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 sit for 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.

EHRA CP exam

More information on the date, venue and schedule of the next EHRA CP Certification exam, will be communicated in due time.

Please read exam Terms and Conditions.

Fees

Due to the exam room capacity, registrations will be managed on a first come first served basis.

We encourage you to register online as early as possible to guarantee a seat.

Registration for all ESC administered exams closes 10 days before the examination with no exceptions.

However, registration may close earlier when the exam room capacity is reached

*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

Please note that:

• there is no on-site registration.

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 6 weeks before the exam: 100% refund
• From 6 to 4 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. However, EHRA is not liable for any cost incurred by the cancellation of accommodation and travel arrangements.

Requirements

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

• Copy of your medical diploma (MD) issued by a National Health Authority (sent as pdf document labeled 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, held during EHRA's annual congress.
• 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 2 consecutive parts of 3 hours each, with a 60-minute lunch break.
You are required to check-in at least 30 minutes before the exam's start and to present:

• The information letter (sent during the registration process)
• Identity card/Passport to confirm your identity

After the exam, you'll have to hand in all your exam material and sign out.

The questionnaire is compiled by the EHRA Certification Committee and consists of 130 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The statistical performance of each MCQ is analyzed 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. 

There is no appeal procedure after the exam.

Exam results are sent by email 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.

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 2 years before up to 2 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 2 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