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The Federation SCE in Cardiology has been discontinued. UK cardiology trainees now sit the European Exam in Core Cardiology (EECC) via the BCS. Full published ESC Core Curriculum coverage, candidate-reported pitfalls and an AI-adaptive question bank mapped to the EECC assessment framework.
Full Cardiology Specialty Exam (EECC) bank, AI Tutor and timed mocks — $29/month or $99/year. All paid exam banks included.
120 multiple-choice items · 3 hours · no break · online proctored via the ESC platform
Open to UK cardiology trainees in their third or later year of specialty training (ST5 on 2012 curriculum; ST6 on 2022 curriculum). Portfolio Pathway candidates require at least 2 years of dedicated UK cardiology experience.
Drawn from the entire ESC Core Curriculum for the Cardiologist (2020). The exam is GMC-compliant and BCS shares results with the GMC for CCT and quality assurance.
2026 sitting: 16 June 2026. Registration closes 1pm Monday 23 February 2026. Candidates must first create an ESC account, obtain a candidate ID, then register with the BCS. The ESC online preparatory course opens to registered candidates from 16 March 2026.
Approximate question distribution across the ESC Core Curriculum for the Cardiologist (2020). Used to drive iatroX adaptive sequencing.
Source: official European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) blueprint
Drawn from the ESC Core Curriculum, recent ESC guideline updates (2023–2025) and item density in iatroX.
Heart failure four-pillar therapy per ESC 2023 — sequencing ARNI/ACEi, beta-blocker, MRA and SGLT2 inhibitor; thresholds for CRT-D vs CRT-P; vericiguat and finerenone indications
Acute coronary syndromes per ESC 2023 ACS guidelines — invasive timing in NSTEMI (immediate vs <2h vs <24h), DAPT duration in stable CAD vs ACS, bleeding risk scoring (PRECISE-DAPT, ARC-HBR)
Atrial fibrillation per ESC 2024 AF guidelines — CHA₂DS₂-VA (the new score dropping sex), early rhythm control (EAST-AFNET 4), ablation as first-line in selected patients, LAA occlusion criteria
Aortic stenosis and TAVI per ESC/EACTS 2021 — symptomatic severe AS thresholds, asymptomatic severe AS criteria for intervention, TAVI vs SAVR by age and surgical risk
Cardiomyopathies — HCM SCD risk model (ESC 2014 calculator), mavacamten in obstructive HCM, transthyretin amyloidosis (tafamidis) screening, ARVC task force criteria
Cardiac imaging — when to use stress echo vs CMR vs CTCA; the ESC 2024 chronic coronary syndromes algorithm; LGE patterns by aetiology
Pulmonary hypertension per ESC/ERS 2022 — group 1 vs 2 vs 3 vs 4 distinction, RHC haemodynamic criteria, initial dual therapy in group 1 PAH
Statistics in cardiology RCTs — NNT, hazard ratios, interpreting non-inferiority trials, subgroup analysis pitfalls; commonly tested in EECC
Observations from UK cardiology trainees and recent EECC candidates. Verify against current ESC guidance.
Candidate-reported observations — not official guidance.
A pragmatic phased approach used by recent UK passers in ST5–ST6.
A live item from the iatroX bank. Try it before launching a full session.
A 70-year-old man undergoes CABG. The surgeon uses the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to LAD and saphenous vein grafts (SVG) to the OM1 and RCA. At 10 years post-CABG, what are the expected patency rates for the LIMA and SVG grafts respectively?
Why iatroX is built differently for Cardiology Specialty Exam (EECC).
Every iatroX item is tagged to a blueprint topic, so your performance dashboard mirrors the structure of the exam itself.
The engine surfaces your weakest topics first, in real time, instead of marching you through a static syllabus.
Incorrect items return at increasing intervals to interrupt the forgetting curve and lock knowledge into long-term memory.
Timed full-length simulations that mirror the official exam structure under realistic conditions.
One iatroX subscription includes the Cardiology Specialty Exam (EECC) bank, the Socratic Tutor inside supported sessions, and every other premium iatroX exam bank.
Cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee on annual
The Federation's Specialty Certificate Examination in Cardiology has been discontinued. UK cardiology trainees now sit the European Exam in Core Cardiology (EECC) via the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS), administered by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The EECC is GMC-compliant and BCS shares results with the GMC for CCT and quality assurance purposes.
Once yearly in June. The 2026 sitting is on 16 June 2026. Registration via the BCS closes at 1pm on Monday 23 February 2026. You must first create an ESC account, obtain a candidate ID, then register with the BCS.
A single paper of 120 multiple-choice questions over 3 hours with no break. Delivered online via the ESC's proctored platform (CYIM/ProctorU). Questions cover the full ESC Core Curriculum for the Cardiologist (2020).
UK trainees must be in their third or later year of cardiology specialty training (ST5 on the 2012 curriculum; ST6 on the 2022 curriculum). Portfolio Pathway candidates require at least 2 years of dedicated UK cardiology experience and a Medical Director letter.
The iatroX cardiology bank is mapped to the ESC Core Curriculum and current ESC guidelines (2023–2025), with adaptive sequencing that surfaces your weakest topics. Substantial weighting on heart failure, ACS, AF and imaging — the four highest-yield categories in recent EECC sittings.
For the EECC, prioritise ESC. Many UK candidates over-rely on NICE TAs and miss ESC class I recommendations that diverge (e.g. invasive timing in NSTEMI, eligibility criteria for early rhythm control in AF). NICE remains relevant for UK practice but not always for EECC-marked answers.
Yes. A single iatroX subscription (£29/month or £99/year for UK users; $29/$99 elsewhere) includes the cardiology bank alongside every other premium iatroX exam bank. No add-ons or per-exam fees.
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Reviewed by Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MSt MRCGP · Last reviewed 12 May 2026
See our methodology and editorial policy.