Unlike the traditional 10-year exam, the LKA is an open-book assessment. You are allowed to use any resource that one would use in clinical practice, except other people. In addition, answers to questions (including clinical rationale and references from the literature) will be available instantly to provide on-the-spot teaching.
Each correctly answered LKA question will earn you 0.2 MOC points. That means you can earn up to 24 MOC points per year from the LKA if you get all 120 questions correct.
Passing the LKA
Final pass/fail results will be available at the end of the five-year LKA cycle. ABIM leaders at the town hall declined to provide an exact number of correct answers needed to pass. Instead, participants will receive an updated score report on a quarterly basis after the first year to help identify areas that need attention, “allowing physicians to demonstrate improvement as they continue to answer questions over the five-year cycle,” according to the ABIM. 2
If you pass the LKA, you have the option to enroll in the LKA again for the next five-year cycle or take the 10-year exam to push additional MOC assessments out another 10 years. Should you fail the LKA, you will need to pass the 10-year exam within the next calendar year to keep your certification.
Enrollment Information
You are eligible to enroll in the LKA for the calendar year your MOC assessment is due; physicians due for recertification in 2022 can enroll now. (Find out when your assessment is due by signing into your ABIM Physician Portal.3) Once enrolled, your certification will remain active for the next five years while you complete the LKA.
It’s best to enroll as early in the year as possible to be able to access all the questions. The first quarter ends on March 31, and unopened questions expire. If you already registered for the traditional 10-year exam but are interested in switching to the LKA, you may cancel your exam appointment and receive a credit that can be applied to the LKA.
See the ABIM presentation on the LKA or visit the ACR website for more information about CME and MOC.
Samantha C. Shapiro, MD, is an academic rheumatologist and an affiliate faculty member of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her training in internal medicine and rheumatology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. She is also a member of the ACR Insurance Subcommittee.
References
- Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment. American Board of Internal Medicine.
- Fall 2021 Rheumatology Board Summary. American Board of Internal Medicine. 2022 Jan 27.
- Physician Portal. American Board of Internal Medicine.
