- What "2026 Exam Dates" Actually Means for RRA
- Two Parts, Different Scheduling Logic
- Scheduling Part I at Pearson VUE
- Case Review: The 2027 Calendar and PLS Logging
- Fees and When They Come Due
- Exam-Day Rules That Affect Your Appointment
- Working Backward From Your Test Date by Domain
- After Part I: Certification Windows and Status Fees
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Verify every date on abfas.org; the linked Part I handbook covers Fall 2025, not a confirmed 2026 calendar.
- Part I has two sittings at Pearson VUE: RRA Didactic (80 questions, 120 minutes) and NEW RRA CBPS (12 simulations, 180 minutes).
- Case Review is not a timed sitting; eight selected cases are evaluated through PLS, with current rules set for 2027.
- The $225 application fee is nonrefundable and paid once per examination calendar year; component fees are separate.
What "2026 Exam Dates" Actually Means for RRA
Candidates searching for Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery (RRA) exam dates often expect a single printed calendar with one test day. The American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) does not work that way, and treating it that way is the fastest route to a missed deadline.
The RRA pathway has two parts. Part I is a pair of computer-delivered examinations (RRA Didactic and NEW RRA CBPS) taken at Pearson VUE test centers. Part II is Case Review, which evaluates your surgical cases rather than your performance on a testing day. Each part has its own calendar logic, its own fee, and its own source of truth.
This article explains how to read the structure, what is fixed, what you must verify yourself, and how to work backward from a target window. For the broader eligibility picture, see our RRA requirements guide, and for the full fee picture see the RRA certification cost breakdown.
Two Parts, Different Scheduling Logic
The simplest way to avoid confusion is to treat Part I and Part II as separate projects that happen to share a credential.
| Component | Format | How it is scheduled | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| RRA Didactic (Part I) | 80 computer-adaptive multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes | Pearson VUE test center appointment | $475 |
| NEW RRA CBPS (Part I) | 12 clinical simulations at 15 minutes each, 180 minutes total | Pearson VUE test center appointment | $475 |
| RRA Case Review (Part II) | Eight selected surgical cases evaluated through PLS | Follows the ABFAS Case Review calendar; no timed sitting | $550 |
| Application | Administrative | Once per examination calendar year | $225, nonrefundable |
Notice what is absent: there is no single "RRA exam day." A candidate may sit for Didactic and CBPS on different days, and Case Review operates on an entirely different clock. The Didactic description above applies only to RRA Didactic; it is not a description of the complete certification.
If you are still orienting yourself on what the credential covers, our primer on what RRA certification is lays out the pathway before you start worrying about dates.
Scheduling Part I at Pearson VUE
Part I is delivered in Pearson VUE test centers, which means your date is constrained by two things: the ABFAS testing window and local seat availability. The board sets the window; Pearson VUE sets what is actually open near you. Rural candidates and those testing in popular windows should not assume a convenient seat will remain available.
Build the sequence before you book
Because RRA Didactic and NEW RRA CBPS are separate components with separate fees, decide how you want to sequence them. Some candidates prefer to clear the multiple-choice component first and then concentrate on simulation practice. Others prefer to keep both close together while content is fresh. Your choice should reflect your own weak areas, not a generic rule.
- RRA Didactic: 80 computer-adaptive items in 120 minutes. Some items may be unscored field-test questions, but no fixed scored-versus-unscored split is assigned, so you cannot assume any number of "free" items.
- NEW RRA CBPS: 12 simulations at 15 minutes each. The pacing is rigid per case, so scheduling a time of day when you are sharp matters more than for a flexible-pace exam.
- Passing standard: a scaled score of 500 on a 200-800 scale for each component. This is not 62.5% correct, so do not try to convert your practice percentages into a pass/fail prediction. Our RRA passing score explainer covers how to think about this.
Prerequisites sit upstream of your date
You cannot simply choose a date and test. Qualification requires a DPM from a CPME-accredited four-year podiatric college, at least three years of accredited residency with required PMSR/RRA training and surgical documentation, unrestricted licensure and applicable surgical privileges. Foot qualification is required for RRA qualification, and the prerequisite Foot examinations and their fees are additional to everything listed above. If your Foot pathway is not yet settled, that, not the RRA calendar, is your real critical path.
Candidates who recently finished residency may also be eligible to convert passed final-year in-training examination components for a fee. This does not change the RRA scope, but it can change which components you still need to schedule.
Case Review: The 2027 Calendar and PLS Logging
Case Review is where "exam dates" is the most misleading phrase. There is no timed sitting. Instead, your eight selected surgical cases are evaluated through PLS, and the relevant timeline is a combination of the ABFAS Case Review calendar, registration, and, critically, your logging record.
Current rules are published for 2027 Case Review, and they should not be applied backward to Spring 2026. For 2027 RRA Case Review:
- At least 30 logged cases must contain an RRA-eligible procedure.
- Those must include eight selectable RRA core-procedure cases from unique patients.
- You should log all required post-residency surgeon-of-record cases, not just the minimum.
- The issuer has an RRA-only logging exception for candidates who are already Foot-certified.
Key Takeaway
Your Case Review "deadline" is effectively a case-logging deadline. If you wait until registration opens to start logging, you may find you cannot assemble eight unique-patient core-procedure cases in time. Start logging at the beginning of post-residency practice and treat the calendar as the last step, not the first.
One practical caution on sources: the versioned Information and Requirements for Board Certification document renders the September 2026 cover, while the unversioned link has produced conflicting content, including an older October 2025 rendering. Use the versioned document together with the current eligibility and exam-dates pages, and do not rely on older third-party summaries that contain self-referential prerequisite typos.
For a sense of how the Case Review component performs historically, see our RRA pass rate analysis, which discusses the published cumulative figures and why they should not be read as first-attempt or 2026 rates.
Fees and When They Come Due
Dates and dollars interact. Because the application fee is paid once per examination calendar year and is nonrefundable, the timing of your application matters as much as the timing of your test.
| Item | Amount | Timing note |
|---|---|---|
| Application | $225 | Nonrefundable; once per examination calendar year |
| RRA Didactic | $475 | Component fee |
| NEW RRA CBPS | $475 | Component fee |
| RRA Case Review | $550 | Component fee |
| Annual status, Board Qualified | $205 | Annual |
| Annual status, Board Certified | $440 | Annual |
Prerequisite Foot examinations and their associated fees are extra. If you apply in one examination calendar year and are not ready to test in that cycle, you may end up paying the application fee again the following year. That is a strong argument for applying only when your preparation and prerequisites are aligned with a realistic testing window. The full picture, including how these costs compare against earnings, is covered in our analysis of whether RRA certification is worth it and the RRA salary guide.
Exam-Day Rules That Affect Your Appointment
A booked date is worthless if you cannot be admitted. Part I has strict requirements that should shape how you prepare the week before your appointment.
- Identification: two valid matching IDs are required. Check names, expiration dates, and spelling well before test day.
- No study materials: books and study materials are prohibited in the testing room.
- Adaptive navigation: completed CAT items cannot be revisited, so practice committing to an answer.
The official ABFAS practice resources are login-gated, and paid or gated questions were not reviewed for this article, so do not assume any particular third-party practice set mirrors the real item style. To practice under realistic conditions on your own schedule, use the RRA practice tests and treat them as a pacing and recall check rather than a score predictor.
Working Backward From Your Test Date by Domain
This is the one section where scheduling meets study planning, and it is tied directly to the RRA Didactic blueprint. The five didactic Topics carry official target weights with allowable ranges: Diagnostic Studies/Medical Imaging (15%; range 10-20%), Surgical Principles (20%; 15-25%), Surgical Procedures/Techniques (25%; 20-30%), Procedural Perioperative Management (20%; 15-25%), and Complications (20%; 15-25%).
Surgical Procedures/Techniques (25% target)
The largest didactic Topic and the one that most rewards early, repeated exposure. Schedule it first and revisit it last.
- Reconstructive rearfoot and ankle procedures and the reasoning behind technique selection
- Fixation and construct choices tied to the clinical scenario
Complications (20% target) and Procedural Perioperative Management (20% target)
These two Topics share content with the CBPS side, so time spent here pays off in both Part I components.
- Recognizing and managing postoperative problems, and knowing when revision is warranted
- Perioperative decision-making that prevents complications in the first place
The CBPS side is organized differently. Domains 6-9 are separate Case Management Areas with ranges (Physical Examination 20-40%, Diagnostic procedures/labs/imaging 15-35%, Diagnosis 10-30%, Treatment 15-35%), and Domains 10-19 are overlapping, unweighted Content Areas, from Complications/Revision and Congenital disorders through Trauma, Wound/Infection, and Metabolic, rheumatologic, and inflammatory disorders. Importantly, "19" is the number of serialized source headings, not one official 19-domain blueprint, and you must not add percentages across the didactic and CBPS classifications. Our RRA exam domains guide unpacks each category.
A sample backward schedule
Once you have a confirmed Pearson VUE date, work backward. The following is an illustration tied to RRA content, not a universal template; adjust it to your own gaps, and see the RRA study guide for a fuller plan.
Procedures and imaging
- Surgical Procedures/Techniques first, because of its 25% target weight
- Diagnostic Studies/Medical Imaging alongside it
Principles, perioperative care, complications
- Surgical Principles and Procedural Perioperative Management
- Complications, then link back to revision scenarios for CBPS
Simulation pacing and logistics
- Rehearse 15-minute case management under a timer
- Confirm two matching IDs and your test-center route
If you are unsure how much preparation your timeline can realistically absorb, our piece on how hard the RRA exam is helps calibrate expectations, and the RRA cheat sheet is useful for last-week review.
After Part I: Certification Windows and Status Fees
Passing Part I earns Board Qualified status, not certification. Certification is normally required within seven years of qualification, with exceptions for certain pre-2014 residency candidates. Plan your Case Review logging and registration inside that window so a gap in documentation does not cost you eligibility.
During the qualified period you pay an annual status fee ($205 Board Qualified, or $440 once Board Certified). Initial certification lasts ten years. Maintenance includes annual fees, unrestricted licensure, privileges, a recent-surgery attestation, 100 Category 1 and/or CPME-approved CME hours per five-year period, and LEAD participation. New time-limited cohorts complete at least 12 LEAD quarters in each five-year period and meet the applicable performance standard; RRA requires its own MDT standard but no participation quarters beyond Foot. Older cohorts follow transition schedules published on the ABFAS LEAD pages.
These recurring obligations are part of the real cost of "dates" on the calendar: your timeline does not end at the final exam. For where certified surgeons practice, see our overview of RRA jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Part I consists of RRA Didactic and NEW RRA CBPS, both scheduled at Pearson VUE test centers, while Part II Case Review is evaluated through PLS with no timed sitting. Confirm current windows directly on abfas.org, since the linked Part I handbook covers Fall 2025.
The $225 application fee is paid once per examination calendar year and is nonrefundable. Component fees ($475 for Didactic, $475 for CBPS, $550 for Case Review) are separate, so verify retake rules and fees with ABFAS before booking.
No. The current authority is the September 2026 document for 2027 Case Review. Do not backdate its requirements, such as 30 logged RRA-eligible cases including eight unique-patient core-procedure cases, to Spring 2026.
Two valid matching IDs. Books and study materials are prohibited in the testing room, so plan to arrive with identification only and follow the official exam-day guidance.
Certification is normally required within seven years of qualification, with exceptions for certain pre-2014 residency candidates. Because Foot certification is required for RRA certification, make sure your Foot pathway keeps pace with your RRA timeline.
Dates will keep shifting from year to year, but the structure holds: two Pearson VUE components, a logging-driven Case Review, fees that punish poor timing, and a seven-year certification clock. Build your plan around that structure, verify each window on ABFAS, and use the RRA practice tests to make sure you are ready when your appointment arrives.