An 8-week APPLIED Exam study plan
Start with the ABA’s own material, then practice out loud every day.
Last reviewed October 2026. Details change — check the ABA’s site for the latest.
The plan
- Week 1: Read the APPLIED Exam page, manual and FAQ. Watch the ABA’s What to Expect video. Do two SOE sample questions out loud to set a baseline.
- Week 2: Preop evaluation drills: one stem a day. Practice the four-part answer (decide, justify, monitor, fallback).
- Week 3: Intraop crises: malignant hyperthermia, LAST, difficult airway, hypoxemia, hypotension. Say the first three actions in under 30 seconds.
- Week 4: OSCE communication: consent, complications, ethics, handoffs. Eight-minute timed stations.
- Week 5: OSCE technical: monitors, echo and ultrasound interpretation. Describe, interpret, act.
- Week 6: Full 35-minute SOE sessions, two or three a week, with a partner or a practice tool. Review recordings.
- Week 7: Weak areas only. Re-run the topics you scored lowest on.
- Week 8: Light review, logistics, sleep. One last full session early in the week.
Materials
ABA: SOE sample questions, OSCE content outline, OSCE sample scenarios, exam manual and FAQs. DOME guides: APPLIED Exam explained, SOE tips, OSCE tips, malignant hyperthermia, LAST, difficult airway.
Common questions
Is eight weeks enough?
It depends on you. The ABA does not set a study time. This plan is a template; stretch it if you have less time each day.
What should I study first?
The ABA’s own material: SOE sample questions, the OSCE content outline and sample scenarios, the exam manual, and the What to Expect video the ABA’s FAQ recommends.
When do I find out my exam week?
For 2027, the ABA says exam weeks are assigned in late November, with exact dates and times about two months before your week.
Do week 1 tonight
Run a baseline SOE session with DOME’s AI examiner and get a debrief. Try a practice case.
Educational only — not medical or career advice. DOME is not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA). Exam facts here are summarized from theaba.org; the ABA’s pages are the final word.