Cover Kidney News
Volume/Issue:
Volume 12: Issue 2
Page:
1–3
Publication Date:
01 Feb 2020
Online Publication Date:
06 Feb 2020
Editorial Type:
Basic Article

Nephrology Certification Exam Pass Rate Drops Sharply

Decline sparks search for the reasons behind it and discussion of how community should respond

Eric Seaborg
Volume/Issue:
Volume 12: Issue 2
Publication Date:
01 Feb 2020
Page:
1–3
Restricted access

The initial pass rate for the nephrology certification exam dropped by 9% in 2019, setting off concerned discussions on Twitter and a search for explanations by many in the nephrology community.

The decline in the pass rate to 74% represents a precipitous drop from the 90% rate of 2016. The rates in both 2017 and 2018 were 83%. For the 15 subspecialties tested under the aegis of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in 2019, the average pass rate was 90.5%.

Although the size of the decline raised questions about a problem with the test, ABIM is steadfast in
Save