American Board of Anesthesiology

What American Board of Anesthesiology does

The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), founded in 1938 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a non-profit medical certification organization and an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Board. The organization administers initial certification for anesthesiologists through a three-stage examination sequence (BASIC, ADVANCED, APPLIED) and maintains continuing certification through its Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) program. It also certifies subspecialists across eight disciplines: Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Sleep Medicine, Pediatric Anesthesiology, Neurocritical Care, and Health Care Administration, Leadership and Management (HALM, launched 2024). Its constituents include anesthesiology residents, practicing board-certified anesthesiologists, ACGME-accredited training programs, and—through a public directory—patients and healthcare institutions.

The ABA's technology backbone centers on the ABA GO digital portal, which serves as the unified platform for exam registration, MOCA Minute completion, continuing medical education (CME) tracking, certificate management, and diplomate communication. Its proprietary MOCA Minute longitudinal assessment system uses Measurement Decision Theory (MDT) to evaluate knowledge currency, requiring diplomates to answer 120 multiple-choice questions annually at a p-value threshold of ≥0.10. The platform integrates with Pearson VUE for computer-based exam delivery and ACCME's PARS for CME activity reporting, while the Record of Training Information Database (RTID) supports program-level administration for residency and fellowship programs. An 18-month article-based MOCA Minute pilot with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (July 2025-December 2026) extends the question bank to peer-reviewed journal content.

The ABA's revenue model combines one-time exam fees with recurring subscription-style annual MOCA participation fees. Initial certification exam fees range from $975 (BASIC standard) to $2,500 (APPLIED), with subspecialty exams priced between $1,900 and $3,000. MOCA registration costs $350 annually for a diplomate's first certificate and $100 for each additional certificate, generating recurring revenue across the diplomate population. Supplemental revenue streams include ASPEX special purpose exam fees ($800, rising to $1,000 in 2026), duplicate certificate fees ($150), and score verification fees ($250). Distribution is direct to diplomates and training programs via ABA GO, with certain subspecialty exams co-administered through partner boards including ABIM, ABPN, ABEM, and ABP.

Name

American Board of Anesthesiology

Legal name

The American Board of Anesthesiology

Website

https://theaba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The American Board of Anesthesiology, founded in 1938, is a non-profit ABMS Member Board that certifies U.S. anesthesiologists through staged initial examinations, eight subspecialty programs, and the MOCA continuing certification program, serving residents, practicing anesthesiologists, ACGME training programs, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI)

Keywords

• Medical certification services
• Physician board certification
• Continuing medical education
• Subspecialty certification
• Longitudinal assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Revenue model

1. Annual MOCA Program Fees: The ABA generates recurring revenue through annual MOCA (Maintenance of Certification) registration fees. Diplomates pay $350 annually for their first certificate and $100 annually for each additional certificate to participate in the continuing certification program.
2. Initial Certification Exam Fees: Revenue from exam registration fees for initial certification including BASIC Exam ($975 standard, $1475 late), ADVANCED Exam, and APPLIED Exam ($2,500 initial, $1,250 per component retake). Retake fees are reduced.
3. Subspecialty Certification Exam Fees: Fees for subspecialty certification exams including Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology Exam ($1,900 standard, $2,400 late), Pain Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Pediatric Anesthesiology, and Neurocritical Care ($3,000).
4. ASPEX and Special Purpose Exam Fees: The Anesthesiology Special Purpose Examination (ASPEX) for regaining certification eligibility costs $800 ($1,000 starting 2026), with $500 cancellation fee and $250 score verification fee.
5. Duplicate Certificate Fees: Fee of $150 for requesting printed initial, subspecialty, or MOCA certificates through ABA GO portal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) administers physician board certification and continuing certification programs for anesthesiologists in the United States. Its core offerings include a three-stage initial certification pathway (BASIC, ADVANCED, and APPLIED examinations), the MOCA continuing certification program, eight subspecialty certifications, the ASPEX recertification exam, and in-training examinations for residency and fellowship programs, all delivered through its ABA GO digital platform.

Product overview

The American Board of Anesthesiology offers a comprehensive certification ecosystem for anesthesiologists consisting of initial certification through three staged exams (BASIC, ADVANCED, APPLIED), continuing certification via the MOCA program, and eight subspecialty certifications. The core platform ABA GO Portal integrates exam registration, MOCA Minute assessment, CME tracking, and certification management. Supporting products include In-Training Examinations for residencies, ASPEX for recertification, CME Explorer for finding educational activities, and RTID for training program administration. The MOCA program recently introduced article-based questions in collaboration with the American Society of Anesthesiologists as an 18-month pilot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• All 24 ABMS Member Boards adopted the ABA's MOCA Minute longitudinal assessment model for their continuing certification programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026ABMS is the parent organization overseeing all 24 Member Boards including the ABA. The ABA operates under ABMS governance and policies, which are designed to provide the public with reliable credentials while supporting diplomate learning. The ABA's MOCA Minute model was adopted by all ABMS Member Boards following the Innovation Award recognition.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Collaboration on the MOCA Minute Article-Based Questions pilot program (July 2025-December 2026). ASA's Anesthesiology journal editors select articles for ABA to develop into MOCA Minute questions. ASA membership is not required for diplomates to access articles. Questions appear quarterly in MOCA Minute based on articles from the prior quarter.
• American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Joint sponsorship of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) certification. Emergency physicians can pursue ACGME-accredited ACCM fellowship training and seek board certification through this partnership. Also partner on Dual Pathway program for combined anesthesiology and pediatric critical care medicine training (5 years total).
• ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing the ABA to expand accredited CME activities that qualify for MOCA through the ACCME system. CME providers use the ACCME's Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) to attest to MOCA compliance and report learner completion.
• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABIM administers the Sleep Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine subspecialty certification exams for ABA diplomates. After ABA registration, ABIM coordinates scheduling. ABA does not offer MOCA Minute for these subspecialties; ABIM provides its own Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) for maintenance.
• American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABPN administers the Neurocritical Care certification exam for eligible ABA diplomates (and diplomates of ABEM and ABS). After ABA registration, ABPN handles scheduling for the computer-based exam offered October 5-9 annually.
• American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABEM administers the Health Care Administration, Leadership and Management (HALM) certification exam for ABA diplomates. The HALM subspecialty integrates expertise from medicine, health systems science, quality improvement, business, and other disciplines.
• ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABA programs and training pathways require ACGME accreditation for residency and fellowship programs. The ABA works within ACGME frameworks for training requirements, clinical competence evaluations, and program standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM):

Direct peers

• American Board of Pediatrics (ABP): ABMS Member Board with joint sponsorship of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine certification alongside ABA and a Dual Pathway combined training program. Operates a parallel exam-and-MOC architecture for pediatricians and serves as both operational partner and direct peer in specialty certification.
• American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM): ABMS Member Board administering initial certification and MOC for emergency physicians. ABEM also administers the HALM subspecialty exam for ABA diplomates, demonstrating the direct operational and governance overlap that defines these peer specialty boards.
• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM): One of the 24 ABMS Member Boards, ABIM certifies internists and multiple subspecialties through a comparable exam-and-MOC architecture. ABIM also co-administers Sleep Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine subspecialty exams on behalf of ABA diplomates and operates its own Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment, making it the most direct functional peer.
• American Board of Surgery (ABS): ABMS Member Board certifying surgeons through staged initial exams and a Maintenance of Certification program. ABS shares ABA's exam-and-MOC architecture, board governance structure under ABMS, and subspecialty certification model, making it a directly comparable peer in physician specialty certification.
• American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN): ABMS Member Board administering Neurocritical Care certification for ABA diplomates and operating its own MOC program. The board-to-board administration relationship on Neurocritical Care and parallel MOC architecture make ABPN a directly comparable peer in specialty certification delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abaphysicians
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanboardanesthesiology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-american-board-of-anesthesiology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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