This oral examination is the final step in the certification process for most physicians. The purpose of the examination is to determine whether a candidate can gather relevant information about a patient efficiently and then manage the patient appropriately and effectively.

Candidates who successfully complete the Qualifying (Part 1) Examination who have been in practice for a sufficient period of time with adequate practice logs and acceptable peer review, and who meet all criteria of the Board, will be eligible to take the Certifying (Part 2) Examination.

Candidates for certification must complete the entire certification process within five years of completing their residency. The Board may approve an extension of the five-year period of admissibility for the following reasons:

• At least one year spent in an approved fellowship
• Deferral by the Credentials Committee due to an inadequate surgical log
• An excused absence from an examination

Applications are mailed in mid-May to all eligible candidates, and the current application will be available for download from this site at that time. The application and fee are due July 1. Applications may be submitted with an additional $750.00 late fee until August 1, after which time no applications will be accepted.

Electronic Practice Logs are due September 1. Logs submitted after this date will be assessed an additional $750.00 late fee until September 15, after which time no logs will be accepted.

Letters of admissibility to candidates who have been approved to take the exam will be mailed in late December.

The examination will be held at the Grand Hyatt DFW, at DFW Airport in Dallas, TX, on February 24-25, 2012. Registration and orientation will be conducted on Thursday, February 23, at 5:00 PM.

Applications must be submitted on forms for the current cycle. Prior year forms are given for informational purposes only.  

To provide the Board with a notarized copy of a document, take the original document to a notary public. He or she will copy it and notarize the copy as a true copy of the original. Mail the notarized copy to the Board office; faxes or photocopies of documents will not be accepted.

Adobe Reader is required to view and print the documents listed below. Click on the button to the right to download the latest version of the free Adobe Reader.
Handbook for Applicants and Candidates
Certifying Examination (Part 2) Application
Practice Breakdown
Electronic Practice Log Instructions
Practice Log Template
Complications Narratives
Notarization Form
Practice Log Instructions for Canadian Applicants
Registration and Hotel Information

The Certifying (Part 2) Examination takes place annually each February in Dallas, Texas.  Each candidate will appear before one examiner on Friday and a different examiner on Saturday. The candidate will be tested on three different protocols during each session.

The Trustees of the American Board of Urology, who are selected for their expertise in clinical urology, develop protocols and questions for this examination. After an individual Trustee develops an oral protocol, it is presented to a subgroup of other Trustees for comments and critique. The protocol is then rewritten as many times as necessary so that it is clear, representative of the problem at hand, and relevant to the field of clinical urology. When all in the group agree that it is an acceptable protocol, it is reviewed by the entire Board of Trustees who then selects the best protocols for use on the oral examination.

Oral examiners include current and former Trustees of the American Board of Urology and carefully-selected, well-qualified guest examiners. The guest examiners are selected from across the country for their knowledge, their ability to be fair and consistent, and their reputation for clinical urology. Prior to the Qualifying (Part 2) Examination, the protocols are presented to the entire group of examiners so that all examiners understand the details of each protocol.

Do not assume that routine tests have been obtained and routine care administered. You must ask the examiner for this information.

• Be systematic in data gathering. Do not guess. If you don’t know, say so.

• Discuss how you would manage the problem.

• Time is short, don’t waste it.

• Don’t be alarmed if an examiner cuts you off. The examiner under these circumstances has determined what you know and feels that prolonging the discussion is unnecessary.

• You are expected to manage all urologic disease. You will not be allowed to send urologic problems to a consultant.

• You may take notes during the exam. They will not be graded.

Each examiner is evaluated statistically throughout the examination. This allows comparison of one examiner against another with respect to fairness and severity. If an examiner's performance is inconsistent or appears not to be impartial, this is taken into account during the grading process to ensure that every candidate is treated fairly. In that event, the examiner will not be asked to participate in the process subsequently.

The Board uses a standardized, well-documented method to determine the minimum pass level which is felt to represent the minimum level of competence needed to practice urology. Using a sophisticated statistical program, the difficulty of the protocols and the severity of the examiners are determined. The values are then placed on the same scale so that differences in examiners and protocols may be equalized to give each candidate the same probability of passing the exam regardless of the particular protocol or examiner. For example, one candidate might get a very difficult protocol given by a “very severe” examiner. The statistical program adjusts for this so that the total score required to pass the examination is less than if that same candidate had an “easy” examiner and an easy protocol. Under the latter circumstance, the scale would be raised to a higher level so that it would be just as easy to pass the exam with a “severe” examiner and difficult protocol as it would be if with an “easy” examiner and an easy protocol.

On average, approximately 92% of first-time takers pass the exam.