Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology

Deadlines, Fees and Content for Initial Certification

Past Deadline - Child Neurology Certification September 2026 Exam dates

Choice of Dates	September 14 - 18, 2026
Application Available	January 5, 2026 Apply and Pay Online through the Physician Portal
Application Deadline	April 6, 2026
Late Application Deadline	May 4, 2026
Deadline for Requesting an Application for ADA or Nursing Mother Testing Accommodations	May 6, 2026
ABPN Fees	ABPN Fee Schedule
Applicant should contact Board if they have not received notification by:	May 6, 2026
Scheduling Instructions Emailed	July 7, 2026
Pearson Vue Registration Opens	July 14, 2026
Content Specifications	Child Neurology Certification Content Specifications
Format and Scoring	Child Neurology Certification Format and Scoring
Next Choice of Dates	2027
Examination Schedule	Exam Schedule
Board Policies	General Information and Board Policies

*Application deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Other Important Dates

Active, full, unrestricted license due to the Board or application is denied	September 1, 2026
Graduation verification from training programs due to the Board for residents graduating June 30, 2026	July 15, 2026
Graduation verification from training programs due to the Board for residents graduating July 31, 2026	August 15, 2026

Child Neurology: Overview and Statement of Principles

‘Candidates’ or ‘applicants’ in the specialty of child neurology are physicians trained in the field of child neurology who seek ABPN Board Certification in ‘Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology.’

Child neurology is the medical specialty that involves caring for patients with diseases or impaired function of the nervous system, with special skills in diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the neonatal period, infancy, early childhood, and adolescence. These include conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles, autonomic nervous system, and blood vessels that relate to these structures.

Subspecialties recognized by the ABPN that are available to board-certified child neurologists include: brain injury medicine; clinical neurophysiology; epilepsy; hospice and palliative medicine; neurodevelopmental disabilities; neuromuscular medicine; neurocritical care; pain medicine; sleep medicine; and vascular neurology.

Initial Certification in Child Neurology

A. Training in ACGME-accredited Programs

Except as specified in section I below (“Training in Programs Not Accredited by the ACGME”), all training must be done in programs accredited by the ACGME. Training must be completed no later than September 30^th in the year of the applicant’s first certification examination administration. All requirements below that specify months or years of training are based on full-time effort. The required training may be done on a part-time basis, provided that it is at no less than half-time effort; for any effort less than full-time, the length of training must be extended on a prorated basis to meet the stated requirements.

Training programs accredited by the ACGME can be found on the ACGME website at www.acgme.org. The ABPN training and leave of absence policy is located on the Policies page.

B. Patterns of Training

An applicant seeking admission to examination for certification in Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology must have satisfactorily completed five full years (i.e., 60 calendar months) of residency training in program(s) that are accredited by the ACGME. Three years (i.e., 36 calendar months) of this training must be in an ACGME-accredited child neurology residency program. One year (i.e., 12 calendar months) must be in general pediatrics in a pediatrics residency program accredited by the ACGME.

In addition to the above-specified four years of training, a fifth year (i.e., 12 calendar months) of training must meet one of the following requirements. Typically this year is undertaken prior to beginning child neurology training, although there is no requirement for a specific sequence.

General Pediatrics: This pattern is a year of general pediatrics in a pediatrics residency program accredited by the ACGME, i.e., in addition to the above-required year of pediatrics. This is the most common pattern for child neurologists. Please note that, together with the above requirements, this pathway results in a total of two years of pediatrics training, and as such, may also lead to eligibility for certification in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics at the conclusion of five years of training. Admission to the ABP’s pediatrics certification examination requires specific pediatrics rotations; applicants who seek certification from the ABP should refer to the ABP website, abp.org, for specific information including the rotation requirements.

Internal Medicine: This pattern is a year of ACGME-accredited training that includes at least six months of internal medicine, which may not include rotations in neurology, family medicine, pediatrics, or emergency medicine. The details of these six months must be documented by the training director. To ensure that these six months constitute a high-quality experience, they should emphasize progressive responsibility for the resident. In addition, this pathway requires at least two further months spent in any combination of internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, or emergency medicine. Lastly, this pattern requires that no more than two months of the year be spent in neurology.

The requirements for the Internal Medicine pattern are different for candidates who entered child neurology training prior to July 1, 2002. Such candidates should contact the Board office to learn the specific requirements that apply to them.

Family Medicine: This pattern is a year of family medicine in a family medicine residency program accredited by the ACGME.

Basic Neuroscience Research: This pattern is a year of research in basic neuroscience. This pattern was created as an alternative for residents planning a research career in academic child neurology. This pattern requires specific person-by-person approval by the ABPN, which must be submitted to the Board for approval no later than six months prior to the date the research training track is to begin. For more information on specific requirements for this pattern, see below.

- - - - BNS Basic Neuroscience Research Pathway

C. Clinical Skills Evaluations Requirements

All applicants seeking certification in neurology must successfully complete five clinical skills evaluations (NEX exams in neurology) that comply with the standards described on the following webpage: Residency Training Information – Neurology/Child Neurology.

D. Blocks of Training

The three years of child neurology residency training must be completed in no more than two blocks. If completed in two blocks, the blocks must not be more than five years apart and the shorter block must not be less than six months long. This requirement applies to residents entering the first year of child neurology residency training on or after July 1, 2011; for residents who entered the first year of child neurology residency prior to July 1, 2011, contact the ABPN for detailed guidance about the requirement for blocks of training.

E. Continuity of Training in More Than One Residency Training Program

Because continuity of training is important to optimize pedagogy, professional development, and evaluations during training, the Board requires that at least two of the three years (i.e., at least 24 of 36 calendar months) of child neurology residency training be spent in a single program. The two-year minimum requirement does not include training in pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, or a Basic Neuroscience (BNS) Pathway research year.

When training is to be completed in more than one program in a manner that satisfies the continuity of training policy, the respective program directors should contact the Board office, in writing, prior to the transfer. The letters must outline the resident’s training content, duties, and responsibilities, including exact dates (month/day/year to month/day/year) of training, and indicate clearly that the resident will satisfy all ACGME program requirements as outlined on the ACGME website, www.ACGME.org. Each case will be considered on an individual basis.

Also, it is encouraged that the training director of the first program send the training director of the second program a letter detailing the training satisfactorily completed, including exact dates (month/day/year to month/day/year) of training, and areas of training that are deficient. After reviewing this documentation, the training director of the second program should inform the resident whether or not the second program will be able to provide the resident with the experience necessary to remove the deficits before the transfer occurs.

F. Medical Licenses

All applicants who submit a training license with their initial application must update their information, showing that they hold an active, full, unrestricted medical license, in their ABPN Physician Portal account by September 1^st in the year they wish to sit for the examination. Applicants who do not update their licensure information by this deadline will be denied sitting for the Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology Certification Examination. Please note that this policy and deadline applies to all applicants, including those who graduate off-cycle (section G).

G. Off-Cycle Graduating Residents

In order for off-cycle graduating residents to be eligible to sit for the certification examination in that year, the ABPN must receive written notification from the program director no later than July 31^st that the resident will not finish training by August 30^th but will finish no later than September 30^th of the year of the exam administration. The program director subsequently must confirm to ABPN via the preCERT system that training has been successfully completed immediately after the resident has finished training. As well, the applicant must submit an active, full, unrestricted medical license in their ABPN Physician Portal by September 1^st, as noted in section F.

Once approved, ABPN will email the applicant scheduling instructions that allows them to schedule the certification exam. Off-cycle applicants must sit for certification within three weeks of their application being approved. This may require sitting for the examination in mid to late October. Applicants are responsible for updating their email address through their ABPN Physician Portal account to ensure they receive the instructions in a timely manner. The Board will be unable to extend examination dates due to an incorrect email address on file.

ABPN will not allow a candidate to sit for the fall certification examination if training has not been completed by September 30 in the year of the certification examination. For residents that will be completing training October 1 through December 31 in the year of the certification examination, please have the program director contact our office at credentials@abpn.org for additional information.

H. Applying for Certifications in both Psychiatry and Child Neurology (or in both Psychiatry and Neurology)

Candidates may apply for certification in another specialty. A candidate may have more than one application on file with the ABPN if the applications are for certification in different specialties or subspecialties. In particular, candidates completing training in two of our three primary specialties (i.e., psychiatry and either neurology or child neurology) may apply to sit for examinations in both specialties. However, candidates are not eligible to apply for a subspecialty examination until after they have been certified in the applicable primary specialty (i.e., in psychiatry, neurology, or child neurology).

Unless otherwise specified in section J, all training must be completed in programs accredited by the ACGME. Please visit the ACGME Combined Programs webpage for details.

I. Training in Programs Not Accredited by the ACGME

Canadian Training Programs
Canadian trainees may apply for the ABPN examination if they meet the following requirements:

Completed their full training in a Canadian program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada AND
Achieve certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada AND
Possess an unrestricted license to practice medicine in a Canadian province

All requirements must be met, and documentation must be received by ABPN, no later than September 1 of the year of the applicant’s first certification examination. Please contact the Board for additional information at credentials@abpn.org.

The ABPN also recognizes PGY-1 training completed in a Canadian program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, if (a) the training meets the PGY-1 requirements described above in section B, and (b) the trainee subsequently completes three years of neurology residency training in an ACGME-accredited program, meeting all other requirements described above.

The ABPN does not recognize training done in Canada other than as just described.

Other International Training
The ABPN does not directly accept training done under the auspices of other international training programs. However, internationally trained specialists may wish to review ABPN’s pilot Academic Pathway.

Training in Programs Accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
The ABPN does not directly accept training done in program accredited by the AOA prior to the institution of the ACGME-AOA single accreditation pathway. However, specialists who completed earlier AOA-accredited training may wish to review ABPN’s pilot Academic Pathway.