-Yield Rapid Review of Subjects to Supplement
Use Textbooks, Published Literature, and Society Guidelines Only for Particular Subjects You Want to Review but Avoid Dedicating an Inordinate Amount of Time to These In-Depth but Inefficient Resources

Oral Board Prep

We Generally Recommend Against Significant Oral Board Studying While Preparing for the Written Boards – Rather Focus on Question Banks
Consider Adding Our Oral Board Review Book as a Light but Steady Companion to Introduce Oral Board–Specific Thinking Early While You Otherwise Stay Focused on Written Board Prep with Practice Questions

Resources

Review Books & Textbooks

There are not many textbooks/review books written for the sole purpose of the written boards. In general, residents and graduates will use the same review materials they used in studying for the ABSITE.
The Operative Review of Surgery (The O.R.) – For high-yield rapid review of all subjects. We recognize our obvious bias but are dedicated to making our program the most up-to-date, clinically relevant, and simply best surgical review material available.

Question Banks: Qualifying Exam-Dedicated

SESAP (Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program) – Over 600 case-based practice questions. Produced by the ACS Division of Education.
TrueLearn – 1,500+ practice questions. Similar to the ABSITE practice questions.
The Pass Machine – 1,500+ practice questions. Includes 44+ hours of lectures. Generally the most expensive option.

Question Banks: General/ABSITE

SCORE (Surgical Council on Resident Education) – 2,300+ practice questions. Same question bank used for ABSITE preparation. Most residents already have access through their residency program.
TrueLearn – 1,000+ practice questions.
DeVirgilio C. Review of Surgery for ABSITE and Boards, 3e. 2022 – 1,000 practice questions in book format.
Other Banks:
- ABSITE Quest
- Decker Medicine
- ABSITE Assassin

The Oral Board Review Book

Second edition (2025) now available on Amazon!

The most effective and effecient Oral Board review book available. Focused on diagnosis and treatment in bullet-point format, this book will help you formulate a reasonable and safe approach to surgical pathology and master your oral boards.

The second edition is updated with new images, diagrams, and 20% more content. It was edited by former residents preparing for the exam themselves to ensure that the content is the most accurate and up-to-date.