Why ABSITE Practice Exams are Invaluable for Your Study Plan

The American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) is designed to gauge a general surgery resident’s knowledge, performance, and progress through PGY1–5. It is administered each January in a secure, proctored setting by residency programs. The exam is administered in two 2.5-hour blocks and consists of 250 multiple-choice questions.

Though the ABSITE is not required for board certification, it’s a helpful tool for residents to identify areas of weakness and prepare for their futures as surgeons. In certain programs, a strong ABSITE score might help inform decisions about promoting residents or offering fellowships. Thus, it’s critical to prepare adequately for the ABSITE, which ideally includes taking a practice exam.

The following are some reasons why you should take an ABSITE practice exam:

1. Level Up Test-Taking Strategies

Practice exams for the ABSITE will help familiarize you with the exam’s content, questions, and overall length. For the most predictive data, treat an assessment as seriously as you would the actual exam. This means that you should take the assessment under conditions that most closely mimic the ABSITE. For example, take it in a proctored or controlled setting and complete it in one sitting. 

When taking a practice exam, try the following strategies:

• Read the question and each answer in its entirety. 
• Use the process of elimination to identify incorrect answers.
• Avoid spending too much time on one question.
• Make your best guess if you’re stumped.

2. Improve Recall

Practice exams improve your memory through a learning technique known as active recall. As you answer each question, you’re retrieving information from your memory and strengthening the neural pathways to that memory, which makes it easier to recall long-term.

3. Bridge Knowledge Gaps

Think of this as a knowledge check—every question you miss is a gap you need to fill before exam day. After you’ve completed your ABSITE practice exam, review each question missed and the explanation of the correct answer. Then, study that content area further.

4. Predict Exam Performance

If taken a week or a few days before exam day, practice exams can be used to foreshadow your performance! Use the results to identify any last-minute areas of weakness and review them before your ABSITE exam day.

Why Your ABSITE Score Matters

Your ABSITE score is important! It can indicate your probability of passing the Qualifying Examination (QE), also known as the written surgery board exam.

Furthermore, your ABSITE transcript may be required when applying for surgical fellowship programs. The American Board of Surgery (ABS) only supplies examinees’ scores to the program director, so you must request that your transcript be shared with you. Be sure to check the requirements for your desired fellowship program.

What is a good ABSITE score?

In January 2025, the ABS discontinued reporting percentile scores. Now, only percent-correct and standard scores are reported on an examinee’s transcript. Percent-correct is the percentage of answers answered correctly, and the standard score is a number calculated from the entire examinee group. 

Scores are calculated into a group average based on the entire examinee group. For example, if your testing group’s mean is 500, meeting that or achieving a higher score would be considered a good ABSITE score.

ABSITE scores below the average indicate low performance on the QE. It’s unknown how fellowship programs will interpret ABSITE scores without percentiles; however, ABSITE transcripts are still an application requirement for many.

When should I take an ABSITE practice exam?

When you take your practice exam is entirely up to you. You could take it before you start studying to identify your weaknesses early on. Or, as mentioned earlier, you could take it a week before your exam to help predict your performance.

No matter when you take it, be sure to leave time to improve if needed. The last thing you want to do is take the ABSITE exam unprepared. Since the exam is in late January, we recommend starting your study routine at least two months prior.

Add TrueLearn’s ABSITE Practice Exam to your Study Agenda

Want to test your performance before the big day? Try TrueLearn’s ABSITE Question Bank! Built around the ABSITE blueprint and SCORE curriculum, the bank includes 1,000+ practice questions with 650+ rich images and 480+ easy-to-review tables that break down the highest-yield topics, conditions, and procedures for exam day.

With high-quality explanations for each question, you can test yourself while improving your understanding and create your own flashcards to practice, practice, practice.