American Board of Surgery – Complex General Surgical Oncology

Practice for the ABS-CGSO with 3,800 board-referenced questions written by surgical oncologists. Each question carries a detailed explanation citing ESMO, NCCN, or specialty-specific guidelines.

Format

200 MCQ, computer-based, 1-day exam

Duration

6 hours

Frequency

Annual (spring)

Pass rate

~80%

Exam fee

$1,500 USD

• ›Current certification or eligible for certification by the American Board of Surgery (ABS)
• ›Completion of an ACGME-accredited or equivalent fellowship in surgical oncology (minimum 1 year)
• ›Active surgical practice including oncologic cases
• ›Maintenance of Certification (MOC) participation if previously certified

• ›Focus your first weeks on the highest-weight syllabus areas — they account for over half the marks and offer the fastest return on study time.
• ›Use active recall with timed question sessions rather than passive re-reading. The ABS-CGSO written component rewards speed and precision under pressure.
• ›Cross-reference every question explanation with the cited guideline section. Over a 3–6 month preparation cycle, this builds the mental index examiners expect in the oral component.

Start practising for ABS-CGSO

50 questions free, no credit card required. Filter by board, topic, or difficulty. Explanations cite current ESMO and NCCN guidelines.