Focus on DR: DR Oral Exam Pilot Announced for September 2027: Benefits for Candidates and ABR
By ABR Governor Desiree E. Morgan, MD; ABR Trustee Kate Maturen, MD, MS; and ABR Executive Director Brent Wagner, MD, MBA
October 2026;19(5):6
In August, ABR leadership announced that an optional diagnostic radiology (DR) oral exam pilot would be offered in September 2027 to a small cohort of volunteer candidates in advance of the larger exam to be administered in February 2028. The purpose of the pilot is for the ABR to learn from an administration that is lower risk for the candidates but uses procedures for remote oral exam administration that can be appropriately refined and scaled to the larger events in 2028.
This is a unique opportunity for eligible candidates, who have the chance to pass the exam with no risk of a “failed” result. The exam will have three potential outcomes: 1) a complete pass: if other requirements including state licensure are met, this would support board certified status; 2) a conditional pass: the individual may return in the fall of 2028 to take up to two categories to satisfy the “condition”; or 3) a non-event: no score is issued if the candidate does not pass. A conditioned candidate will have the option to decide whether to accept the conditional pass result or request a non-event determination. Most will probably prefer the conditional pass, because they would need to take only one or two of the seven DR categories on a repeat attempt at the exam.
By offering a pilot exam, the ABR provides candidates an opportunity to gain experience in an unfamiliar testing environment without any significant penalty. The organization benefits because we can evaluate the effectiveness of our execution by administering an exam of limited scale. We will also collect valuable feedback from examiners and candidates through optional surveys.
ABR diplomates who traveled to Louisville for the old in-person DR oral exam offered their thoughts on the merits of candidates taking the new remote DR oral pilot:
“I was in the second-to-last class to take the oral. And I did two sections of the Core pilot that was offered to us. They incentivized us by saying if we passed the Core pilot section but failed that section in the oral, they would pass us for that section. I would say, absolutely, that all residents who have that opportunity should take it (the pilot). Even if they don’t pass, they will have a much better understanding of what to expect.”
“This pilot exam sounds like a great idea. Participants could go ahead and concentrate on their career path instead of continuing to study for the boards. And there is nothing to lose by being part of the pilot group; candidates will likely be prepared to take the boards at that time, only four months ahead of the next oral attempt. This sounds like a great opportunity to ‘go first.’”
“I like the idea that there is no penalty for taking the early exam considering it is a pilot. I took the oral exam back in 2010 and certainly appreciated how it helped prepare me for the next stage in my career and wrapped up my residency training. It was what really helped pull all my knowledge into a functional base, and the stress of having to answer questions live enhanced my learning and performance. I am excited that this functionality is coming back.”
Eligible candidates for the pilot will receive an email invitation to confirm their interest at least three months before the exam. If the ABR receives more requests than available appointments, candidates will be randomly selected from among those who expressed interest during the registration window. For more information about the oral exam, please see our website.
