Exam Content
The exam is comprised of two categories of questions - written and video-based. Both categories consist of multiple-choice questions.
Written Portion
Content breakdown for written portion of the exam:
| Topic | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Anatomy | 18-20% |
| Autonomic | ~1% |
| Clinical | 18-20% |
| EMG | 18-20% |
| Ethics | 2-4% |
| Instrumentation | 8-10% |
| Nerve Conduction Studies | 18-20% |
| Pathology | 13-15% |
Currently, the technique or interpretation of auditory, visual, and somatosensory evoked potentials is not tested on the examination.
Video Portion
The video portion tests the candidate's ability to identify electrical potentials recorded with standard needle electrodes. Information regarding gain, amplitude, and filter settings will be provided. There may be more than one question for a video waveform segment.
Candidates are asked to identify and describe (through multiple choice questions) characteristics of the following items:
- Motor unit action potentials: amplitude, duration, number of phases, stability, recruitment, and firing patterns.
- Spontaneous activity: fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, fasciculation potentials, myotonic discharges, biphasic endplate activity, monophasic endplate activity, myokymic discharges, complex repetitive discharges, cramp discharges, and neuromyotonic discharges.
Video questions may also contain segments which test the candidate's ability to identify nerves, major muscles, kinesiologic relationships, and physical examination findings potentially encountered during an electrodiagnostic medicine evaluation.
The results of all questions are combined to produce a single score. The scores on individual subsections will not be separately considered in determining the pass/fail status of the candidate.