SPEX Application

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

BOARD-SPONSORED: 

Applicants must hold or have held a valid, unrestricted license in the US or Canada. Board-sponsored candidates take SPEX at the request and approval of a state medical board and must meet all eligibility requirements established by the sponsoring board. Scores are reported to both the examinee and the sponsoring board. If you wish to take SPEX as a board-sponsored candidate, you should contact the licensing board to determine if you meet the board’s eligibility requirements.

SELF-NOMINATED: 

Applicants must hold a current, unrestricted medical license to practice medicine in the US or Canada. Self-nominated candidates take the SPEX independent of any request or approval from a licensing board. Scores are reported to the examinee only.

RETAKES:

Limited to three attempts within a 12-month period.
Second attempt: No waiting period from previous attempt.

Third attempt: Mandatory 90-day waiting period from the previous attempt.
Fourth and subsequent attempts: One-year waiting period from the initial attempt.
Board-sponsored examinees, at the sponsoring board's discretion, may not be subject to the same waiting periods. Any additional reexamination eligibility requirements and procedures are set by the individual licensing boards.

APPLYING FOR SPEX

APPLICATION:

Apply for SPEX via the online application system

If you are a new user, you will be required to create an account in order to access the application.

If you are a returning user and have forgotten your password, the best option is to create a new account rather than using the “forgot your password?” option (there is no limit on the number of “accounts” you can create & we are unable to view or reset your username or password).

Your registration will be completed within 5-7 business days after we 1) receive your online application (with fees) and CID and 2) verify you meet all eligibility requirements, including approval from the state medical board, if applicable. We will email you when your application is approved.

A certification of identity form (CID) is required for all applications unless an approved CID is already on file with FSMB and is not more than 5 years old.

INFORMATION BULLETIN:

By submitting a SPEX application, you certify that you have read the SPEX Information Bulletin, are familiar with its contents, and agree to abide by the policies and procedures described therein.

If you test in 2019, you are responsible for reviewing the 2019 SPEX Information Bulletin.

FEES: 

The SPEX fee is non-refundable and non-transferable from one eligibility period to another or from one application to another.

If you schedule an examination but do not take it and do not cancel with Prometric, you will forfeit your entire SPEX fee.

Fees must be paid via American Express, MasterCard or Visa.

CANCELLING AN APPLICATION: 

To cancel your application, you must send a written (email) request to spex@fsmb.org.

If you cancel your application after it has been approved, you are eligible to request a partial refund of your SPEX fee if you have followed Prometric's cancellation procedures or if you have never scheduled an examination testing session with Prometric.

TEST ACCOMMODATIONS

Requests for test accommodations must be made in writing at the time the SPEX application is submitted.

Please click here for the SPEX Test Accommodations request form and information regarding the accommodation process and documentation requirements.

SCHEDULING YOUR EXAM

Approximately 3-5 business days after your application is approved, you will receive an email with a PDF copy of your Scheduling Permit and an electronic link for accessing and printing your Scheduling Permit.

Once available, you may access your permit at any time here. You must use the SPEX ID# provided in your approval email to access your permit.

You must bring your Scheduling Permit to the test center on your testing date(s) in order to be able to test. If the name on your government-issued identification does not match your Scheduling Permit exactly, you will not be permitted to take your exam. Use the Name Change/Correction Authorization Form to change or correct your name. Evidence of the change/correction must also be submitted.

The permit includes instructions for scheduling at a Prometric Testing Center. You must provide Prometric with the Scheduling # on your permit to schedule your exam.

The permit will indicate your 90-day eligibility period. If you do not take the examination by the eligibility end date, you must either 1) request an eligibility extension (see instructions below) or 2) submit a new application, including the full fee and any supporting documentation.

If you schedule an examination but do not take it and do not cancel with Prometric, you will forfeit your entire SPEX fee.

The busiest testing times in the Prometric testing network in the U.S. are May through July and November through December.

Test dates are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and the SPEX program cannot guarantee the availability of test centers. Therefore, you should contact Prometric to schedule as soon as possible after receiving your scheduling permit.

You should schedule your test dates early in your eligibility period to provide flexibility in case you need to reschedule.

NAME CHANGE/CORRECTION

If the name on your government-issued identification does not match your Scheduling Permit exactly, you will not be permitted to take your exam.

Use the Name Change/Correction Authorization Form to change or correct your name. Evidence of the change/correction must also be submitted.

PREPARING FOR YOUR EXAM

The most appropriate preparation for the SPEX is a review of up-to-date textbooks, clinical review publications and periodicals. The following practice materials are also available to help you become familiar with the question formats used in SPEX:

Practice test – paper & pencil, self-timed practice exam; includes answers & answer sheet; free (no fees).

Comprehensive Clinical Medicine Self-Assessment (CCMSA) – computer-based; timed and untimed formats available; small fee; will also help you become familiar with how to navigate the examination.

EXTENDING YOUR ELIGIBILITY PERIOD

If you need to extend your eligibility period, a one-time, contiguous 3-month extension is available. To request an extension, you must submit an eligibility extension request and $65 processing fee.

Requests can only be submitted after your original scheduling permit is available and must be received no later than 25 days after the end of your original eligibility period.

Requesting an extension of your eligibility period does not cancel a scheduled exam appointment. If you have a scheduled testing appointment during your original eligibility period and need to reschedule the appointment for an extended eligibility period, you must cancel or reschedule with Prometric. A fee may be charged if you change your appointment, depending upon how much notice you provide when making the change.

SCORE REPORTING

Examinees who take the new SPEX during the first few months of 2019 will experience delays in receiving their scores (e.g., examinees who take the new SPEX late January 2019 will have their scores released in mid-April 2019, at the earliest.). This is necessary for us to complete the quality assurance procedures for the new version of the exam. Once the quality assurance process is complete, we will be able to resume the customary 2-4 weeks timeframe for reporting scores.

Please note! We anticipate completing the new exam implementation process within the first 3 months of testing. However, low testing volume could delay completion of the process. Therefore, the 8-10 week turnaround for score reporting could potentially impact examinees who test within the first 4-5 months (January – May).

LICENSURE DISCLAIMER

Because decisions regarding acceptance of SPEX results and licensure eligibility are made by the individual licensing authorities, eligibility to sit for SPEX does NOT automatically signify your eligibility for licensure. The boards may impose additional requirements for licensure, over and beyond the requirements for eligibility to sit for the SPEX. To obtain complete licensure information, contact the board(s) from which you are seeking licensure.

QUESTIONS? NEED ASSISTANCE?

Please call us at (817) 868-4041 between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday, or email us at spex@fsmb.org.