IBHRE CEPS study guide
IBHRE CEPS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS) credential is issued by the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE), an independent certifying body for heart rhythm professionals. IBHRE maintains separate CEPS exam pathways for allied professionals and for physicians, each with its own application, eligibility policy, content outline, fees page, and recipients list. The credential signals that a practitioner has met a knowledge standard in cardiac electrophysiology, spanning invasive EP study and mapping, catheter ablation of arrhythmias, cardiac rhythm device therapy, and pharmacologic and clinical management of arrhythmia patients. Candidates typically include EP lab technologists, nurses, device specialists, and physicians working in electrophysiology. Topics on this exam: Cardiac Electrophysiology, Catheter Ablation, Cardiac Rhythm Devices, and Pharmacologic Therapy and Clinical Management. The IBHRE CEPS study guide has 4 sections and about 1,563 words.
01Cardiac Electrophysiology
The Cardiac Electrophysiology domain tests how you turn intracardiac recordings and pacing maneuvers into a mechanism and a clinical decision. Expect questions on conduction intervals, refractoriness, dual AV nodal physiology, entrainment, and the differential diagnosis of narrow- and wide-complex tachycardia.
392 words, about 2 min02Catheter Ablation
This domain tests whether you can select a target, deliver energy safely, and confirm success. Questions cover mapping (activation, entrainment, substrate), radiofrequency and cryothermal lesion physics, and complication recognition.
395 words, about 2 min03Cardiac Rhythm Devices
The device domain tests timing cycles, detection algorithms, and troubleshooting rather than catalog memorization. Expect pacemaker mode switching, AV timing, ICD discrimination, CRT response, and EMI/MRI questions.
382 words, about 2 min04Pharmacologic Therapy and Clinical Management
This domain tests drug selection by mechanism and comorbidity, initiation and monitoring, and the clinical decisions surrounding anticoagulation and sudden death prevention. Vaughan-Williams: class I sodium-channel blockers (IA quinidine/procainamide, IB lidocaine/mexiletine, IC flecainide/propafenone); class II beta-blockers; class III potassium-channel blockers (amiodarone, sotalol, dofetilide, ibutilide, dronedarone); class IV calcium-channel blockers.
394 words, about 2 min