Exam
Eligibility
The Cardio-Oncology written examination is open to professionals specialising in cardio-oncology.
The Cardio-Oncology 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 Cardio-Oncology examination is a multiple-choice written examination in English.
The examination consists of 100 questions and runs over 3 hours, with no break.
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 cardio-oncology reflecting the European Society of Cardiology Core Curriculum for cardio-oncology.
Exam date and delivery
The Cardio-Oncology examination is usually delivered once a year, using an online proctoring platform (CYIM/ProctorU®).
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 Cardio-Oncology exam is:
- Accessible from 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 Cardio-Oncology exam is designed to test a wide range of cardio-oncology knowledge aligned with the European Society of Cardiology Core Curriculum for cardio-oncology.
There is no single source from which all questions are developed, and candidates are encouraged to read widely. A suggested reading list is available to help guide your preparation.
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 cardio-oncology practice.
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 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 cardio-oncology once they have completed the exam part of the programme. The certification is valid for 5 years.
A dedicated web page will be made available in due course with the list of all certified candidates in cardio-oncology.
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.