ABPMR Part II guides

Free guides to the ABPMR Part II oral exam: 2027 dates and fees, the five domains A to E, an original spinal cord injury vignette with model answers, and retake facts.

• ABPMR Part II oral exam 2027: dates, fees, application and format

  Everything a 2027 PM&R Part II candidate needs on one page: the exam dates, the application windows and fees, how the virtual exam runs, what equipment you need, and when results arrive. Every number is from the ABPMR’s own pages.

  Updated October 2026

• The ABPMR Part II domains A to E, explained

  Every Part II vignette moves through the same five domains, and each one is scored on its own. Knowing exactly what the ABPMR says each domain measures tells you what to say, and just as important, what not to spend time on.

  Updated October 2026

• ABPMR Part II sample vignette: spinal cord injury, walked through domains A to E

  An original practice vignette in the ABPMR Part II style: a young man with a new cervical spinal cord injury in inpatient rehabilitation who develops autonomic dysreflexia. Each domain shows what the examiner asks, a model answer at oral exam length, and why it scores.

  Updated October 2026

• Domain E on ABPMR Part II: communication, role play, hope and distress

  Domain E is where examiners ask you to talk to the patient or family, not about them. It is scored on its own, and it rewards a few skills you can practise: acknowledging emotion, giving honest information in plain language, and ending with a plan.

  Updated October 2026

• How to practise for the PM&R oral boards without a study partner

  The ABPMR recommends practising vignettes with a mentor or study partner, taking each case through all five domains. That is good advice and hard to arrange. Here is every practical way to get repetitions, what each does well, and how to combine them. We sell one of these options; we have tried to be fair to the rest.

  Updated October 2026

• Failed the ABPMR Part II oral exam: retake facts and a plan

  Not passing Part II after years of training is hard, and it happens to a meaningful number of candidates every year. Here are the facts the ABPMR publishes about reviews, appeals, eligibility and the next exam, and a plan that changes how you prepare rather than repeating it.

  Updated October 2026