title: The Evolution of the American Board of Ophthalmology Written Qualifying Examination.
abstract: Since the inception of board certification in ophthalmology in 1916, a written assessment of candidates' knowledge base has been an integral part of the certification process. Although the committee structure and technique for writing examination questions has evolved over the past 100 years, the written qualifying examination remains an essential tool for assessing the competency of physicians entering the workforce. To develop a fair and valid examination, the American Board of Ophthalmology builds examination questions using evidence-based, peer-reviewed literature and adheres to accepted psychometric assessment standards.
authors.affiliation: American Board of Ophthalmology, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon. Electronic address: wilsonda@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: American Board of Ophthalmology, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; Mid-Atlantic Retina, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Tasman
authors.affiliation: American Board of Ophthalmology, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Skuta
authors.affiliation: American Board of Ophthalmology, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukie, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Bhavna P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Sheth
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification / Q000266:history*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods; D049673:History, 20th Century; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000266:history; D013044:Specialty Boards / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States