100+ Free ABEM Sports Medicine Practice Questions

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Question 1

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A 22-year-old female soccer player pivots on her planted right foot during a noncontact deceleration and feels a 'pop' in her knee, immediately followed by hemarthrosis within 2 hours. On examination, the Lachman test at 20-30° flexion shows increased anterior tibial translation with a soft endpoint. Which ligament is most likely injured?

Posterior cruciate ligament

Medial collateral ligament

Anterior cruciate ligament

Lateral collateral ligament

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ABEM Sports Medicine Exam

200

Multiple-Choice Questions

Two 100-question sections

5 hours

Total Exam Duration

Two 2-hour sections, computer-based

$2,215

Total ABEM Cost

$470 application + $1,745 exam (2026)

35%

Musculoskeletal Weight

Largest domain on 2026 blueprint

5 boards

Multi-Board Recognition

ABEM, ABFM, ABIM, ABP, ABPMR conjoint

12 months

ACGME Fellowship Required

Sports Medicine fellowship prerequisite

The ABEM Sports Medicine exam is a ~5-hour, 200-question multiple-choice computer-based exam delivered in two 100-question sections. The 2026 ABFM-developed blueprint (effective January 1, 2026) allocates Musculoskeletal Conditions 35%, Medical Conditions 30%, Care of Emergency Conditions 20%, Preventive Aspects 10%, and Foundations of Practice 5%. Passing is criterion-referenced. ABEM fee structure is $470 application + $1,745 exam = $2,215. Administered via Pearson VUE in Summer (July) and Fall (November) testing windows.

Sample ABEM Sports Medicine Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ABEM Sports Medicine exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A 22-year-old female soccer player pivots on her planted right foot during a noncontact deceleration and feels a 'pop' in her knee, immediately followed by hemarthrosis within 2 hours. On examination, the Lachman test at 20-30° flexion shows increased anterior tibial translation with a soft endpoint. Which ligament is most likely injured?

A.Posterior cruciate ligament

B.Medial collateral ligament

C.Anterior cruciate ligament

D.Lateral collateral ligament

Explanation: Noncontact pivoting with deceleration, a 'pop,' rapid hemarthrosis (within 0-2 hours suggests ACL), and a soft-endpoint Lachman are classic for ACL tear. Female soccer, basketball, and volleyball athletes have 4-8x greater ACL risk than males due to anatomic, hormonal, and neuromuscular factors. The Lachman (20-30° flexion) is the most sensitive ACL exam test; anterior drawer (90° flexion) is less sensitive, and pivot shift tests for rotational instability.

2An 18-year-old male football player has a twisting knee injury with immediate swelling. McMurray testing reproduces pain with a palpable click at the medial joint line on external rotation and extension from flexion. Which structure is most likely injured?

A.Medial meniscus

B.Lateral meniscus

C.Anterior cruciate ligament

D.Pes anserine bursa

Explanation: McMurray with a click and medial joint-line pain during external rotation + extension is classic for a medial meniscal tear. Thessaly (weight-bearing rotation at 20° flexion) has higher reported sensitivity and specificity. Medial meniscal tears are ~3x more common than lateral because the medial meniscus is more firmly attached and less mobile.

3A 45-year-old recreational swimmer presents with anterior shoulder pain on overhead reaching. The Neer impingement sign is positive and the Hawkins-Kennedy test reproduces pain. The empty can (Jobe) test elicits weakness and pain. These findings most strongly suggest involvement of which structure?

A.Subscapularis tendon

B.Supraspinatus tendon

C.Long head of biceps tendon

D.Teres minor tendon

Explanation: Neer (passive forward flexion) and Hawkins-Kennedy (90° forward flexion + internal rotation) provoke subacromial impingement. The empty can / Jobe test (90° abduction, 30° horizontal adduction, thumbs down, resisted elevation) isolates the supraspinatus, which is the most commonly torn rotator cuff tendon. A drop arm test identifies full-thickness supraspinatus tears.

4A 20-year-old baseball pitcher reports deep posterior shoulder pain with overhead throwing and loss of velocity. O'Brien's active compression test is positive, and the biceps load II test is positive. Which lesion is most consistent with these findings?

A.Bankart lesion

B.SLAP (superior labrum anterior-to-posterior) tear

C.Hill-Sachs lesion

D.Rotator interval laxity

Explanation: Positive O'Brien's (pain deep in shoulder with resisted forward flexion, thumb down, relieved with thumb up) and biceps load II suggest a SLAP tear — a superior labral tear extending anterior to posterior. SLAPs are common in overhead throwers from repetitive biceps anchor traction. Bankart is an anteroinferior labral injury from anterior dislocation; Hill-Sachs is a posterolateral humeral head impaction from the same dislocation.

5A 19-year-old rugby player suffers a first-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation. Post-reduction MRI shows an anteroinferior glenoid labral tear. This pathology is classically called:

A.Hill-Sachs lesion

B.Bankart lesion

C.SLAP lesion

D.HAGL lesion

Explanation: A Bankart lesion is a tear of the anteroinferior glenoid labrum, often seen after anterior dislocation (the direction of ~95% of shoulder dislocations). A Hill-Sachs is a compression fracture of the posterolateral humeral head from impaction against the anterior glenoid rim. HAGL is humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament. SLAP tears affect the superior labrum around the biceps anchor.

6A 38-year-old recreational tennis player reports lateral elbow pain worsened by gripping and resisted wrist extension. Point tenderness is maximal just distal to the lateral epicondyle. Which tendon is most likely affected?

A.Extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB)

B.Flexor carpi radialis

C.Pronator teres

D.Anconeus

Explanation: Lateral epicondylitis ('tennis elbow') is a tendinopathy of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) at its origin just distal to the lateral epicondyle. It is more accurately tendinosis — a degenerative process — than tendinitis. Medial epicondylitis ('golfer's elbow') affects the common flexor-pronator origin (pronator teres and FCR).

7A 12-year-old Little League pitcher has medial elbow pain when throwing and a 20-degree flexion contracture. Radiographs show widening of the medial epicondyle apophysis. This condition ('Little League elbow') most commonly involves which structure?

A.Lateral epicondyle apophysis

B.Medial epicondyle apophysis with UCL traction

C.Radial head chondral injury

D.Olecranon stress fracture

Explanation: 'Little League elbow' is medial epicondyle apophysitis with traction from the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and flexor-pronator mass during the late cocking and acceleration phases of pitching. In skeletally immature throwers, the weak apophysis fails before the UCL. Treatment is relative rest, pitch count limits (USA Baseball/Pitch Smart), and avoiding curveballs until skeletal maturity.

8A 21-year-old snowboarder falls onto an outstretched hand and has tenderness in the anatomic snuffbox with negative radiographs. What is the most appropriate next step?

A.Reassure and allow return to play in 48 hours

B.Immobilize in a thumb spica splint and repeat imaging in 10-14 days or obtain MRI

C.Obtain ulnar-sided wrist MRI for TFCC evaluation

D.Proceed directly to arthroscopic evaluation

Explanation: Snuffbox tenderness after a FOOSH injury is suspicious for a scaphoid fracture even with normal initial radiographs — occult fractures are common. Standard care is thumb spica immobilization with repeat radiographs in 10-14 days or earlier MRI. Missed scaphoid fractures risk proximal pole avascular necrosis because blood supply enters distally via the dorsal carpal branch of the radial artery.

9An 18-year-old gymnast has ulnar-sided wrist pain with forearm rotation and power gripping. Compression and rotation of the ulnar carpus reproduces a painful click. Which structure is most likely involved?

A.Scapholunate ligament

B.Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC)

C.Extensor carpi ulnaris tendon only

D.Lunotriquetral ligament alone

Explanation: Ulnar-sided wrist pain with clicking on forearm rotation is classic for TFCC injury. The TFCC stabilizes the distal radioulnar joint and transmits axial load across the ulnar carpus. Traumatic tears (Palmer 1B peripheral) may heal with immobilization or surgical repair; degenerative central tears are debrided.

10A 24-year-old hockey player has deep anterior groin pain with squatting and hip flexion. The FADIR (flexion, adduction, internal rotation) test reproduces pain. AP pelvis shows an aspherical femoral head-neck junction. Which pathology is most likely?

A.Pincer-type femoroacetabular impingement only

B.Cam-type femoroacetabular impingement

C.Pes anserine bursitis

D.Greater trochanteric pain syndrome

Explanation: Cam-type FAI arises from an aspherical femoral head-neck junction that jams into the acetabulum during flexion and internal rotation, causing labral tears and chondral damage. Pincer-type FAI arises from acetabular overcoverage (coxa profunda, retroversion). FADIR (anterior impingement test) is the primary clinical screen; labral tears are confirmed on MR arthrogram.

About the ABEM Sports Medicine Exam

The ABEM Sports Medicine subspecialty exam is a multi-board Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) recognized by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), and American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR). ABFM develops and administers the common exam. It validates expertise in musculoskeletal injury diagnosis and management, sports-related medical conditions, concussion care, cardiac screening, environmental emergencies, and preventive sports medicine. Candidates must complete an ACGME-accredited Sports Medicine fellowship of at least 12 months.

Questions

200 scored questions

Time Limit

5 hours (two 2-hour sections)

Passing Score

Criterion-referenced scaled passing standard (set by ABFM co-developer)

Exam Fee

$1,745 exam + $470 application (ABEM 2026) (American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) — exam co-developed with ABFM, ABIM, ABP, ABPMR)

ABEM Sports Medicine Exam Content Outline

35%

Musculoskeletal Conditions

Diagnosis, management, and epidemiology of sports MSK injuries — shoulder (rotator cuff, SLAP, Bankart, dislocation), elbow (lateral/medial epicondylitis, UCL, Little League elbow), wrist/hand (scaphoid, TFCC), hip (FAI, labral), knee (ACL, meniscus, PFPS, patellar tendinopathy, OCD), ankle (lateral sprain, Ottawa rules, syndesmosis), stress fractures.

30%

Medical Conditions

Cardiac screening (HCM, long QT, Marfan, AHA 14-element PPE, Seattle/International ECG criteria), EIB/EILO vs VCD, rhabdomyolysis, female athlete triad/REDS, WADA doping classes, altitude illness (AMS/HAPE/HACE), exercise physiology (VO2max, lactate threshold, overtraining).

20%

Care of Emergency Conditions

Sudden cardiac arrest, commotio cordis, exertional heat stroke (core ≥40.5°C, ice water immersion with cool-first transport-second), concussion/SCAT6, second impact syndrome, cervical spine injury, anaphylaxis, sideline emergencies.

10%

Preventive Aspects

Pre-participation physical evaluation (PPE 5th edition), injury prevention programs (FIFA 11+, PEP for ACL), equipment/protective gear, nutrition and hydration, concussion baseline testing, periodization, overtraining prevention.

Foundations of Practice

Team physician responsibilities, medicolegal issues, event medical coverage, biostatistics and evidence-based sports medicine, ethics, interprofessional care with athletic trainers.

How to Pass the ABEM Sports Medicine Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Criterion-referenced scaled passing standard (set by ABFM co-developer)
Exam length: 200 questions
Time limit: 5 hours (two 2-hour sections)
Exam fee: $1,745 exam + $470 application (ABEM 2026)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ABEM Sports Medicine Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the 6-step graduated return-to-play protocol after concussion (minimum 24 hours per step, progress only if asymptomatic) and know that second impact syndrome occurs when an athlete returns before full recovery and suffers a second head injury, causing catastrophic cerebral edema

2Memorize exertional heat stroke management: core temp ≥40.5°C (105°F) + CNS dysfunction = immediate cold-water immersion on-site with 'cool first, transport second' — every minute delayed above 40.5°C increases mortality

3Know the Ottawa Ankle Rules (x-ray if pain in malleolar zone PLUS bone tenderness at posterior edge/tip of either malleolus OR inability to bear weight 4 steps both immediately and in ED) — nearly 100% sensitive for clinically significant fractures

4Learn the AHA 14-element pre-participation cardiovascular screening (10 history + 4 physical) and understand that routine 12-lead ECG is not mandated by AHA but Seattle/International criteria reduce false positives compared with older Bethesda criteria when ECG is used

5Recognize high-risk stress fractures that need non-weightbearing and often surgery: anterior tibial cortex ('dreaded black line'), 5th metatarsal Jones (zone 2), tarsal navicular, and femoral neck tension-side — distinguish from low-risk stress fractures that heal with activity modification

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ABEM Sports Medicine subspecialty exam?

The ABEM Sports Medicine exam is a multi-board Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) recognized conjointly by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), and American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR). ABFM develops and administers the common exam content. It validates subspecialty expertise in non-operative sports medicine — MSK injury care, concussion management, cardiac screening, and emergency/environmental conditions — for physicians completing a Sports Medicine fellowship.

How many questions are on the ABEM Sports Medicine exam and how long is it?

The exam is approximately 5 hours total, delivered in two 100-question sections of 2 hours each for a total of 200 multiple-choice questions. It is computer-based via Pearson VUE. The 2026 blueprint (effective January 1, 2026) allocates 35% to MSK conditions, 30% to medical conditions, 20% to emergency care, 10% to preventive aspects, and 5% to foundations of practice.

What is the passing score for the ABEM Sports Medicine exam?

The exam uses a criterion-referenced scaled passing standard set by ABFM (the exam co-developer) through a modified Angoff standard-setting process. Candidates are measured against a fixed content-expert standard, not curved against peers. Score reports provide pass/fail plus diagnostic performance by content domain. Historical first-time pass rates across co-sponsoring boards are approximately 85-92%.

What are the eligibility requirements for the ABEM Sports Medicine exam?

ABEM candidates must (1) hold primary board certification by ABEM, AOBEM, or ABIM; (2) successfully complete an ACGME-accredited Sports Medicine fellowship of at least 12 months; (3) be actively participating in ABEM's continuing certification (MyEMCert) process; and (4) maintain an active, unrestricted medical or osteopathic license. Candidates certified by ABFM, ABP, or ABPMR apply through their primary board but take the same exam.

How much does the ABEM Sports Medicine exam cost?

For ABEM candidates, the 2026 fee structure is $470 application fee plus $1,745 exam fee, totaling $2,215. Candidates registering through ABFM, ABIM, ABP, or ABPMR pay fees set by their primary board, which may differ. Late application incurs additional fees. The exam is administered via Pearson VUE test centers during Summer (July) and Fall (November) windows.

Is the ABEM Sports Medicine exam multi-board?

Yes. Sports Medicine is a conjoint subspecialty recognized by five ABMS boards: ABEM (Emergency Medicine), ABFM (Family Medicine), ABIM (Internal Medicine), ABP (Pediatrics), and ABPMR (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation). ABFM develops and administers the common exam. All candidates — regardless of primary board — take the same examination, though fee schedules and registration portals are handled by each primary board.

What are the highest-yield topics on the ABEM Sports Medicine exam?

MSK conditions (35%) dominate — master ACL (Lachman, pivot shift, females 4-8x risk, ACLR timelines), meniscus (McMurray, Thessaly), rotator cuff (Neer, Hawkins, empty can, drop arm), ankle sprains (ATFL > CFL > PTFL, Ottawa rules), and stress fractures (tibia anterior cortex, Jones 5th metatarsal, femoral neck, navicular). Medical conditions (30%) require mastery of HCM/long QT/Marfan cardiac screening, AHA 14-element PPE, Seattle/International ECG criteria, EIB vs EILO vs VCD, female athlete triad/REDS, and WADA doping classes. Emergencies (20%) emphasize exertional heat stroke (core ≥40.5°C with cold water immersion cool-first transport-second), concussion SCAT6, and second impact syndrome.

How should I study for the ABEM Sports Medicine exam?

Use a structured 6-9 month plan during or after fellowship. Start with MSK physical exam mastery (special tests, Ottawa rules, Salter-Harris classification), then focus on sports emergencies (concussion return-to-play 6-step protocol, exertional heat stroke treatment, commotio cordis), cardiac screening (AHA 14-element PPE, Seattle ECG criteria), and sports medical conditions (EIB, REDS, rhabdo). Review the 2026 ABFM blueprint, complete thousands of practice questions, and take at least two timed full-length practice exams. Integrate current guidelines (AHA PPE 5th edition, CDC concussion, Seattle/International ECG criteria, WADA Prohibited List, IOC REDS-S 2023).