Vascular Surgery Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

What This Credential Is (and Isn't)

This article covers one credential only: Primary Certification in Vascular Surgery, issued by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS) with approval through the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Current issuer pages label the selected credential General Vascular Surgery. Several other vascular credentials exist with similar names and different certifying bodies, fee schedules and calendars. None of their dates apply here. If you have seen a testing window quoted elsewhere, confirm it comes from an AOBS page before building a plan around it.

The credential has two stages, and each has its own date logic:

• Written exam: 200 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours 30 minutes, remotely proctored, scored on a 200-800 scale with a passing scaled score of 500.
• Oral exam: a clinical-case examination assessing diagnostic interpretation, management and judgment, scored against a criterion-referenced standard.

Because the two stages are scheduled separately, "exam dates" really means two calendars. For the passing standard itself, see our guide to the Vascular Surgery passing score; for the broader candidate pathway, see Vascular Surgery requirements and eligibility.

The 2026-2027 Schedule: Why Sources Disagree

The most important thing to know about AOBS scheduling is that the published sources are not perfectly aligned. The generic certification timeline describes annual written testing in May. The specialty written-exam page says April. The current board homepage lists the next Spring Qualifying Examination as May 1-3, 2027 and the oral examination as October 20, 2027, in Orlando.

Practically, this means you should not book non-refundable travel or clinic coverage based on a single web page. Wait for your application confirmation, then lock in logistics.

The Written Exam Window and What to Expect

The written exam is delivered through AOA's remote-proctored platform using the MonitorEDU Secure Browser. Candidates sit for 200 multiple-choice questions over 4 hours 30 minutes. AOBS does not publish how many items are scored versus unscored, and adaptive delivery and open-book permission were not verified for the initial written exam, so do not assume either.

Content is organized under 26 published headings with percentage ranges rather than fixed weights. The largest ranges are:

Other substantial ranges include Endovascular (6-10%), Trauma (6-10%) and Venous (4-8%). These are ranges, not guaranteed weights, and overlapping headings remain separate. For a full walk-through, see all 26 Vascular Surgery content areas. To judge how this format compares with your own readiness, see how hard the Vascular Surgery exam is.

Oral Exam Timing and the 2026 In-Person Rule

The oral exam is a clinical-case examination, and its timing follows the written stage because oral eligibility requires program completion and board approval. The oral page carries a dated September 30, 2026 notice stating that oral testing is in person in New Orleans and that there are no virtual oral examinations in 2026. The board homepage separately lists the next oral exam as October 20, 2027, in Orlando.

Two things follow for planning. First, oral locations can change between administrations, so budget for travel only after you receive your assignment. Second, in-person rules are strict: the AOBS Rules of Conduct require government-issued photo ID, prohibit notes and books in examination and sequestered areas, and bar electronic devices from the examination room.

Deadlines That Gate Your Seat

Most scheduling problems come from eligibility paperwork rather than the exam date itself. The specialty written page describes the prerequisite pathway as five years of AOA-approved General Surgery training plus two years of AOA-approved General Vascular Surgery training, success on the RPVI examination, an application and fees. Several timing rules matter:

• 14-day rule: documents must be approved at least 14 days before testing.
• 90-day completion rule: applicants within 90 days of finishing training need a letter from the program director.
• Oral stage: requires program completion and board approval.
• Eligibility window: ordinary board eligibility ends December 31 of the sixth year following training.

Common board policies also accept COCA graduates with AOA or ACGME training, or LCME graduates with ACGME training, and require an unrestricted active U.S. medical license and AOA ethical compliance. Those policies do not establish a specific integrated vascular alternative to the specialty page's training language, so candidates with non-traditional training should ask AOBS to confirm their pathway in writing. The AOBS Protocol for Certification handbook link returned an HTTP 404 during review, and its landing page is labeled "under revision," so verify details against the live policy pages rather than a saved PDF.

Fees, Cancellation Windows and Transfers

Base AOBS examination fees are $1,500 for the written exam and $1,500 for the oral exam, totaling $3,000 for the usual two-exam route. No member versus nonmember tier is published. Travel, review products and any applicable late charges are extra. The full breakdown is in our Vascular Surgery certification cost guide.

Since a missed window costs real money, the cheapest scheduling strategy is to apply only when your preparation is on track and your documents are approved.

The VSQE Alternate Route to the Oral Stage

A dated AOA announcement (April 29, 2026) accepts a pass on the ABS Written Vascular Surgery Qualifying Exam (VSQE) as meeting the written requirement for AOBS oral application. This is an alternate entry path, not a replacement for the AOBS written blueprint, and remaining AOBS requirements still apply. For scheduling, the practical effect is that a candidate who passed the VSQE may move toward the oral exam without sitting the AOBS written exam.

If you are weighing this route, confirm with AOBS which of your documents still need approval and how the timing aligns with the next oral administration. Do not assume the alternate route changes the eligibility-window rule or the fee schedule.

Remote-Proctoring Logistics for the Written Exam

Because the written exam is remote, the "date" also depends on your testing environment. AOA's requirements include:

• A private room, a computer and a mobile device.
• A government photo ID that matches your registration, plus your AOA candidate ID.
• A personal computer with administrator access (recommended by AOA).

The platform supplies online lab values, a scratch pad and a calculator. PARADIGM provides generic platform practice but is not a specialty-specific practice exam, so it will familiarize you with the interface without testing vascular content. Complete the system check well before exam day, because administrator permissions are a common failure point on employer-managed laptops.

Retake Clocks and Eligibility Expiration

Two time limits matter if your first attempt does not go as planned. After an initial or second exam failure, retesting must occur within two years to keep your file active. After a third written and/or oral failure, the oral page requires documented board-review-course remediation. Separately, ordinary board eligibility ends December 31 of the sixth year after training, so a long gap between attempts can erode both clocks at once.

The pass-rate picture is covered in our pass rate analysis, though no pass-rate figure should substitute for planning around these clocks. The safest approach is to treat your first scheduled administration as the one you intend to pass.

Planning Backward from Your Test Date

Once your administration is confirmed, use this sequence. It follows the published ranges rather than a generic template, putting high-range and foundational topics early.

For a fuller approach, see our Vascular Surgery study guide, the one-page cheat sheet for last-week review, and the practice test site for timed question blocks.

After You Pass: Certificate Timeline and Maintenance

The exact certification timeline describes active certification for one year after issue, conditional on OCC (Osteopathic Continuous Certification), rather than an unconditional ten-year term. Certificates issued after 2018 omit printed expiration dates, and annual participation in the longitudinal component begins in the certificate-expiration year. Ongoing requirements include:

• Annual unrestricted-license verification and ethics compliance.
• 60 CME credits per three-year cycle for time-limited diplomates and for non-time-limited diplomates voluntarily participating in OCC; 120 credits for non-time-limited diplomates outside OCC. No separate AOBS Category 1 or specialty-specific minimum is listed, and newly certified physicians' mid-cycle requirements are prorated.
• An annual 15-question open-book longitudinal assessment: 12 of 15 (80%) to pass, with a $225 registration fee in 2026 covering two attempts, delivered through the AOA LMS.
• At least one QI/QA attestation every three years.

This maintenance assessment is separate from initial certification. Some component pages retain legacy wording, such as ten-year-cycle language and an older proration table, which do not override the current timeline. If you are weighing long-term value, see whether the certification is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions