Exam
Eligibility
The EHRA CIED/AP written examination is open to allied professionals with a special interest in cardiac pacing.
We strongly recommend that Allied Professionals who wish to take the EHRA CIED/AP exam acquire knowledge and clinical experience before participating in the exam.
The EHRA CIED/AP Certification is not a compulsory or regulatory certificate of competence or excellence. Individuals' rights to report and sign clinical studies in individual countries remain to be defined by national laws and regulations.
Exam format
The EHRA CIED/AP examination is a multiple-choice written examination in English.
The examination consists of 130 questions, divided into two parts of 65 questions each.
Each part is run over 3 hours with a 1-hour break in-between.
Questions are designed to assess the candidate's knowledge:
- Based on a clinical scenario
- Five options with only one single best answer.
- No negative marking
Questions are drawn from the entire spectrum of cardiac pacing/Allied Professional reflecting the EHRA Core Curriculum
Exam date and delivery
The EHRA CIED/AP examination is usually delivered twice a year, using an online proctoring platform (CYIM/ProctorU®).
The EHRA CIED/AP examination is delivered once in English and once in Dutch. Candidates cannot resit the exam in the same calendar year (e.g. if a candidate failed the English exam, he/she cannot take the Dutch exam in the same year).
This provides candidates with the safety and convenience of an online platform while retaining the integrity and quality of an on-site supervised exam.
The online format of the EHRA CIED/AP exam is:
- Accessible anywhere in the world.
- Taken on the candidate’s own device (computer only) and monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorU®.
Please find more information here.
Exam preparation
The EHRA CIED/AP exam is designed to test a wide range of cardiac pacing knowledge.
There is no single source from which all questions are developed, and candidates are encouraged to read widely, including but not limited to:
Test yourself with sample questions.
Exam results
The passing score of the exam is established using referenced methodologies, that are widely used in certification. The passing score links the score required to pass the exam to the minimum level of knowledge required for cardiac pacing practice.
The statistical performance of each multiple-choice question (MCQ) is analysed and the 10 least discriminating MCQs are not taken into account. The candidate's final score is, therefore, derived from only 120 MCQs.
Following the exam, psychometric analysis of the questions is conducted and items that do not meet psychometric standards are removed from the exam. In addition, any items that have been flagged during the exam administration are reviewed and if these items are deemed to be defective for any reason they are removed from the exam.
Results are subjected to multiple levels of verification prior to being reported to candidates.
Examination results are communicated to candidates in the eight weeks after the examination.
Candidates will receive an email containing their results letter on the date of the result release. Successful candidates for the exam will also receive a certificate of completion of the written exam.
Candidate’s results are also made available through the candidate’s My ESC account.
Appeal
ESC/EHRA aims to deliver examinations of the highest quality and provide the best level of service for all candidates. To ensure that all candidates are assessed fairly, there is a procedure to allow candidates to appeal against their exam results.
Please find more information here.
Policies for online proctoring examinations
For more information, please refer to the ESC online proctoring examination terms & conditions.
Certification result and list of certified candidates
Candidates will be granted certification in cardiac pacing once they have completed the exam part of the programme. The certification is valid for 10 years after which the candidate must retake the exam to keep the certification valid.
EHRA is pleased to list all their Allied Professionals certified in cardiac pacing.