ENT Practice Test

ENT certification here means board certification in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, awarded by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. This page is for physicians preparing for the Written Exam or planning ahead for renewal. It collects free practice sets by topic, worked explanations, exam facts from the board, and a study plan.

ENT Exam at a Glance

What changed for ENT in 2026

• Oct 23, 2026: Eligibility (Written Exam) changed to Completion of an ACGME-accredited otolaryngology residency (previously Completion of an ACGME-accredited residency; pass Written and Oral Exams).^[4]

What the ENT is and how it works

According to American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, “The passing scores on these exams are determined using a psychometrically sound process.”^[1]

Board certification in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery is awarded by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS). The Written Exam is the entry point. To be eligible, a physician must successfully complete specialized training in an ACGME-accredited otolaryngology residency. The board administers the Written Exam through Pearson's computer-based testing platform, so you take it at a Pearson VUE test center. The Written Exam date listed on the board's site is July 15, 2027. Dates can change, so confirm on the ABOHNS exam dates page before you plan travel or time off.

Passing the Written Exam makes you eligible for the Oral Exam. Candidates are examined on cases from their own practice, and a 9-month case collection log and a peer review are required. The board states that passing scores are determined using a psychometrically sound process. No fixed passing score is published, so there is no single number to aim for. It is more useful to cover every topic area than to chase a target.

After certification, ABOHNS uses CertLink for renewal. You receive 40 new questions each year, and 160 new questions must be answered to complete a renewal cycle. Application steps, fees and retake rules are set by the board and can change, so read the official pages before you commit to a plan.

Worked examples: how to reason through ENT questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the name of the online longitudinal assessment ABOHNS uses in place of a periodic secure recertification exam?

1. CertLink
2. MOCA Minute
3. KnowledgeCheck
4. PRA Navigator

Answer: A. CertLink

Explanation:

The correct answer is CertLink. It is the online longitudinal assessment ABOHNS uses in place of a periodic secure recertification exam, delivering questions to diplomates throughout the year instead of in a single sitting.

The other options are made-up names that sound plausible. MOCA Minute, KnowledgeCheck and PRA Navigator are not the board's program, so none of them describes how ABOHNS handles renewal. Plausible-sounding product names are a common way to build a wrong option, so do not pick an answer just because it sounds official.

The rule to remember: for ABOHNS renewal, think CertLink and ongoing questions spread across the year, not a one-time high-stakes test. Read the board's CertLink pages for current requirements.

Example 2

Question: How should professional standards and ethics knowledge be maintained and updated?

1. Initial training provides lifelong competence
2. Through continuous professional development, current literature review, and professional networking
3. Knowledge updates are only needed every five years
4. Learning stops after certification

Answer: B. Through continuous professional development, current literature review, and professional networking

Explanation:

The correct answer is continuous professional development, current literature review and professional networking. Standards and ethical expectations change as practice, technology and regulation change, so knowledge has to be refreshed on an ongoing basis.

The claim that initial training provides lifelong competence is wrong because training is a starting point, not a permanent state. The claim that updates are only needed at a fixed long interval is wrong because it treats learning as an occasional event rather than a habit, and it names a number the question has no basis for. The claim that learning stops after certification is wrong for the same reason, and it also conflicts with the board's own approach of continuing assessment.

The rule to remember: when an option says learning is finished, fixed or one-time, it is almost always the distractor.

Example 3

Question: Which structure is primarily responsible for voice production?

1. Epiglottis
2. Vocal cords
3. Pharynx
4. Soft palate

Answer: B. Vocal cords

Explanation:

The correct answer is the vocal cords, also called vocal folds. They sit within the larynx, and voice production, or phonation, happens when air from the lungs passes through them and sets them vibrating. The mouth, tongue and pharynx then shape that sound into speech.

The epiglottis is wrong because it is a flap that helps protect the airway during swallowing; it does not generate sound. The pharynx is wrong because it is a passage and resonating space that shapes sound after it is made. The soft palate is wrong because it separates the oral and nasal passages during speech and swallowing, but it does not produce the voice itself.

The rule to remember: separate the structure that creates the sound from the structures that shape or protect.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material. Read the ABOHNS pages on the Written Exam, eligibility and exam dates so you know what the board says, and check whether it publishes a content outline. Our practice sets do not replace that.

Next, take a short diagnostic pass through the sets listed on this page, one topic at a time, without looking anything up. Note which topics feel weak. Anatomy, diagnostic procedures, hearing and balance, rhinology, oncology and pediatric topics are good places to be honest with yourself.

Then study by topic. For each weak area, read a standard textbook chapter or your residency notes, return to the matching practice set, and read every explanation, including those for questions you got right. Write down the general rule behind each miss, such as which structure does what or which option sounds official but is not.

In the final stretch, mix topics so you are not relying on recall of the order. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to find gaps rather than to predict what appears on test day. Confirm your exam date and testing logistics with Pearson VUE well in advance.

Sources & last verified

1. American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery — passing score, eligibility (official source). “The passing scores on these exams are determined using a psychometrically sound process.” Verified Oct 23, 2026.
2. American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery — renewal (official source). “As a reminder, 40 new questions are presented annually and 160 new questions must be answered to successfully complete your certification renewal cycle.” Verified Oct 23, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
3. pearsonvue.com — delivery (official source). “ABOHNS administers its Written Exam and Complex Pediatric Otolaryngology (CPO) Exam through Pearson’s computer-based testing platform.” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 24, 2026.
4. American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery — eligibility (official source). “To be eligible for board certification in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, a physician must successfully complete specialized training in an ACGME-accredited residency program.” Verified Oct 23, 2026.
5. American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery — next exam date (official source). “2027 EXAM DATES Otolaryngology Training Exam (OTE) March 6 Adult Complex Thyroid/Parathyroid Surgery (ACTPS FPD) Exam April 5-7 Written Exam July 15” Verified Oct 23, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.