Remote Exam Security Ensures Fair Representation of Candidates’ Knowledge
By Brent Wagner, MD, MBA, ABR Executive Director
2025;18(1):3
When the ABR began offering remote exams in 2021, their development and implementation were based on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are several practical advantages of remote exams for our candidates and diplomates; most importantly, enabling them to avoid the expense and inconvenience of traveling to an exam center. We remain committed to offering remote exams indefinitely, but we acknowledge that it comes with an imperative to require a secure local testing environment for examinees.
We believe our candidates for certification are very comfortable with technology in general; however, the model for our computer-based exams is unavoidably novel because it requires the user to comply with unfamiliar elements that contribute to a secure environment. The process includes setting up an appropriately positioned side-view camera, demonstrating that the workspace is free of study or reference materials, and pausing the software during a break in a way that does not tempt the examinee to return to alter answers to previously viewed content.
We recognize that candidates are highly ethical and motivated to succeed based on their knowledge and skill in the field. While they are logged in to the exam, we provide guidance and reminders of the requirements to support successful completion of the process. In our experience of over 22,000 individual exams, we have had to invalidate only a very small number because of an examinee’s failure to comply with security requirements. An extremely small subset of examinees has faced disciplinary action and been excluded from future exam opportunities.
We will continue to refine our process, and we sincerely believe that we have a responsibility and an opportunity to support our candidates’ progress to certification. We hope to continue to provide a credible and secure individual exam environment that allows them to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the domain acquired through extensive study and training.