The APCCMPD In-service Examinations

The APCCMPD Pulmonary/Critical Care In-service Exam and APCCMPD Critical Care In-service Exam are the only nationally standardized, psychometrically-validated tests that evaluate a clinician's knowledge of pulmonary and critical care medicine.

Each exam is a 150-question, computer-based exam. Content is based on the respective ABIM Pulmonary Disease MOC Exam Blueprint and ABIM Critical Care Medicine MOC Exam Blueprint. 

Every year exam items are developed by the In-service Exam Writing Committee, a group of physician content experts who create these items to reflect the knowledge and skills identified as necessary for competent trainee progression through pulmonary, critical care, and combined subspecialty training. Once assembled, the tests then undergo a holistic review by a psychometrician and the In-service Exam Writing Committee who examine the tests for accuracy, significance, fairness, and conformity to test specifications. Exam items are then placed through a rigorous item-analysis adhering to psychometric industry standards to detect any questionable item performance. The results are reviewed so that item ambiguities are detected and the necessary adjustments made before administration and scoring.

The In-service Exam Writing Committee goes to great lengths to ensure that the exams are an accurate reflection of the most current evidence and practice in pulmonary and critical care medicine, and that it is administered in a way to protect the integrity of the resulting scores. This requires vigilance in both exam analysis and proctoring efforts. The APCCMPD In-service exams are annually reviewed and updated, including regular item-analysis to determine that all items are performing as originally intended. The extensive psychometric process is necessary not only to verify each item as reliable and an appropriate representation of pulmonary and critical care medicine, but also to determine that all questions are written in an accurate and fair manner.

Available Exams

• Pulmonary/Critical Care In-service Exam (Based in the ABIM Initial Certification Exam in Pulmonary Disease Blue Print)
• Critical Care In-service Exam (Based in the ABIM Initial Certification Exam in CCM Blue Print)

Value to Program Directors

Each exam has been developed as a “low stakes” examination and not to be used for promotion. The exams:

• Provide educational counseling
• Evaluate knowledge uptake of the course of fellowship
• Develop curricula and validate planned curricular changes
• Compare Fellows’ performance nationally
• Serve as a tool for the ACGME Common Program Requirement V.A.2.b).(1) Medical Knowledge
• The program must use an objective formative assessment method. The same formative method must be administered at least twice during the program. 

Value to Fellows

• Identify areas of deficiency that require further learning
• Compare performance to peers nationally
• May help make career choices

2025 Important Dates

Program Directors who register their Fellows will also be able to register to take the complimentary exam.

Eligibility to Take the Exam

Examinees must be one of the following, and must be registered by their program:

• 1st-Year Fellow
• 2nd-Year Fellow
• 3rd-Year Fellow
• Incoming Fellow
• Program Directors may take a complimentary exam when registering at least one Fellow

For more information contact: [email protected]