With the majority of us electing the  MOCA-Peds  process over the proctored exam, MOCA-Peds is here is here  to stay. We are all on a learning curve regarding this new option that is moving from pilot to permanent phase. I will continue to update the Morning MOCA blog as I  myself go through the process. While there are many Frequently asked questions we are addressing, the purpose of this blog is to address 5 Infrequently asked questions you might have.

While going through the American Board of Pediatrics outline for MOCA-Peds, I found myself squeezing the old stress ball saying “Wow I didn’t think about that!?" For those of you with me on that here they are.

1) So how many questions do I have to answer to get credit?

In the last blog we noted that you will have to answer 20 questions every quarter. If you answer them “successfully” you will be given credit. Well what does successful mean? And how many do I have to answer correctly? I called the American Board of Pediatrics and even they didn’t know the answer to that question. Just like the monitored/proctored MOC exam you must achieve a minimal raw score of 180. Apparently this means something different depending on the specific set of questions you answer.

Apparently not all questions are created equally. My recommendation would be to shoot for at least 80% correct. For those of you without a calculator or 20 digits, that would mean hmm… 16 correct answers out of 20. Since this is an open book you should shoot for 20 out of 20.

2) What if I actually fail to answer enough questions correctly?

The safety net here is wide enough to catch all of us. In a given 5 year Maintenance of Certification cycle, they will drop your 4 lowest scores. You can actually strike out your first year and make up for the rest of the way.

3) Nickels and Dimes

If I take the secured proctored MOC exam am I still good for another 10 years?

There are some instances where you might choose the MOC Proctored exam to the MOCA-Peds open book. Up until now although there were 2 MOC Cycles in a given 10 year period, you were only required to take the exam once every 10 years. I viewed that as dime worth of exams for every nickel cycle. Well now you will be nickeled AND dimed. If you elect to take the proctored exam you will have to sit through the process once every 5 years.

4) Can I double dip 2 for 3?

Well here is one I didn’t think of at all! Can you get MOC Part 2 credits for answering the MOCA-Peds questions and reviewing the answers?

Hmm... can I really get Part 2 MOC Self Assessment Credit? That would be double dipping so I doubted it! Well, guess what? You DO get credit, that is if you get a raw score of 180 for the year, which is the passing grade you need.

You only get 5 Part 2 credits toward the total of 40 Part 2 credits but hey not bad for something you are doing anyway!

5) What if my computer turns on me?

We will cover the details of the MOCA-Peds process in a later blog. However it is important to know that you only have 5 minutes to answer the question you are on. If you don’t provide an answer you are automatically marked incorrect. So what happens if your computer glitches out before you had a chance to respond? Well if that happens you are out of luck it is marked incorrectly. So make sure you have a solid internet connection. Obviously it is best to answer the question earlier rather than later during your 5 minute session

For additional frequently and/or infrequently asked questions on the Peds MOCA process check out this link to the American Board of Pediatrics website here.

Our Surfing Your Way to Pediatric Recertification and MOC-Peds is an excellent way to prepare for the MOCA-Peds module and as a quick reference.