Key Article FAQ

Where can I find the Study Guide Key Articles? A list of the key articles is posted on the ABNM website.

What proportion of the CE and MOC exams will relate to the Study Guide Key Articles? Eventually about 30% of the exam will be derived directly from the Key Articles. In 2015, a smaller proportion will relate directly to the Key Articles.

How much do these articles cost? The ABNM has only listed articles that are open access. Reviewing these articles is free. The ABNM and the SNMMI are investigating making other good articles available as a benefit for members.

Can I obtain Part 2 MOC CME credit for reading the articles? Some of the articles already provide CME and self-assessment CME credit. The Board is working with the SNMMI to expand the number of articles that provide credit. The goal is to develop a system, which more fully integrates Parts 2 and 3, deemphasizing, “testing” while emphasizing ongoing MOC.

Is this the final List? No, this is not the final list. New articles may be added at any time, and the entire list will be reviewed once a year.

Am I expected to read every article? The key articles should be used as a study guide. In preparing for the exam, the articles covering areas that are not part of your day-to-day practice should be most useful. Other articles will be more useful for your maintenance of certification between exams. Over ten years, reading all of the articles is recommended as a goal.

What happens if I review an article and then a newer article replaces it? Questions derived from that article may still be selected for the exam; they just will no longer count toward the 30% target. Question derived from the newer article will likely cover much of the same content. Thus, having reviewed a replaced article will not only help you to stay current, but it is likely to help prepare for the exam.

How were the articles selected? The ABNM Board members selected the articles with helpful suggestions from the SNMMI Councils and Centers and the Nuclear Medicine Program Directors.

Is the full scope of Nuclear Medicine covered? The articles were selected as useful summaries, but they do not cover the full scope of Nuclear Medicine. While most of the test relates to the areas covered by the articles, not every item on the test is covered. The Board periodically defines the scope of practice, see ABNM Position Statement: Nuclear Medicine Professional Competency and Scope of Practice. The exam Content Manual is an index of topics that may appear on the exam.

Is the distribution of articles proportional to the number of exam questions? The questions on the exam are divided about equally between the key article categories, but the certifying and MOC exam blueprints provide the exact number of questions in each category. The content of each of these categories is provided in detail in the Content Manual.