Longitudinal Assessment for Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine

LA-PRM Available in 2025

Following the successful launches of Longitudinal Assessment for Continuing Certification in PM&R, and the Assessment for Brain Injury Medicine (LA-BIM), the ABPMR will now offer the Longitudinal Assessment for Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (LA-PRM) for Continuing Certification in PRM beginning in 2025. Like LA-PM&R, LA-PRM is a learning platform designed to assist diplomates in keeping up to date in their PRM knowledge with relevant resources, provide immediate feedback, and identify gaps for learning and improvement over time.

Previously, PRM diplomates have recertified through the PRM Examination offered every 10 years; after passing the examination, diplomates received a 10-year certificate. LA-PRM offers quarterly questions that diplomates can complete on their own schedule, with a summative assessment over a five-year cycle.

Diplomates with cycle end dates of 2025 can complete LA-PRM to fulfill the assessment requirement of continuing certification. The final administration of the PRM Examination will also be offered for diplomates with cycle end dates in 2025. All PRM diplomates are encouraged to participate in LA-PRM to continue their certification, regardless of certification end dates or when they last took the PRM Examination. Diplomates who do not meet the LA-PRM performance standard must take the PRM Re-Entry Examination to avoid a lapse in certification.

Implementation of LA-PRM

If you have recently recertified in PRM:

If you have taken or will take the 2024 examination to recertify, you will close out your 10-year certificate and recertify with a five-year cycle if you pass the examination. Even though you have recently renewed your certification, you are encouraged to begin participating in LA-PRM in 2025. If you recently took the PRM Examination to gain PRM certification, we are honoring all 10-year initial certificates issued in or before 2025, but still recommend starting LA-PRM in 2025.

Reminder: We understand diplomates expect to receive a 10-year certificate after recertifying with the PRM Examination. You are taking the exam to finish out the requirements of your 10-year cycle, then will roll into the LA format with five-year cycles if you take and pass the 2025 examination.

  • Cycle ends in 2025

    You can take the PRM Examination or fully participate in LA-PRM in 2025 to close out your 10-year certificate and recertify to begin your five year cycle.

  • Cycle ends in 2026

    Performance tracked starting in 2025 and ending in 2026 (eight quarters). Percent correct will be provided at the end of current certification cycle and must meet the performance standard.

  • Cycle ends in 2027

    Performance tracked starting in 2025 and ending in 2027 (twelve quarters). Percent correct will be provided at the end of current certification cycle and must meet the performance standard.

  • Cycle end date of 2028 and beyond

    Performance tracked over four years. Summative assessment will take place in year five of the five-year cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to participate in LA-PRM?

By 2025, all ABPMR diplomates certified in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine will be expected to participate in LA-PRM on an ongoing basis.

How am I assessed on my LA-PRM performance?

Cycle end date of 2025: Performance tracked over four quarters in 2025. Percent correct will be provided at the end of one year and must meet the performance standard.

Cycle end date of 2026: Performance tracked starting in 2025 and ending in 2026 (8 quarters). Percent correct will be provided at the end of current certification cycle and must meet the performance standard.

Cycle end date of 2027: Performance tracked starting in 2025 and ending in 2027 (12 quarters). Percent correct will be provided at the end of current certification cycle and must meet the performance standard.

Cycle end date of 2028 and beyond: Performance tracked over four years. Summative assessment will take place in year five of the five-year cycle.

What are reattempt questions and how do they impact my performance?

The LA-PRM program encourages learning, so diplomates earn full credit for correctly answering reattempt questions. For example, if you answer a question wrong in Quarter one, you will see the same question again in Quarter two. If you answer the reattempt correctly, the correct response will replace the initial incorrect response. We recommend that you review the rationale and references between attempts so that you learn from the incorrect response and answer it correctly in the next quarter.

For article-based questions, you will see a reattempt in the same quarter. The same logic applies: if you answer a reattempt question correctly, the correct answer will replace the incorrect initial response.

How will I know if I meet the LA-PRM performance standard?

Your performance will be displayed on your LA-PRM dashboard and updated in real time – if you are wondering how you are doing, just sign into your dashboard! If you meet the LA-PRM performance standard set by the ABPMR, your knowledge assessment requirement for Continuing Certification (CC) will be fulfilled and you will advance and begin a new five-year certification cycle.

Will you keep issuing 10-year certificates for Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine?

Beginning in 2025, the ABPMR will no longer issue 10-year certificates for PRM certification. The ABPMR will be transitioning to a five-year certification cycle.

What if I do not meet the LA-PRM performance standard?

Throughout your participation in LA-PRM, you will receive immediate feedback regarding correct and incorrect answers as well as brief rationales. We expect you will learn and improve over time, and there will be plenty of advance notice if you are not on track to meet the standard.

If you do not meet the standard at the end of your certification cycle, your certificate will expire. You may then regain your certification by either meeting the performance standard in LA-PRM for another five-year cycle, or by taking the next administration of the PRM Re-Entry Examination.

How do I study for LA-PRM?

Longitudinal assessment is different from an examination. Instead of implying “study-then-test” thinking, try to think of the platform as the study tool, because participation in LA-PRM is designed to help you learn and improve over time. As you answer questions, the platform will show you the areas in which you have knowledge gaps, and it will provide resources for improvement and further learning – and the spaced repetition feature will keep bringing back topics with opportunity for improvement.

Can I access questions I have answered in previous quarters?

You will not be able to see the text of the question, but feedback about each question is provided in the question history in your LA-PRM dashboard. You may review all key points for questions, correct/incorrect answers, rationales, and references.

What if I do not complete all the questions during a quarter?

At the end of the quarter, all unanswered questions will be marked as incorrect. Unanswered questions do not carry over to the next quarter. You will also not receive reattempts for unanswered questions.

Why do I have to pay each year for LA-PRM?

Previously, diplomates paid a one-time fee at the end of a 10-year certificate applied towards the PRM Continuing Certification Examination and the overall maintenance of the certification. This fee closed out that certification cycle; it was not applied towards the future cycle.

For 2025 and beyond, the prior one-time fee is being divided into yearly program fees. The fees apply towards the services required to maintain your certification as well as access to LA-PRM.

Will my 10-year certificate still be honored?

All certificates issued prior to the launch of Longitudinal Assessment are being honored; however, LA is intended to fulfill the Assessment requirement of your Continuing Certification requirements in lieu of the one-day high-stakes examination, and you must meet the performance standard by the end of your current certification cycle. All PRM diplomates are encouraged to participate in LA to continue their certification, regardless of certification end dates or when they last took the PRM examination.

Do I get any CME or self-assessment credit by participation in LA-PRM?

Yes, CME credit will be available for answering quarterly questions. Credits will be automatically added to your account by the ABPMR.