ABIM Clinical EP

You must already be certified by ABIM in cardiovascular disease at the time of application, have completed three years of cardiovascular fellowship including 24 months of clinical training, plus one or two additional years of acceptable CCEP fellowship training, hold a valid unrestricted license, and pass the exam.

The formal pathway requires three years of cardiovascular disease fellowship, including 24 months of clinical training, plus one or two additional years of acceptable CCEP fellowship training. For fellows beginning CCEP fellowship in or after Academic Year 2017-18, the minimum is 24 months with 24 clinical months.

All candidates must perform at least 150 intracardiac procedures in at least 75 patients, including 75 catheter ablations and 25 initial ICD implantations. Fellows starting in or after 2017-18 are expected to reach 160 catheter ablations with subspecified case mixes, plus CIED implantation, revision, interrogation and tilt-table numbers.

The Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Certification Examination is a multiple-choice exam. ABIM does not publish question count or duration on the policy page used here, so confirm current specifications through ABIM's register-and-prepare materials before exam day.

Required training, including vacation time, must be completed by October 31 of the year of examination to be admitted. Plan backwards from that date, and note that short training deficits of 35 days or less are handled at the program director's discretion rather than by candidate request.

Most candidates need several months of structured review. Build the plan around high-yield areas: intracardiac electrogram interpretation, mapping and ablation strategy for SVT, flutter, AF and VT, and CIED programming and troubleshooting, then add timed practice on tracing-based questions.

Common failure modes are weak electrogram and device-strip interpretation speed, shallow ablation strategy for complex substrates, and neglecting safety, complications and periprocedural management. Performance of the minimum procedure numbers is not itself a guarantee of proficiency; programs must substantiate competence.

Your program director must document satisfactory overall clinical competence and satisfactory ratings in all six ACGME/ABMS competencies plus requisite procedures during your final year. A conditional rating in the final year earns no credit until a satisfactory rating is achieved.

Yes. You must attest to committing at least 50% of professional time and effort to CCEP each year since completing the required training, with balanced experience across settings such as the EP laboratory, emergency department, coronary care unit, operating room and follow-up clinic.

The information on ABIM's website and in the Policies and Procedures for Certification, December 2025, governs eligibility decisions, and that edition supersedes earlier publications. Check ABIM directly for fees, dates and any policy changes before applying.