ABS vs ABS SCORE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ABS
This app provides access to a multiple-choice exam designed to assess surgical residents' knowledge of applied science and clinical problem management. It serves as an evaluation tool for program directors to track resident progress.
- General surgery residency exam
- In-Training Examination (ABSITE)
- Multiple-choice format
- Assesses applied science knowledge
- Measures clinical problem management skills
- Online administration
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The ABS offers the general surgery residency exam annually. The In-Training Examination (ABSITE®), is a multiple-choice exam designed to measure the progress attained by residents in their knowledge of applied science and management of clinical problems related to surgery. The ABSITE is furnished to program directors as an evaluation instrument to assess residents' progress. The results are released only to program directors. It is not available to individuals and is not required as part of the board certification process. The ABSITE is administered solely online using each program's own computer facilities. The exam is presented in one five-hour block; examinees may return to past questions during the exam.
ABS SCORE
Access a comprehensive question bank for surgical specialties. This app provides scenario-based multiple-choice questions to aid in self-study for surgical residents. Future updates will include additional educational content and mobile-first features.
- Access SCORE Portal Question Bank
- 4,000+ scenario-based questions
- Six surgical specialties covered
- Supports self-study for residents
- Future content includes TWIS curricula
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The SCORE mobile app enables users to access content hosted on the SCORE Portal. This version includes access to the SCORE Portal Question Bank of ~4,000 scenario-based multiple choice questions across six specialties in surgery: General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Complex General Surgical Oncology, Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. Future versions of this app will incorporate other SCORE Portal content, including "This Week in SCORE (TWIS)" curricula and will carry mobile-first features to augment both the use of the SCORE Portal and residents' self-study.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ABS at 5.0 against ABS SCORE's 1.6. ABS also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.0). ABS SCORE's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (14 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ABS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ABS SCORE has 14 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
ABS ships an update every 11 months, ABS SCORE every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.
| Parameter | ABS | ABS SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 1.6 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 6.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 14 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Internet Testing Systems (ITS) | American Board of Surgery, Inc |
Customer experience
ABS
ABS SCORE
In-app purchases
ABS
No in-app purchases
ABS SCORE
No in-app purchases
