American Board of Allergy & Immunology

What American Board of Allergy & Immunology does

The American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) is a non-profit professional certification organization established in 1971 as a Conjoint Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), operating under the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) framework as one of 24 member boards. ABAI is the sole authorized certifier of allergy and immunology specialists in the United States, serving 7,282 active diplomates and supporting 78 ACGME-accredited fellowship training programs that produce new candidates for the credential.

Its core product suite consists of an initial Certification Examination (a 225-item computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE test centers covering 25% basic science and 75% clinical science), the Continuous Qualification Examination (CQE) for diplomates requiring re-entry (165 multiple-choice questions across 8 topic areas, paper-based in Philadelphia), the four-part Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, and the Continuous Assessment Program (CAP). CAP is the most technically distinctive product: an online, open-book, article-based assessment delivered in 5-month blocks through the ABAI Web Portal across two 5-year cycles, replacing the legacy high-stakes 10-year recertification exam as of January 1, 2018. Diplomates must maintain an 80% average score over each 5-year cycle (with two lowest blocks dropped) or face a CAP Re-Entry Pathway. The ABAI Web Portal (portal.abai.org) functions as the operational backbone for MOC tracking, CAP delivery, fee payment, and credential management, while a separate online verification system (abai.org/doctors) and a $75-per-name formal verification service serve credentialers, hospitals, and insurers.

ABAI monetizes through examination fees ($2,650 for the certification exam, $2,500 for CQE), annual MOC fees ($400/year, ~$4,000 total over a 10-year cycle), verification fees ($75/record), duplicate certificate fees ($250), and rescore fees ($100), supplemented by late-application penalties. Distribution relies on Pearson VUE for exam administration, the ABAI website and diplomate portal for self-service, and the four sponsoring professional societies (AAAAI, ACAAI, AAP, AMA) plus CIS for program delivery and CME credit reporting; AAAAI and ACAAI have reported CME credits directly to ABAI quarterly since January 1, 2015. The organization operates with 1-10 staff from a single Philadelphia office at 1835 Market Street, Suite 1210 (relocated September 2015), and is governed by a Board of Directors composed equally of internists and pediatricians appointed by its parent boards.

Name

American Board of Allergy & Immunology

Legal name

American Board of Allergy and Immunology

Website

https://abai.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) is a non-profit conjoint board that certifies allergy and immunology specialists in the United States, serving 7,282 active diplomates through initial certification, MOC, and credential verification services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Examination Fees: Candidates pay a $2,650 fee to sit for the ABAI Certification Examination. Of this, $800 is a non-refundable evaluation and processing fee. Late applications incur an additional $500 non-refundable fee.
2. Continuous Qualification Examination (CQE) Fees: A $2,500 fee for the paper-based CQE examination, with $300 non-refundable processing fee included. Late applications incur an additional $300 non-refundable fee.
3. Annual MOC Program Fee: Diplomates enrolled in the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program pay an annual fee of $400 to cover all administrative costs of tracking and reporting MOC status, including the CAP assessment cycles.
4. Verification and Certificate Fees: A $75 fee per name for written verification of certification status. A $250 fee for duplicate certificates. A $100 rescoring fee for exam reviews.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) provides board certification and ongoing Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for physicians specializing in allergy and immunology. Its core offerings include an initial 225-item Certification Examination administered at Pearson VUE centers, the Continuous Assessment Program (CAP) for ongoing competency assessment, the Continuous Qualification Examination (CQE) for re-entry, and an annual MOC program covering professional standing, lifelong learning, cognitive expertise, and quality improvement.

Product overview

The American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) offers a certification ecosystem for allergist/immunologist physicians consisting of an initial Certification Examination, a Web Portal for administration, and an ongoing Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program. The MOC Program utilizes the Continuous Assessment Program (CAP), an online open-book assessment replacing traditional high-stakes exams, alongside the Continuous Qualification Examination (CQE) for re-entry. ABAI also provides certification verification services for credentialers and the public. The organization is a conjoint board of the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Pediatrics, operating under ABMS guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certification Examination Initial certification examination for physicians seeking board certification in allergy and immunology. The computer-based exam contains 225 items administered at Pearson VUE test centers, covering basic science (25%) and clinical science (75%). Candidates pay a $2,650 fee.
• Continuous Assessment Program (CAP) Continuous Assessment Program (CAP) is an online open-book assessment replacing the traditional 10-year proctored recertification exam. CAP consists of two 5-year cycles with 5-month blocks of article-based and core knowledge questions, requiring an 80% average score over the cycle with the 2 lowest blocks dropped.
• Continuous Qualification Examination (CQE) Continuous Qualification Examination (CQE) is a paper-based exam offered annually in Philadelphia for diplomates who need to re-enter the MOC program or those who have not met CAP requirements. The exam contains 165 multiple-choice questions across 8 topic areas and costs $2,500.
• Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program A comprehensive four-part ongoing certification program required every 10 years for ABAI diplomates, encompassing professional standing, lifelong learning/self-assessment (25 CME credits annually), cognitive expertise via CAP, and practice assessment/quality improvement modules. Diplomates pay a $400 annual fee.
• Certification Verification Service Online verification service allowing the public to verify certification status of ABAI-certified allergists/immunologists free of charge. Status options include Certified (Meeting or Not Meeting MOC Requirements) or Not Certified.
• Formal Verification of Certification Formal written verification of certification status provided for a $75 processing fee per name, payable via credit card. Verification includes dates of certification, MOC compliance status, and certification standing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,282 certified diplomates
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971ABIM is one of two parent boards (alongside ABP) that jointly sponsor the ABAI as a Conjoint Board. ABIM appoints directors to the ABAI Board and its policies must conform to those jointly established by the sponsoring boards. Candidates for ABAI certification must be certified by ABIM and/or ABP. Note: effective May 16, 2016, ABAI placed reciprocal MOC credit for ABIM diplomates on hold until further notice due to changes in ABIM's MOC program.
• American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971ABP is one of two parent boards (alongside ABIM) that jointly sponsor the ABAI as a Conjoint Board. ABP appoints directors to the ABAI Board. ABAI diplomates holding ABP certification may receive reciprocal MOC credit (Part II and Part IV) for participation in ABP's MOC program, needing only to complete ABAI Part I (Professional Standing) and Part III (CAP).
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAAAI is one of four ABAI sponsoring societies. As of January 1, 2015, AAAAI reports completion of CME credits directly to ABAI quarterly. AAAAI provides the Internet Point-of-Care Learning QI module and other CME activities that satisfy ABAI MOC requirements. AAAAI also sponsors the annual ABAI Update Workshop at its Annual Meeting.
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACAAI is one of four ABAI sponsoring societies. As of January 1, 2015, ACAAI reports completion of CME credits directly to ABAI quarterly. ACAAI provides QI modules (e.g., Atopic Dermatitis PI CME, Oral Food Challenge Series, Safe Steroid Use self-assessment) that satisfy ABAI MOC Part IV requirements.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAP is one of four ABAI sponsoring societies and a source of primary board certification for ABAI candidates. AAP provides eQIPP modules (Immunizations, Asthma, Medical Home for Pediatric Primary Care) that qualify for ABAI MOC Part IV credit. AAP also administers the 2025 Virtual Quality Improvement Performance Improvement Module.
• American Medical Association (AMA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA is one of four ABAI sponsoring societies. The AMA provides the Certificate of CME Credit (60 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits) to ABAI diplomates who complete the ABAI MOC program, courtesy of the ABAI. ABAI diplomates who pass the certification exam are also eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.
• Clinical Immunology Society (CIS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIS is one of four ABAI sponsoring societies. It is a professional society serving clinical immunologists that supports the broader allergy/immunology professional community alongside AAAAI and ACAAI.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPearson VUE administers the ABAI Certification Examination and CQE at professional testing centers throughout the United States. ABAI candidates register for examinations through Pearson VUE's website or phone line. Pearson VUE handles identity verification, test center operations, and scheduling.
• Measurement Research Associates (MRA)coreTechnology or IntegrationMRA provides computer-based testing tutorial, FAQ, and candidate rules information for ABAI examinations. MRA serves as a technical contact for candidates with questions about computer-based testing and specialty board exams. Their website hosts examination resources and rules documentation.
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABMS is the parent organization of which ABAI is one of 24 member boards. ABMS develops the MOC framework and core competencies (6 total) that all member boards, including ABAI, implement. ABMS maintains a public database of all board-certified physicians and their MOC status.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACGME accredits all 78 allergy/immunology training programs in the USA. ABAI requires candidates to complete ACGME-approved fellowship training. The ABAI examination blueprint is aligned with current ACGME Program Requirements for Residency Education in Allergy and Immunology. ACGME site visitors review training program evaluations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM): One of two parent/sponsoring boards of ABAI and itself an ABMS member board that certifies internists and many subspecialties. ABIM operates a near-identical certification and MOC model, including its own longitudinal assessment program (Knowledge Check-In), making it the closest structural and operational peer to ABAI.
• American Board of Pediatrics (ABP): The other parent/sponsoring board of ABAI and an ABMS member board that certifies pediatricians. ABP runs an MOC program with reciprocal Part II/Part IV credit arrangements for ABAI diplomates, sharing ABAI's conjoint board governance model and certification economics.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): U.S.-based assessment organization that develops and administers the USMLE and other physician examinations. NBME shares ABAI's psychometric and high-stakes assessment capabilities and serves a comparable medical professional certification constituency.
• American Board of Surgery: ABMS member board that certifies surgeons and administers its own general surgery certification and continuous certification program (ABSCC). Operates the same conjoint/parent-board MOC model and serves a comparable specialty-certification function.
• American Board of Family Medicine: ABMS member board that certifies family physicians and runs a continuous certification process. Shares ABAI's business model of one-time certification exam plus annual MOC fees and longitudinal assessment.
• American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology: ABMS member board certifying psychiatrists and neurologists via examination plus MOC. Operates a near-identical certification, recertification, and CAP-style continuous assessment model, making it a structurally comparable peer to ABAI.
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): Organization that certifies the readiness of internationally trained physicians to enter U.S. graduate medical education, including through its own examination (USMLE Step services). Comparable to ABAI as a physician credentialing/assessment body operating outside the ABMS member board system.

Broad incumbents

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): The umbrella organization of which ABAI is one of 24 member boards. ABMS sets the MOC framework and six core competencies that all member boards (including ABAI) implement, and operates the public-facing certification verification database used by credentialers.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/a_iboard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-board-of-allergy-and-immunology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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