Fellows In-Training Exam
The Fellows In-Training Exam (ITE) gives fellows an opportunity to identify areas in which they need additional programmatic instruction and self-directed learning.
Test takers are able to compare their scores with fellows nationwide. The exam is typically offered over a two-day window to allow programs to test all of their fellows and provide necessary clinic coverage. Fellows may only sit for the exam on one of the two testing dates
Contact
About the Exam
Date, Time, Cost
Date: 2026 Dates TBA - Program staff will be contacted soon.
Time: 9:00 a.m. in each time zone
Cost*: $300 per fellow
Fees: $50 fee for each cancellation
*Price subject to change
Location
Fellows’ home institution (special arrangements may be made with nearby institutions)
Remote testing, with remote proctoring, is an option this year. Proctors will have the option to set up remote proctoring for examinees. Instructions will be provided in the Proctor Manual distributed in early January along with the Proctor Login Information. Your proctoring decision does not impact the registration process. Fellows should still register at their home institution.
Length
150 questions
Total Time Allotted
6 hours 15 minutes, which includes three 10-minute breaks and one 30-minute break.
Information for Program Directors
The Fellows In-Training examination (ITE) was developed by members of the IDSA Training Program Directors Community of Practice's FITE Workgroup in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to assess medical knowledge of fellows in infectious diseases fellowship programs.
The IDSA will collaborate with the NBME to assist Program Directors in the preparation of test sites for fellows to sit for the exam, along with overall exam administration.
Registration for the ITE begins in early November. An email will be sent to all program directors with instructions when registration begins.
Note: Program Directors may NOT be in the exam room and may not be proctors.
Meeting new ACGME competency requirements, which include subjective evaluation by attending physicians and measurement of medical knowledge through the ITE. View the latest ACGME requirements
- Identifying ID Fellows at risk for failing the ID ABIM examination while they are still enrolled in fellowship training
- Identifying areas in which fellows within a given program need additional programmatic instruction and self-directed learning
- Availability of national (U.S.) performance measurements, by which fellows can compare their scores; international fellows will be able to compare their scores against U.S. fellows
The ITE is designed as a teaching tool, not pass/fail exam. The correct answers to questions will not be given. The total examination score will be computed as a standard scaled score and provided to the examinees. Graphical performance profiles will be included to aid in self-assessment for the content areas of the examination.
IDSA will distribute score reports in mid-April to Program Directors to distribute to and review with fellows.
Information for Proctors
Test administration support will be provided by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).
Proctors have key responsibilities before the testing date and on the date of testing.
Note: Program Directors may NOT be in the exam room and may not be proctors.
- Secure computer lab/testing room for exam administration
- Select Assistant Proctors for the test session (one for every 20-25 examinees)
- Assure appropriate number of proctors and workstations for examinees
- Review Chief Proctor Instruction Manual provided by NBME
- Assure standard testing room arrangements as outlined in Chief Proctor’s Manual
- Assure System Requirements on each examinee workstation and on Chief Proctor workstation
- Arrange for IT staff at institution to assist with any hardware/software problems before and during test administration (see ITE System Requirements below)
- Run the Workstation Certification utility on each institution-owned workstation
- Review the Chief Proctor Video Tutorials on the Chief Proctor Resource site
- Practice monitoring a sample exam on the Chief Proctor Resource site using the user name and password provided by NBME
Note: To assure a smooth exam administration, it is imperative that Chief Proctors review the Chief Proctor instructions and practice with the software, prior to exam administration.
- Prepare examinee workstations – boot up each workstation
- Log into the Chief Proctor workstation with username and password and enter test session information
- Admit examinees to the testing room; distribute instruction sheet which includes examinee login information
- Provide examinees with Examinee Startup Code for launching the exam (this code is generated from the chief proctor’s workstation)
- Monitor the testing session on-line and report any incidents in the Test Administration Report (contact NBME if support is needed)
- End the exam session and complete the Test Administration Report
Required for the Exam
Please note for the 2026 administration of the IDSA In-Training Examination that administrative rights are required to download and install the Secure Browser on Windows. Administrative rights are not required if examinees are testing on a Mac.
A dedicated technical support staff person with admin privileges is required prior to and on test day(s) to assist with any technical issues that may arise.
| Windows System Requirements | Windows Browser Requirements |
|---|---|
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| Windows System Requirements | Windows Browser Requirements |
|---|---|
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- Disable Toolbars, Adware or Spyware programs. They may adversely affect the computer’s performance and cause delays in loading test questions.
- Edge1, Chrome and Firefox support is limited to the current version plus one previous version due to forced automatic updates.
- Turn off Windows, virus scanner, and Citrix Workspace updates to avoid interruptions during testing.
- NBME does not support the use of other browsers and operating systems. Other browsers and operating systems have not been tested for their compatibility and some features may not work as expected. NBME is not responsible for any system issues that are related to the use of unsupported browsers or operating systems.
- JavaScript enabled
- Cookies enabled
- CSS enabled
- Pop-ups Enabled (Disable Pop-up Blockers)
- TLS 1.2 or higher
- Broadband Internet connection (DSL, Cable or T1)
- Network bandwidth of 256Kbps or higher per workstation (including Internet access)
A Secure Browser is required to administer a web-based exam. The link to download the Secure Browser for the 2024 IDSA ITE is http://wbt.nbme.org/exam. Examinees follow a few simple steps to download and launch the Secure Browser on test day.
- Windows: If examinees will test on PCs, administrator rights are needed to install the Secure Browser. Onsite IT staff with administrative privileges will be required to assist with downloading and installing the Secure Browser if examinees are scheduled to test on institutional computers.
- Mac: Examinees testing on Macs are not required to have administrative rights to download and run the Secure Browser.
The Secure Browser will also detect if an examinee is running an application on their computer capable of recording exam content. If a recording application is detected on test day, warning messages will display on both the proctor’s monitor screen and the examinee’s screen prior to the examinee launching the exam.
The NBME provides a utility that checks the computer for web-based testing compatibility and launches a sample test. This utility must be run on each computer in the testing room prior to test day. Fourteen days prior to the test date, you will receive an email with a URL, a unique ticket number, and instructions to run the Workstation Certification utility.
Do not forward this email to examinees - it is for institutional use only.
Examinees with personal laptops are required to run a separate Workstation Certification check. Prior to test day, forward to examinees with personal laptops, the URL and workstation certification instructions in the "Workstation Certification" section of the Chief Proctor's Instructions.
Examinees with personal laptops should also be advised to arrive early to re-run Workstation Certification to detect any problems with the local firewall.
It is advisable to test extra desktop computers or institutional laptops as available back-ups in the event of hardware failure on test day.