100+ Free ABOS Orthopaedic Surgery Part II Practice Questions

ABOS Part II is the case-based oral certification examination administered by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the second of two parts leading to ABOS Board Certification. After passing Part I and completing 22 consecutive months of independent practice in the same location, candidates submit a 6-month consecutive surgical Case List via the ABOS Scribe portal. They then attend a two-day oral examination in Chicago each July, defending their Case List across 12 examiner panels (~35 minutes each).

Part II consists of 12 examiner panels delivered over two days in Chicago. Ten panels are drawn from the candidate's own submitted Case List (the candidate's own surgical patients), and two panels use standardized cases written by the ABOS Oral Examination Committee. Each panel runs approximately 35 minutes with two examiners. Examiners probe indications, alternatives, surgical planning, intra-operative decision-making, complications, outcomes, ethics, and informed consent. Candidates are scored on knowledge, judgment, ethics, and applied data.

Candidates must have passed ABOS Part I, completed 22 consecutive months of independent orthopaedic practice in the same community, hold an active unrestricted medical or osteopathic license, hold full unrestricted hospital privileges, undergo documented local peer review, and submit a 6-month consecutive surgical Case List (April 1 - September 30 of the year prior to the exam). Letters of professional standing from chief of staff, chair of credentials, and chief of orthopaedics are required. Part II must be passed within 5 years of passing Part I (with allowable extensions).

The Case List is the foundation of Part II. Candidates document every consecutive surgical case performed during the April 1 - September 30 collection window via the ABOS Scribe portal — typically 60-200+ cases. Each entry includes patient demographics, ICD-10 diagnosis, CPT procedure codes, indications, intra-operative findings, complications, postoperative course, and outcomes. ABOS auditors review the case list, may issue mid-cycle deficiency citations, and select cases for examiners to probe in the oral panels. The case list is the candidate's actual practice — not a curated portfolio.

The 2026 ABOS Part II fee is $1,990, which covers both application and examination (paid together by credit card at application). A late fee is automatically applied for applications submitted after the initial deadline. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Candidates should also budget for travel, lodging, and meals in Chicago for the two-day examination, mock oral courses (e.g., MOSC, AAOS Maintenance Course), board review books, and any case-list coding consultation. The ABOS registration fee does not cover those preparation costs.

ABOS Part II is administered in person in Chicago, Illinois each July (typically mid-July). Approximately 700-800 candidates sit for the exam each year. Examination admission notification is sent at least 60 days prior. Candidates arrive Sunday for orientation and case-list review with ABOS staff, then complete six examiner panels Monday and six on Tuesday. Results are reported within several weeks. Unlike Part I (Pearson VUE multiple-choice), Part II is in-person, oral, and not delivered through any commercial test center.

Historical first-time pass rates for ABOS Part II are approximately 88-92%. The exam uses a criterion-referenced passing standard set annually by the ABOS Oral Examination Committee. Each panel uses standardized scoring rubrics covering knowledge, judgment, ethics, and applied data. A candidate's overall score reflects performance across all 12 panels. Failure modes commonly cited include poor case selection on the Case List, weak indications/informed-consent documentation, inability to articulate alternatives, inappropriate complication management, and ethical lapses (e.g., inadequate disclosure).

Start during the Case List collection window (April 1 - September 30). Code each case immediately and document indications, alternatives, informed consent, and complications meticulously. Build a one-page defensible narrative for each case. Drill standardized cases across all subspecialties using Miller's Review and JAAOS articles. Complete at least three full mock oral examinations (MOSC, AAOS Maintenance Course, or senior-partner mocks) in the final 3-6 months. Practice answering with structure (workup → differential → plan → complications → outcome). Be honest about complications — examiners reward insight, not perfection.