The Independent Review Committee (IRC), in conjunction with NBOME staff, is charged with the responsibility of reviewing and acting upon allegations of irregular conduct or other unprofessional conduct by NBOME exam candidates under the COMLEX-USA Bulletin of Information.
The IRC consists of six (6) members: four DO members and two public members with relevant legal, business, and/or professional ethics experience. The IRC meets on an as-needed basis to conduct hearings to review and make a determination on whether irregular conduct has occurred and to recommend what sanction, if any, is appropriate. The possible sanctions include voiding exam scores, temporary or permanent suspension from taking NBOME exams, and placing an “I” annotation on a candidate’s transcript, indicating a finding of irregular conduct by NBOME.
In 2025, the IRC reviewed five cases of alleged irregular conduct and found irregular conduct occurred in three of those matters. The sanctions imposed include voiding of scores, transcript annotations, and suspension from testing for up to 12 months.