Recert Examination

So I was looking into registering for the 2007 recertification exam for IM ... and found this:

"Effective in 2006, the certification exam in Internal Medicine will decrease in length from 2 days to 1 day."

WOOHOOO!!!!!!

That is so awesome. That really sucked, having to stay overnight in freakin' WHITE PLAINS back in '97.

Does this mean that it is now only 8 hours long, instead of 16 hours? That would be sweet.

I noticed also that the test is being given only on the following dates ... August
14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, or 30, or September 5 or 7, 2007 *

I thought it was given twice a year? So that if I failed it in the Spring I could retake it in the fall? Or am I thinking of the USMLE?

I was actually thinking about taking the test cold (kind of like what Dr. Sarkisian did) (except that I haven't really practiced for almost 2 years now) ... but I suppose that would be wasting $1000+ if I did fail.

Someone please explain something to me though, on the ABIM site in my profile, it says that I'm "Eligible, Not Registered" for the exam itself. Does this mean that I already paid the $1150 fee for the exam? I'm not sure. Help me out?

Goose