The National Board evaluates the quality of measurement during the scoring process. These analyses involve statistically detecting potentially harsh measurement, and reviewing test incident reports to identify an administrative irregularity with potential to detrimentally affect examination performance. Candidates in either category, or who file an appeal that is upheld receive special re-examination status and are scored differently than failing candidates who are re-testing.

Candidates involved in the appeal process should complete any registration regardless of the temporarily unresolved status of the appeal.

April candidates with special re-examination status will have their August CSE performance applied to two test administrations. First, their August CSE will be scored as part of the April administration. If their August CSE score, when combined with their April PAM score, produces a Part III scaled score of 300 or greater, these candidates are considered to have passed the April Part III examination, and their August PAM examination is not scored. If the August CSE score is not sufficiently high to produce a passing score for the April Part III examination, the August CSE is then scored with the August PAM section to produce a conventional August Part III score.

Candidates with special reexamination status may register to sit for the CSE section only if they wish. *This strategy precludes dual scoring and reduces the potential for passing the overall Part, and removes the option for a full second administration during the year. For this reason, the National Board strongly encourages candidates with special eligibility status to register for both sections.

The fee for candidates with special reexamination status is $320, the equivalent of a single-section fee. However, there is no fee for candidates with special reexamination status who wish to sit for the CSE section only. Again, sitting for the CSE section only during the August reexamination is strongly discouraged, as it reduces the potential for passing the overall Part and allows only one opportunity to take Part III in the calendar year.

Candidates who sit for the CSE section in August (as a single section within Part III) for whom potentially harsh measurement or a performance-related administrative irregularity is observed, or who file a successful appeal, will be reexamined. However, as August hosts a limited number of candidates, and is the last administration of the year, candidates qualifying for special reexamination will be reexamined in the CSE section only. This reexamination will be scheduled on a case-by-case basis and will be free of charge. Candidate performance on this special CSE administration will be combined with the PAM score of the prior administration to determine the final Part III score and pass-fail outcome. Candidates achieving a scaled score of 300 or higher are considered to have passed the Part III examination of the prior administration.

Candidates qualifying for special reexamination status from either administration are considered to have an "Incomplete" for Part III until the scoring and reporting of the reexamination are complete.

* In this scenario, the August CSE reexamination score is combined with the April PAM score, and a new April Part III score is computed