Practitioner Candidate Guide

Statement of Non-Discrimination

ABC does not discriminate on any basis that would constitute illegal discrimination under federal law.

Submission of Application

Applications must be submitted at ABCop.org. When applying, you must register for at least one of the three exams. The three exams are independent of one another and may be taken in any sequence. You must attempt at least one exam within one calendar year from the date your application is approved. Failure to attempt any exam within that period will cause the application to expire and a new application must be submitted.

Fees

Payment is required when you apply. ABC accepts electronic payments in the form of either a debit or credit card or Automated Clearing House (ACH). The fees are:

• Non-refundable application fee for each application submitted.
• Non-refundable late application fee.*
• Exam fee for each exam attempt.

*For applications submitted up to 14 days after the deadline.

Eligibility Period

Approved certification candidates will be given a three (3) year eligibility period in which to take and pass the required exam(s). ABC grants you four (4) attempts to pass each exam within your three (3) year eligibility period*. Candidates must attempt at least one exam within one calendar year from the date their application was approved.  Failure to attempt any exam within that period will cause the application to expire and a new application must be submitted. If you have exhausted your eligibility period and you have not passed any exams, you may re-apply for eligibility by submitting a new application, subject to the prevailing Candidate Guide. 

If you have passed one of the required exams within your initial eligibility period but failed the other exam(s) four times or your eligibility period has expired, you will be granted one additional attempt at the exam(s) you have not passed. The attempt(s) must be made within one year of the end of your initial eligibility period. If you fail the additional attempt(s) at the exam(s) you must reapply, and any passing scores will not carry over to a new eligibility period. All new applications must be complete and include a new application fee. 

Effective January 1, 2027, candidates will be granted a maximum of two (2) eligibility periods totaling six (6) years OR eight (8) exam attempts to successfully pass each of the required certification examinations. If a candidate does not pass a required exam within these limits, they will be required to complete specific remediation before becoming eligible to test again. Upon completion of the required remediation, the candidate will be allowed to reapply and will be granted a third and final eligibility period of three (3) years or four (4) additional attempts.

*Please Note: The single-discipline pathways will be discontinued December 31, 2027. After this date only the dual-discipline pathway will be available. Single-discipline applications submitted between January 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027, will have a shortened eligibility period that expires on December 31, 2029.  

Testing Accommodations

It is ABC policy to administer certification exams in a manner that does not discriminate against an otherwise qualified applicant. ABC offers reasonable and appropriate accommodations for the exams for persons with documented disabilities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If you require any accommodations, submit your requests by the application deadline of your desired exam session to provide adequate time to resolve any documentation or exam logistical issues that may arise. ABC will review each request on an individual basis and make decisions for appropriate accommodations based on specific guidelines. 

The Testing Accommodations Policy and the  Testing Accommodations Application should be referenced for additional specific information.

Certification Pathway Change Requests

Candidates may not be approved for both single-discipline and dual-discipline Simulation or CPM exams simultaneously. Candidates who wish to change from one pathway to another must submit a Pathway Change Request Form. Once a pathway change has been processed, no additional pathway changes will be permitted. To request the form, email certification@abcop.org. 

Candidates should carefully consider the implications of changing pathways, as described below, before submitting a request.

General requirements for all pathway change requests:

• ABC will terminate the candidate's current application(s) and associated eligibility periods.
• All application fees are non-refundable.
• Any exam fees paid for exams that have not been attempted will be refunded.
• The candidate must submit a new application for the requested pathway and pay all applicable application and examination fees.
• Candidates may only change pathways once.
• Once a pathway change has been processed, no additional pathway changes will be permitted. 

Changing from a Single-Discipline Pathway to a Dual-Discipline Pathway

Changing from a Dual-Discipline Pathway to a Single-Discipline Pathway

Please Note: The single-discipline pathways will be discontinued December 31, 2027. After this date only the dual-discipline application will be available. Applications submitted between January 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027, will have a shortened eligibility period that expires on December 31, 2029.  

Candidates who have not attempted or passed any dual-discipline exams may request a pathway change to take the single-discipline exams by submitting a Pathway Change Request Form. General requirements above will apply. Upon approval of the new single-discipline application(s), the candidate will be granted a new eligibility period and four (4) attempts to pass the single-discipline Simulation and CPM exams, subject to all the current eligibility requirements and policies.

Criminal History Disclosure

Health care providers are placed in a position of trust with their patients. Often these providers have unsupervised, physical contact with their patients. You must disclose criminal history information if you have been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction, pleaded nolo contendere, or are currently under indictment, for a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude.

You must submit a signed written statement and full explanation along with supporting documents to accompany your application. Examples of supporting documents may include, but are not limited to, official court documents, probation documents, police reports, etc.

Authority

ABC reserves the right to ask you to furnish information or make inquiries as may be deemed appropriate to identify the nature and extent of your education, experience, competency and moral character.

Notification of Application Decision

You will be notified by email  of your application approval or denial within the four weeks following the application deadline. You can check your My ABC account to view the status of your application.

Address Changes

The email address provided on the application will be used for emailing your letter of eligibility, registration information, exam confirmation and results. You are responsible for ensuring that your information in your My ABC account is up-to-date.

Falsification

If ABC discovers that you have falsified any information on your application, any or all of the following actions may be taken:

• Rejection of your application
• Barring you from the exam(s)
• Revocation of any existing ABC certification or status
• Referring of the incident to the Professional Ethics Committee

Any act of falsification shall be made a part of your permanent record

Applicant Ineligibility

You may be determined ineligible for any of the following reasons:

• Insufficient documentation to assess your eligibility
• Documentation provided does not meet eligibility requirements
• Lack of required fees
• Failure to meet posted deadlines for documentation and/or residency requirements

If it is determined that the information you provided is inadequate to assess eligibility, you will be notified and given a deadline to respond with the necessary documentation. If documents are not received by the given deadline, your application will be deferred, one time, to the next exam cycle.  Failure to complete your application after one deferral will terminate your application, and a new application and new application fee will be required.

Application Appeals

If you have been denied Exam Candidate status based on failure to demonstrate the minimal eligibility requirements, you may appeal the denial. Your appeal must be submitted in writing to the ABC Board of Directors.

Your appeal must:

• Be in writing, contain your signature and sent via mail or email to ABC
• State the specific reasons for your appeal
• Include evidence or other pertinent information refuting ABC’s original findings
• Be sent no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the notification letter

Appeals Decision

You will receive notification of the board’s decision within 60 days of receipt of your request. The Board of Directors’ decision is final.

Retaking an Exam

If you fail one of the three exams, you must re-register at ABCop.org by the application deadline for the desired exam session. You must be within your current eligibility period and have not exhausted your allotted four attempts at the exam.

Reapplying for Eligibility

If you have exhausted your eligibility period, you may reapply for eligibility by submitting a new application, subject to the prevailing Candidate Guide, and a new application fee. All passing scores from your previous eligibility period will not carry over to your new eligibility period.