Development and growth of a large multispecialty certification examination: sleep medicine certification--results of the first three examinations.

This paper summarizes the results of the first three examinations (2007, 2009, and 2011) of the Sleep Medicine Certification Examination, administered by its six sponsoring American Board of Medical Specialty Boards. There were 2,913 candidates who took the 2011 examination through one of three pathways-self-attested practice experience, previous certification by the American Board of Sleep Medicine, or formal Sleep Medicine fellowship training. The 2011 exam was the last administration in which candidates who had not previously been admitted could take it without completion of formal Sleep Medicine fellowship training. As expected, the number of candidates admitted to the 2011 examination through the practice experience pathway increased, and the overall scores of these candidates were on average lower than the other candidates. Consequently, the pass rate for all first takers of the 2011 examination (65%) was lower than that observed from the 2009 examination (78%) and the 2007 examination (73%). For each administration, candidates admitted through the fellowship training pathway scored the highest; over 90% of them passed the 2011 and 2009 examinations.