Certificates of Added Qualification
Sports Medicine Certification Examination Blueprint – Effective January 1, 2026
Sports Medicine Certification Exam Blueprint Outline
Domain 1: Foundations of Practice (5%)
- Basic science of sport and exercise
- Ethics and professionalism
- Event administration
- Research principles
- Role of the team physician
- Musculoskeletal rehabilitation
- Principles of diagnostic musculoskeletal imaging
Domain 2: Preventive Aspects of Sports Medicine (10%)
- Chronic disease prevention and health promotion
- Exercise prescription as part of routine care
- Injury prevention
- Nutrition
- Sports Preparticipation Physical Evaluation (PPE)
Domain 3: Care of Emergency Conditions (20%)
- Advanced life support
- Chest, abdomen, and pelvis
- Environmental
- Exercise-associated collapse
- HEENT
- Mental health
- Metabolic
- Neurologic
- Orthopedic
- Spine
- Other
Domain 4: Diagnosis, Management, and Epidemiology of Sports- and Exercise-Related Musculoskeletal Conditions (35%)
- Cervical spine and neck
- Chest and abdomen
- Elbow and forearm
- Hand and wrist
- Knee
- Leg, ankle, and foot
- Pelvis, hip, and thigh
- Shoulder
- Thoracolumbar
- Muscle-related conditions
- Pain management
- Pediatric conditions
- Procedures
Domain 5: Diagnosis, Management, and Epidemiology of Sports- and Exercise-Related Medical Conditions (30%)
- Allergy and immunology
- Cardiovascular
- Concussion
- Dermatologic
- Endocrine
- Gastrointestinal
- Genitourinary and renal
- Gynecology and obstetrics
- HEENT
- Hematologic
- Infectious
- Neurologic
- Pharmacology
- Procedures
- Psychiatric
- Pulmonary and chest
- Rheumatologic
Frequently Asked Questions
The CAQSM is administered by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and cosponsored by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR). The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) is a qualifying board for the CAQSM. The CAQSM designation recognizes your fellowship training and knowledge of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of injuries related to participation in sports and/or exercise, and ability to address illnesses and diseases that might have effects on health and physical performance.
The sports medicine blueprint was last updated in 2004. The primary goal of the revision was to cover the entire spectrum of sports medicine and to ensure that a comprehensive array of clinical activities encountered by practicing sports medicine physicians were appropriately represented. In addition, the new blueprint emphasizes the common and potentially life-threatening diagnoses that the profession would expect sports medicine physicians to encounter in clinical practice.
The new blueprint will be incorporated into the sports medicine examination beginning January 1, 2026.
- Sports Medicine Assessment Committee: This committee is comprised of representatives from the administrative board, the cosponsoring boards, and the qualifying board. They are responsible for writing and editing the content for the examinations using a psychometrically sound process.
- Sports Medicine Advisory Committee: This committee oversees the work of the Sports Medicine Assessment Committee, reviews the blueprint, and approves the passing standard for the sports medicine assessments. It includes representatives from the administrative board, the cosponsoring boards, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), and a public member with an extensive understanding of sports medicine.
- Cosponsoring Boards: The cosponsoring boards include the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR). These boards funded research and provided feedback during the new blueprint’s development.
- Board-Certified Practicing Sports Medicine Physicians: Approximately 100 sports medicine certified diplomates provided feedback or input on the Sports Medicine Clinical Activities Survey, which served as a draft of the new blueprint. These participants represented all five primary certifying specialties and included representatives from AMSSM committees and interest groups, as well as community-based sports medicine clinicians.
- American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM): Representatives from the AMSSM Board of Directors provided feedback about the clinical activities and their content domain location within the blueprint.
