American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Lapsed/Expired ABCC Archives - American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Can I participate if I have a lapsed/expired certificate?

Diplomates with lapsed certificate(s) can participate in the ABCC Pathway in lieu of taking the traditional recertification exam.

If a diplomate is no longer certified, they must complete 90 CME, 24 Self-Assessment (SA), 1 PIP activity, and 1 Patient Safety activity within the past three years; submit an article assessment application and recertification fee, and documentation of completed requirements for audit. They will then need to pass 90 article exams within three years to be reported as Certified. Otherwise, the diplomate can complete the requirements, apply for, and pass the traditional recertification exam. Due to the phase-in of articles to choose from, diplomates with lapsed certificates might have to wait a few years for a full catalog of exams to complete for a subspecialty(ies).

Inactive diplomates recertifying for multiple certificates need to pass a combined total of 90 article exams.

Scores for Inactive diplomates will be finalized on a quarterly basis in ABCC. Recertification letters will be generated after the end of the quarter during which the diplomate successfully passed the final article mini-exam.

Number of Lapsed/Expired Certification(s)	Total article exams to pass before reported as Certified	Number of article exams PER certificate	Additional article exams in any certificate	Number of attempted article exams allowed
1	90	90	N/A	120
2	90	40	10 flexible	120
3	90	25	15 flexible	120

How do I recertify a lapsed subspecialty certification(s)?

If a diplomate is currently in the CC Program with an active initial certification or has an active Lifetime Certification but has a lapsed subspecialty certificate, they may regain certification for the lapsed certificate by submitting an article assessment application and recertification fee, and successful completion of 30 article exams by December 15^th of the year of applying for the lapsed certification.

Example: Psychiatry- active (30 article exams) plus Forensic Psychiatry- lapsed (30 article exams)

Scores for lapsed subspecialty certifications will be finalized within the first 10 days of the month after the nearest quarter. Article assessment deadlines for each quarter grade finalization is as follows:

On or before March 30, to receive final grade before April 10
On or before June 30, to receive final grade before July 10
On or before September 30, to receive final grade before October 10
On or before December 15, to receive final grade before December 31

Can I participate if I am a Non-Time Limited (Lifetime) certificate holder?

While a Lifetime certificate holder is not required to participate in the Continuing Certification Program, diplomates with a lifetime certificate(s) have the option to participate in the article-based pathway in lieu of taking the traditional recertification exam. Lifetime certificate holders will always keep their Lifetime certificate even if they opt to participate in the Continuing Certification program. Diplomates will need to enroll in the ABCC Pathway in their Physician Portal. Upon enrolling they will be reported as ‘Certified- Meeting CC Requirements’. They then have 3 years to pass 30 article exams and complete 90 CME, 24 Self-Assessment (SA) credits, 1 PIP activity, and 1 Patient Safety activity, as well as pay the annual fees to continue to be listed as ‘Certified- Meeting CC Requirements’. Such diplomates can opt to take the traditional recertification exam in lieu of the article-based pathway.

Can I participate if I have an invalidated certificate?

Diplomates with an invalidated certificate(s) can participate in the article-based pathway in lieu of taking the traditional recertification exam. First, they must be cleared and credentialed for reinstatement. They will then need to complete 90 CME, 24 Self-Assessment (SA), 1 PIP activity, and 1 Patient Safety activity within the past three years; submit a CC application and fee, and documentation of completed requirements for audit. They will then need to pass 90 article exams within three years to recertify. Due to the phase-in of articles to choose from, diplomates with lapsed certificates might have to wait a few years for a full catalog of exams to complete for a subspecialty(ies). Alternatively, they can complete the requirements and pass the traditional recertification exam. See table for lapsed/expired certificates.

What if I have multiple certifications?

Diplomates with multiple certifications can participate in the ABCC Pathway. See Multiple Certifications section.