Orthopedic Surgery Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Two Exams, Two Calendars

Board Certification in Orthopedic Surgery, offered through the Board of Certification in Orthopedic Surgery (BCOS) under the American Board of Podiatric Surgery (ABPS), is not a single-sitting credential. Candidates move through a written examination first and a separate oral examination second, and each has its own window, fee, and eligibility trigger. That structure is why "exam dates" really means two calendars that must be planned in sequence.

If you are still sorting out what the credential covers, start with What Is Orthopedic Surgery Certification? and the broader Orthopedic Surgery Certification overview. This guide stays focused on timing: when the windows open, what has to be true before you can sit, and how to avoid paying late fees.

The 2026 Dates at a Glance

For 2026, the published schedule has two anchor points. The written examination window is May 1-21. Oral examinations are scheduled for November 6-7 and, in 2026, are conducted by Zoom.

Who Sets the Calendar and What Is Still Unverified

The written exam is a computer-based test arranged by ABPS. The outside testing vendor has not been verified, so do not assume a particular test-center brand or location model; confirm directly with the board when you receive your authorization. Likewise, several logistics that candidates often ask about are not verified in the available program information:

• Whether the written exam is open-book.
• Whether a calculator is permitted.
• Whether the exam is adaptive.
• Whether at-home (remote) written testing is allowed.

Treat all four as "unconfirmed until the board says otherwise." Plan as though you will test at a proctored location, with no outside references, and let any later permission be a pleasant surprise. The same caution applies to the 2026 content outline: the written outline is undated, and the information was reviewed September 29, 2026, so check the board's current candidate materials before locking in a study plan.

Deadlines, Late Fees, and What They Cost

Every stage has a timely and a late price, and the late premium is steep. Here is how the fee structure shapes your calendar:

• Application: $500 if timely, $995 if late. Filing late costs $495 more for the same paperwork.
• Written exam: $1,200 if timely, $1,450 if late. A $250 premium.
• Oral exam: $1,600, with no timely/late split listed.

The ordinary initial total, calculated with all fees paid on time, is $3,300 ($500 + $1,200 + $1,600). Paying both the application and written fee late would push the first two components to $2,445 before the oral fee, for a combined $4,045. That is $745 above the ordinary total, purely from calendar slippage.

Eligibility Timing: Why the Oral Exam Gates Your Schedule

The application requires a qualifying MD or DO degree, an unrestricted license, accepted orthopedic training (or the documented four-year faculty route), references, and verification documents. Those are the entry requirements, covered in depth in Orthopedic Surgery Requirements 2026.

The timing trap comes after the written exam. Oral eligibility has three conditions that must all be satisfied:

1. A written pass. You cannot be scheduled for the November oral dates without it.
2. 18 consecutive months of privileges at one qualifying institution. The word "consecutive" and the phrase "one institution" are the details that catch people who changed hospitals.
3. A 12-month procedure log with at least 100 primary-surgeon procedures.

Because the privileges requirement is measured in consecutive months, a candidate who is a few months short cannot simply compress the clock. Count backward from November 6 and verify your privilege start date well before you apply.

What You Are Scheduling: The Written Exam

The initial written exam is 200 four-option, single-best-answer questions in 4 hours. That works out to an average of roughly 72 seconds per question, which is workable for recall items but tight for case-stem items with imaging descriptions. The standard is set using a modified Angoff method, meaning panels of experts judge how a minimally competent candidate would perform on each item. For how that translates to a score target, read Orthopedic Surgery Passing Score 2026.

The outline has 15 approximate weights totaling 100%. The heaviest are:

The remaining domains include Orthopedic Radiology and Imaging (8%), Bone and Soft Tissue Infections (7%), Joint Injuries (7%), Neurology and Spinal Disorders (7%), Arthritis and Connective Tissue Disorders (7%), Pediatric Orthopedics (6%), Soft Tissue Physiology and Repair (6%), Ortho Medical and Traumatic Problems (5%), Rehabilitation (4%), Biomaterials/Biomechanics (4%), Principles of Orthopedic Practice, Ethics, Epidemiology (3%), and Orthopedic Pathology (2%). The full breakdown is in Orthopedic Surgery Exam Domains 2026.

What You Are Scheduling: The Oral Exam

The oral examination is a separate event: 4 cases in 2 hours, delivered by Zoom in 2026. Scoring works differently from the written exam. The aggregate must meet case thresholds, which means performance is judged across the case set against set standards rather than as a simple percent-correct on a question bank.

Because it is a live, case-based discussion, the preparation looks different from written prep. You will be defending decisions drawn from your own practice and the log you submitted, so the 12-month procedure record is not just an eligibility hurdle; it is raw material for your case preparation. Test your Zoom setup, lighting, audio, and backup connection well before November 6-7, since a technical failure during a timed 2-hour session is entirely avoidable.

Working Backward From May 1

Here is the one place where generic study scheduling is worth including, tied to the actual weights and windows. The logic: front-load the heavy domains, hold imaging and infections for the middle where visual pattern recognition builds, and reserve the final weeks for mixed review. This assumes a 12-week runway ending at the May 1 window opening; compress or extend as your situation requires.

For a fuller methodology, see the Orthopedic Surgery Study Guide 2026, and use the practice test platform to rehearse the single-best-answer format under timed conditions. If you want a compact refresher near the end, the Orthopedic Surgery Cheat Sheet condenses the must-know facts.

Retakes, Renewal Cycles, and Planning Beyond 2026

If the written exam does not go your way, the retake fee is $800, noticeably lower than the initial $1,200 timely fee. The oral retake, by contrast, is the full fee of $1,600. That asymmetry means the oral exam is the costlier place to fail, and it is another reason to prepare for it as seriously as the written. For a realistic read on odds, see Orthopedic Surgery Pass Rate 2026 and How Hard Is the Orthopedic Surgery Exam?

Certification lasts eight years. Renewal requires 400 Category 1 CME credits including 200 orthopedic credits, four approved ethics CME credits, a current license, and a recertification exam of 100 questions in 2 hours. On that recertification exam, the weights shift: Orthopedic Pathology rises to 3% and Radiology/Imaging drops to 7% compared with the initial outline. Mark your certification date so the CME accumulation does not become a scramble in year eight.

Once certified, the credential feeds directly into employment and compensation conversations. See Orthopedic Surgery Salary Guide 2026 and Orthopedic Surgery Jobs for how employers and practices treat board status. To rehearse before your window opens, start with a timed set on the main practice site.

Frequently Asked Questions