OB-2/3T Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Why There Is No Fixed Exam Calendar

Candidates searching for "OB-2/3T exam dates 2026" often expect a list of testing windows like those used by proctored, test-center credentials. That is not how the POCUS - Obstetrics Second/Third Trimester (OB-2/3T) certificate is described by its issuer. The Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy, part of Inteleos, delivers this assessment online through myPOCUS. The scheduling logic is therefore tied to when you register, not to a seasonal calendar of national testing dates.

That distinction changes how you plan. Instead of circling a date and working backward, you decide when you are ready, confirm your prerequisites, and then start a defined clock. The public issuer sources reviewed for this article (checked October 14, 2026) did not publish a fixed examination timer, a fixed list of annual sitting dates, or an assessment-wide question total. If you see a third-party site advertising specific "OB-2/3T test dates," treat it with caution and confirm directly on the official program page at pocus.org before building a study plan around it.

What the 90-Day Window Really Means

The single most important date rule in the program is the 90-day completion requirement. After you register, you must complete both components within 90 days:

1. The clinical assessment: multiple-choice and hotspot questions that use ultrasound media, built around seven simulated clinical cases.
2. The peer assessment: a separate component in which your nominated evaluators respond about your content-specific imaging abilities.

Assessments can be stopped and resumed, which gives you real flexibility inside the window. You are not locked into a single sitting. That said, the 90 days do not pause for a delayed peer evaluator or an unfinished Fundamentals requirement, so the registration click is a commitment point rather than a casual first step.

Registration mechanics that affect your timing

The standard fee for the OB-2/3T certificate is $150 USD. The separate POCUS Fundamentals certification costs $125 unless waived, and eligible-country reductions and group pricing are available. If you need Fundamentals, factor in that it is its own step with its own preparation. For the full money picture, our OB-2/3T certification cost breakdown walks through each line item.

Prerequisites to Clear Before You Register

Because the clock starts at registration, the smartest scheduling move is to clear every prerequisite first. According to the Academy's policies, you need:

• Active healthcare practice and good standing.
• POCUS Fundamentals, or a waiver based on a Sonographic Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam passed within five years, or a current ARDMS or APCA credential.
• An attestation of 25 second/third-trimester POCUS cases that you performed and participated in interpreting within the preceding two years.
• At least two peer evaluators with a clinical ultrasound background who know your content-specific imaging abilities.

Academy policy also expects a first content-specific certificate within three years of Fundamentals, except after a content-specific certificate has been earned and maintained. If your Fundamentals credential is aging, that three-year rule is a genuine deadline that should drive when you register for OB-2/3T. Our OB-2/3T requirements guide covers each eligibility element in detail.

Timing Your Peer Evaluators

The peer assessment is the component most likely to eat into your 90 days, because it depends on other people. The program requires at least two evaluators with a clinical ultrasound background who know your content-specific imaging abilities. The first two anonymous responses are used, which means a slow third evaluator does not help you, and two quick responders matter more than a long list of names.

A practical approach

• Pre-confirm availability. Ask evaluators before you register, and tell them roughly when a request will arrive.
• Choose people who have watched you scan. Evaluators need to speak to your obstetric imaging abilities, not just your general character.
• Nominate more than the minimum if allowed. Because the first two anonymous responses count, extra nominees can protect you against a missed email or a vacation.
• Respect confidentiality. Responses are anonymous, so avoid pressuring evaluators about what they wrote.

Planning Around the Seven Clinical Cases

The Inteleos-issued Credly badge describes seven simulated clinical cases, not seven questions. This is easy to misread, and it matters for time planning. Each case is a scenario with associated ultrasound media, and you answer multiple-choice and hotspot questions tied to it. The Academy's FAQ offers 20-30 minutes per case as planning guidance, which is not a fixed examination timer.

Using that guidance only as a rough planning aid, seven cases could take a few hours of focused work in total, but because assessments can be stopped and resumed, you do not have to do it all at once. Many candidates find it sensible to split the cases across more than one sitting so image-interpretation fatigue does not degrade their hotspot accuracy. Hotspot questions, where you identify a location directly on an image, reward a fresh eye.

The public issuer sources did not verify an assessment-wide question total, a numerical passing mark, or a credential-specific pass rate, so be wary of any site that quotes one. Scoring methodology is determined by Inteleos Psychometric Services and the PCA Council, and you must pass all required assessment components. For more on what is and is not known, read our pages on the OB-2/3T passing score and the OB-2/3T pass rate.

Sequencing Your Prep by Domain Weight

Because you control when the 90 days begin, you can finish most preparation before registering and use the window for completion. The five domain lines are official weighted clinical-case assessment objectives from the current issuer-linked, undated two-page Obstetrics 2nd/3rd Trimester Certification Content Outline. They describe what the cases assess, not a preparation curriculum, and the weights total 100%.

A sample pre-registration schedule

This is the single study-method section in this article, tied directly to the weights above rather than generic habits.

For the full content-area breakdown, see our OB-2/3T exam domains guide, and for a broader plan, the OB-2/3T study guide. When you are ready to test yourself on image-and-case style questions, our OB-2/3T practice tests are built around these same five domains.

Retake Deadlines and Waiting Periods

Even if you intend to pass the first time, understanding the retake calendar helps you decide how much risk to take with your schedule. The content-specific retake policy works like this:

• Two total attempts are allowed.
• A 30-day wait applies before a retake.
• You must apply for the retake within 90 days of failure.
• If both attempts are exhausted, there is a one-year wait before trying again.
• Initially passed components carry into the first retake, so you generally do not repeat a component you already passed.

The carry-forward rule is important. If you pass the peer assessment but miss the clinical component, you should not need to redo the peer portion on the first retake. That means your retake preparation can focus entirely on the case-based domains where you fell short. The Diagnostic Findings and Sonographic Findings domains, at 36% and 30%, are the most likely places to concentrate review.

If you are weighing whether a first attempt is realistic, our difficulty guide discusses what makes the case-based format demanding.

Five-Year Validity and the Renewal Calendar

Once certified, the OB-2/3T credential is valid for five years. The renewal calendar is more forgiving than the initial 90-day window:

• Renewal can begin six months before expiration.
• It requires an active-practice and good-standing attestation.
• It requires the relevant knowledge check.
• The renewal fee is $50.
• Specialty professional-development points do not apply to this renewal.

Mark the six-month-before-expiration date in your calendar when you pass. Opening the renewal window early gives you buffer if something goes wrong with the knowledge check or attestation. Because the certification is a visible credential for hiring managers and credentialing committees, a lapse can create awkward gaps; our guides on OB-2/3T jobs and the value of the certification explain why keeping it current matters.

Timeline Reference Table

Keep in mind that the outline's video-submission section applies only when you are enrolled in a specialty certification. It is not a third component of this standalone clinical certification, so you do not need to plan calendar time for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Because this credential runs on your own registration clock rather than a published sitting calendar, the best scheduling strategy is preparation first and registration second. Clear Fundamentals or its waiver, confirm your 25-case attestation and your two peer evaluators, and finish the heavy domain review before the 90 days begin. For ongoing practice that mirrors the weighted domains, return to the OB-2/3T Exam Prep practice test site.