European Board Examination in Emergency Medicine (EBEEM) Guide

The European Board Examination in Emergency Medicine (EBEEM) is a two-part postgraduate examination developed and delivered by EMERGE, a joint committee of the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM) and the UEMS Section of Emergency Medicine. It is based on the European emergency medicine curriculum.

Part A assesses emergency medicine knowledge, including applied basic sciences. Part B assesses the clinical skills, behaviors, and knowledge described in the curriculum for emergency care of adults and children, including prehospital care.

Recognition is jurisdiction-specific: the full examination is the official emergency medicine specialty exit examination in Malta; Part A is the official theoretical component of the specialty and supra-specialty exit examination in Flanders, Belgium. Elsewhere, national authorities determine specialist recognition, registration, and practice requirements.

Each part is reported as pass or fail. Candidates must pass Part A before attempting Part B, and must complete Part B within four years of passing Part A. Each part has a maximum of six attempts, including the first. The Part B circuit includes two hours of station time; regulations advise candidates to expect to be present for at least half a day.

Part A

The Part A blueprint is mapped to the European Core Curriculum. It specifies that 25% of the MCQs are pediatrics-related.

Part B

The planned case mix reflects an average emergency department. Core areas are medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and psychiatry; additional sampling may include ophthalmology, ENT, obstetrics, gynecology, geriatrics, and prehospital care.

Each SOE assesses three competence domains selected from triage and resuscitation, assessment, diagnostics, procedural skills, clinical reasoning, and professional competences. One is the main competence and contributes 50% of station marks; two supporting domains contribute 25% each. These are station-level scoring proportions, not overall subject weightings across the examination.

Eligibility differs by examination part and candidate route. The regulations require a primary medical qualification recognized by UEMS and current licensure or registration with the relevant authority in the country of practice. Applicants from outside Europe must submit documentation in English.

Part A: Trainees and non-trainees need at least 18 months of emergency medicine experience. For trainees, relevant experience such as intensive care may count if it is part of their training program. The application checklist includes identity, a CV in English, current medical licensure, and a supervisor form confirming experience; non-trainees also provide evidence of continuing professional development for the previous two years.

Part B: Candidates must have passed Part A within the previous four years and meet one of these routes:

1. Be at least at the end of a minimum five-year emergency medicine training program following the European curriculum. The regulations also provide a grace period for candidates who completed specialty training within a year before applying.
2. Have worked full time in an emergency department for at least five years and be recognized as an emergency medicine specialist by the national government.
3. If emergency medicine does not yet exist as a specialty in the country of practice, have worked in emergency medicine for at least five years and provide a portfolio demonstrating competence across the curriculum.

The Part B application checklist includes evidence of the Part A result, identity, medical registration, experience, and applicable training or qualification evidence. Check the official eligibility and application pages for the route-specific document list.

1. Prioritize by the Part A blueprint. Spend the most revision time on management and clinical reasoning, then plan systematic review of investigations and procedures. Keep assessment, triage and resuscitation, and professional competences in the study cycle.
2. Rehearse Part A timing. Work through 100-question blocks in two hours, then practice a two-paper session with the one-hour break. Review missed questions by task, such as choosing investigations, interpreting findings, or selecting management.
3. Mix pediatric material into revision. The blueprint specifies that one quarter of Part A questions are pediatrics-related; include pediatric topics throughout preparation.
4. Practice Part B aloud and under time limits. Rehearse the five-minute preparation period and 15-minute discussion. Explain your assessment, reasoning, management plan, and communication clearly as you work through a scenario.
5. Rotate through the Part B case mix and competencies. Practice scenarios across the named clinical areas and vary the focus among triage and resuscitation, assessment, diagnostics, procedural skills, clinical reasoning, and professional competences. MCQ practice alone does not rehearse a structured oral examination.
6. Use the official preparation guidance. The EUSEM preparation page points candidates to the European emergency medicine curriculum, textbooks, international guidelines, Curriculum+, and EUSEM Academy resources.

Check the rules where you intend to practice. The specified official exit-examination arrangements are the full EBEEM in Malta and Part A in Flanders, Belgium. Passing EBEEM does not itself confer a license or legal right to practice; national competent authorities determine local requirements.

Plan for remote delivery. Part A and Part B are virtual examinations. EUSEM specifies a private place and a stable internet connection; consult the instructions for your sitting for current technical requirements. The regulations state that examinations are conducted in English.

Verify current application information before registering. Consult the official Part A, Part B, eligibility, and fees pages for current sitting information, application instructions, and fees.