The examination is designed using the consensus-based European respiratory medicine syllabi published in Breathe.
The questions selected for the examination are mapped to examination blueprints for respiratory medicine, which show all topics covered in the examination and the average percentage of questions devoted to each of these topics.
While other exam preparation tools may be available, they are not endorsed by the ERS and may not fully align with the assessment design. However, we still encourage candidates to adopt a broad approach to study.
The following ERS resources are recommended for your examination preparation. More detailed information will be provided as a guidebook once registration has been completed.
Important information:
For the adult examination:
For the paediatric examination:
ERS offers national and regional societies and other institutions a variety of opportunities to partner with the HERMES programme. By entering their members into the examinations as part of the final-year national exit examination, they implement European-standard assessment and training as part of their educational activities.
Group discount is available. For more information, please contact the HERMES Team.
The examination category you choose will depend on your eligibility.
You are eligible for this category if you are:
Successful Diplomates will receive a PDF softcopy of the HERMES European Diploma. Find out more about how to order a hard copy.
OR
You are a Final-Year-Trainee (FYT) finalising your national programme, soon to be issued with a Nationally Accredited certificate by a Medical Council or Ministry of Health (within 12 months of examination date).
If you successfully pass the HERMES examination, you will be acknowledged accordingly but you will only be issued with the HERMES European Diploma once you submit evidence of a Nationally Accredited certificate issued by a Medical Council or Ministry of Health.
You are eligible for this category if you are:
This category is open to all medical practitioners.
A four-month-old boy was admitted with severe bronchiolitis. He required nasal CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) and 50% oxygen to maintain adequate saturations. He was discharged home after 7 days. Over the next 18 months he continued to have recurrent episodes of respiratory difficulty and wheeze whenever he had an intercurrent respiratory tract infection. These episodes were not responsive to short courses of oral corticosteroids or inhaled bronchodilators. His chest X-ray showed patchy areas and persistent hyperinflation. He was wheezy even between acute episodes.
Which of the following was the most likely cause of his persistent symptoms?
(A) Adenovirus type 7
(B) Chlamydia trachomatis
(C) Human metapneumovirus
(D) Mycoplasma pneumoniae
(E) Respiratory syncytial virus
Correct answer: A
Which of the following statements concerning benign asbestos pleural effusion is/are true?
(A) The presence of hemorrhagic fluid almost always indicates malignancy.
(B) The latency period between exposure to asbestos and onset of disease is the same for mesothelioma and benign pleural effusion.
(C) It rarely produces diffuse pleural thickening.
(D) The predominant cell on cytologic examination of pleural fluid is the lymphocyte.
Correct answer: – – + – (i.e. A, B, D false; C true)
All candidates must have a myERS account.
We use a platform specifically designed for computer-based assessments (hosted by CYIM), combined with live human invigilation services (by ProctorU). This means your computer and webcam will be accessed by the system and a live proctor/invigilator will uphold the examination regulations and procedures. You can take the online examination at home or in an office, with reliable internet connection and laptop/PC.
Each candidate must create an account and schedule their examination with ProctorU, by booking an exam session. ProctorU is a company that specialises in invigilating exams remotely and they will be directly monitoring you throughout the exam to assist with any technical problems.
Please watch the videos below – this will help you to familiarise yourself with the layout of the platform in advance of the examination.
For more information please refer to the ProctorU website for full details on this process.
IMPORTANT: Please follow the guidelines and tutorials to ensure that you have a good understanding of the requirements and policies before registering for the Online exam.
The examinations are accredited by the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) and endorsed by the Council for European Specialist Medical Assessments – Union of European Medical Specialists (CESMA- UEMS). Each candidate will gain the following continuing medical education (CME) credit points:
European Diploma category: (Qualified pulmonologists & Final-Year-Trainees)
In-training or Self-Assessment category: