ABPS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield ABPS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A physician prescribes metformin for a newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic. Which condition is an absolute contraindication to metformin use? → eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73m²
2. A patient's surrogate decision-maker demands aggressive life-sustaining treatment the care team believes is medically futile. What is the best approach? → Explain the concept of medical futility and facilitate an ethics consultation
3. How should American Board of Physician Specialties professionals handle updated procedures? → Review updates, complete training, implement revisions
4. What is the most important principle when transitioning a patient from curative to palliative care? → Ensuring the patient's goals, values, and comfort guide the transition
5. How do administrators handle healthcare compliance? → By adhering to legal and regulatory standards
6. What is the CORRECT sequence when performing a American Board of Physician Specialties technical procedure? → Plan, prepare, execute, verify, and document
7. Which payment model reimburses a fixed amount per patient per month regardless of services used? → Capitation
8. What role does calibration play in American Board of Physician Specialties technical accuracy? → Ensures instruments produce accurate results over time
9. What is the role of electronic health records (EHR)? → To store and access patient health information digitally
10. A 70-year-old woman presents with hypotension, distended neck veins, and muffled heart sounds following blunt chest trauma. What is the most likely diagnosis? → Cardiac tamponade
11. A physician prescribes a statin along with gemfibrozil for combined hyperlipidemia. What serious adverse effect risk is significantly increased? → Rhabdomyolysis
12. A 'sentinel event' in hospital quality management is defined as: → An unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury
13. A 40-year-old patient with no cardiac history presents with atypical chest pain. ECG and troponins are normal. What is the most appropriate next step? → Conduct stress testing or advanced imaging based on pretest probability
14. Which model of care delivery places a team of healthcare professionals responsible for all of a patient's care needs across settings? → Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
15. When interpreting a tuberculin skin test (TST), a 10 mm induration is considered positive for which patient group? → Recent immigrants from high-prevalence countries
16. Which assessment method provides the MOST reliable data for ABPS professionals? → Standardized tools combined with professional observation
17. A bone marrow biopsy in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) reveals the Philadelphia chromosome. Which gene fusion does this represent? → BCR-ABL1
18. When prescribing ACE inhibitors, which electrolyte abnormality must be monitored closely? → Hyperkalemia
19. Which reversal agent is used for life-threatening bleeding in a patient on direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) rivaroxaban? → Andexanet alfa
20. Which lab finding would differentiate hemolytic anemia from other causes of anemia? → Elevated LDH, low haptoglobin, and elevated indirect bilirubin
21. Which of the following best describes 'never events' in healthcare? → Serious, largely preventable adverse events that should never occur in a hospital
22. A 45-year-old with a history of alcoholism presents with confusion, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. Which treatment should be given immediately? → Thiamine (Vitamin B1) IV before glucose
23. Which law established the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to extend coverage to uninsured children in families with incomes too high for Medicaid? → Balanced Budget Act of 1997
24. Why is differential diagnosis important in clinical practice? → To narrow down the cause and guide testing and treatment
25. Which factor most strongly predicts poor medication adherence in outpatient chronic disease management? → Complex multi-drug regimens with frequent dosing schedules
26. A pharmaceutical company offers a physician a paid vacation in exchange for prescribing their medication. This situation best represents: → A conflict of interest that should be avoided
27. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial fluid resuscitation for septic shock in adults per Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines? → 30 mL/kg IV crystalloid within the first 3 hours
28. During a malpractice deposition, a physician is asked about a colleague's competence. Ethically, the physician should: → Provide honest and accurate testimony
29. A physician is approached by media regarding a celebrity patient's condition. The appropriate response is to: → Decline to comment and refer media to the hospital's public relations office
30. Asked to provide ABPS services outside scope of competence, the CORRECT response is to: → Decline and refer to a qualified professional