ABPN Self-Assessment CME: What Counts and Where to Get It

Self-Assessment CME (SA-CME, often written “SA CME” by ABPN) is the one part of the ABPN Continuing Certification (CC) program where which activity you pick matters. Ordinary Category 1 CME can come from anywhere. SA-CME cannot: it has to be on ABPN’s Approved CC Activities List, or be one of a short list of non-CME substitutes. This page covers the rule, the definition, the list, what does not count, and a verified comparison of psychiatry SA options as of 2026-08-21.

For the full set of CC requirements (CME, PIP, patient safety, exam vs. article pathway), see ABPN CME requirements.

The requirement in one table

Item	ABPN rule (current)	Source
SA-CME credits	16 per 3-year CC block (“at least eight CME per year, averaged over three years”)	[1]
Total CME per block	90 Category 1 credits, and the 90 includes SA-CME	[2][3]
Where SA must come from	The ABPN Approved CC Activities List (or an approved non-CME substitute)	[1]
Where ordinary CME can come from	Any Category 1 CME relevant to your practice; no ABPN approval needed	[2]
Timing	Must be earned inside the current 3-year block; excess or earlier credit does not roll over	[3][4]
Reporting	Attest in the ABPN Physician Portal, “Activity Requirements” / “Activity Attestation” section; no documents submitted unless audited	[3][5]
Audit rate	About 5% of CC participants per year	[3][5]

Recent change to note: ABPN states the SA-CME requirement was reduced from 24 to 16 credits per 3-year block for current diplomates [1]. Older articles and some provider marketing still say 24.

Why SA-CME is different from regular CME

ABPN defines Self-Assessment activities as “a specific type of CME activity that assist physicians in recognizing their current knowledge base in order to identify specific topics for gaining further knowledge” [1][3]. The operational point follows directly: “Self-Assessment activities must be selected from the ABPN Approved CC Activities List since not all Category 1 CME activities meet specific Self-Assessment activity requirements” [1].

In practice, approved SA activities are built around a question set with scored feedback: you answer, you see what you got wrong and why, and the result points you toward further study. ABPN’s public pages do not publish a checklist of design criteria (pre-test/post-test structure, minimum question counts, peer comparison, etc.); approval is granted product by product to the organization that submits it. The only reliable test of whether an activity counts is therefore whether it appears on the list.

Two clarifications that ABPN makes explicitly:

SA-CME does count toward the 90-credit total. “Self-Assessment (SA CME) credits contribute to the overall number of CME credits” [2][3], and the FAQ repeats that “CME credit earned from SA can count toward the total CME requirement” [6].
The ABPN “neither produces nor sells any CC products, other than its CC assessments” [4]. Every SA product on the list comes from a third party.

The ABPN Approved CC Activities List

The list (formerly called the Approved Products List, and still at that URL) is the authoritative catalog of activities approved for CME, SA-CME, PIP, and Patient Safety credit [7][8]. How it is organized:

You first tick one or more specialty/subspecialty boxes: “Applies to All Sub/Specialties,” Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, plus the neurology specialties and shared subspecialties (Sleep Medicine, Pain Medicine, Brain Injury Medicine, etc.) [9].
Results are a sortable table with columns Organization, Product, CME, SA CME, PIP C, PIP F, PS [8][9]. The legend: CME and SA CME show credit counts; PIP C = Clinical Chart Module; PIP F = Feedback Module; PS = meets the Patient Safety requirement [8].
Clicking an activity name takes you to the provider’s site; ABPN tells you to contact the provider for details about any specific activity [7][8].

The column that matters here is SA CME. Many entries carry CME credit but 0 SA CME (the AMA “CME after completing 3-year block” entry, the APA Performance in Practice tools, IHI patient safety courses). Those are on the list for other requirements and give you no SA credit.

Verified comparison: psychiatry SA-CME options (2026-08-21)

Every row below was taken directly from the Approved CC Activities List with the Psychiatry and “Applies to All” filters selected on 2026-08-21 [9]. Credits are the SA CME figure on the list. Format details come from the provider’s own site where we could verify them; otherwise they are marked.

Provider	Activity (as listed)	SA CME	Also CME	Format
Psychopharmacology Institute	Self-Assessment Program 2026; also 2025 (26 SA) and 2024 (20 SA) editions listed	20.5 (2026)	0 on list (PI’s CME content is separate)	Online, enduring; question-based self-assessment tied to psychopharmacology updates [10]
American Psychiatric Association	FOCUS Self-Assessment Examination	24	0	Print/online exam with score report
American Psychiatric Association	2026 APA Annual Meeting Self-Assessment in Psychiatry	8	0	Online, “up to 8 AMA PRA Category 1” [11]
American Psychiatric Association	FOCUS Live! sessions (various topics)	2 each	0	Live 120-min interactive sessions at the Annual Meeting [11]
American Psychiatric Association	Master Courses (Psychopharmacology, CAP, CBT, Sleep, ECT, Addiction, etc.)	2 each	6 each	Live/online Annual Meeting sessions
American College of Psychiatrists	Psychiatrists In-Practice Exam (PIPE)	30	0	Online exam
Neuroscience Education Institute	Master Psychopharmacology Program Self-Assessments, 2024-2026	16	0	Online
Neuroscience Education Institute	Self-Assessments Series: Special Topics	9	0	Online
Massachusetts General Hospital	MOC Self-Assessment Modules (ADHD, Anxiety/OCD, CAP, Mood, Psychosis, SUD: 4 each; Psychopharmacology: 3)	3-4 each	0	Online modules
Carlat Publishing / Carlat CME Institute	Carlat Psychiatry Report 2026 SA Course; Child, Addiction, Geriatric, Hospital reports; Medication Fact Book editions; Psychiatry Practice Boosters	4 each	4-10 each	Online/print newsletter or book with SA test
American Physician Institute (API)	CMEtoGO Psychiatry volumes (8 SA each; full series 24); MasterPsych/Oasis conferences (24 SA); topic modules (2-8 SA); simplePIP and SA (8 SA)	2-24	Varies	Audio, online, live conference
Hatherleigh	Directions in Psychiatry, Vols. 40-44	40 per volume	0	Online/print
Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Podcast	Podcast Self-Assessments	48	238.5	Podcast with SA questions
American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology	ASCP Annual Meeting, May 2026	21	0	Live/online
Nevada Psychiatric Association	National Psychopharmacology Update, Feb 2026	24	9.5	Live
Albert Einstein College of Medicine	Weiss-Kaufman Online Self-Assessment Course	16	0	Online
AAAP	Self-Assessment Examination 2025 (10); Addictions and Their Treatment (10); PIP+SA bundles (2.5)	2.5-10	0-31	Online/live
AAGP	2024 Geriatric Psychiatry Review Course	8	0	Online enduring
Kaiser Permanente	Psychiatry Hybrid Symposium, March 2026	5	0	Live/virtual
Mayo Clinic	Application of QI: Silver Level Knowledge Assessment	10	0	Online

Notes on reading this table:

The list changes continuously. Several 2023-2025 entries are still visible (e.g., AAAP 2023 exam, Oasis 2023), but SA credit only counts if you complete it inside your current block [3][4]; a stale listing does not extend an expired activity.
A single large activity (FOCUS exam at 24, PIPE at 30, Hatherleigh at 40) covers the entire 16-credit requirement on its own.

Free ABPN self-assessment CME

There is no ABPN-run free SA option. ABPN’s own guidance is that “some no-cost or reduced cost ABPN-approved activities on the list are available to members through their professional society” [1]. The APA FOCUS Self-Assessment Examination (24 SA credits) is widely described as a member benefit. If you already pay APA dues, check that first. Otherwise, the non-CME substitutes below are “free” in cash terms but cost time.

Non-CME substitutes: 8 credits each, max 16 per block

For diplomates on the exam pathway, ABPN waives 8 SA-CME credits for each of the following, with a cap of two different types (16 credits) per block [12][3]:

Passing an ABPN certification or CC exam in the current block.
Authoring a peer-reviewed article that is “Indexed for MEDLINE.”
Participating in an approved registry (the APA PsychPRO Registry; the AAN Axon Registry closed June 1, 2024).
An approved scientific grant application with documented peer review (funding not required; fellowship awards do not qualify). Requires ABPN preapproval.
Four hours of documented supervision from a supervisor or peer with written feedback on your clinical performance. Requires preapproval.
A formal institutional peer review committee with written feedback on your clinical performance. Requires preapproval.

Two limits: the activity must occur in the block you are claiming it for [1][3], and these waivers “are NOT recognized by state medical licensing boards as Category 1 CME credits” [3], so they do not help with your 90-credit total or with state license renewal (see your state page, e.g. California CME requirements).

ABCC (article pathway) participants: successfully completing the article exams in a block “will have fulfilled the requirement for 16 SA-CME credits” [2]. ABCC participants “cannot apply any non-CME Self-Assessment options to their CC block” [1]. Details at ABCC vs. exam guide.

What does NOT count (common mistakes)

Mistake	Why it fails	Source
Counting any Category 1 CME with a post-test as SA	Only activities on the Approved CC Activities List carry SA CME; a quiz at the end of a webinar is not enough	[1]
Picking a listed activity with 0 in the SA CME column	The list also covers CME-only, PIP, and Patient Safety activities	[8][9]
Doing SA in year 1 of the previous block and “saving” it	Credit cannot carry forward; excess is lost	[3][4]
Claiming a non-CME waiver for item writing or teaching/supervising others	“Item writing and teaching/supervision do not count as approved non-CME SA activities”	[3]
Using three non-CME options for 24 credits	Cap is two different types, 16 credits	[12]
Using a non-CME waiver while on the ABCC pathway	Not allowed; ABCC already satisfies SA	[1]
Assuming the non-CME waiver also covers CME or state licensure	Waivers are not Category 1 CME	[3]
Submitting a non-CME grant/supervision/peer-review activity without preapproval	These three require submission to questions@abpn.org first	[3][12]
Doing 24 SA credits because an old guide said so	Requirement is now 16; extra SA still counts as CME toward 90 but is not required	[1][2]

Worked example: one 3-year block

Dr. R is a general psychiatrist on the traditional exam pathway, block running 2026-2028. She needs 90 Category 1 credits including 16 SA-CME, one PIP activity, and (if certified 2016 or later) a one-time Patient Safety activity [2][3].

Year	Activity	CME toward 90	SA toward 16
2026	Psychopharmacology Institute Self-Assessment Program 2026	20.5	20.5
2026	PI video lectures and updates (regular CME, not SA)	30	0
2027	Grand rounds, journal CME, a state conference (any Category 1)	25	0
2028	APA Annual Meeting sessions	15	0
Total		90.5	20.5

Result: SA requirement met in year one (20.5 of 16 required), and because SA-CME counts toward the total [2][3], only 69.5 more regular CME credits were needed over the remaining block. The 4.5 extra SA credits satisfy nothing beyond the 90 and do not roll into 2029-2031 [4]. Had she also passed a CC exam in 2027, that would have been an 8-credit non-CME waiver, but it would not have reduced the 90-credit CME total [3].

Alternative for an APA member: the FOCUS Self-Assessment Examination (24 SA) covers the whole SA requirement in one activity [9]. Alternative for an ABCC participant: completing the 20 article exams per certification in the block satisfies SA automatically [2][13].

How SA is reported

ABPN does not collect certificates. You log in to the ABPN Physician Portal (the current name for what was previously marketed as Physician Folios), open the CC “Activity Requirements” / “Activity Attestation” section, and attest annually that you completed the activities [3][5]. Keep the SA certificate from the provider: roughly 5% of CC participants are audited each year and asked for documentation of CME, SA, Patient Safety, and PIP [3][5]. A completed SA activity applies to every ABPN certificate you hold; you do not repeat it per subspecialty [3].

Common questions

How many SA credits does ABPN require? 16 SA-CME credits per 3-year block, averaged 8 per year. This was reduced from 24 [1].

Do SA credits count toward the 90 CME credits? Yes. ABPN’s booklet and FAQ both say SA-CME contributes to the overall CME total [2][3][6].

Is a post-test at the end of a regular CME activity enough? No. Only activities on the Approved CC Activities List with a non-zero SA CME value count [1][8].

Is there free ABPN self-assessment CME? Not from ABPN itself. Society member benefits (APA FOCUS) are the closest thing [1]. Non-CME waivers (passing an exam, publishing a MEDLINE-indexed article, registry participation, supervision, peer review) cost no money but give a maximum of 16 credits and no CME [12][3].

Can I use SA credits from another ABMS board? ABPN “gives diplomates credit for any relevant CC activity they have done for other ABMS Member Boards” [4]. Confirm with questions@abpn.org for specific products.

Do I need SA if I am in the ABCC article pathway? Completing the article exams satisfies the 16 SA-CME credits for that block [2]; you may not add non-CME SA waivers on top [1].

What if I earn 30 SA credits in one block? All 30 count toward your 90 CME; 16 satisfy SA; nothing carries to the next block [2][4].

References

Self-Assessment (SA). American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. https://abpn.org/maintain-certification/moc-activity-requirements/self-assessment-sa/ Accessed 2026-08-21.
The ABPN Guide to Continuing Certification (PDF). ABPN. https://abpn.org/wp-content/uploads/CC-Guide.pdf Accessed 2026-08-21.
Continuing Certification (CC) Program booklet, June 2025 (PDF). ABPN. https://abpn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CC-Booklet.pdf Accessed 2026-08-21.
CC Program FAQs, combined (PDF). ABPN. https://www.abpn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CC-Program-FAQ_Combined.pdf Accessed 2026-08-21.
Choosing Your Activity Requirements. ABPN. https://abpn.org/maintain-certification/moc-activity-requirements/choosing-your-activity-requirements/ Accessed 2026-08-21.
FAQ: Do diplomates have a range of approved CME and non-CME options that meet Self-Assessment (SA) requirements? ABPN. https://abpn.org/faq/diplomates-range-approved-cme-non-cme-options-meet-self-assessment-sa-requirements/ Accessed 2026-08-21.
ABPN Approved CC Activities List (landing page). ABPN. https://abpn.org/maintain-certification/abpn-approved-products-list/ Accessed 2026-08-21.
How to Use the ABPN Approved CC Activities List (PDF). ABPN. https://abpn.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Use-the-Approved-CC-Activities-List.pdf Accessed 2026-08-21.
ABPN Approved CC Activities List, interactive database, Psychiatry + “Applies to All Sub/Specialties” filters. ABPN. https://application.abpn.org/moc_products/includeMOCProductsPage.asp Accessed 2026-08-21.
CME Program: pricing and accreditation statements. (provider site) Accessed 2026-08-21.
Self-Assessment Activities, 2026 Annual Meeting. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/meetings/annual-meeting/learning-opportunities/self-assessment Accessed 2026-08-21.
Non-CME Self-Assessment Activity Options. ABPN. https://abpn.org/maintain-certification/moc-activity-requirements/self-assessment-sa/non-cme-self-assessment-activity-options/ Accessed 2026-08-21.
Article-Based Continuing Certification (ABCC) Pathway. ABPN. https://abpn.org/maintain-certification/article-based-continuing-certification-abcc/ Accessed 2026-08-21.
Continuing Medical Education (CME). ABPN. https://abpn.org/maintain-certification/moc-activity-requirements/continuing-medical-education-cme/ Accessed 2026-08-21.