CRP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Two Testing Pathways: Conference vs. Online

Searching for "CRP exam dates" usually turns up generic exam calendars, but the Certified Ringside Physician credential doesn't work like a vendor-run test center program with fixed monthly sittings. The credential is administered by the Association of Ringside Physicians (ARP), and the association offers two ways to sit for the examination: during its annual conference, and online.

That distinction drives every scheduling decision you will make. The conference route ties you to a specific event, in a specific place, on a specific day. The online route trades that fixed-date constraint for a higher fee. Neither route changes what the credential is: the Certified Ringside Physician designation, not a sports-medicine board qualification and not a state athletic-commission licensing examination. If you are still orienting yourself on the basics, our overview of what CRP certification is covers the credential itself before you start planning dates.

The practical takeaway: if you are already planning to attend the ARP conference for networking and CME, the conference route is cheaper by USD 75 for both members and non-members. If travel is the obstacle, the online route is the one to plan around.

What Is (and Isn't) Publicly Published About Dates

Candidates often want a clean list of "2026 testing windows." ARP does not publish one in the way a commercial certification vendor does, and it is worth being clear about what is verifiable rather than guessing.

What is publicly documented: the existence of both annual-conference and online testing, the fee schedule for each, and an event-specific examination schedule for the May 31, 2026 conference. What is not publicly verified: a universal question count, a universal examination duration, a passing score, a pass rate, or a standing calendar of rolling online sittings. Because of that, you should treat any third-party site that lists precise "exam windows" for this credential with skepticism unless it points to an ARP page.

If you are wondering about question counts and cut scores, our guides on the CRP passing score and the CRP pass rate explain what is and is not publicly known, rather than filling the gap with invented figures.

The May 31, 2026 Conference Exam Block

The clearest dated data point for 2026 is the ARP conference held on May 31, 2026. The conference schedule placed the examination from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., and it was scheduled separately from the review session that preceded it.

Two cautions are worth stating plainly:

• It is an event-specific block. The two-hour window describes that conference's schedule. It does not establish a universal online-exam timer, and you should not assume the online version runs the same length.
• The review session is separate. Attending the preceding review does not substitute for the exam registration, and the exam fee is its own line item.

For planning purposes, a conference-day examination means your preparation needs to peak on a known date. That is an advantage: a fixed deadline is easy to build a study calendar around. Our CRP study guide walks through how to structure that runway.

Eligibility Gates That Come Before Any Date

The single most common scheduling mistake is picking an exam date before confirming you can actually be approved to sit. Certified Ringside Physician eligibility is document-heavy, and several items depend on third parties who work on their own timelines. The requirements include:

• An MD, DO, or foreign medical-degree equivalent.
• At least two years licensed and in good standing in the jurisdiction where you provide ringside care, with required licensing-body CME current.
• Ringside coverage of at least three professional cards and 15 total fights, or five amateur cards and 30 total fights.
• Two eligible recommendations from an athletic commissioner, local boxing committee, or ringside physician.
• Primary-specialty board certification or eligibility, where applicable.
• Commission-completed clinical-experience documentation.
• A signed physician-listing application.

For a fuller walkthrough of each prerequisite, see our CRP requirements guide. If you are weighing whether the effort is justified for your career, the ROI analysis and the overview of CRP jobs are worth reading before you invest months in documentation.

Fees and Registration Mechanics

Registration for the examination runs through a Wild Apricot event page tied to ARP. Fees depend on two variables: whether you test at the conference or online, and whether you hold ARP membership.

Note that the optional Basics physician course is priced separately from the examination. It is an issuer-recommended preparation resource, not a prerequisite bundled into your exam fee. The total picture, including preparation materials and renewal considerations, is broken down in our CRP certification cost guide.

Working Backward From Your Target Window

Because you cannot book an arbitrary Tuesday at a testing center, the right approach is to pick a target window, then build backward. A sensible order of operations:

1. Audit your fight and card counts. Confirm you meet either the three-professional-cards-and-15-fights threshold or the five-amateur-cards-and-30-fights threshold.
2. Request commission documentation. Start this first because it depends on someone else.
3. Line up your two recommenders. Choose people who can speak to your ringside work.
4. Check your licensing CME. Your licensing body's required CME must be current, so confirm that before applying.
5. Choose conference or online. If the conference lines up, the lower fee and in-person review session are attractive; if not, plan for online.
6. Register and pay. Use the Wild Apricot examination event linked from ARP's certification page.
7. Lock your study calendar. Work backward from the exam date.

Which Domains to Schedule in Which Week

Once your date is set, structure your preparation around the content you will actually be tested on. ARP's issuer-recommended Ringside Medicine Basics Online Course contains 28 public session titles. These are preparation-curriculum topics rather than officially weighted exam domains, and ARP has not published weightings, so avoid assuming some topics count more than others. Our CRP exam domains guide covers all 28 in depth. Here is a calendar logic that sequences them sensibly across an eight-week runway.

The logic behind that order: the first two weeks cover the regulatory and screening context that frames everything else. The middle weeks cover health risks and the equipment and substance rules that surround each bout. The injury-evaluation block follows, because it builds on the earlier foundation. The final stretch pairs the post-bout and concussion material with ethics and medico-legal topics, which are easiest to retain once you have the clinical picture in mind.