Continuing Certification Update: Majority of Diplomates Meet Their CC Requirement Early in Year
February 2026;19(1):10
More than 32,000 diplomates are enrolled in Continuing Certification. To distribute our customer support functions evenly over this population, 20% of our diplomates are evaluated each year to determine whether they have met the Part 3 requirement (knowledge, judgment, and skills). Although a large majority of the diplomates choose to use OLA for their assessment, the ABR offers a Continuing Certification Exam as an alternative for those who do not meet their OLA passing standard.
Of the 6,824 diplomates who are being evaluated this year, 96% have already met the requirement because they are above the OLA passing standard for their specialty. Additional diplomates will reach the standard at some point during 2026. Although the next evaluation for this group is not until the end of 2031, diplomates are encouraged to continue answering questions, not only to identify (and close) potential knowledge gaps but also to avoid forfeit penalties if the minimum performance threshold — usually 52 questions per year — is not met.
