EHRA Cardiac Pacing and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Certification

To encourage a high standard of knowledge and clinical expertise and to enable physicians to provide their patients with the best and most advanced standard of treatment, we envisage a successful EHRA certification process to serve as a sign of excellence for physicians.

Together with the EHRA logbook of interventional procedures/operations performed under the supervision of senior colleagues, they provide the basis for EHRA certification in cardiac devices.

To achieve and maintain the level of quality of the process we continuously focus our efforts on improving the number, content, layout, and statistical power of the questions.

Physicians wishing to take the EHRA certification exam are encouraged to have some knowledge and clinical experience before the exam.

A short questionnaire asking for candidates' details about their clinical background will be part of the exam registration process.

Next CP exam - NEW: Take your exam from anywhere!

No need to travel. Do it online, from your computer/tablet, at your home or office.

The next online CP exam is scheduled on 27 November 2020. 

The registration will open soon. 

Take your EHRA exam online - What you need to know

For the first time, EHRA offers the possibility of taking the exam online. Here is everything you need to know in order to participate!

What is this new online format?

EHRA wants to provide you with the safety and convenience of an online platform, while retaining the integrity and quality of an on-site supervised exam. 

The exam is:

• offered everywhere in the world.
• identical in content, format and on-screen experience to previous on-site exams delivered on tablets.
• taken on your own device (computer or tablet) and monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorU^®.

What equipment do I need?

You must verify that your computer meets the requirements before you register for the EHRA CP exam. If this is not the case, you will not be able to take the exam. 

You will need:

• a strong and stable internet connection
• a webcam, speaker and microphone

We highly recommend that you check all of the system requirements available here.  

We also recommend that you test your equipment while you are on that page to verify you have the necessary equipment to take the exam. 

How can I register to an online proctoring exam?

It is a two-step registration process

1. • Start your registration with EHRA
   • Complete your registration with ProctorU^®

Start your registration with EHRA

After having verified that your equipment meets the requirements, you can start your registration with EHRA. 

You will need to complete a pre-exam questionnaire and pay the exam registration fee. 

When you finish, you'll receive an email from ESC with your invoice to confirm your payment.

Complete your registration with ProctorU^®

Once you have registered with EHRA and pay your exam fee, you will get an email with a link to complete your registration with ProctorU^®.

You will need to create a ProctorU^® account. Then at the pre-defined exam date, you will be able to choose the time slot you would like to take the exam. When you finish, you will receive a confirmation email. 

What can I expect on the exam day?

You can find more information about what to expect on the examination day below and also on ProctorU^® website.

Before the exam session begins

• Fix any issues you may encounter on your computer. All issues must be resolved before your appointment time.
• Close all browsers and applications not needed for the exam. 
• Gather the documents you will need to identify you (passport, ID document with photo).
• Make sure your exam environment meets the requirements:
  • your room is quiet and well lit.
  • your are alone in the room.
  • your workspace is clear from all materials and unauthorised supports.
  • there are no sounds from music or television around. 
• Make sure you are dressed appropriately, with your face visible to the proctor.

Check-in and identification process

• Log in to your ProctorU^® account at your appointment time.
• Complete the authentication steps, which include showing your ID to the proctor. The name on your ID must match the name provided during the registration process.
• Follow the proctor instructions. You will have to:
  • Give access permission to your computer screen for monitoring purposes.
  • Use your camera to show a 360-degree view of your room. 
• If everything goes well, the proctor will let you start your exam.

The check-in and identification process can take approximately 5 to 10 minutes. 

During the exam

Your entire exam will be recorded by ProctorU^® and monitored by a human proctor. 

• During the exam, the proctor will monitor you (via the camera) and your computer screen to ensure you follow all exam procedures.
• You must be visible to the proctor at anytime of the exam session. No breaks are allowed.
• You can interact with the proctor by speaking to him/her or using the chat option.
• You are not allowed to take notes on paper during the examination. 

The exam policies are:

• Don't use any unauthorized materials, including mobile devices, prewritten notes or books.
• The use of any recording equipment is strictly prohibited.
• Don't communicate with anyone other than the proctor.
• Speaking aloud during the exam is strictly prohibited. 
• You cannot be out of camera view. No breaks are allowed during the whole duration of the exam. 
• Taking pictures, screenshots or trying to copy/paste any element of the exam content is strictly prohibited. 
• You must behave in an appropriate manner. Any conduct that the proctor may deem vulgar, offensive, pornographic, obscene, abusive or criminal are strictly prohibited.  

Suspicious actions are flagged in the online proctoring system and will be reported to the ESC.  

If the proctor detects any suspicious activities or movements, he/she could terminate your exam session at any time and your exam will be invalidated and your fee won't be refunded. 

Any irregularity in relation to the ESC Online proctoring Examinations policies and rules mentioned above can lead to sanctions as described in the Online proctoring Examination Terms & Conditions. 

If I have technical issues?

If you experience a technical problem during the test, notify the proctor by speaking to him/her or via the chat. 

If you get disconnected or if you lose your internet connection momentarily, you will automatically be reconnected. 

If you are unable to reconnect or speak to the proctor, you can call ProctorU for assistance. 

Registration fees

Register

Registration closes 15 days before the examination with no exceptions. 

*To benefit from member fees you must be a validated member before registering for the exam. This fee is only available for Silver, Ivory and Gold members.

**Please note that the resit fee is reserved just for candidates who have sat and failed the exam in the past and cannot be used by candidates under any other circumstances. 

Cancellation policy

If you wish to cancel your registration to the EHRA certification exam, you must contact us. The EHRA cancellation policy is as detailed below:

• Up to six weeks before the exam: 100% refund
• From six to four weeks: 50% refund
• Within four weeks: no refund
• No show: no refund

In the case of unforeseen circumstances (such as a death in the family, on-call at the hospital, an accident involving you), a proof document will be required, and you will be refunded the entire registration fee.

If EHRA is to cancel the exam, the full registration fee will be refunded.

Requirements

Interested in taking the EHRA certification exam? You will be asked, during the registration process, to provide:

• A copy of your medical diploma (MD) issued by a National Health Authority (sent as pdf document labelled to their name - i.e., MD_Name-Surname)

To become an EHRA Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (ECDS), you must complete two levels: 

• Level 1: Pass the exam (in English) consisting of multiple choice questions.
• Level 2: Pass the exam and document practical experience: Once the Afterward is passed a logbook must be submitted two years* after sitting the exam.

*Since 2014, requirements changed for candidates. Please refer to the below:

1 - The exam

The examination is designed to be completed in two consecutive parts of three hours each. 

The questionnaire is compiled by the EHRA Certification Committee and consists of 130 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The statistical performance of each MCQ is analysed and the 10 least discriminating MCQs are not taken into account. The candidates' final score is therefore derived from 120 MCQs only. The pass mark is pre-determined using a validated standard-setting process. 

60 to 80% of the questions are based on the analysis of practical clinical cases and decision making; the remaining questions are dedicated to theory. 

Exam results are sent to your email address registered on your MyESC account in the two months after the exam is sat.

Upon successful completion of the exam, you will receive an ECDS Level 1 Certificate valid for 10 years. 

As skills can only be maintained by continued education and practical involvement, certification is granted for 10 years. Afterwards, you are encouraged to renew your certification by re-sitting the exam.

Appealing the exam

Candidates who have comments or concerns about an Examination question should contact the ESC by the ESC Contact us webpage (https://www.escardio.org/Contact). The relevant certification committee will review all comments, concerns and suggestions made by Candidates.  These comments or concerns must be logged on the Examination day with the proctor or at the latest before Candidates received their Examination results.

• After having received your results:

If you believe that an incorrect result has been awarded to you, you may lodge an appeal by sending to the ESC exam administration an official letter within 8 days of receiving your scores, to the ESC contact us form. The result of such appeal may be a higher grade, a lower grade, or no grade change. In no circumstance, you will be entitled to fee refund nor damages.

Appeal process:

The ESC exam administration and relevant certification committee will reply within 4 weeks.

Reply from ESC exam administration and relevant certification committee is final. You agreed to this during the exam registration process by accepting the ESC exam delivery Terms and Conditions. 

Appeals are free of charge.

2 - The logbook

Once candidates have passed the exam (achieving Level 1), they can then apply for Level 2 by proving their practical experience in the field. The access to the e-logbook platform is granted to the candidate only after having successfully passed the written exam. 

You have to submit:

• Letter of endorsement from your National Cardiac Society
• Letter of support from a supervisor
• List of 300 procedures as follow:
  • 25 ICDs implantations procedures
  • 30 CRTs implantations procedures
  • 45 implantations procedures
  • 50 CRTs follow-up procedures
  • 50 devices follow-up procedures
  • 100 ICDs follow-up procedures

Experience should be gathered within a period of 36 consecutive months - these 36 months can be taken anytime from two years before up to two years after the exam date. 

You must submit your logbook through the e-logbook platform. Access is granted only after having successfully passed the written exam. 

As security, you must keep a copy of your logbook.

A grader from the EHRA Certification Committee will grade the logbook. The review process should take around two months. Final results are sent by email. 

Upon successful completion of the logbook process, you'll receive an ECDS Level 2 Certificate valid for 10 years.

How to prepare for the examination

EHRA offers the possibility to follow educational courses. Attending these courses may also help you get further knowledge and insightful tips to pass the certification exam.

Topic distribution of the examination questions

Suggested reading list

Core Curriculum

Download a copy of the Core Curriculum

EHRA Certified Cardiac Device Specialists (ECDS)

EHRA certification is valid for ten years.

Find below the list of professionals who are certified by EHRA in Cardiac Pacing and ICDs. Discover who they are and where they come from.  

List of EHRA certified cardiac device specialists (ECDS). 

Frequently asked questions

EHRA CP Certification FAQ