The HERMES examinations strive to illustrate the current best practices in respiratory medicine. Current guidelines are therefore the basis of the questions in patient management, whether in differential diagnosis, diagnostic procedures or therapy.
The following ERS resources are recommended for your examination preparation. This list should serve as general guidance only. Candidates should seek other sources for up-to-date information.
Paediatric Respiratory Medicine
ERS HERMES self-assessment or Virtual Academy courses
Approximately six to eight weeks after the examination takes place, candidates will be notified via email that the examination results have been released, and their official result letter, certificate of attendance and certificate of CME credits (if requested during registration) will be available to download from myERS.
All ‘Final-Year-Trainee’ (FYT) candidates must provide a national accreditation certificate or written equivalence from the accreditation body, confirming that they hold the title of a ‘Respiratory Medicine Specialist’, before they can obtain the European Diploma.
Candidates are entitled to appeal examination results within ten (10) working days of the examination results being released. For more information on the appeals process, please refer to the Appeals Procedure.
Successful European Diploma candidates will be informed of when a PDF soft-copy of their European Diploma will be available (at no charge). The diploma will be accessible via their myERS account.
Hard copy certificates may be ordered to be printed and delivered at a cost. Please refer to the below documents for details on how to order your copy.
HERMES Diploma Hardcopy – How to Purchase and Terms & Conditions
HERMES European Diploma_Hardcopy Printing Schedule
If you have any queries regarding the HERMES Examinations, please contact the HERMES Team hermes@ersnet.org
Needs more questions answered? Go to FAQs HERE
Candidates register for the HERMES examinations via myERS. If a candidate is accepted for the examination, they will receive a confirmation email detailing how to pay and steps to take to secure their place for the exam. Candidates are required to read all information provided to them via Moodle (Learning Management System), where they will find details on how to create an account with ProctorU, an exam proctoring platform. Candidates are required to schedule their examination on this platform by booking a suitable time slot. We use staggered start times for the examination to accommodate a large number of candidates. For more information please refer to the ProctorU website for full details on this process.
ProctorU is a company that specialises in invigilating exams remotely and they will be directly monitoring candidates throughout the exam. The proctor is there to monitor candidates throughout the examination and assist with any technical problems.
For more information, watch this short video.
In the link below candidates will find a tutorial to the online examination platform. This will help candidates to familiarise themselves with the layout of the platform in advance of the examination.
For more information, watch this short video.
The examination time is three hours in duration. Examination time usually starts around 09:30am CET. Once registered, candidates will be given instructions on how to book a time slot. Staggered time slots are given in 10-minute increments. For example: If an exam is scheduled for 09:30 start time – a candidate can choose a slot at 09:30, 09:40, 09:50 etc. Once a candidate has booked their time slot for the examination, they will receive a confirmation. The email will also contain the link to the examination which will only be activated on exam day, at the allocated start time.
There is a registration process that takes place with a Proctor before the examination takes place. This can take 10 – 15 minutes. The Proctor will go through all the registration steps with each candidate and once all requirements are checked, access to the examination platform will be granted and the three-hour examination time will commence.
All candidates are required to access Moodle (Learning Management System) to obtain examination preparation details, such as ProctorU account setup, exam booking steps and other useful information.
Yes, candidates can access the ProctorU platform anytime once they have created their account. However, details specific the HERMES examination will not be readily available until exam day. Candidates are welcome to explore the ProctorU platform for their own understanding.
Candidates can take the online examination at home or in an office, where the space is quiet and has no distractions. There are no allocated test centres. Prior to the exam, all candidates are required to test their internet connection and software from the same location/room as they would for the actual exam day, to ensure that they will have the best environment ready for the exam.
Best online examination conditions include:
We have partnered with ProctorU who provide live remote invigilation. The proctor/invigilator will be able to see what is happening on a candidate’s computer screen and will also be observing candidates via their webcam (face on view). Candidates are able to communicate live with their invigilator via a chat function or speak directly to the invigilator on their microphone.
We are using a platform specifically designed for computer-based assessments combined with live invigilation services. This means a candidate’s computer and webcam are accessed by the system and a live proctor/invigilator will uphold the examination regulations and procedures. All candidates are required to verify their identity by showing their ID on screen before the examination commences.
Yes, the visual and audio recordings are stored by our e-assessment provider for 24 months after which they are deleted. We record the examination session in case there are any anomalies post examination or if we receive any queries. Access to these recordings is granted only to the HERMES examination coordinator who may need to report on any issues related to results or malpractice.
No, it is a closed book examination with live remote proctoring.
Specific to the online examinations, where candidates will be monitored live by a remote proctor/invigilator, required items are:
Candidates cannot use a tablet or mobile phone to sit the examination. It is mandatory to do an equipment check (laptop, webcam, microphone etc). This check can be carried out anytime and must be done minimum one week before the examination day. Support is available from ProctorU if there are any issues. Please refer to the ProctorU website for full details on equipment requirements to sit the examination.
*Important: The mobile phone is needed during the start up process in order to double check the screen of the computer and the surrounding environment (takes less than 2 minutes). Once the checking session is complete, the candidate needs to put the phone away and show its location to the invigilator. During the exam, candidates are forbidden to look at their phone or use it.
There is a full equipment check available on the ProctorU website . This check can be carried out anytime and must be done minimum one week before the examination day. Support is available from ProctorU if there are any issues.
Details specific to web browser and access are available on the ProctorU website . This check can be carried out anytime and must be done minimum one week before the examination day. Support is available from ProctorU if there are any issues.
No, there is a full equipment check available on the ProctorU website . This check can be carried out anytime and must be done minimum one week before the examination day. Support is available from ProctorU if there are any issues.
Yes, this is possible.
Candidates experiencing internet connection issues or power cuts during their exam will be automatically locked out of the exam platform. They will need to reconnect via their ProctorU account and the proctor/invigilator will bring them back into the examination. Time re-allocations will vary, depending on each case.
ERS takes no responsibility for the loss of internet connection during the examination so it is important that the candidate tests the internet connection and ensures connection is of high quality before the exam. We recommend candidates to take visual evidence of all issues they encounter, in case these are required for submission due to disputes or appeals.
All candidates are required to show a current official photographic identification to the proctor/ invigilator. This can be a national ID card, a passport, a drivers license. Candidate names must match the names on their myERS account as well as their ProctorU account.
No, it is against examination regulations to have any additional materials such as paper, pen, pencil on the desk during the examination.
Candidates are permitted to have a bottle of water on the desk – avoid using a cup or a glass which may cause accidents during the examination.
No eating is permitted during the examination unless for medical reasons, which the HERMES team must be informed in advance (hermes@ersnet.org).
Candidates are required to request permission from their proctor/invigilator to take a bathroom break. The time taken (must be less than 2 minutes) will be included within the 3 hours allocated to the examination.
We encourage all candidates to use the bathroom in advance of the examination. If there is a medical reason where more frequent bathroom breaks are required, please contact the HERMES Team (hermes@ersnet.org) before the exam.
*Important: Any unauthorised breaks taken without the consent of the proctor/invigilator may result in a disqualification and access to the examination may be disconnected.
No, it is against examination regulations to have any additional materials such as a calculator or any other devices. There is a calculator function available on the online exam platform.
Please use the on-screen chat function to engage with the proctor/invigilator. Please wait for the proctor/invigilator to respond. The proctor/invigilator is there to assist candidates with any technical issues during the examination.
We recommend candidates to take visual evidence of all issues they encounter, in case these are required for submission due to disputes or appeals.
Yes, please refer to their website ProctorU privacy policy
Yes, there is no difference in the validity of the examination.
European Diploma category applies to candidates who are already respiratory medicine specialists with a registered title. If you are in your final year of training (FYT) to become a respiratory medicine specialist, you can take also this category. Candidates need to submit a certificate issued by a recognised National Accreditation body/Medical Council or if you are an FYT, you will need to submit a Letter of Endorsement written by your training supervisor attesting to your training program activities and start to end dates.
In-training category is for those who are currently training to become a respiratory medicine specialist.
Self-Assessment category is for medical practitioners who want to take the test for knowledge building.
Only eligible ‘European Diploma’ candidates and Final-Year-Trainees (FYT) taking the ‘European Diploma’ category will be issued with the European Diploma.
FYT candidates will not be issued with their Diploma, until they provide a National Accreditation certificate. This is a certificate issued (after training completion) by a Medical Council or Ministry of Health, stating that you are registered and hold a qualification title of Respiratory Medicine Specialist.
This is a certificate issued (after training completion) by a Medical Council or Ministry of Health, stating that you are registered and hold a qualification title of Respiratory Medicine Specialist.
This is a Medical Licence issued by a Medical Council or Ministry of Health within the past 12 months, proving you are currently permitted to practice as a general medical practitioner.
This is a letter written letter by your current employer/hospital department head or training supervisor, supporting or attesting to your current role or training programme. The letter needs to be on the hospital letterhead, recently signed and dated. Letter of Endorsement Template.
If you have any queries relating to the HERMES examinations, please get in touch.
Contact us