Application for Certification Maintenance (CM)
If applying for initial certification, please go to https://abomp.roc-p.com to create a profile through the “Apply for Account” link. Once you have logged in you will see the application to apply for the ABOMP certifying exam.
If applying for certification maintenance, please login to your profile at https://abomp.roc-p.com and under the heading “Things You Can Do”, click on the “continue” button for the current CM exam.
Certification Maintenance (CM) – Exam Information
The ABOMP CM examination is being given with assistance from the American Board of Pathology (ABPath). For this reason, you will notice the ABPath’s information and logo throughout the registration process. The exam will be administered at Pearson VUE testing centers globally.
- ABPath \ ABOMP Candidate Rules Agreement
- CM Exam Pearson Vue information
- CM Honor Code
- CM Exam Time Breakdown
- CM Exam Scheduling
- CM Exam Scheduling – Web Steps
- CM Exam Cancellation Policy
- Pearson Vue ID Policy
- CM Exam FAQs
Certification Maintenance (CM) – General Information
It is the position of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (ABOMP) that oral pathology-related continuing education and practice experience are required to maintain knowledge after successful completion of the certification process. Therefore, the Board requires all diplomates certified in 2004 and after to engage in lifelong learning and continuous quality improvement by participating in the ABOMP Certification Maintenance program.
The Certification Maintenance (CM) program is directed primarily toward those oral and maxillofacial pathologists with time-limited certificates (certificate received in 2004 and after). The process will be open, however, to all certified diplomates. A diplomate who holds a non-time-limited/lifetime certificate will not put that certificate in jeopardy by participating in the CM program.
Certification Maintenance will be based on three components:
1. Evidence of professional standing. Diplomates of the ABOMP must maintain a current license or a teaching license to practice dentistry in at least one jurisdiction of the United States, its territories, or Canada. Diplomates who do not have a current license or teaching license but have a faculty appointment or are enrolled full-time in a post-graduate educational program at an accredited dental or medical school, may substitute evidence of academic appointment or standing. Diplomates practicing outside the United States or Canada must maintain an equivalent license to practice dentistry issued by their respective jurisdictions.
2. Evidence of commitment to lifelong learning and involvement in periodic self-assessment (organized continuing education [CE] and self-learning). Each diplomate must maintain a minimum of 40 hours every 2 years of their 10-year cycle of pathology-related continuing education sponsored by the AAOMP, or by an ADA/CERP-approved provider, or AGD/PACE accredited courses that are pathology related, or by an organization or institution accredited by the AMA Council on Medical Education. Diplomates practicing outside the United States must maintain 40 hours of equivalent continuing education every two years of their 10-year cycle. As many as 5 hours per year may be earned as faculty participating in these CE programs. As many as 5 hours per year may be earned for Tumor Board attendance if the sponsoring hospital provides documentation proving attendance.
As part of those 40 hours, each diplomate must participate each year in at least one diagnostic oral and maxillofacial pathology self-assessment program acceptable to the ABOMP, as defined by the Board of Directors. Acceptable programs are:
- ABOMP Head and Neck Case Review Program
- AAOMP Continuing Competency Assurance Program
No more than 2 (ABOMP and AAOMP) slide programs will be accepted as CE in any given year. Virtual slide programs related to head and neck pathology may be available from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP). To make up additional missing CM hours, diplomates may log onto the USCAP eLearning site and see the list of CE programs available. After paying for the course, they will take it and once completed, be issued a certificate. Courses that are suitable for ABOMP CE credit will be determined by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors. If there are any questions regarding the eligibility of the course, please contact the Board prior to registering for the course.
3. Evidence of cognitive expertise (certification maintenance examination). The mandatory CM examination is administered annually at Pearson VUE testing centers globally. The exam must be taken no later than ten years after initial (or most recent) certification. A diplomate will be allowed to sit for the certification maintenance examination in years 7 – 10 of their 10-year CM examination cycle. Regardless of the date at which the CM process is completed, the anniversary dates for CM examination cycle will be derived from the initial certification date. For example, a diplomate who is initially certified in 2004 and completes all CM requirements in 2011 (their 7th year in the cycle) will start their 10-year CM examination cycle again in 2015. The exact nature of the CM examination is expected to evolve over time, yet will include questions related to:
- Fundamental scientific knowledge in the area of pathology
- Current and clinically valid practice-related knowledge, including information new to the field designed to evaluate the diplomate’s lifelong learning and self-assessment experience.
The CM examination will be a closed-book assessment based on knowledge that a competent oral pathologist would be expected to possess without access to reference material. It will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions with illustrations (e.g., clinical photographs, radiographs, photomicrographs) when appropriate. See the table below for subject categories that may be included in the CM examination. The list is provided as a guide and not entirely comprehensive. Some questions may be based on recent advances and significant findings in the field of oral pathology as reported in professional journal articles. The exam questions are designed to be commensurate with the knowledge of a competent individual actively engaged in the practice of oral pathology.
| ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY SUBJECT CATEGORIES THAT MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE CM EXAMINATION |
| Normal Development Structure & Function: Embryology – Craniofacial, Oral & Dental Normal Structure & Function |
| Developmental Disturbances & Syndromes: Developmental Defects of the Oral & Maxillofacial Region Developmental Cysts (Non-Odontogenic) Syndromes and Genodermatoses with oral head and neck manifestations |
| Dental Abnormalities: Developmental Alterations Environmental Alterations |
| Periodontal, Pulpal, & Periapical Diseases: Periodontal, Pulpal & Periapical Diseases |
| Infection/Infestation: Bacterial Fungal Viral Protozoal & Other Parasitic |
| Injuries: Physical Chemical/Drug Foreign Particular Substances |
| Allergic, Immunologic, Autoimmune, & Idiopathic Inflammatory Diseases: Allergic, Immunologic, Autoimmune, & Idiopathic Inflammatory Diseases Autoimmune Blistering Diseases |
| Epithelial & Melanocytic Diseases (oral and oropharyngeal mucosa, lip vermilion, perioral or facial skin): Non-Neoplastic Benign Pre-Cancerous & Malignant |
| Salivary Gland Diseases (including Major and Minor Salivary Glands): Non-Neoplastic Neoplastic Benign Neoplasms Malignant Neoplasms |
| Soft Tissue Tumors & Tumor-Like Lesions: Reactive & Tumor-Like Lesions Benign Neoplasms Primary or Metastatic Malignant Neoplasms |
| Hematologic & Lymphoid Disease/Disorders: Non-Neoplastic Neoplastic |
| Bone Diseases of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region (including Temporomandibular Joint): Reactive & Fibro-Osseous Lesions Benign Neoplasms Primary Malignant Neoplasms Metastatic Malignant Neoplasms Metabolic Bone Diseases Developmental Conditions |
| Odontogenic Cysts & Tumors: Odontogenic Cysts Odontogenic Tumors |
| Systemic Diseases (with Oral and Maxillofacial Manifestations): Metabolic Disorders (Including Endocrinopathies) Storage Diseases Nutritional Deficiencies Sensory, Neuromuscular, & Psychogenic Diseases Including Facial Pain Other Systemic Diseases |
| Laboratory Techniques in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: Biopsy & Processing Techniques Special Staining & Other Procedures (Including IHC & IF) Genetics and Molecular Pathology (DNA, RNA) (Including NGS, FISH) Microscopy Clinical Laboratory |
| Otolaryngology-related Pathology (including sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, laryngeal, soft tissues and lymph nodes of the neck, otic) |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology |
| Cytologic Smears and Aspirates |
| Forensic Oral Pathology/Forensic Odontology |
Certification Maintenance is a continuous and ongoing process. Diplomates with a time-limited certificate who do not remain current with CM requirements will lose their Board certification based on the following criteria:
Failure to participate in an approved annual slide program. If the deficiency is not made up within a 12-month grace period, diplomates will lose their Board certification.
Failure to complete 40 hours of CE every 2 years. If the deficiency is not made up within a 12-month grace period, diplomates will lose their Board certification.
Failure to successfully pass the certification maintenance examination within years 7 – 10 of the 10-year CM examination cycle. There is no grace period.
Individuals dropped from the diplomate roll may continue to participate in CM activities and may request to be reinstated when all CM requirements have been satisfied. Such a request must occur within five years of loss of certification. If such an individual wishes to regain certification after five years, they must retake the initial certification examination. There will be no time-limit to become compliant with CM and no requirement to take additional training.
Diplomates with time-limited certificates who are granted Emeritus status will not be required to participate in CM activities, but Emeritus diplomates who wish to return to active diplomate status, will be required to participate in all parts of the CM process and complete the certification maintenance examination within one year of returning to active status.
Application and Fee: The fee for the certification maintenance examination is $800. It is given at Pearson-VUE centers internationally.
Applicants must have fulfilled and properly documented all CE/slide course requirements at the time of applying for the certification maintenance examination. No exceptions. A $250 fee for insufficient application documentation will be assessed for all applications that require updating and additional review by the Credentials Committee.
Application Deadline: The exam is given annually. The application and examination fee must be received by March 1st of the year a diplomate wishes to take the certification maintenance exam. Under exceptional circumstances, applications received by March 15th may be accepted although an additional late fee of $250 will be assessed.
Appeals Procedure: A candidate who fails a certification examination may request that the examination score be recalculated to determine whether mathematical errors were made at the time of grading. Such requests must be made in writing within thirty (30) days of the date of mailing of the results of the examination to the candidate. Members of the Test Construction Committee will recalculate the candidate’s score and report the results to the Board for its action. The report of the Test Construction Committee will be considered final and a second recalculation will not be considered. A $500 administration fee will be charged for the review. A request for the reinterpretation of a candidate’s responses and rescoring of the examination will not be considered. Regrading of individual answers will not be performed.
ABOMP Policy on Rights and Responsibilities of Test Takers
The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology recognizes that the certification examination is a high-stakes examination that provides a pathway to Board certification. While the ABOMP will provide due diligence in examination construction and administration, the candidates challenging the ABOMP examination also have certain responsibilities, as follows:
With Respect to Certification Maintenance (CM) Examinations:
The ABOMP requires certification maintenance on a 10-year cycle following initial certification. The CM examination is administered remotely. As such, the candidate for CM has certain responsibilities, as follows:
- Review and update the personal contact information on their ROC-P profile as it changes.
- Review the ABOMP guidelines for certification maintenance (www. abomp.org) and provide the continuing education documentation requested for annually.
- Register for the CM examination and pay the assessment fees associated with the 10-year CM examination.
- Remain in good standing with the ABOMP following successful certification maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions for Certification Maintenance (CM)
A: Certification Maintenance (CM) is the Board certification program that involves continuous professional development and assures that an ABOMP certified oral and maxillofacial pathologist is committed to lifelong learning and competency in oral and maxillofacial pathology.
A: CM is recognized as an important quality marker by insurers, hospitals, quality and credentialing organizations, as well as the federal government. Through the CM program, Board certified physicians and dentists advance the standard of specialty medical and dental care nationwide.
A: In brief, the CM process, and the CM examination application, requires diplomates to submit documentation in the following areas: Part I – Professional Standing, Part II – Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment, Part III – Cognitive Expertise (assessed through the certification maintenance examination itself).
Part II consists of the following requirements:
Each diplomate must maintain a minimum of 40 hours every 2 years of pathology-related continuing education sponsored by the AAOMP, or by an ADA/CERP-approved provider, or by an organization or institution accredited by the AMA Council on Medical Education. Diplomates practicing outside the United States must maintain 40 hours of equivalent continuing education every two years. As many as 5 hours per year may be earned as faculty participating in these CE programs.
Each two-year cycle, beginning the year after certification, must add up to 40 hours. Of these, 30 hours must be pathology-related continuing education courses with an additional 10 hours of qualified non-pathology CE. Copies of completion certifications/CE letters documenting your attendance and the number of hours earned must be uploaded for each course listed. List CE courses individually by title, not generically such as “oral pathology CE seminars at University XYZ”. (Starting in 2026, 35 hours must be pathology related and only 5 total hours of non-pathology CE will be accepted per 2-year couplet.)
Use the following table to see if your CE credits fulfill the requirements of the ABOMP. This information is effective January 1, 2026.
| ACTIVITY | YES | NO | CONTRIBUTES TO (PER 2-YEAR COUPLET OF MINIMUM 40 HRS) | |
| 35 HRS# | NO MORE THAN 5 HRS ALLOWED | |||
| Slide review program (ABOMP Head and Neck Case Review Program or AAOMP Continued Competency Assessment Program, 1 per year mandatory) | Yes | Yes | ||
| Virtual slide programs related to Head and Neck Pathology may be available from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP). Courses that are suitable for ABOMP CE credit will be determined by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors. If there are any questions regarding the eligibility of the course, please contact the Board prior to registering for the course. | ||||
| Programs and courses at AAOMP meetings that offer CE credits | Yes | Yes | ||
| Programs and courses at IAOP meetings that offer CE credits | Yes | Yes | ||
| Programs and courses at USCAP and CAP meetings that enhance the practice of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, that offer CE credits | Yes | Yes | ||
| Programs and courses at AAOM that enhance the practice of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, that offer CE credits | Yes | Yes | ||
| Programs and courses at AAOMR that enhance the practice of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, that offer CE credits | Yes | Yes | ||
| CE credits awarded by the ABOMP (Initial certifying examination, test construction, head and neck slide review program) | Yes | Yes | ||
| Laboratory management courses | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Active participation at tumor boards | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Attending tumor boards | No | No | No | |
| Presenting an Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology-related CE course | Yes | No | Yes | |
| BLS and ACLS courses | No | No | No | |
| FERPA, OSHA, and HIPPA training | No | No | No | |
| Courses related to General and Restorative Dentistry, and other non-Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology topics | No | No | No | |
| Writing and publishing a manuscript | No | No | No | |
| Writing and publishing a book chapter | No | No | No | |
| Research and grant related activities | No | No | No | |
| Shifting “extra” credits earned to the next 2-year couplet | No | No | No | |
| Lectures/seminars given as a part of faculty activities and duties | No | No | No | |
#: 40 HRS ALLOWED IF NO ACTIVITY QUALIFIES FOR THE 5 HOURS ALLOWED CATEGORY.
As part of those 40 hours, each diplomate must participate each year in at least one diagnostic oral and maxillofacial pathology self-assessment program acceptable to the ABOMP. Acceptable programs are defined by the Board of Directors.
- ABOMP Head and Neck Case Review Program
- AAOMP Continuing Competency Assurance Program
Virtual slide programs related to Head and Neck Pathology may be available from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP). Courses that are suitable for ABOMP CE credit will be determined by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors. If there are any questions regarding the eligibility of the course please contact the Board prior to registering for the course.
If you do not participate in an annual slide program, you are in jeopardy of early expiration of your certification status. You will not get your annual registration card, and verification requests will state that you are not fully compliant with Certification Maintenance. If you miss a year of participation in a slide program, you may make up that year, as well as participate in the current year’s program. If you are not fully compliant by December 31st of that make-up year, you will be dropped as an active diplomate of the Board.
A: While the registration form to sit for the CM examination is only required at the time of application to take the CM examination, all time-limited diplomates must stay current in documenting their CM participation. Documentation consists of listing all CE and slide study courses participated in as well as uploading the earned certificates. A total of 40 CE credits must be documented per two-year cycle. This documentation will be reviewed annually by the ABOMP Directors and deficiencies may be made up in the following year. If the diplomate is not fully compliant by December 31st of that make-up year, they will be dropped as an active diplomate of the Board.
Q: Can I travel to a different state/jurisdiction to take my exam?
A: Candidates are responsible for ensuring that there are no travel restrictions in place for the location where they want to take the exam. If a candidate travels to another state with travel restrictions in place, they may be turned away or required to quarantine. Please note that this exam is administered at Pearson VUE centers globally. If a candidate wishes to take their CM exam in a zip code different from their mailing zip code, they should relay this information as soon as possible to the ABOMP office ([email protected]).
A: Diplomates only need to enter and track the minimum required amount of CE credits in order to complete the form. Diplomates wanting to enter and track all obtained credits above and beyond the minimum CM requirements may do so without it affecting approval of the form.
A: Your opportunity to recertify begins seven years from January 1st of the year following initial certification and continues until the 10th year. The Board will send you a notice of the need to take the CM examination beginning one year before your first date of eligibility and will continue to send reminders on a yearly basis until the 10th year. Regardless of the date at which the CM process is completed, the anniversary date for CM will be derived from the initial certification date. For example, a diplomate who is initially certified in 2004 and completes all CM requirements in 2011 will start their 10-year cycle again in 2015.
Q: What form of identification (ID) will I need to show?
A: You will need to show two (2) forms of identification for check-in at the test center. One must be an original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) government-issued photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, passport) that includes your name, photograph, and signature. Secondary IDs must have your name and signature or your name and a recent recognizable photo. IDs required must be issued by the country in which you are testing. If you do not have the qualifying ID issued from the country you are testing in, an International Travel Passport from your country of citizenship is required. Please be sure your FIRST and LAST name on your photo IDs match your first and last name the ABOMP has on file. If it does NOT match, please update your profile at abomp.roc-p.com.
A: Participation in CM by diplomates with non-time-limited/ongoing certification certificates is voluntary, however the ABOMP strongly encourages them to do so.
A: Diplomates with a lifetime certificate don’t ever have to take the CM examination. However, there are reasons to voluntarily take the CM examination. Insurers, hospitals, quality and credentialing organizations, as well as the federal government may encourage or require such certification maintenance. In addition, if testifying as an expert witness, a diplomate could be asked when their last certification or CM exam was taken. The general timing required of the time-limited/ongoing certification certificate holders would seem to be the appropriate manner in which a voluntary participant would like to mirror.
A: If a diplomate with a lifetime certificate does not successfully complete all requirements of the CM process, including passing the CM examination, there are no consequences of failure to a diplomate with a lifetime certificate. The diplomate can continue to challenge the CM examination in subsequent years. The registration process for taking the CM examination is identical for all applicants to the CM examination.
A: The CM examination will be a closed-book assessment based on knowledge that a competent oral pathologist would be expected to possess without access to reference material. It will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions with appropriate illustration.
A: If a diplomate with a time-limited certificate does not successfully complete all 10-year requirements of the CM process, including documenting 40 hours of CE every two years, participating annually in at least one approved diagnostic oral and maxillofacial pathology self-assessment program, and passing a CM examination within years 7-10, the diplomate’s Board certification will expire and they will no longer be listed as a diplomate. These individuals may continue to participate in CM activities and may request to be reinstated when the CM requirements have been satisfied. Such a request must occur within five years of loss of certification. If such an individual wishes to regain certification after five years, they must retake the initial certification examination.
ARTICLE XV.
Certification
Section 3. Reinstatement. Reinstatement requests must be approved by the Board of Directors. Without exception, applicants must have fulfilled and properly documented all CM/slide course requirements at the time of applying for reinstatement. Regardless of the date within the year a diplomate is dropped, that year is considered year one. Reinstated, time-limited diplomates (both Emeritus and non-Emeritus), will continue with the 10-year cycle they were initially certified under.
a. Within thirty days: Former diplomates must submit a letter requesting reinstatement to the Board along with payment of all indebtedness and a reinstatement fee of $100.
b. After thirty days and within five calendar years for non-time-limited diplomates: Former diplomates with lifetime certificates must submit a letter requesting reinstatement to the Board along with payment of all indebtedness and a reinstatement fee of $100.
c. After thirty days and within five calendar years for time-limited diplomates: For former diplomates with time-limited certificates, the payment of the $100 reinstatement fee must accompany documentation of certification maintenance (CM) requirements. All reinstatement requests must be received by November 1st of the fifth calendar year. If the ten-year cycle has passed without the completion of the certification maintenance examination, the examination must be taken and passed before reinstatement will be considered.
d. After five calendar years: Reinstatement is no longer an option. All former diplomates must submit an application and examination fee and must pass the initial Board certification examination within their new period of eligibility.
A: Diplomates with time-limited certificates who are granted Emeritus status will not be required to participate in CM activities, but Emeritus diplomates who wish to return to active diplomate status, will be required to participate in all parts of the CM process and complete the CM examination within one year of returning to active status.
A: State Boards accept all dental-related CE, ABOMP accepts only pathology-related CE and scope-of-practice CE.
A: Yes. Up to 20% of courses that are not pathology-related but relevant to your scope of practice and employment requirements will be accepted and will count towards your CE minimum, including educational courses such as education models, effective communication, thinking strategies, team building, etc.
A: Yes – but total CE credit for laboratory management courses is not to exceed 5 hours/year.
A: Yes. Pathology-related courses offered by the International Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and affiliated societies, European Society of Pathology, International Society of Pathology (numerous divisions), and the Canadian Dental Association are acceptable. It is up to the diplomate to submit supporting documentation including detailed course description and objectives along with the certificate of attendance for validation.
A: After submission of a fully compliant registration form, Director designates will be administered the CM examination on the first day of the annual Fall Board meeting. Directors with time-limited certificates whose CM cycle requires taking the CM examination while serving as a Director or for three years after their term as a Director ends, are exempt from taking the CM examination until required by their next CM cycle. All Directors will remain fully compliant with CM requirements during their directorship. Director’s with time-limited certificates will remain on their initial CM cycle based on their certification date.
A: No, hours spent in a training program do not meet the ABOMP CE requirements.