The ABR Board decided last week, effective for 2021 and beyond, to eliminate the “conditioning” result for candidates who passed the overall Core Exam but did not meet the specific passing threshold for physics. In recent years, this has affected less than 1% of candidates.
This change aligns the scoring model for physics with the clinical and modality portions of the exam content; while it represents a benefit for that small number of candidates, the overall fail rate is not impacted, and no candidate is disadvantaged by the change. The ABR will monitor the impact of this minor modification to the scoring model for future test administrations.
The February Core Exam administration had a very high statistical reliability and, although there were challenges for some individuals related to specific internet connection problems, nearly all of the candidates were able to complete the exam. The pass rate was higher than in 2019, the last time we administered a Core Exam.
Anyone with questions should contact a certification manager at information@theabr.org or (520) 790-2900.
