European Board Examination in Emergency Medicine (EBEEM) Guide

The European Board Examination in Emergency Medicine (EBEEM) is a two-part postgraduate examination developed and implemented by EMERGE, the joint committee of the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM) and the UEMS Section of Emergency Medicine. It is based on the European Training Requirements and European Core Curriculum for Emergency Medicine.

Part A assesses the knowledge base for emergency medicine practice, including basic sciences applied to emergency medicine. Part B assesses the clinical skills, behaviors, and knowledge required for independent emergency medicine practice in adults and children, including prehospital care.

Recognition is specific to the jurisdiction. The complete EBEEM examination, Parts A and B, is the official emergency medicine specialty exit examination in Malta. Part A is the official theoretical part of the emergency medicine specialty and supra-specialty exit examination in Flanders, Belgium. In other European countries, EUSEM describes EBEEM as a postgraduate medical assessment; national competent authorities determine specialist recognition, registration, and licensure requirements.

The Part B page describes two hours of examination time, while the regulations advise candidates to expect to be present for at least half a day for the examination circuit. Each station has at least two examiners. The official Part B page identifies the virtual platform as Zoom, subject to current instructions for the sitting.

Each part is reported separately as PASS or FAIL. Part A must be passed before Part B can be attempted. Candidates may reapply up to six times for each part, including the first attempt, and Part B should be completed within four years of successful Part A completion. Part A does not have a published fixed passing percentage; its cut score can differ between sittings.

Part A blueprint

The official Part A blueprint is mapped to the European Core Curriculum and states that 25% of the 200 MCQs are pediatrics-related.

Management and clinical reasoning is the largest domain. Investigations and procedures are the next largest individual domains, while assessment, triage and resuscitation, and professional competences should remain part of every revision cycle.

Part B blueprint

The Part B case mix is intended to reflect an average emergency department. The named core areas are medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and psychiatry, with sampling from 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 domain is the main competence and contributes 50% of the station marks; two supporting domains contribute 25% each. This is a station-level scoring structure, not a published overall percentage distribution for every clinical subject. The regulations also state that any presentation or diagnosis referenced in the curriculum may appear in the examination material.

Eligibility depends on the part being attempted and on the candidate's training or practice route. The regulations also require a primary medical qualification recognized by UEMS and full current licensure or registration with the relevant authority in the country of practice. All examination parts are conducted in English; applicants from outside Europe must submit the required documentation in English.

Part A

Trainees and non-trainees must have at least 18 months of emergency medicine experience. For trainees, relevant experience such as intensive care may count when it forms part of the training program. The current application checklist includes a passport copy, CV in English, current medical license, a signed supervisor form documenting emergency medicine experience, and evidence of the previous two years of continuing professional development for non-trainees.

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 that follows the European curriculum.
2. Have worked full time in an emergency department for at least five years and be recognized by the national government as an emergency medicine specialist.
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 full curriculum.

The Part B application checklist includes the Part A result, passport copy, CV in English, current medical license and registration number, a supervisor form documenting at least 60 months of full-time emergency medicine work, and either an emergency medicine diploma or evidence of enrollment in an emergency medicine training program showing the country and scheduled completion date. Candidates should verify the current checklist before applying.

1. Allocate Part A study time by the official blueprint. Start with management and clinical reasoning, then build systematic coverage of investigations and procedures. Revisit assessment, triage and resuscitation, and professional competences throughout the plan. Use the official blueprint rather than platform item counts as the exam weighting framework.

2. Reproduce the Part A timing. Practice 100-question blocks in two hours, then complete full two-paper rehearsals with the one-hour break. Review errors by task: identifying instability, selecting investigations, interpreting data, choosing management, applying procedures, and addressing professional issues.

3. Integrate pediatrics into mixed-topic practice. The blueprint specifies 25% pediatrics-related MCQs. Include pediatric assessment, physiology, resuscitation, respiratory emergencies, sepsis, trauma, toxicology, safeguarding, and common acute presentations in ordinary revision cycles rather than treating pediatrics as an isolated final topic.

4. Prepare Part B as timed verbal management. Rehearse six 20-minute SOE cycles with five minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of structured discussion. For each scenario, practice stating immediate priorities, focused assessment, diagnostic reasoning, management and escalation, communication, clinical leadership, and education or follow-up when relevant.

5. Rotate through the published case mix and competence domains. Include medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric, ophthalmic, ENT, obstetric, gynecologic, geriatric, and prehospital scenarios. Deliberately vary the main competence between triage and resuscitation, assessment, diagnostics, procedures, clinical reasoning, and professional competences.

6. Use oral practice rather than MCQs alone for Part B. The official objectives include leadership of resuscitation, discussion of difficult situations, interpretation of clinical data, structured discussion of management plans, demonstration of clinical skills, and education of others. Practice concise, audible reasoning under time pressure instead of relying only on written recall.

7. Organize content review around the official resources. The preparation page directs candidates to the European emergency medicine curriculum, current emergency medicine textbooks and international guidelines, the latest edition of Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, ultrasound resources, Curriculum+, and EUSEM Academy materials.

Recognition and practice rights. Check the requirements of the country where you intend to train or practice. The verified official exit-examination arrangements are the complete EBEEM in Malta and Part A in Flanders, Belgium. Passing a European postgraduate medical assessment does not itself confer a license to practice; national competent authorities decide registration and specialist-practice requirements.

Language and remote delivery. The examination is conducted in English. Part A is taken remotely through a dedicated online portal, and Part B is virtual. Plan for a private setting, stable internet, a suitable computer, webcam, microphone, speakers, and continuous power. Current candidate terms also describe remote monitoring, compulsory identity checks and candidate briefing, restrictions on outside websites and materials, and prohibitions on screenshots or recording. Confirm the technical and conduct requirements for the specific sitting.

Application administration. Application windows, fees, membership categories, seat availability, and document requirements can change. Review the current Part A, Part B, eligibility, fees, and regulations pages before submitting an application. The official Part B page notes that seats may be limited.

Accommodations. Candidates who need examination adjustments should request them at the time of application and provide the supporting professional report described in the regulations. The regulations state that there is no provision for extra time in Part B, so candidates should clarify available arrangements early.

Post-nominals. Successful completion of Parts A and B meets the published criteria for the EBCEM post-nominal. FEBEM additionally requires completion of both parts and being in the last year of, or having completed, specialist emergency medicine training in a European country that recognizes emergency medicine as a primary specialty or supra-specialty and is a full UEMS member at the time of the examination.