A national analysis of the practice of Nuclear Cardiology was conducted in 1995 in order to define the responsibilities, tasks and knowledge necessary for physicians to practice in the field of Nuclear Cardiology. Other Practice Analyses were conducted in 2000, 2006, 2011 and 2017 to ensure that the content of the CBNC examination continues to reflect accurately current practice in Nuclear Cardiology. The data for the studies were collected from a cross section of specialists in the field. The analysis of the 2017 data was used to update the examination specifications and determine the content of the current examination.
The certification examination is composed of 160 multiple-choice questions. Examinees will have four (4) hours to complete the examination. This time includes five (5) minutes specifically allotted for the completion of the exit survey.
The recertification examination is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions. Examinees will have two and one-half (2½) hours to complete the examination. This time includes five (5) minutes specifically allotted for the completion of the exit survey.
Some questions include interpretation of images. Each question contains four options or choices, only one of which is the correct or best answer. Some questions on the examinations are being pilot tested and will not be scored.
The examination question pool is updated on a regular basis to reflect current knowledge. Individual questions are modified or deleted based on statistical analysis of the examination.