ABIM MOC requirements come down to two things: earning MOC points and passing a knowledge assessment. Here is how each piece works for internists, and why a CME certificate on its own does not put points on your ABIM record.
We checked these requirements against the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) website in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with ABIM before your renewal.
The short answer
- ABIM requires 100 MOC points every five years, no matter how many certifications you hold.
- The old rule requiring some MOC activity every two years was eliminated, effective immediately, in October 2024.
- You also have to pass a knowledge assessment, either the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) or the traditional 10-year MOC exam.
- CME counts toward MOC points only when the activity is registered to award ABIM MOC points and the provider reports your completion to ABIM. AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ alone does not equal MOC points.
- ABIM’s CME Passport search and the “CME Accredited/ABIM MOC” badge are the ways to confirm an activity qualifies.
ABIM MOC requirements at a glance
ABIM describes Maintenance of Certification as a set of requirements you meet to keep your status reported as “Certified” and participating in MOC. For most internists, the two working parts are points and assessment.
| Requirement | What ABIM says |
|---|---|
| MOC points | 100 points every five years, regardless of the number of certifications held |
| Two-year activity rule | Eliminated in October 2024, effective immediately |
| Knowledge assessment | Pass either the LKA (five-year cycle) or the traditional 10-year MOC exam |
| CME toward points | Only activities registered for ABIM MOC, reported to ABIM by the provider |
MOC points: 100 every five years
ABIM states that physicians must earn 100 MOC points every five years, and that the total does not change if you hold more than one certification. Points by themselves do not satisfy MOC, though. ABIM is explicit that you also need to take and pass a knowledge assessment.
ABIM’s pages describe the five-year period but do not list a single calendar deadline that applies to everyone. Your own cycle dates and point total appear in your ABIM Physician Portal, so check there rather than counting from memory.
What happened to the every-two-years rule
Internists used to have to complete some MOC activity every two years. In an October 28, 2024 announcement, ABIM said it was eliminating the two-year MOC point requirement, effective immediately. ABIM also said about 12,000 diplomates who had been listed as “Certified, Not Participating in MOC” only because they missed the two-year mark would be updated, provided they met the other requirements. The 100-points-in-five-years rule stayed in place.
Ways to earn points
ABIM lists several ways to earn MOC points. Accredited CME is the most common, but it is not the only route.
| Activity | Points, per ABIM |
|---|---|
| Accredited CME registered for ABIM MOC | Varies by activity; reported by the CME provider |
| Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment | 0.2 points per correct answer, up to 24 per year per certificate |
| Traditional 10-year MOC exam | 20 points per attempt |
| New subspecialty certification exam | Satisfies the current cycle’s 100-point requirement |
| Accredited ABIM subspecialty fellowship | 20 points per year completed |
| Program directors and faculty in ACGME-accredited IM programs | 20 points annually |
| Quality improvement (QI/PI, ABMS Portfolio Program, AQI) | Varies by project |
If you are dual-boarded and participate in another ABMS Member Board’s MOC program, ABIM says the points requirement is waived once you attest to it.
Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment vs. the traditional exam
The assessment is the other half of MOC. ABIM’s assessment options page compares the two formats, and the table below pulls from it.
| Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment | Traditional 10-year MOC exam | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Quarterly, over a five-year cycle | Taken every 10 years |
| Questions | 30 new questions each quarter, 600 over five years | Up to 240 questions in one day |
| Time | 5 minutes per question, plus a 30-minute annual time bank | 8 to 10 hours, at an approved test center |
| Resources | Any resource except another person | UpToDate® included in the exam |
| MOC points | 0.2 per correct answer, up to 24 per year and 120 over five years | 20 per attempt |
To meet the LKA Participation Requirement, you must open at least 500 of the 600 questions in your cycle, according to ABIM’s FAQ. That leaves room to skip up to 100. How many of those skips you keep depends on when you enroll, so enrolling early in your assessment year preserves more of them.
ABIM makes the pass/fail decision at the end of the five-year LKA cycle. If you don’t meet the performance standard, ABIM says you don’t lose certification, but you must pass the traditional 10-year MOC exam the following year. Physicians in a grace year cannot use the LKA and must pass the traditional exam to stay certified.
The LKA page lists the areas where the LKA is offered, including internal medicine and many subspecialties, and notes that internal medicine has more than one focus option. Check that page for the current options in your certification before you enroll.
How MOC points relate to CME credit
This is where many internists get tripped up. CME credit and ABIM MOC points are separate. An activity can carry both, but only when the CME provider has registered it to offer ABIM MOC points and reports your completion to ABIM. ABIM says MOC registration is voluntary for accredited providers, so plenty of accredited CME never offers MOC points.
In practice, that means a certificate for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ does not, by itself, add anything to your ABIM record. ABIM states it cannot award MOC points based on CME certificates you send in. The provider submits your completion data, and on its MOC activity providers page ABIM says providers do this through ACCME’s Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). If you want a refresher on the credit itself, see our guide to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
A few other details from ABIM’s CME page and FAQ are worth knowing. Points post only if your ABIM fees are current. The provider, not ABIM, sets the deadline for claiming points on its activity. Activities completed by December 31 count toward that year. When points are awarded, you get an email titled “You Earned ABIM MOC Points For Activity Completion,” and they show under My Activities in your Physician Portal.
How to find MOC-approved activities
- Go to ABIM’s Continuing Medical Education page and use the CME Passport search. ABIM says you can filter by specialty, provider, activity type, credit type, fee, and location.
- Look for the “CME Accredited/ABIM MOC” badge in the activity’s materials. ABIM tells physicians to use it as confirmation.
- Before you start, ask the provider how and when it reports completions to ABIM, and what its deadline is for claiming points.
- After you finish, watch for ABIM’s confirmation email and check My Activities in the Physician Portal. If points don’t appear, contact the provider first.
Keep in mind that CME Passport only lists activities that are still running. Once an activity ends, ABIM says it is no longer searchable there.
Where self-study CME fits
Our Audio-Digest internal medicine courses come in a 10-credit short course and a 20-credit full course, each designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ by the Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, which is accredited by the ACCME. They are digital, so you study at your own pace and complete testing online. They are not listed as earning ABIM MOC points, so for the MOC side of your plan, use CME Passport and the ABIM MOC badge to choose activities.