Best Emergency Medicine Board Review Courses (2026)

An independent, physician-informed comparison for ABEM & AOBEM

Preparing for the Emergency Medicine boards is one of the most demanding phases of an EM physician’s career. The ABEM initial certification exam and Emergency Medicine qualifying exam test not only medical knowledge, but also judgment, pacing, and familiarity with exam structure.

This guide provides a clear, unbiased comparison of the best Emergency Medicine board review courses and question banks available in 2026. Rather than promoting a single product, the goal is to help you choose the right board prep strategy based on how you learn, whether that means structured lectures, question-based repetition, analytics, or a combination.

Editorial Independence

This guide is written independently by a practicing physician and reflects real-world usage patterns across board preparation platforms used in multiple medical specialties. No board review provider paid for placement, ranking, or inclusion.

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Who This Guide Is For

This Emergency Medicine board review guide is designed for:

• Emergency Medicine residents preparing for the ABEM initial certification exam
• Physicians studying for the Emergency Medicine qualifying exam or AOBEM certification
• Attendings retaking boards who want a more targeted, data-driven approach
• Learners comparing Hippo vs BoardVitals vs PEERprep vs Rosh Review
• Anyone unsure whether they need a full course, a question bank, or both

If you’re looking for a quick recommendation, scroll to the final comparison table below.

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Quick Verdict: Best EM Board Review Options (2026)

• Best structured, lecture-based board review:
  National Emergency Medicine Board Review
• Best all-in-one video + question bank + CME option:
  Hippo Education
• Best ABEM-style question bank & exam simulation:
  PEERprep
• Best exam interface realism & analytics:
  BoardVitals
• Best daily question practice:
  Rosh Review
• Best high-yield supplemental review:
  EM:RAP (Crunch Time EM)

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How to Choose the Right Emergency Medicine Board Review

There is no single board review that works best for everyone. The most effective choice depends on:

• Whether you learn best from structured lectures or question-based repetition
• Whether you want one comprehensive platform or a combination of tools
• How important performance analytics and exam simulation are to you
• Whether you are a first-time test taker or retaking the exam

For many physicians, the most effective approach combines structured content review with a robust question bank.

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First-Time vs Repeat Emergency Medicine Board Test Takers

Preparation needs differ significantly between first-time and repeat test takers.

First-time candidates often benefit most from:

• A structured curriculum to ensure complete content coverage
• Clear guidance on what to study and when
• Combining a lecture-based course with a question bank

Repeat test takers usually see the greatest improvement from:

• Exam simulation and timing practice
• Detailed performance analytics to identify persistent weak areas
• Question banks that closely mirror the ABEM exam format
• Supplementing analytics-driven platforms with daily question repetition

Understanding which group you fall into can dramatically improve study efficiency.

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Common Mistakes When Choosing an Emergency Medicine Board Review

Many physicians struggle with boards not because of lack of effort, but because of inefficient preparation. Common mistakes include:

• Relying on questions alone without structured content review
  Question banks expose gaps, but they don’t always teach missing foundations.
• Choosing video-only courses without exam-style practice
  Watching lectures feels productive, but board success requires testing under pressure.
• Ignoring performance analytics
  Without data, it’s easy to over-study strengths and neglect weak areas.
• Using too many resources without a plan
  Multiple platforms only help when used intentionally.

The strongest strategies typically combine content mastery, ABEM-style questions, and analytics-driven feedback.

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Best Structured Emergency Medicine Board Review Course

National Emergency Medicine Board Review

Best for comprehensive, lecture-driven preparation

The National Emergency Medicine Board Review Course (NEMBR) is one of the longest-standing EM board review programs and is often regarded as the traditional gold standard.

Strengths

• Fully structured, start-to-finish curriculum
• Expert-led lectures covering the full ABEM content outline
• Emphasis on synthesis and concept mastery
• Pass-guarantee model that reduces risk for first-time candidates

Limitations

• Less adaptive than analytics-heavy platforms
• Often works best when paired with a dedicated question bank

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Best All-in-One Emergency Medicine Board Review Platform

Hippo Education

Best hybrid option: videos + question bank + CME

Hippo Education offers one of the most complete all-in-one Emergency Medicine board review platforms available in 2026.

Strengths

• Extensive expert-led video curriculum
• Large ABEM-style adaptive question bank
• Performance dashboards and progress tracking
• Can function as a single primary study platform

Limitations

• Smaller question volume than the largest pure question banks
• Less emphasis on exact ABEM exam interface simulation

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Best ABEM-Style Question Bank & Exam Simulation

PEERprep

Best for exam realism and question-based mastery

PEERprep is a question-bank-dominant platform built around the ABEM Emergency Medicine Qualifying Exam blueprint.

Strengths

• Large ABEM-weighted question bank
• Fill-in-the-blank rapid recall questions
• Simulated qualifying exam experience
• Strong analytics for identifying weak areas

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Best Exam Interface Simulation & Analytics

BoardVitals

Best for exam realism and data-driven study efficiency

BoardVitals focuses on ABEM-aligned Emergency Medicine practice questions with strong analytics and exam-style testing.

Strengths

• Questions mapped to the ABEM content outline
• Exam-like interface with timed testing modes
• AI-driven analytics highlighting at-risk topics
• Peer benchmarking for readiness assessment

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Best for Daily Question Practice

Rosh Review

Best for longitudinal question-based learning

Rosh Review is widely used during residency for daily Emergency Medicine question practice.

Strengths

• Large, high-quality EM question bank
• Strong explanations and visual learning aids
• Excellent for daily repetition and reinforcement

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Supplemental High-Yield Review Option

EM:RAP – Crunch Time EM

Best used as a supplemental, high-yield review

EM:RAP Crunch Time EM provides concise, video-based board review with lightweight question reinforcement.

Important note:
EM:RAP Crunch Time is best viewed as a supplement, not a standalone Emergency Medicine board review course.

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Best Emergency Medicine Board Prep Strategy (Most Physicians)

For many physicians, the highest probability of passing comes from combining:

• One structured content source (NEMBR or Hippo)
• One robust question bank (PEERprep, BoardVitals, or Rosh Review)

This approach balances content mastery with exam conditioning and performance feedback.

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Final Comparison Table: Emergency Medicine Board Review (2026)

Platform	Primary Strength	Lectures	Large Qbank	Exam Simulation	Analytics
National EM Board Review	Structured curriculum	✅	⚠️	❌	❌
Hippo Education	All-in-one platform	✅	✅	❌	✅
PEERprep	ABEM-style questions	❌	✅	✅	✅
BoardVitals	Exam realism & analytics	❌	⚠️	✅	✅
Rosh Review	Daily question reps	❌	✅	❌	⚠️
EM:RAP Crunch Time	Supplemental review	⚠️	❌	❌	❌

For additional recommendations, explore our:

• Best Emergency Medicine CME of 2026 Review
• Best Audio/Podcast Emergency Medicine CME
• Best Online Emergency Medicine CME

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Disclaimer:
Some links above may be affiliate links, meaning CME Compass may earn a small commission if you enroll — at no additional cost to you. This helps support our mission to build the most comprehensive, physician-run CME directory online.

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