Schedule Your Cardiovascular Disease Certification Exam
To sit for the Cardiovascular Disease Certification Exam:
If you are eligible to sit for the exam, you can schedule it through your Physician Portal during the open registration window. Test appointments are filled on a first-come, first-served basis by the test vendor, Pearson VUE.
How to schedule:
- Go to the My Assessments page in your Physician Portal.
- Click on the green “Register” button next to the exam you wish to take.
- Complete the registration steps.
- Once you have completed the registration steps you will be routed to Pearson VUE’s site to schedule your appointment.
- To schedule your appointment you may also call Pearson VUE directly at 1-800-601-3549, Mon. - Fri., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT. Provide the Pearson VUE representative with your ABIM ID. Please include “ABIM” in front of your ID number (i.e., ABIM999999) and confirm which exam you will be taking.
After scheduling:
- You will receive a confirmation email from Pearson VUE with the details of your assessment. If you do not receive this confirmation within a day of scheduling, check your spam or blocking filter. If you do not receive a confirmation within one week, contact Pearson VUE or check your Physician Portal to confirm registration.
- You will receive a reminder email from ABIM two weeks prior to your exam date.
Before your exam date:
- Familiarize yourself with ABIM's exam policies.
- Complete the certification exam tutorial to prepare yourself for the test format.
- Find out What to Expect on Exam Day.
- A reminder email will be sent two weeks prior to your exam date.
- ABIM strictly enforces registration deadlines without exception. Missed deadlines are not subject to appeal.
- You are responsible for making your own travel and hotel reservations. Recommendations for overnight accommodations are not available from ABIM or the test vendor.
Exam Day Schedule
- The Cardiovascular Disease Certification Exam lasts one and a half days
- One full day of the certification examination is devoted to multiple-choice questions, which are administered in four two-hour sessions:
Multiple-Choice Component Exam Day Schedule
| Action | Time Allotted |
|---|---|
| Registration | Varies |
| Tutorial | Optional, up to 30 minutes |
| Instructions and Pledge of Honesty | Up to 10 minutes |
| First Session | Up to 2 hours (maximum 60 questions) |
| Break | Optional, up to 100 minutes (divided between 3 breaks)* |
| Second Session | Up to 2 hours (maximum 60 questions) |
| Break | Optional, up to 100 minutes (divided between 3 breaks)* |
| Third Session | Up to 2 hours (maximum 60 questions) |
| Break | Optional, up to 100 minutes (divided between 3 breaks)* |
| Fourth Session | Up to 2 hours (maximum 60 questions) |
| Optional Survey | Up to 10 minutes |
| Total | Approximately 10 hours |
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* You will have 100 minutes of available break time to use during your examination. The amount of break time you use after each test session will be subtracted from the amount of available break time. For instance, if you take a 10-minute break after session one, the amount of break time remaining for the exam will be reduced to 90 minutes. |
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Electrocardiogram and Imaging Studies Exam Day Schedule
In addition to the ten hour schedule for the initial Certification exam, Cardiovascular Disease initial Certification candidates must also complete two additional sessions on a separate day of testing; each session is up to two hours and 15 minutes in length with an optional 20 minute break.
| Action | Time Allotted |
|---|---|
| Registration | Varies |
| Tutorial | Optional, up to 30 minutes |
| Instructions and Pledge of Honesty | Up to 10 minutes |
| Electrocardiogram Session | Up to 2 hours (maximum 35 cases)** |
| Break | Optional, up to 20 minutes (unused test time from the Electrocardiogram session will increase the amount of available break time)* |
| Imaging Studies Session | Up to 2 hours and 15 minutes (maximum 37 cases)** |
| Optional Survey | Up to 10 minutes |
| Total | Approximately 5 hours |
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* Unused test time remaining from a test session is added to the subsequent break. For instance, if you have 10 minutes remaining from your first test session, it will be added to the first break, thereby making the first break 30 minutes. However, unused break time cannot be applied to testing time. The time available for the scheduled break is forfeited if you do not use it. ** Some cases contain multiple score points. |
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Get more information on What to Expect on Exam Day.