Initial Certification

Initial Certification in the Specialties of Neurology,
and Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology

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Certification in Neurology, and Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology
The ABPN issues certificates for the specialties of neurology and neurology with special qualification in child neurology.
Neurologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases or impaired function of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles, autonomic nervous system, and blood vessels that relate to these structures.
Child Neurologists specialize in neurology with special skills in diagnosis and treatment of neurologic disorders of the neonatal period, infancy, early childhood, and adolescence.

Specific Requirements
Specific requirements for certification in each of these specialties are described in detail in the Information for Applicants (IFA) publications. These publications and corresponding applications are revised each year and are available as pdf files.

Additionally, the ABPN annually revises content outlines of topics that will be covered in each examination that is offered. These publications may be downloaded from the Content Outlines page. The ABPN also maintains core competencies outlines for its specialties and subspecialties.

Changes for neurology and neurology with special qualification in child neurology examinations

New credentialing process effective for residents who entered residency training in neurology (PGY-2) or child neurology (PGY-3) on or after July 1, 2005.
ABPN has made changes in the credentialing process effective for residents who entered residency training in neurology (PGY-2) or child neurology (PGY-3) on or after July 1, 2005. Some of the clinical skills evaluations that are currently conducted in the Part II examination will now take place within the residency program, and the residents will be required to submit documentation of satisfactory performance in the evaluation of clinical skills as part of the ABPN credentialing process. Assessment of other clinical skills will be integrated into a new computer-administered certification examination beginning in 2008. Candidates who successfully pass this computer-administered examination will be awarded a ten-year, time limited certificate in their respective specialty.

Credentialing process effective for residents who entered residency training in neurology (PGY-2) or child neurology (PGY-3) before July 1, 2005.
Residents who entered residency training in neurology (PGY-2) or child neurology (PGY-3) prior to July 1, 2005, must utilize the current certification process and will have up to February 1, 2013 to complete the certification process. Such residents will be required to apply and sit for the Part I examination being administered in 2007, 2008, or 2009.* Any candidate that sits for and passes the Part I examination in 2010 or before will have three opportunities or until February 1, 2013 to pass the Part II examination, whichever comes first.

*The 2010 Part I examination will not be available for first-time takers. The Part I examination will be eliminated after 2010.

Candidates who fail the initial Part I examination may, upon payment of the Part I reexamination fee, repeat the examination the following year. Reexaminees who do not sit for reexamination as scheduled also will be required to reapply for the Part I examination.

Candidates who do not pass the Part I examination in 2010 or before or do not complete the certification process by the February 1, 2013 deadline will be required to submit documentation of satisfactory performance in the evaluation of clinical skills completed in an ACGME-accredited program as part of the ABPN credentialing process. To become Board certified in either neurology or neurology with special qualification in child neurology, such candidates must pass the new computer-administered certification examination.

ABPN will begin administering the new computer certification examination beginning in 2008.

The current Part I examination is scheduled for two 3-1/2 hour sessions in the same day, and is administered at approximately 200 Pearson VUE testing centers across the US. The Part I examinations are typically scheduled in the fall of each year.

Successful Part I candidates receive a notice of assignment to a Part II examination with a billing statement for the required examination fee. Scheduling for the Part II examinations is done on a regional basis whenever feasible. The Part II examinations are typically scheduled sometime in January, May and September.

Neurology and Child Neurology Clinical Skills Evaluations During Residency
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) mandates that demonstration of clinical skills competency is a basic requirement in order to apply for certification in the specialties of neurology and neurology with special qualification in child neurology. Competency in these skills should be achieved during residency. The ABPN requires that residents demonstrate competency in the following areas:

Demonstration of competency in evaluating a minimum of five different patients during residency training is required. An individual training program may elect to do more such evaluations.

The ABPN anticipates that training program directors will be able to input data regarding clinical evaluations via a web-based tracking program in 2007. Residents will be able to view their data and track their progress in completing the evaluations.

Two forms (NEX v.1 and NEX v.2) and an instructional guide for use in performing the Neurology Clinical Evaluation Exercise during residency are located on the Forms page on the ABPN web site.

Other forms may be approved for use by the ABPN. If you are interested in submitting a neurology training program evaluation form for approval, please email to questions@abpn.com, fax to 847.229.6600, or mail to the Board office.

Please note that applications for examinations are only available for a brief period of time in the year preceding the examination. Please see the examination schedule for application dates and deadlines.