Administration and performance on the Spinal Cord Injury Medicine Certification Examination over a 10-year period.

: The examination for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Medicine subspecialty certification has been administered since 1998, but published information about exam performance or administration is limited. Retrospective review : We examined de-identified information from the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) database for characteristics and performance of candidates (n = 566) who completed the SCI Medicine Examination over a 10-year period (2005-2014), during which the exam outline and passing standard remained consistent. Not applicable : We analysed candidate performance by candidate track, primary specialty, number of attempts, and domains being tested. We also examined candidate perception of the SCI Medicine Exam by analysing responses to a survey taken after exam completion. : Thirty-six percent of candidates who completed the exam during the study period took it for initial certification (23% in the fellowship track and 13% in the practice track offered during the initial "grandfathering" period) and 64% took it for maintenance of certification (MOC) in SCI Medicine. Factors associated with better exam performance included primary specialty certification in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and first attempt at passing the exam. For PM&R candidates, ABPMR Part I Examination scores and SCI Medicine Examination scores were strongly correlated. Candidate feedback about the exam was largely positive with 97% agreeing or strongly agreeing that it was relevant to the field and 90% that it was a good test of their knowledge. This study can inform prospective candidates for the SCI Medicine Examination as well as those guiding them. It may also provide useful information for future exam development.