Try the full study dashboard free, no signup: practice, flashcards and your Exam Readiness Score. Open it →
CCDSExamPrep
Start free
Home / Practice tests / CEPS
IBHRE allied professional · Last updated November 2026

IBHRE Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS) Exam: free practice test

The IBHRE credential for allied professionals in the electrophysiology lab: EP studies, mapping, ablation and the arrhythmias behind them. It runs once a year: the next exam is June 2, 2027 (registration November 19, 2026 to February 11, 2027). Invasive Electrophysiology is 30% of the outline and Fundamentals of Electrophysiology 20%. IBHRE reported an 83.88% pass rate for 2026.

Start the free 15-question testRead the study guide

Premium: 3,000 practice questions, 6 full mock exams, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes, topic by topic. See the study path ·

Or open the free CEPS study dashboard: flashcards, notes and your Readiness Score, no signup →

About the CEPS exam

The IBHRE credential for allied professionals in the electrophysiology lab: EP studies, mapping, ablation and the arrhythmias behind them. It runs once a year: the next exam is June 2, 2027 (registration November 19, 2026 to February 11, 2027). Invasive Electrophysiology is 30% of the outline and Fundamentals of Electrophysiology 20%. IBHRE reported an 83.88% pass rate for 2026.

What's on the exam

CEPS
Physics, Anatomy and Physiology
6 key facts
Fundamentals of Electrophysiology
6 key facts
Pharmacology
6 key facts
Clinical Assessment and ECG
6 key facts
Laboratory Considerations and Safety
6 key facts
Invasive EP Study and Ablation
7 key facts
Devices, Imaging and Research
6 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the CEPS exam

  • Invasive EP is 30% of the exam. Be fluent with intracardiac intervals, refractory periods, entrainment and the SVT maneuvers that separate AVNRT, AVRT and atrial tachycardia.
  • Learn the normal values: AH about 55 to 125 ms, HV 35 to 55 ms. Many tracing questions turn on one abnormal interval.
  • Each of the 4 sections has a hard time limit and you can't go back. Don't bank time for later sections; it doesn't carry over.
  • Use the on-screen calipers on every tracing question to check regularity and the timing of A and V, rather than eyeballing.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the Device Timing & Values Sheet.

Take the test first

What's in the premium CEPS prep

Premium CEPS prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 200 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 7 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    Physics, Anatomy and Physiology9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 450 practice questions in 18 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Fundamentals of Electrophysiology9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Pharmacology9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Clinical Assessment and ECG9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Laboratory Considerations and Safety8 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Invasive EP Study and Ablation8 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Devices, Imaging and Research8 key notes, 110 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. Final step: 6 full mock exams200 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete CEPS study notes for “Physics, Anatomy and Physiology”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 15 minutes of reading: Signals and filters · Ablation biophysics · Right heart anatomy you'll see on tracings · Left heart and nearby structures · Conditions that change the substrate, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

Open the free dashboard

Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. Which filter setting is typical for bipolar intracardiac electrograms during an EP study?
Answer: 30 to 500 Hz. Bipolar intracardiac EGMs are usually filtered at about 30 Hz high-pass and 500 Hz low-pass. That removes baseline drift and far-field low-frequency signal while keeping sharp local activation. 0.05 to 100 Hz is a diagnostic surface ECG setting.
2. The compact AV node lies at the apex of the triangle of Koch. Which structures bound this triangle?
Answer: The tendon of Todaro, the septal tricuspid annulus and the coronary sinus ostium. Koch's triangle is bounded by the tendon of Todaro, the septal leaflet attachment of the tricuspid valve and the coronary sinus ostium. The compact AV node sits at its apex; the slow pathway region lies near the CS ostium, where slow-pathway ablation is done.
3. What is the normal HV interval in adults?
Answer: 35 to 55 ms. The HV interval, from the His deflection to the earliest ventricular activation, is normally 35 to 55 ms. A prolonged HV shows infra-Hisian disease. An HV shorter than normal in sinus rhythm suggests ventricular pre-excitation.
4. Which set of conditions is needed for a reentrant arrhythmia?
Answer: Two pathways, unidirectional block in one, and slow enough conduction for tissue ahead to recover. Reentry needs a circuit with two limbs, unidirectional block in one limb, and conduction slow enough that tissue ahead of the wavefront has recovered excitability. Automaticity and early or delayed afterdepolarizations (triggered activity) are the other arrhythmia mechanisms.
5. Phase 0 of the working ventricular myocyte action potential is mainly due to:
Answer: Rapid inward sodium current. Fast sodium channels open and produce the rapid upstroke of phase 0 in atrial and ventricular myocytes and the His-Purkinje system. In the sinus and AV nodes, phase 0 depends on the slower L-type calcium current, which is why nodal tissue conducts slowly.
6. Which drug is commonly infused during an EP study to help induce catecholamine-sensitive SVT such as AVNRT?
Answer: Isoproterenol. Isoproterenol, a beta agonist, speeds conduction and shortens refractoriness, which often makes SVT inducible when it wasn't at baseline. Procainamide and esmolol suppress arrhythmias; adenosine causes transient AV nodal block.
7. A stable patient has an irregular, very fast wide-complex tachycardia with varying QRS widths, consistent with pre-excited atrial fibrillation. Which treatment should be avoided?
Answer: IV verapamil. AV nodal blockers such as verapamil can speed conduction down the accessory pathway and precipitate VF. The 2015 ACC/AHA/HRS SVT guideline lists IV verapamil, diltiazem, digoxin, amiodarone and beta blockers as potentially harmful in pre-excited AF. Cardioversion, procainamide or ibutilide are appropriate.
8. Moving from 1 meter to 2 meters away from the X-ray tube reduces your scatter radiation exposure to about:
Answer: One quarter. The inverse square law: dose falls with the square of the distance. Doubling the distance gives (1/2)² = one quarter of the dose. Distance, time and shielding are the three ALARA tools.
9. During a left atrial ablation after transseptal puncture, the patient's blood pressure drops suddenly and the cardiac border moves less on fluoroscopy. What is the most likely problem and first step?
Answer: Cardiac tamponade: confirm with echocardiography and prepare for pericardiocentesis. Sudden hypotension with reduced cardiac silhouette motion during a left-sided procedure is tamponade until proven otherwise. Confirm with echo (ICE or TTE), prepare for pericardiocentesis and manage anticoagulation as the physician directs.
10. During a narrow-complex SVT, the VA interval from QRS onset to the earliest atrial activation is 40 ms, with earliest atrial activation at the His catheter. What is the most likely mechanism?
Answer: Typical (slow-fast) AVNRT. A VA interval under about 70 ms with septal earliest atrial activation is typical of slow-fast AVNRT. Orthodromic AVRT needs time for ventricular activation to reach the accessory pathway and the atrium, so its VA interval is longer than about 70 ms.
11. During entrainment of a reentrant tachycardia, the post-pacing interval minus the tachycardia cycle length (PPI − TCL) is 15 ms. What does this mean?
Answer: The pacing site is in or very close to the reentry circuit. A PPI within about 30 ms of the TCL means the paced wavefront went around the circuit and back to the pacing site in about one cycle, so the site is in the circuit. A long PPI − TCL means the site is remote from it.
12. During atrial extrastimulus testing, shortening the A1A2 coupling interval by 10 ms causes the A2H2 interval to increase by 60 ms. What does this show?
Answer: Dual AV nodal pathway physiology (an AH jump). An A2H2 increase of 50 ms or more for a 10 ms decrease in coupling interval is a 'jump': conduction has failed in the fast pathway and moved to the slow pathway. It is the substrate for typical AVNRT, though it is also seen in people without AVNRT.
13. What is the ablation target for typical counterclockwise atrial flutter?
Answer: The cavotricuspid isthmus, with bidirectional block as the endpoint. Typical flutter circulates around the tricuspid annulus and depends on the cavotricuspid isthmus. A linear lesion from the tricuspid annulus to the IVC, confirmed by bidirectional isthmus block, is the standard endpoint.
14. Which patient meets a Class 1 primary-prevention ICD recommendation in the 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS ventricular arrhythmia guideline?
Answer: Ischemic cardiomyopathy, LVEF 30%, NYHA class II, 6 months after MI on guideline-directed therapy. Class 1: ischemic cardiomyopathy with LVEF 35% or less, NYHA II or III, at least 40 days after MI and 90 days after revascularization, on GDMT, with expected survival over a year. ICDs aren't indicated within 40 days of MI or in NYHA IV patients who aren't candidates for advanced therapies.
15. In a trial, the event rate is 10% with placebo and 6% with the new treatment. What is the number needed to treat to prevent one event?
Answer: 25. Absolute risk reduction = 10% − 6% = 4% = 0.04. NNT = 1 ÷ ARR = 1 ÷ 0.04 = 25. The relative risk reduction here would be 40%, a common distractor.

Get the full CEPS prep

Most popular · cancel anytime

Premium Monthly

$147/month
per exam
About $4.83 a day · a fraction of the US$1,090 exam fee, for an exam that runs only once a year
  • One IBHRE exam of your choice: CCDS or CEPS
  • 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
  • 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
  • Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
  • Readiness Score & detailed reports
  • Video lessons as they release
  • Content updates during your access
  • 5 bonuses: timing and values sheet, malfunction atlas, study planner and more
  • Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back

Renews monthly until you cancel. Cancel in two clicks from your account; you keep access until the end of the month you've paid for. No minimum term.

Best value · 3 months free

Premium Yearly

$1,323/year
per exam
Pay for 9 months, get 12. Save $441 against paying monthly.
  • One IBHRE exam of your choice: CCDS or CEPS
  • 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
  • 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
  • Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
  • Readiness Score & detailed reports
  • Video lessons as they release
  • Content updates during your access
  • 5 bonuses: timing and values sheet, malfunction atlas, study planner and more
  • Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back

Renews once a year until you cancel. We email you before each renewal. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the year you've paid for.

Pass Guarantee. Complete the full prep, sit your exam within 60 days, and if you don't pass we refund 100% of your subscription payments. See the requirements
Secure checkout by Stripe Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay Pass Guarantee

Certification guide

How to get IBHRE certified as a CCDS or CEPS: The [International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners](https://ibhre.org) offers two main credentials for allied professionals: the Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS) for device work and the Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS) for the EP lab. Each is one exam, held once a year at PSI test centers. Here's how to qualify, when to apply and what it costs.

CEPS exam FAQ

How many questions are on the CEPS exam?

200 multiple-choice questions (180 scored) in 4 timed sections, with a time limit of 4 hours (240 minutes), with 6-minute breaks between sections; you can't return to a finished section. Format: closed book, computer-based (on-screen calculator and calipers provided).

What is the passing score for CEPS?

Not published. IBHRE sets a criterion-referenced cut score and reports a scaled score; practise to 75% or higher.

How much does the CEPS exam cost?

US$1,090 for the June 2, 2027 exam (same for HRS members, non-members and retakes). Fees and deadlines change each year, so confirm on the IBHRE website before you apply.

Which languages is the CEPS exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the CEPS exam?

PSI test centers in North America and internationally (no remote option listed by IBHRE).

Is this CEPS practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full CEPS prep is Premium at $147 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium CEPS prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (Physics, Anatomy and Physiology: 450; Fundamentals of Electrophysiology: 425; Pharmacology: 425; Clinical Assessment and ECG: 425; Laboratory Considerations and Safety: 425; Invasive EP Study and Ablation: 425; Devices, Imaging and Research: 425), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 200 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 7 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

Compare CEPS with the other IBHRE exam

Related practice tests

IBHRE allied professional

IBHRE Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS) Exam

The IBHRE credential for allied professionals who implant, program and follow pacemakers, ICDs, CRT systems and loop recorders.

15 free questions3,000 premium Qs · 6 mocks · 800 flashcards · 60 key notes
Start free test →

Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. IBHRE changes formats and fees, so confirm with International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE) before you book. CCDSExamPrep is not affiliated with IBHRE, the Heart Rhythm Society or PSI.

Start the free test