Prepare for the ABFM Family Medicine Board Exam

After years of school and residency training, it’s time for the last big hurdle before you fully step into your career as a certified family physician: the ABFM board review exam. Dr. Chase Mussard is an AAFP member, practicing family physician and residency faculty member. In this video, Dr. Mussard will discuss tips, tricks and things to avoid from your family medicine board review studies through exam day itself.

Get exam tips, study tools and practice questions to prepare for the ABFM board exam.

As a resident, you’ve applied your academic learning in real-world care, preparing you for full-spectrum family medicine. Now it’s time for the board exam that proves your skills, knowledge and judgment. On this page, we’ll walk you through six key steps—from applying and scheduling your exam to creating a study plan and prioritizing well-being—along with AAFP resources to guide you through this milestone in your career.

Six steps to prepare for family medicine boards

1. Apply and schedule your exam

  • Keep deadlines in mind. The one-day board certification exam cost most residents $1,300 in 2024, but those who didn't register in time paid $1,400. For test dates in April, the deadline to register without a $100 penalty is toward the end of January.

  • Applications for the ABFM Family Medicine Board Exam are submitted through your MyABFM Portfolio account. Check your profile to ensure that your residency program information is correct.

  • Once your application is complete, you’ll be able to schedule a testing date and location through Prometric. Choose your seat as early as possible.

2. Assess your knowledge gaps

  • Use the AAFP’s free, member-exclusive board review practice questions for a snapshot of your knowledge.

  • Practice questions focus on specific pieces of knowledge and may not be enough to improve your board score. Make sure you understand the context of clinical situations.

  • Your annual In-Training Exam (ITE) scores help you gauge how you’ll perform on the board exam. Check your MyABFM Portfolio for a report six to eight weeks after your most recent exam to determine your areas for improvement and discuss them with your residency director or faculty.

Access member exclusive free board review questions

3. Choose the right study resources

  • Board review courses are an ideal study resource and help you fill experience gaps. For example, not everyone will have seen a case of thyroid cancer during residency, but every family physician should be able to identify it and do a workup for it.

  • The AAFP offers an in-person Board Review Express course every February as well as a livestream option twice a year. For those with more flexible study time, we offer a video-based self-study board review package that includes slides and other on-demand resources, plus features that allow you to control video speed and allow for personalized progression. More than 30% of Express course attendees are residents.

  • Most faculty for AAFP Board Review materials are residency faculty and know how to train you for the exam.

  • In addition to board review materials, there are several AAFP resources you can rely on to deepen your clinical knowledge and skills: American Family Physician articles and quiz questions, FP Comprehensive™ and FP Essentials™.

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4. Make your study plan

  • Prioritize studying the areas you have identified as weak spots and use the ABFM blueprint to guide how much time you commit to each area of study.

  • Take time daily or weekly to identify clinical questions you’ve had in practice, then seek resources on those topics.

  • Establish a regular review pace. For example, divide up the content of the Board Review course and review portions of it every week over a year. The AAFP Board review self-study course also outlines a method for dividing material into a study schedule.

  • Review American Family Physician articles every month, paying particular attention to the level of evidence presented. The stronger the evidence, the more you need to know it.

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5. Prioritize your well-being

  • Use your AAFP membership to access self-care and burnout support education and resources.

  • Get mentally comfortable with the exam format by taking a few practice exams the week or two before your scheduled exam.

  • In the week before your exam, get plenty of sleep and take care of yourself. Aim for balanced meals and short bouts of exercise to keep your mind sharp and focused. Build in breaks for family, friends or activities that recharge you.

  • There’s no need for last-minute cramming. The studying and learning you've completed to reach this point will often be enough to lead you to a correct answer.

6. Dry run your test day

  • Have your e-ticket and an accepted photo ID ready to present at the Prometric test center.

  • If you’re traveling for the exam, confirm your reservations.

  • Make a trip to the testing center in advance, if possible, so you know what traffic to expect and can spot any potential delays or parking issues.

  • Run through your morning routine—wake-up time, breakfast and commute—so you can focus fully on the exam itself. Preparation builds confidence.

AAFP board review resources