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Case History Examination


ABE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
Use the following link to access a library of tutorial videos to guide you through registering for the case history exam and uploading your portfolio via the case history website
Tutorial Videos for the ABE Case History Exam Website

LATEST UPDATES
There are important updates you should be aware of before preparing and submitting your portfolio for the May 2026 exam cycle. The information on this webpage will serve as a summary of the latest changes.  For a comprehensive guide to the case history examination process, as well as in-depth details on all the latest changes, please be certain to download the latest pdf version of the Case History Portfolio Examination Guidelines.  If you plan to challenge the exam it is crucial that you read this entire document and continue to use it as a reference as you prepare and submit your Portfolio.

IMPORTANT:  The updated deadline for the May 2026 Case History Exam is May 1st at 2 P.M. Central Daylight Time (CDT).  This deadline will be strictly adhered, and any portfolio submitted past this time will be returned to the candidate and not evaluated in the cycle.  Please do not wait to submit your portfolio until the deadline.

Other notable updates are as follows:

  • After careful research conducted in association with statisticians with expertise in the field of high stakes exams, the ABE elected to incorporate a new rating scale rubric to begin with the May 1, 2026 exam cycle.
  • Each case in a submitted portfolio will be evaluated in ten categories. Examiners will assign one grade per each of these categories. Each case will receive a total of twenty scores (Ten per each examiner). Therefore, each portfolio will receive 50 scores per examiner, and 100 total scores per portfolio.  This thorough and more robust process gives the examining Directors ample knowledge and insight into the level of the Candidate’s diagnostic and clinical skills. The new rubric can be found in the updated Case History Portfolio Examination Guidelines.
  • For Case 5, “Periradicular Surgery”, re-surgery (revision of previous periradicular surgery) is no longer acceptable for any cases completed after May 1, 2026.

Candidates will have access to the case history website to upload their portfolio at any time during the year. However, the recurring submission deadline will be at 2 PM, Central Daylight Time (CDT) on May 1st.  Any portfolio that has not been submitted in its entirety by the deadline will not be evaluated during that grading cycle.

A candidate’s period of eligibility to challenge the Case History Exam is six years.

PRIOR UPDATES THAT STILL APPLY
The following are updates that were already in effect with prior exam cycles and are still current for May 2026:
Starting with the May 2024 exam cycle, the following are the five required cases for submission:

Case 1 - Nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment - Maxillary Molar
Case 2 - Nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment - Mandibular Molar
Case 3 - Nonsurgical Retreatment - Maxillary or Mandibular Molar
Case 4 – OTHER category
Case 5 - Periradicular Surgery - Maxillary or Mandibular Molar

It is extremely important that you carefully read the revised Case History Portfolio Examination Guidelines for updated requirements regarding the cases, including but not limited to, what will be acceptable for the new “Case 4 OTHER” category, and for all other components of your portfolio.

Updated Requirements to the “First Review” portion of the exam?
The inclusion of a biopsy and an accompanying pathology report is now an absolute requirement for Case 5 – Periradicular Surgery. If Case 5 is submitted without this requirement, the portfolio will fail in “First-Review.”

Additional Updates and Info from Prior Exams that still Apply
Additional details and instruction regarding these important changes can be found in the Case History Portfolio Examination Guidelines.

  • Expansion of Case 4 to include molar and non-molar teeth; must include canal obturation and show sufficient complexity.
  • Completion date for Case 5 changed from suture removal to date of root-end resection, preparation, and filling.
  • New guidance for reporting pre-operative diagnostic test findings in a table format which should provide better consistency and clarity for examiners.
  • “Cover Sheet” and “List of Abbreviations” documents are optional; the length of each, if utilized, is limited to ONE page.
  • While not an absolute requirement, as a help to demonstrate complexity of the medical components of a case and their proper management, it is suggested that each case history report include the ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) Physical Status Classification for each patient.
  • The requirement for a one-year post-treatment evaluation remains for all five cases; this is consistent with the necessity to show acceptable outcomes associated with the treatment rendered.
    • Note: Prior versions of the Case History Guidelines indicated that an evaluation conducted within the 12th-month or later following case completion was acceptable. That will now only apply for cases completed prior to May 1, 2024.
    • The requirement for all cases completed after May 1, 2024, will be the evaluation must occur one year or later after case completion.
  • Clarification is provided regarding working length verification images. File, cone, or cone with sealer can be acceptable. If sealer is placed with the cone, ensuring the discernible extent of a cone in each canal is emphasized.

Potential Limit to Accepted Portfolios Per Exam Cycle
Due to an ever-increasing number of portfolios submitted, the ABE may need to limit the number of submissions accepted for review in any given cycle. Any such limitation on submissions would be dynamic and based exclusively on available examiner resources. Any portfolio that meets the scheduled deadline that cannot be reviewed would be automatically held and reviewed the following cycle, with candidate notification by ABE staff. We recommend not waiting until the deadline to submit your portfolio because the sooner you submit your portfolio, the more likely you are to be included in the cycle for which you are submitting.

Who should I contact if I have additional questions?
If you have additional questions regarding the exam, please contact ABE staff at staff@amboardendo.org.