4.6. Scoring Rules & Participation Requirements

You will need to meet the annual passing standard for Quarterly Questions five times before the expiration date of your certificate.

To earn a “pass” for a given year of questions, your score on the knowledge questions must meet or exceed the annual passing standard AND you must complete the article-based learning section (however, your score on the article section is not factored into your overall percentage).

The annual passing standard (or “cut score”) is established using a psychometrically validated standard setting method. This method requires a group of peers to estimate the minimum level of clinical decision-making and medical knowledge an ophthalmologist requires to practice competently. Passing standards may be different from year to year to account for differences in the difficulty level of the questions. The passing standard panel takes into account the most stringent of passing requirements (i.e., passing five years for those with certificates expiring in 2021 or later) in setting each year’s passing standard.

Please note that optional, bonus questions are not counted for CME nor are they calculated in your overall score.