For Residency & Fellowship Programs
Information related to ABS certification requirements for program directors, program administrators and other program faculty.
Log in to your program’s ABS portal
The program login is separate from the standard ABS candidate or diplomate login. The program portal is where programs can update their trainee roster, place In-Training Examination orders, update program contact information, and access important program-specific documents and notices.
Need to Know for 2025-2026: Presented to the Association of Residency Administrators in Surgery (ARAS) at Surgical Education Week 2025, this presentation includes important information for general surgery programs regarding EPAs, the 2025 General Surgery Qualifying and Certifying Examinations, the ABS leave policy, required ABS approvals, the 2026 ABSITE, information about the ABS Program Portal, and updates from SCORE.
In-Training Examinations
ABS offers In-Training Examinations for general surgery, vascular surgery, and pediatric surgery
The ABS In-Training Examination (ABSITE), Vascular Surgery In-Training Examination (VSITE), and Pediatric Surgery In-Training Examination (PSITE) are offered annually to related ACGME- and RCPSC-accredited surgical training programs. They are multiple-choice exams designed to measure the progress attained by surgical trainees in their knowledge of applied science and management of clinical problems related to their surgical specialty area.
Important Dates
Upcoming examinations and related application deadlines
Note that the fee listed is per trainee. Any order changes submitted after the deadline will incur a $350 fee per change.
International programs: Exam window is Friday, Feb. 6 to Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Fee: $130 per trainee
Registration available following the release of 2025 PSQE results.
Note that the fee listed is per trainee. Any order changes submitted after the deadline will incur a $350 fee per change.
Note that the fee listed is per trainee. Any order changes submitted after the order deadline will incur a $350 fee per change.
Registration available following the release of 2025 CGSO QE results.
Registration available following the release of 2025 GSQE results; candidates must select a tentative assignment by Sept. 1.
Global Requirements for Certification
Required of all candidates for certification
The following items are required of all candidates for ABS certification, no matter what specialty or subspecialty certification they are applying for.
- Accredited Program: Have satisfactorily completed a training program in the specific specialty area accredited by the ACGME or the RCPSC.
- Training: Have met all ABS training requirements for graduate education in the specific specialty area.
- Operative Log/Case Log: Submit an operative experience report that meets ABS standards of volume, complexity, and diversity of cases in the specific specialty area.
- Professional Activity: Be actively and primarily engaged in the specific practice area as indicated by holding full surgical privileges in the discipline at an accredited health care institution, or be currently engaged in pursuing additional graduate education in another recognized surgical specialty. An exception to this requirement is active military duty.
- Medical License: Have a currently registered full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the U.S. or Canada.
- Adhere to the ABS Ethics and Professionalism Policy.
Entrustable Professional Activities
Now being implemented at all U.S.-based general surgery programs
In an effort to promote competency-based assessment of surgical trainees within ACGME-accredited programs, the ABS launched Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for general surgery on July 1, 2023, and for vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, and complex general surgical oncology on Aug. 1, 2025.
EPAs are also in the early stages of development for surgical critical care, with plans to introduce this trainee assessment model to in fall 2025.
Resources for Programs
Key documents
Timelines, booklets, curriculum information, and more.
General Surgery Residency Program Pass Rates
Three-year average pass rate of first-time examinees on general surgery initial certification examinations
The report posted below provides the most recent three-year average pass rate of first-time examinees on the General Surgery Qualifying Examination (QE) and General Surgery Certifying Examination (CE) for all ACGME-accredited general surgery residency programs with three years of examinee data.
The information is updated annually to reflect the rolling three-year experience. The current report encompasses examination results from July 2022 through June 2024.
This report is meant for the use of general surgery residency programs and for medical students who are interested in surgical residencies, as one factor that may be relevant in the evaluation of residency characteristics. The information is not considered in any way to reflect on the quality of care provided to patients by the parent institution.