What is the CMP?

CMP Topics by Year and Specialty

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The Collaborative Maintenance Pathway (CMP) is an alternative Maintenance of Certification (MOC) assessment option that allows you to stay 100% certified by focusing on just 20% of the field each calendar year. Over a span of 5 years, your entire knowledge base is refreshed, but you never have to study everything at once.

The CMP is delivered through ACC's SAPs, so it includes comprehensive educational material, annual updates and all the CME/MOC credit that you need. Annual participation requires using your CMP SAP to:

  • Review the CMP topic(s) for the year, which represent approximately 20% of the field (see the table below). You may choose how much time to spend learning about the year's CMP topic(s).
  • Complete the practice questions for the year's CMP topic(s) and score 70% or better.
  • Take and pass a Performance Assessment (a 60-question online test) for that year's topic(s).

A passing score on the Performance Assessment satisfies your MOC assessment requirement and extends your assessment due date by one year. As a simplified option for refreshing your knowledge, staying licensed, AND maintaining your certification, the CMP delivers everything you need annually through one single program.

Additional Information

  6 Steps to Participating in the CMP
  6 Steps to Participating in the CMP
  1. Be currently certified by the ABIM and not in an exam grace period
    You can participate in the CMP if you are currently Board certified by ABIM and NOT in an MOC exam grace period. Grace period occurs when you fail an assessment in the year you were due but have met all your other MOC requirements. If you are in a grace period and you have questions, please contact ABIM directly.

    You can check your certification status by signing in to your ABIM Physician Portal at abim.org.

    ABIM Contact Information:
    Phone: 800-441-2246
    Email: request@abim.org
  2. Purchase the relevant SAP. Your purchase provides you with 5 years of access.
  3. Enroll in the CMP
  4. Score 70% or better on the Practice Questions for the CMP topic(s). You may answer as many times as necessary to achieve that score.
  5. Take a Performance Assessment
  6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for the next 4 years (but on a different 20% of the field each year). When you finish your first five-year cycle, simply start all over again.
  Enrolling in the CMP
  Enrolling in the CMP

What Does Enrolling in the CMP Mean?

Enrolling in the CMP means you would like to meet your ABIM assessment requirement through the CMP.

ACC invites you to enroll in the CMP prior to the year your ABIM assessment requirement is due to gain experience with the process! Early participation in the pathway will not have an impact on your original assessment due date. You may unenroll from the CMP at any time, but it is then up to you to register/enroll in another assessment option.

What Do I Need to Do After I Enroll?

After you enroll, you will see a new button at the top of your SAP dashboard labeled CMP Hub. The CMP Hub includes helpful tips about participating, lets you track your progress on your prerequisites for taking a Performance Assessment, and more. Click here for more information about what to do after you enroll in the CMP.

Can I Change My Mind and Unenroll?

Yes, you can unenroll at any time. To unenroll, please contact ACC's Member Care team at 800-253-4636, x5603. Please note that after you unenroll from the CMP, you must contact the ABIM to register for another assessment option.

Click here to enroll.

  Performance Assessments & This Year's Dates
  Performance Assessments & This Year's Dates

What is a Performance Assessment?

Performance Assessments are TESTS that are:

  • SHORTER in length (60 questions that are structured just like the Practice questions in the SAP).
  • FOCUSED on only 20% of the field each year.
  • OPEN BOOK – you may use any resource except another person.
  • TIMED
    • You'll have two hours to complete a Performance Assessment for Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology and Heart Failure.
    • You'll have three hours to complete a Performance Assessment for Electrophysiology.
    • You must complete the assessment in one sitting.
  • ONLINE – you may take a Performance Assessment in your home or office
  • Available during two specific weeks each year.
  • You have two CHANCES TO PASS EACH YEAR – once during each week of availability. Starting the year that your MOC assessment requirement is due, you will need to pass a Performance Assessment each year.

When Can I Take a Performance Assessment?

Performance Assessments are offered for two one-week windows each year. During each one-week window, you may take the Performance Assessment ONCE at your convenience any time of day or night. You do not need to schedule a specific time. Please avoid waiting until the last two or three hours of the one-week window to take your Performance Assessment so there is time to resolve any unforeseen issues that may occur.

If you want two (2) chances to pass, be sure to participate in the first Performance Assessment; if you miss it or skip it, you will only have one chance to pass with the second Performance Assessment.

Performance Assessments & This Year's Dates

Can I Take the Performance Assessment as Many Times as I Want During the Administration Windows?

No, you may take a Performance Assessment once during each administration window.

What Information Will I Receive After Completing a Performance Assessment?

  • After completing a Performance Assessment, most participants will receive immediate feedback about whether they passed or did not pass.
  • Some participants will score within a range that requires additional analysis and will not learn immediately whether they passed. They will learn their status via the Score Report described below.
  • Two weeks after the Performance Assessment window closes, ACC will release detailed score reports with the following information:
    • Your scaled score
    • The passing scaled score
    • Recommended content for further study based on the questions you answered incorrectly. (To maintain question security, you won't be able to see the questions again or see exactly which questions you answered correctly or incorrectly.)
  • ACC will email all participants when the score report is available within the CMP Hub.

Where Can I Find My CMP Score Report?

  1. Login to your SAP and enter the CMP Hub.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the CMP Hub and click the link titled Click Here to See Your Score Report for Performance Assessment X.
  3. Click the button labeled CMP Score Report (it's in the orange Score Box).

Do I Have to PASS the Performance Assessment?

Starting the year that your assessment requirement is due, you must pass a Performance Assessment every year to meet your MOC assessment requirement. You will have two chances to pass each year. Please note that if you want two chances to pass, you must participate in the first Performance Assessment; if you miss it or skip it, then you will only have one attempt to pass with the second Performance Assessment.

How Do I Know if I Pass the CMP?

  • After completing a Performance Assessment, most participants will receive IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK about whether they passed or did not pass.
  • Some participants will score within a range that requires additional analysis and will not learn immediately whether they passed. They will learn their pass/fail status via the Score Report described below.
  • Detailed Score Reports will be released two weeks after the Performance Assessment window closes. Score Reports will include:
    • Your score
    • The passing score
    • Recommended content for further study based on the questions you answered incorrectly. (To maintain question security, you won't be able to see the questions again or see exactly which questions you answered correctly or incorrectly.)
  • ACC will email all participants when the score report is available and you'll be able to find it within the CMP Hub of your CMP SAP.

What Happens if I DON'T PASS the CMP Performance Assessment in the Year that My Assessment Requirement is Due?

  • Starting the year that your MOC assessment requirement is due, you MUST PASS THE CMP PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT EVERY YEAR to be considered as meeting your assessment requirement.
  • You get two CHANCES TO PASS each year.
  • If you DO NOT PASS a CMP Performance Assessment in the year that your assessment requirement is due, you won't lose your certification. Instead, you will enter an assessment grace period if all your other MOC requirements have been met. The grace period grants you an additional year to meet your assessment requirement. During the grace period, you will continue to be publicly reported as Certified. You will need to pass the traditional, 10-year MOC exam by the end of the grace period year to avoid a change to your certification status.

What Happens if I Fail Both CMP Performance Assessments in the Year that My Assessment Requirement is Due?

If you are unable to achieve a passing score on a CMP Performance Assessment in the year that your assessment requirement is due, you will enter an assessment grace period, which is explained as follows on ABIM's website:

Physicians will be granted an additional year (called the grace period) to meet their assessment requirement if they are certified, meeting all other MOC requirements, are in their assessment due year and:

  • They fail the traditional, 10-year MOC exam; or
  • They fail the ABIM/ACC CMP assessment; or
  • They are enrolled in the LKA and exceed their 100 unopened questions; or
  • They are enrolled in the LKA and do not meet the performance standard at the end of the 5th year.

During the grace period, physicians will continue to be publicly reported as Certified. They will need to pass the traditional, 10-year MOC exam by the end of the grace period year in order to avoid a change to their certification status. Once passed, a physician's next assessment due date will be 10 years from the last pass, even if that pass was during the grace period year.

  The CMP and Your ABIM Certification Status
  The CMP and Your ABIM Certification Status

How Does Participation in the CMP Impact My Certification Status on ABIM's Website?

Your certification status will be listed as Certified when you are meeting your 5-year MOC points requirement AND meeting your 5-year attestation requirement (for interventional cardiologists) AND meeting your assessment requirement.

For the CMP this means:

  • Starting the year that your assessment requirement is due, successful completion of the CMP meets your assessment requirement and extends your assessment due date by one year.
    • When you pass a CMP Performance Assessment in 2024, your assessment due date will advance to Dec. 31, 2025, etc.
    • When you get to the end of a five-year CMP cycle, you simply start all over again.
  • Over time, continuous engagement with the annual CMP will earn you more than enough MOC points to meet the MOC 100-point requirement every five years. However, if your 5-year MOC points requirement is due within the next 2-3 years, additional points may be necessary. You can use the non-CMP topics within your CMP SAP to earn additional MOC points if you need them.

Can I Use the CMP to Regain My Certification Status if My ABIM Certificate Has Lapsed?

No, currently the only "re-entry" pathways for a lapsed certificate are to:

  • Take and pass the traditional 10-year MOC exam; or,
  • Participate in ABIM's Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKATM).
    Please note that because a decision on performance is not made until the end of the 5th year of LKA participation, a physician will be reported as "Not Certified" until that time. A physician whose certification has lapsed may use the traditional, 10-year MOC exam to restore certification more quickly.
  When Should I Start Participating in the CMP?
  When Should I Start Participating in the CMP?

You are required to start participating in the year your MOC assessment requirement is due. If your MOC assessment requirement is due in 2024, you can start participating in 2024. If your MOC assessment requirement is due in 2027, you can start participating in 2027.

However, ACC invites you to start early (now)! Enrolling in the CMP now lets you:

  • Get into the habit of refreshing your knowledge of the field at a refreshing pace – focus on 20% of the field each year.
  • Earn all the CME and MOC Medical Knowledge (Part II) points that you need.
  • Gain experience taking Performance Assessments without the stress of achieving a passing score. You don't need to worry about passing until the year your MOC assessment requirement is due. Participation in the CMP prior to your due date does not change your due date.
  • Learn if it's the best MOC assessment option for you. If it is, simply continue using it, and if it isn't, you can use the SAP as a study tool for a different MOC assessment option (such as ABIM's traditional 10-year exam).

When Can I Start Answering the CMP Practice Questions Each Year?

Start in early February! Each February, ACC will update the CMP SAPs with new science, guidelines and trials and reset the credit so you can start fresh.

  CMP Resources
  CMP Resources

Where Can I Find My CMP Hub?

You can find your CMP Hub on the dashboard of your CMP SAP:

  1. On ACC.org, hover over the Education and Meetings tab on the top menu and select your CMP SAP product, or click on Education and Meetings and scroll down to select your CMP SAP Product under Self Assessment Programs.
  2. Click on ACCSAP (or other CMP SAP) to initiate the login process.
  3. Once logged in, you will notice four blue tiles. Click on the dark blue CMP Hub tile to access your hub which contains any assessment links.
  Attention: CardioSource Plus Users Planning to Participate in the CMP
  Attention: CardioSource Plus Users Planning to Participate in the CMP

My Institution Subscribes to CardioSource Plus. Will the CMP Be Available Through It?

  • Your institution's subscription to CardioSource Plus includes the traditional elements of a SAP (text, presentations, and practice questions). It does not include the CMP. If you want to participate in the CMP, you will need to purchase your own personal version of the SAP.
  • As long as you use the same ACC.org account to access the SAP through CardioSource Plus and to access your personal subscription to the SAP, your progress and usage data will be stored in one central location.
  • CardioSource Plus users can order SAPs by:
    • ENROLLING in the CMP, which will prompt you to buy the relevant SAP (technical difficulties prevent CardioSource Plus users from purchasing outside of enrollment).
    • CALLING ACC's Member Care team at 800-253-4636, x5603 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
  Pricing
  Pricing

You'll need to purchase the relevant CMP SAP to enroll in the CMP, and your purchase provides you with 5 years of access. In addition, you need to be enrolled in the MOC program through ABIM.

What Is the Total Cost to Participate in the CMP?

ABIM ANNUAL COST TO PARTICIPATE IN MOC*

$220 per year (if you pay in the year you're due)

*Paid directly to ABIM regardless of the MOC option you choose. Learn more about ABIM's MOC fees and what's included.

CMP SAP PURCHASE, WHICH GIVES YOU 5 YEARS OF ACCESS**

  • $1,500 for ACC Members
  • $1,900 for Nonmembers
  • $900 for Fellows in Training or Emeritus Members

**Paid directly to ACC for access to all SAP educational material, CME/MOC credits and the CMP.

Your purchase provides you with 5 years of access to the relevant Self-Assessment Program (SAP):

  Testimonials
  Testimonials
 Very useful and I feel that participation will make me a better cardiologist. This is a superior way to maintain competency and remain current. 

David A. Rosenbaum, MD, FACC

 Great job ACC/ABIM. ACCSAP is an awesome product. 

Gerald M. Gacioch, MD, FACC

 The ACC CMP was relevant to my practice. I knew what I needed to know. I mastered what I needed to know. I have already used much of the information that I LEARNED with the CMP in my practice. 

Gregg T. Schuyler, MD, PhD, FACC

 Very pleased with the overall experience. Relevant content and relatively easy to complete within confines of other responsibilities. 

Christian T. Ruff, MD, MPH

 Thank you for developing an alternative to the 10-year exam. I learned more, plus, I am now able to use the SAP for reference. 

Susan P. Graham, MD, FACC

  Compare MOC Assessment Options
  Compare MOC Assessment Options

Use the information here to compare your ABIM MOC assessment options and select the one that's best for you.

  Refund Policy
  Refund Policy

You may receive a full refund by canceling your order within 7 days of purchase. Claiming any type of credit for the product during that time will make you ineligible for a refund.

  What Does the Future of MOC Look Like?
  What Does the Future of MOC Look Like?

A consortium of CV societies have come together to submit an application to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) requesting the creation of a new Board of CV Medicine. The societies have worked collaboratively to put together concepts for a new Board to effectively sustain professional excellence and provide CV patients with the utmost confidence in their care.

Participation in the Collaborative Maintenance Pathway (CMP) is one way to ensure a seamless transition to a new Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, if it is approved. If you are already participating in the CMP, continue with the CMP as no existing credit or status will be lost. If the new Board is approved, more detailed information for CMP participants will follow. Learn more about efforts to create a new Board at CVBoard.org.