The ABOG Qualifying Examination (QE) is a single-day, computer-based exam with 230 multiple-choice questions, administered at Pearson VUE testing centers. It lasts approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes and is evenly weighted across Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Office Practice, as defined by the official ABOG Specialty Blueprint.
That structure is not incidental. It reflects how ABOG expects candidates to apply clinical judgment across different care settings.
The QE is a written, computer-based examination using a single-best-answer multiple-choice format. Each question presents a clinical scenario followed by several plausible options, with one answer that best fits the situation described.
The exam contains 230 questions, and they are not grouped by topic. Questions from Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Office Practice are interspersed throughout the exam rather than presented in separate sections.
The exam is scheduled for approximately 3 hours and 45minutes. With a fixed number of questions and a fixed testing window, pacing becomes part of performance. Spending too long on early questions increases time pressure later in the exam.
ABOG describes the QE as an assessment of applied clinical knowledge. Many questions are written so that more than one answer appears reasonable. The task is to identify the most appropriate choice based on the information provided, not to construct a perfect management plan.
QE content is determined by the ABOG Specialty Blueprint, which is based on periodic Job Task Analyses of practicing obstetrician-gynecologists. The blueprint defines both what is tested and how heavily it is weighted.
The QE is divided into three primary domains, each accounting for approximately one-third of the exam:
This weighting applies to every candidate, regardless of residency emphasis, fellowship plans, or early career scope of practice. Preparing heavily in one area while neglecting another is not aligned with how the exam is constructed.
In the Specialty Blueprint, Obstetrics content is organized across the full course of pregnancy-related care rather than as isolated diagnoses.
This includes preconception and antenatal care, pregnancy-related complications, intrapartum management and obstetrical procedures, and postpartum care.
QE questions in Obstetrics require recognition of abnormal findings, appropriate escalation of care, and safe management decisions across pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. Both routine scenarios and complications are represented.
Gynecology content in the blueprint extends beyond procedural knowledge. It emphasizes clinical judgment across the perioperative continuum.
Blueprint areas include preoperative care, perioperative management, surgical complications, postoperative care, gynecologic emergencies, and gynecologic procedures, including minimally invasive and open surgery.
Gynecology questions on the QE may focus on decision-making before surgery, recognition and management of complications, or appropriate postoperative assessment, not only on choosing a procedure.
Office Practice is a standalone domain in the Specialty Blueprint and represents approximately one-third of the QE.
Content includes preventive care, routine outpatient management, patients with unique obstetric or gynecologic needs, medical and primary care problems, gynecologic office management, endocrine and menstrual disorders, vulvovaginal conditions, pelvic floor disorders, reproductive tract cancers, and office-based procedures.
The blueprint makes clear that everyday outpatient decision-making is a core component of board certification. If a clinical issue commonly presents in a general OBGYN office, it falls within QE expectations.
Across Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Office Practice, the QE consistently evaluates the same clinical skills: obtaining and interpreting relevant information, selecting appropriate diagnostic and management steps, anticipating complications, and planning follow-up and continuing care.
These skills are tested within clinical scenarios rather than as isolated factual questions, which is why the exam feels focused on reasoning rather than recall.
The QE’s format and blueprint reinforce one another. A long exam with mixed content, equal domain weighting, and scenario-based questions rewards candidates who apply consistent clinical judgment and maintain steady pacing across different care settings.
The exam does not reward exhaustive analysis of individual questions. It rewards reliable decision-making applied repeatedly.
How many questions are on the ABOG Qualifying Exam?
The QE contains 230 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions.
How long does the exam last?
The exam is scheduled for approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.
How is QE content divided?
Content is divided evenly across Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Office Practice based on the Specialty Blueprint.
Is Office Practice really a major part of the exam?
Yes. Office Practice accounts for approximately one-third of the QE.
Are QE questions mostly recall-based?
No. ABOG describes the QE as assessing application of clinical knowledge through scenario-based questions.
Early in preparation, use the Specialty Blueprint to keep your studying balanced across all three domains. Closer to exam day, review missed questions by blueprint category rather than by topic alone, as patterns usually reflect structural gaps. Central to your preparation should be using a high quality question bank such as Med-Challenger, which is both mapped to the blueprint and designed to direct your study to the areas where you most need to focus.