AOBNP General Certification Examination

Part I General Certification Examination

The Part I examinations intend to measure the knowledge, skills, and judgments of
Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists. This includes the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment,
and prevention of neurologic and psychiatric disorders as well as the medical conditions
which may relate to these two disciplines.

Successful completion of the Part I written examination is required of candidates seeking

certification in psychiatry and neurology. To successfully complete the Part I examination, a
candidate must pass the psychiatry or neurology written examination at the registered
administration date. A candidate who fails a Part I examination may, upon payment of the
Part I re-examination fee, repeat the examination the following year. There is no limit on the
number of times an applicant may apply to take the Part I examination. Candidates will be
scheduled for examination and re-examination if necessary until they have exhausted their
opportunities. Keep in mind, board eligibility and the examination process is valid for a
period of six years. Candidates can petition for consideration of an extension or will need to
reapply for board eligibility if their time has already lapsed.

The Part I examinations are given once a year usually at the mid year meeting of the
American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists. The Board will advise an
applicant, via email, of acceptance to take the examination following a candidates
successfully completion of the application process. Candidates will then receive notification
of the examination site, date, and time to report for the examination.

Applicants who fail to sit for the examination they have registered for will be required to
submit a new application and pay the full fee for the next examination. Candidates who are
unable to sit for their scheduled Part I examination due to an emergency should contact the
Board office in writing, no later than 30 days after the date of the examination, to be given
consideration of waiving the reapplication process and fees for the next examination.

Format and Content

The Part 1 examination consists of a pass/fail format of 300 multiple choice single answer
questions. All questions are evenly weighted and the examination is subjected to conventional
psychometric analysis using accepted modern methods of key validation and item scoring.

Registration for the exam will be held at 7:45 a.m. on the day of the test. Photo identification
is required. The examination schedule on the test date begins at 9:00 a.m. and breaks for a
one (1) hour lunch at noon. The examination will resume at 1:00 p.m. and end promptly at
4:30 p.m.. The total examination time is six hours and will be proctored. No questions
pertaining to question content are allowed during the examination.

The examination will consist of questions on basic science, current knowledge, and clinical
problems. The questions are designed to insure appropriate evaluation of a candidate's
knowledge, intellectual abilities, judgment, and skills in the disciplines of neurology or

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psychiatry. Candidates are expected to be current in neurological or psychiatric advances.

The psychiatry examination will be based on DSM 5 criteria and includes content
questions in the following areas:

Neurology for the Psychiatrist

Assessment for the Psychiatrist
Psychiatric Disorders
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Manual Medicine
Psychotherapies
Pharmacologic Agents
Biopsychosocial Medicine
Psychoactive Substance Use/Abuse
Life Cycle

The neurology examination includes content questions in the following areas:

Neurosciences - Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Neurochemistry, Neuropharmacology

Neuroimaging
Child Neurology, Neurogenetics, Congenital and Developmental Disorders
Psychiatry for the Neurologist
Metabolic, Autoimmune, and Toxic Diseases
Vascular Disease
Movement Disorders
Epilepsy and Sleep Disorders
Headaches
Neuromuscular Disease
CNS and PNS Neoplasms
Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neurological Trauma and CNS Infectious Disease
Osteopathic Principals for Neurologists

For this examination, the AOBNP does not endorse or recommend any texts, articles,
journals, or other teaching aids. Furthermore, the AOBNP does not have any affiliation
with or responsibility for programs identifying themselves as “board review courses”.

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Appeal Procedure for All Examinations

A candidate who fails any examination may appeal by submitting the following materials to
the Executive Office of the Board:
 A written request for appeal.
 The applicable appeal fee.
 Additional written information in support of the appeal.
The appeal materials must be sent together in a single mailing that is postmarked within 30
days of the date indicated on the letter of failure notification. The candidate’s appeal will be
considered at the next scheduled Board meeting and a determination will be made. The
candidate will be informed in writing of the result by certified mail within 30 days following
the meeting.
If the candidate is not satisfied with the results of an appeal before this board, he/she has the
right to further appeal to the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS). Where necessary,
candidates may appeal the decision of the BOS to the AOA Board of Trustees.

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