Examinations Frequently Asked Questions

The ASCeXAM® is the examination of special competence in adult echocardiography. The ASCeXAM® is intended for those who wish to demonstrate special competence in all areas of echocardiography.

The Advanced PTEeXAM® is the examination of special competence in advanced perioperative transesophageal echocardiography. This examination was originally called the PTEeXAM® and is intended for those who wish to demonstrate special competence in advanced perioperative transesophageal echocardiography. [Scope of Practice: The application of an advanced perioperative TEE examination is to utilize the full diagnostic potential of perioperative TEE including direction of the perioperative surgical decision-making process.]

The Basic Basic PTEeXAM® is the examination of special competence in basic perioperative transesophageal echocardiography. This examination is intended for those who wish to demonstrate special competence in basic perioperative transesophageal echocardiography. [Scope of Practice: The application of a basic perioperative TEE examination is limited to non-diagnostic use within the customary practice of anesthesiology. Because the goal of and training in Basic PTEeXAM® is focused on intraoperative monitoring rather than specific diagnosis, except in emergent situations, diagnoses requiring intraoperative cardiac surgical intervention or postoperative medical/surgical management must be confirmed by an individual with advanced skills in TEE or by an independent diagnostic technique.]

Note: NBE is replacing the RePTE, ReASCE, and ReBasic PTE examinations with a new Maintenance of Certification in Echocardiography (MOCE^TM) process. More information coming soon!

Refund/Cancellation Policy

Candidates who wish to cancel/withdraw their registration and receive a partial refund (exam fee paid minus $200.00) MUST submit a written request to cancel/withdraw via email to examination@echoboards.org before the written deadline of the exam in question.

Any requests received after this deadline will not be processed.

*Deferments are no longer an option. We apologize for any inconvenience. *

For the online application you can pay by VISA , MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or ACH.

Documentation for NBE examinations is submitted during the online application process. Within the online examination application, there will be a drop-down menu where you may select to upload either a Medical License showing a valid expiration date OR a Letter of Good Standing.

All documentation must be supplied in English and in PDF format. If original documentation is not in English, a certified translation must be attached to each document.

North American Trained Physicians must submit ONE of the following:

• A valid (unexpired) license to practice medicine with expiration date
  • training or temporary licenses with valid expiration dates are accepted

OR

• Letter of Good Standing from an ACGME Accredited program director
  • Letter must be on official letterhead, be signed by director and be notarized.

Non-North American Trained Physicians must submit a valid (unexpired) license to practice medicine with expiration date

• If your license does not contain an expiration date, you will need ONE of the following in addition to your license to practice medicine:
• • • An original letter from the Medical Council stating your license is permanent

OR

• • • An original certificate of good standing dated no more than 12 months prior to date application received.

If you have questions regarding the examination requirements, please see the appropriate Examination Handbook or contact NBE by phone at (919)861-5582, or email examination@echoboards.org.

Click here to view Sample Letter of Good Standing.

Yes. You only need to complete the online examination application, provide payment and submit the appropriate requirement(s). Documentation of your fellowship program is not required to sit for the examination.

Content outlines for the examinations are located in the examination handbooks. NBE does not endorse or recommend any third-party review course or material. Any text in cardiovascular techniques and evaluation, cardiac patient care and management may be used. Current standards and guidelines endorsed by professional societies are also appropriate.

Click here to view a general tutorial on Pearson VUE’s computer-based testing system.

ASCeXAM®, Advanced PTE®, and CCEeXAM®:

NDA

• Allotted Time – 5 minutes
• Refusal or timeout of the NDA will result in the termination of your examination.

Tutorial

• Allotted Time-15 minutes
• This tutorial illustrates how the computer-based testing works and gives an opportunity to practice the format prior to beginning the exam.
• This tutorial is optional.

Breaks:

• Allotted Time-25 Minutes
  • Break time may ONLY be taken between blocks.
  • If you finish an exam block early, the time remaining will be added to the break time.
    • Any additional breaks taken are unscheduled and your exam clock will continue to count down.
    • Unused time from NDA/Tutorial does NOT add to pooled break time.
    • Unused time from one exam section does NOT add time to another exam section.

Block 1: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-54 Minutes
• 40 questions in block

Block 2: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-54 Minutes
• 40 questions in block

Block 3: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-54 Minutes
• 40 questions in block

Block 4: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-54 Minutes
• 40 questions in block

Block 5: Exam Section

• Allotted Time- 54 Minutes
• 40 questions in block

End of Exam Survey:

• Allotted Time – 10 Minutes

Totals for Day:

• Allotted Exam Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes for exam items
• A maximum of 5 hours  and 20 minutes, including break, NDA, tutorial, and survey
• 200 total items

Basic PTEeXAM®:

NDA

• Allotted Time – 5 minutes
• Refusal or timeout of the NDA will result in the termination of your examination.

Tutorial

• Allotted Time-15 minutes
• This tutorial illustrates how the computer-based testing works and gives an opportunity to practice the format prior to beginning the exam.
• This tutorial is optional.

Breaks:

• Allotted Time-25 Minutes
  • Break time may ONLY be taken between blocks.
  • If you finish an exam block early, the time remaining will be added to the break time.
    • Any additional breaks taken are unscheduled and your exam clock will continue to count down.
    • Unused time from NBA/Tutorial does NOT add to pooled break time.
    • Unused time from one exam section does NOT add time to another exam section.

Tutorial

• Allotted Time-15 minutes
• This tutorial illustrates how the computer-based testing works and gives an opportunity to practice the format prior to beginning the exam.
• This tutorial is optional.

Block 1: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-42 Minutes
• 30 questions in Block

Block 2: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-42 Minutes
• 30 questions in Block

Block 3: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-42 Minutes
• 30 questions in Block

Block 4: Exam Section

• Allotted Time-42 Minutes
• 30 questions in Block

Block 5: Exam Section

• Alloted Time-42 Minutes
• 30 questions in Block

Totals for Day:

• Allotted Exam Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes for exam items
• A maximum of 4 and 20 minutes hours including break, NDA, tutorial, and survey
• 150 total items

The following pass rates are from the 2023 examination administrations:

• Examination of Special Competence in Adult Echocardiography (ASCeXAM®)- 81%
• Recertification Examination of Special Competence in Adult Echocardiography (ReASCE®)- 91%
• Examination of Special Competence in Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (Advanced PTEeXAM®)- 90%
• Recertification Examination of Special Competence in Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal (RePTE®)- 92%
• Examination of Special Competence in Critical Care Echocardiography (CCEeXAM®)- 81%

The following pass rates are from the 2022 examination administrations:

• Examination of Special Competence in Basic Perioperative Transesophageal (Basic PTEeXAM®)- 92%
• Recertification Examination of Special Competence in Basic Perioperative Transesophageal (ReBasic® PTE) – 91%

Identification (ID) Requirements:

• The first and last name that the candidate uses to register must match exactly the first and last name on both ID’s that are presented on test day.
• All ID’s required must be issued by the country in which the candidate is testing. If the candidate does not have a qualifying primary ID issued from the country they are testing in, an International Travel Passport from their country of citizenship is required, along with a secondary ID.
• Candidate is required to present two forms of original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) ID’s; one form as a primary ID (government issued with name, recent recognizable photo, and signature) and one form as a secondary ID (with at least a name and signature, or name and recent recognizable photo).

Primary ID:

• International Travel Passport
• Driver’s license
• Military ID (including spouse & dependents)
• Identification card (national/state/province identity card)
• Alien registration card (green card, permanent resident, visa)
• Local language ID (not in Roman characters) – accepted only if issued from the Country the Candidate is testing in

Secondary ID:

• Any ID containing at least name and signature, or name and recent recognizable photo that meets above ID requirement
• In Japan, a valid Blue Japanese Health Card is acceptable

Click here to view Pearson VUE ID Policy.

NBE’s examinations are administered at:

• Over 230 Pearson Professional Centers (PPC) in the United States and US territories.
• Over 3,000 Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centers (PVTC) internationally.

Examination sites where NBE exams are administered may be viewed by clicking here and then on “Find a test center” near the right side of the webpage. This list of testing centers does not guarantee availability.

Examination site availability is provided when scheduling your examination with Pearson VUE. Do not contact Pearson VUE until you have received an Authorization to Test (ATT).

• IMPORTANT: While the NBE tries to accommodate location preferences, preferred testing sites are NOT guaranteed, and travel may be necessary.

All of your personal belongings, including watches, wallets, food, and beverages must be placed in a small, designated locker outside the testing room. Pagers and cellular phones must be turned off before placing them in the locker. No personal items may be brought into the examination room.

You may bring soft-foam earplugs into the testing room. However, they must be out of the packaging and ready for inspection by test center staff during check-in. Earplugs must be left at the workstation during all breaks.

Pearson Vue will provide an on-screen calculator, laminated note board, dry eraser markers, and an eraser.

What to expect during your exam:

Learn about the check-in process and test experience so you’re prepared on the day of the exam.

Link for video of exam day procedures: https://youtu.be/L1wNSNzdlNw

Once an application is submitted, it will be reviewed by staff, which can take two to three weeks.

Upon the approval of an application, candidates are sent an Authorization to Test (ATT) notification within 24-48 hours which will include your 1-day eligibility window to take the examination. The ATT provides instructions and details for scheduling your test date and location.

Please contact NBE’s examination department at examination@echoboards.org as soon as possible with your correct spelling. Supporting documentation (license, passport, etc.) may be requested.

After receiving your Authorization to Test (ATT) via email, you may schedule your NBE exam on the Pearson VUE website at no fee or by calling the Pearson VUE Contact Center for a $10.00 fee.

To schedule your test appointment online:

• Log into your NBE profile at echoboards.org.
• Under the Exams in Process section click on Exam Authorized next to the exam you are currently authorized for.
• This will take you to a page that says Exam Authorization.
• Click on the blue SCHEDULE EXAM
  • Exam date will also be provided
• Next you will be taken to your Pearson VUE Dashboard
  • follow the steps to schedule your exam location and time.
• You can use these steps anytime to review your test information, reschedule, and cancel test appointments.

Once your appointment has been scheduled, you will receive a confirmation email from PearsonVUE within a few minutes. If you do not receive an email confirming your appointment time and testing center, please email examination@echoboards.org as soon as possible. 

In the event you need to reschedule or cancel your examination, contact PearsonVUE at least 48 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment.

If you do not contact Pearson VUE at least 48 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment, you cannot reschedule or cancel the examination and your fees will be forfeited.

PearsonVUE Customer Service

For any issues with your examination fees, you will need to contact NBE.

Once you received your Authorization to Test and followed the instruction to schedule your examination appointment with a testing center, you do not need to reconfirm the appointment. If you have scheduled your exam and have not received an email confirming your appointment time and testing center, please contact our examination department at examination@echoboards.org as soon as possible. 

You should arrive at the Pearson VUE test site 30 minutes before your scheduled testing time on your testing date. If you arrive more than 30 minutes after your scheduled testing time, you will not be admitted.

You will not be allowed to take the examination.

You are not required to bring your Authorization to Test (ATT) to the Pearson VUE test site. The only documentation you must bring are two forms of ID, a primary and secondary. 

Click here to view Pearson VUE ID Policy.

In the rare event of a technical problem, testing software is designed to allow the test to restart at the point it was interrupted. In most cases, the test can be restarted at the point of interruption with no loss of testing time.

Should it be found that the exam did not restart at the point of interruption or there is evidence of time lost a precise analysis will be conducted and NBE will remedy the situation as it is seen fit.

NBE takes all formal complaints into consideration. Please see the Examination Grievance Policy.

Contact information must be up to date in order to receive your Authorization to Test (ATT), appointment confirmations, or other important correspondence from NBE.

You may update your profile information by logging into your account on www.echoboards.org and selecting “Update Profile”.

For name changes, please email info@echoboards.org. Supporting documentation (license, passport, etc.) may be requested.

Result notifications will be emailed within 12 weeks of the examination administration, and results can be viewed by logging into your NBE account. Certificates for passing examinations will be available to view and print on demand from NBE user profiles.

The examination committees review each question for validity after the exams are scored. This process does take some time, but it is worth it to get completely valid scores.

During review, if statistical evaluation raises concerns about the validity of a question (for example if a large number of people consistently answer with a different response), then these questions are individually reviewed again to make sure they are accurate.

When inaccuracies are identified or if questions do not meet predefined performance criteria, these questions can be re-scored or discarded.

NBE’s examinations are administered on one day each year with the exception of Basic PTE™, which is offered one day every other year. The next Basic PTE™ examination will be offered on July 23, 2024.

Applicants may request that their exam be Re-Scored. There is a $100.00 charge and the process takes 4 to 6 weeks.

Print the form for Re-Scoring. Once you have completed the form, please email it to krussell@echoboards.org.

On NBE’s homepage, there is a “Physician Verification” tab. Once you have clicked that tab, you will need to enter the last name of the physician. This is NBE’s official and public verification page.

If you have questions while using this feature, please call (919)861-5582 or email info@echoboards.org for assistance.

NBE does not endorse or recommend any third-party review course or material. Any text in cardiovascular techniques and evaluation, cardiac patient care and management may be used. Current standards and guidelines endorsed by professional societies are also appropriate.

No, the NBE does not extend CME credits for taking the examination.

An ABIM Board Certified physician who passes the ASCeXAM® or ReASCE® exam may earn 20 points in ABIM’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.

NBE submits Testamurs to the ABIM, but it is the Testamurs responsibility to make sure the points are added to their ABIM account.

If birthdate and/or ABIM number are missing from the Testamur’s NBE account, their information will not be submitted.

For additional information about ABIM’s MOC program requirements, please visit http://www.abim.org/maintenance-of-certification.

If you believe that some unusual event or condition occurred during your exam administration at the Pearson VUE testing center that caused a significant adverse effect on your performance or ability to take the exam, you may submit an exam grievance. Exam grievances may not be used to challenge the exam design, content, or a failing score.

Examples of an unusual event or condition include but are not limited to; issues with the ID presented for exam entry, computer issues, the internal or external environment at the test center and issues with the exam delivery or interruption of the exam delivery.

If you need to file an exam grievance regarding the administration of your exam, you must submit a detailed email and any appropriate and verifiable supporting documentation, if applicable, to the NBE within three (3) business days after the exam administration in question to examination@echoboards.org.

Please note: Medical issues or unforeseen acts of nature (such as weather) that keep you from arriving at the test center as scheduled, or a sudden onset of an illness during your exam that prevented you from completing your exam should not be filed as exam grievances. These types of issues must be submitted as an exception to policy and you should contact Krista Russell at krussell@echoboards.org.