AMERICAN BOARD OF SURGERY IN-TRAINING EXAMINATION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016 Instruction Manual I. INTRODUCTION General Information for Program Directors This manual contains detailed instructions regarding the administration of the 2016 In-Training Examination ABSITE ). Please read this manual carefully before the date of the examination as there are several important details to be aware of in the preparation and administration of the online examination. The program director (or proctor) is responsible for the administration of the examination in strict compliance with the regulations outlined in this manual and maintaining the security of the examination materials at all times. The examination is the property of and copyrighted by the American Board of Surgery. It may not be copied or reproduced in any manner. Use of exam content for review before or after the examination s administration is expressly prohibited. Online Administration of the 2016 In-Training Examination While the 2016 ABSITE is offered solely as an online examination, it remains a proctored examination. The ABS continues to require that seating for the examination be assigned by the program director and for a seating chart to be maintained and returned to the ABS office. The ABS will also continue to provide to the program director the names of individuals with suspicious answer patterns as determined by statistical analysis. For technical problems during the ABSITE, call Internet Testing Systems (ITS) technical support at 1-800-514-8494 and press # Or 443-573-8399 and press #. ITS can also be reached via email at ABSsupport@testsys.com. If you need to contact the ABS staff, please call 215-568-4000 and listen for further instructions. 1
Examination Irregularities/Cheating Program directors are held responsible for assuring the integrity of the ABSITE administration process at their institution. Every effort must be made on the part of the program director to avoid cheating and other exam irregularities. Cheating includes the copying of another s answers; permitting one s answers to be copied; the unauthorized use, possession, reproduction, sharing or disclosure of examination content before, during or after the exam; and the use of unauthorized reference materials while the examination is in progress. Proctors should be vigilant in assuring that such incidents do not occur. Any suspicious behavior or infractions of the rules should be dealt with firmly by the program director or proctor. In taking or administering the ABSITE, examinees and proctors agree to be bound by the ABS Ethics and Professionalism Policy. A copy of this policy is in the appendix of this manual. The policy specifically prohibits the use, possession, disclosure and/reconstruction of examination content by any means. Such actions are considered a violation of ABS copyright and may be subject to prosecution under federal and state law. It also prohibits the giving, receiving or obtaining of aid during the examination. Violators are subject to disciplinary action, which may include the cancellation of examination scores, permanent barring from the ABSITE and/or ABS certification process, or permanent revocation of ABS certificates. The ABS, with assistance from external test security consultants, conducts sophisticated data forensics analyses on ABSITE response data to investigate potential examination security violations and irregularities. These analyses focus on response similarities (each examinee s response compared with responses of all other examinees), aberrant answer patterns, potential item exposure (e.g., new-used item score differences), item response probabilities, and other specific examinee response behaviors throughout the exam. The statistical probabilities for suspicious or anomalous behaviors are calculated. The ABS announced in October 2014 a new policy regarding how irregularities in the ABSITE administration will be handled for all future examinations. The following policy will apply when the ABS, at its sole discretion, identifies exam irregularities or other security violations: 1. The ABS will notify the program director of the individuals involved and request that he or she investigate the circumstances. 2. The ABS will also notify the department chair and designated institutional official (DIO). 3. Exam scores will be invalidated for all individuals involved in the irregularities and will not be reported to the program. 4. While the disciplinary consequences of the irregularities will be at the program director s discretion, the ABS will require program directors to provide a written report explaining their findings with regard to the irregularities and their decisions regarding the individuals concerned. 5. Following a subsequent offense, the ABS reserves the right to require that all residents in the program take future exams at a Pearson VUE testing center or similar facility at the program s expense. With this policy, and by requiring assigned seating and seating charts, the ABS hopes to continue to reduce the number of irregularities that occur each year. We appreciate your vigilance in assuring the integrity of the ABSITE s administration and welcome your input toward further deterring irregular behavior. 2
II. PRE-EXAMINATION PREPARATION Verify Readiness and Secure Browser Download Verify readiness and the download of the Secure Brower are important steps in the pre-examination preparation activities. If these tasks have not yet been completed, please do so as soon as possible. Failure to complete these activities may jeopardize the successful administration of the ABSITE at your program. 1. To complete these steps: go to absite.programworkshop.com. Proctor login is not required complete the following tasks. These tools are found directly on the testing website s homepage. 2. Click on Check Readiness. This must be performed on every computer workstation used on exam day. a. Click Run a System Check. This step verifies that the computer meets the minimum requirements to administer the exam. b. You may also want to evaluate your network by clicking on Run Test Simulation. This monitors network traffic with multiple users. 3. Click on Download Secure Browser. The Secure Browser must be downloaded onto each examinee computer workstation. The browser is called ABS Browser.exe. a. Laptops may be used providing the above tasks are completed. A hard Internet connection (not Wi-Fi) is strongly recommended. 4. Review the Registration Roster. This roster lists all examinees taking the exam with your program. Please advise us immediately of any errors or omissions. 5. Prepare Seating Chart prior to the exam day. Pre-assigned seating is required. This Instruction Manual, the Seating Chart Guide, and the Proctor Guide are available on the testing website in the Help folder. Please familiarize yourself with these instructional materials prior to the exam. Examination Date and Time The examination will be given on Friday, October 14, 2016 at 2:00 6:00 p.m. local time. Four hours are to be allotted for the examination. Prior Notification to Examinees The program director is responsible for informing each examinee in the program (whether at the parent institution or at an affiliate hospital) of the location and time of the examination. The program should allow approximately 15 to 20 minutes before the start of the examination for instructions to examinees. Examination Room Assigned seating must be used. Residents may not choose their seat location. Please make a chart of the assigned seating for each administration. The program name, ABS program number and date(s) of exam administration(s) must be noted on the seating chart. The seating chart(s) must be submitted to the ABS no later than Friday, October 21, 2016. 3
III. EXAM DAY ADMINISTERING THE EXAMINATION Note: absite.programworkshop.com is for program directors, coordinators and designated proctors only. This website is for exam administration. Residents will not receive a log-in for this website; residents will access the exam by clicking on the Secure Browser (ABS Browser.exe) which was previously downloaded onto examinee computer workstation. Materials 1. List of assigned Registration Codes for each resident taking the exam at your program 2. Non-programmable calculators 3. One (1) piece of scratch paper and a pen or pencil; returned to proctor at conclusion of the exam. 4. English dictionary Instructions to Examinees The following instructions #1 to #7 must be read verbatim to examinees once they are seated in their pre-assigned seats: 1. In taking this examination, you agree to be bound by the ABS Ethics and Professionalism Policy, (the policy is the last page of this manual). This policy specifically prohibits the use, possession, reproduction or disclosure of exam questions and answers by any means. Such actions are considered a violation of ABS copyright and may subject you to prosecution under federal and state law. In addition, any cheating observed during the examination will be reported to the ABS. Acts of cheating include the copying of another s answers; permitting one s answers to be copied; the possession, sharing or disclosure of exam content before, during or after the exam; and the use of reference materials while the exam is in progress. The ABS also employs statistical software to detect cases where cheating may have occurred. The ABS will inform program directors when instances of cheating have become apparent along with the names of the individuals involved. These individuals will have their exam scores withheld, and may be subject to further disciplinary action, including permanent barring from the ABSITE. 2. The ABS will make examination results available to programs in approximately 8 weeks. At that time, your program will provide you with an individual score report, which is the only record you will receive of your performance on the 2016 ABSITE. It should be kept for your records as the ABS does NOT retain individual score reports and does NOT release score reports or transcripts to residents or any third party. 3. Click on the ABS Browser located on your desktop. 4. Enter your Registration Code (provided by your proctor) and your last name. 5. You will acknowledge a few examination disclaimers. This is followed by a brief tutorial that explains how to navigate the exam. Ten (10) minutes is allotted for the tutorial and for one question regarding your future plans. This time is not included in the 4 hours of exam time. If you run out of time before completing the exam, the exam will automatically close and be scored. 4
6. When you have completed the exam, return your scratch paper to the proctor. You are reminded that NO notes or materials may be taken out of the examination room. 7. You may now begin your examination. Steps for Examinees 1. Examinees will access the exam by clicking on the secure browser previously downloaded onto the desktops. The browser is called ABS Browser.exe. 2. The examinees will then enter their Registration Code and last name to begin the exam. Supervision During the Examination The program director or designated proctor must be present throughout the entire examination. Proctors should stay alert to any unusual movements by examinees and monitor the conduct of the examination by walking around the room unobtrusively. Examinees are not permitted to use written notes or make written notes of the examination content. One (1) piece of scratch paper may be used for any written work necessary for answering a specific question. All scratch paper must be returned to the proctor at the conclusion of the exam. Interruption of the Examination If an examinee must leave the room temporarily while the examination is in progress, the examinee must click the Pause button for exam security. A white screen that states You have paused your exam will appear. Please note that exam time will continue to elapse. When the break is finished, the examinee will click OK to continue the exam. Any extended interruptions should be noted. If an examinee withdraws permanently during the course of the examination, the proctor should provide the ABS with a note of explanation. Note: Proctors should be aware of and minimize the opportunity for residents to share information about the examination when taking an exam break or while in the exam room. Answering Questions The program director/proctor may answer any question regarding examination procedures. However, questions about the meaning of examination items, including the item stem and response options should not be answered. If questions arise about particular items, the program director should note them and email pertinent comments to the ABS office. IV. AFTER THE EXAMINATION Collection of Scratch Paper Collect scratch paper from each examinee at the conclusion of the examination. No notes or examination materials may be taken out of the examination room. Programs may destroy the scratch paper on site. At the conclusion of the exam, the Secure Browser may be deleted from the desktop by dragging it into the Recycle Bin and then clicking delete. 5
Seating Charts Seating charts must reference the program name, ABS program number, and date for each administration. Seating charts for each administration of the ABSITE must be submitted to the ABS no later than Friday, October, 21, 2016. You can send them by fax to 215-563-5718 or by email to bjgerkens@absurgery.org. Feedback Any comments, feedback or reports of irregular behavior may be emailed to Barbara Jalbert- Gerkens at bjgerkens@absurgery.org 6
V. APPENDIX THE AMERICAN BOARD OF SURGERY POLICY ON ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM The American Board of Surgery believes that certification by the ABS carries an obligation for ethical behavior and professionalism in all conduct. The exhibition of unethical or dishonest behavior or a lack of professionalism by an applicant, examinee or diplomate may therefore cause the cancellation of examination scores; prevent the certification of an individual, or result in the suspension or revocation of certification at any subsequent time; and/or result in criminal charges or a civil lawsuit. All such determinations shall be at the sole discretion of the ABS. Unethical and unprofessional behavior is denoted by any dishonest behavior, including: cheating; lying; falsifying information; misrepresenting one's educational background, certification status and/or professional experience; and failure to report misconduct. The American Board of Surgery has adopted a "zero tolerance" policy toward these behaviors, and individuals exhibiting such behaviors may have their examination scores cancelled; be permanently barred from taking ABS examinations; be permanently barred from certification; reported to state medical boards, and/or legally prosecuted under state or federal law, including theft, fraud and copyright statutes. Unethical behavior is specifically defined by the ABS to include the disclosure, publication, reproduction or transmission of ABS examinations, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purposes. This also extends to sharing examination information or discussing an examination while still in progress or at any time thereafter. Unethical behavior also includes the possession, reproduction or disclosure of materials or information, including examination questions or answers or specific information regarding the content of the examination, before, during or after the examination. This definition specifically includes the recall and reconstruction of examination questions by any means and such efforts may violate federal copyright law. All applicants, examinees, or diplomates must fully cooperate in any ABS investigation into the validity, integrity or security of ABS examinations. All ABS examinations are copyrighted and protected by law; the ABS will prosecute violations to the full extent provided by law and seek monetary damages for any loss of examination materials. The possession of a currently valid, full and unrestricted state medical license is an absolute requirement for certification. If a state license is restricted, suspended or revoked, the individual's certificate in surgery may also be restricted, suspended or revoked. This policy is also available on the ABS website, www.absurgery.org. Go to About the ABS > General Policies > Ethics and Professionalism. 7