Analysis of Candidate Performance in the Brain Injury Medicine Subspecialty Certification Examination

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Education
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) has administered the Brain Injury Medicine (BIM) subspecialty certification examination since 2014.
• This study is the first to analyze BIM examination administration and candidate performance data from 2014-2024.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively review the administration and candidate performance of the BIM certification examination.
• To identify trends in candidate success rates and performance based on diplomate background and number of attempts.

Main Methods:

• Data were collected from de-identified ABPMR database records for candidates taking the BIM exam between 2014 and 2024.
• Analysis included candidate characteristics, pass rates, subscores, and candidate perceptions of exam relevance and content scope.

Main Results:

• A total of 1197 candidates took the exam, with an overall pass rate of 97.2%. First-time takers had a 96% pass rate.
• Performance showed a declining trend with an increasing number of exam attempts.
• ABPMR diplomates generally scored higher than American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) diplomates, except in 'other neurologic disorders'.
• Over 90% found the exam relevant, but only 77% felt it reflected training scope. Item reliability was high (0.83-0.97).

Conclusions:

• The BIM examination demonstrates high reliability and overall candidate success.
• Performance may be influenced by the number of attempts and diplomate background.
• Recommendations for refining exam content to better align with training scope are suggested for future development.