ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine

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ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine 2026

Part I MCQ exam:

60 MCQ questions

• Remote exam
  When? Friday, 10 April 2026 – 10.00 am-11.30 am CET
  Where? Remote exam, the candidate will be expected to take the exam from home/office
  Apply now: Click here
  Application deadline: Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Part II viva exam:

• When? Saturday, 11 April 2026
  Where? Dhaka, Bangladesh, before the BSSP Annual Pain Conference (registration mandatory)
  Apply now: Click here
  Application deadline: Wednesday, 11 March 2026

• New viva centres to be opened, subject to worldwide demand. In case of interest, you can find the terms & conditions to host the ESRA-DPM viva exam here.

* The ESRA-DPM Board reserves the right to close the applications if the maximum capacity is reached before the closing date.

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The ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine Part 1 Examination

Pre-requisites:

The applicants must fulfil the following requirements:

1      The applicant has been in an official anaesthesiology training program before applying for the examination

2      The applicant must provide evidence of training in pain medicine for at least 6 months

3      The applicant is an ESRA member, with valid membership

4      The applicant must have good command of English (as demonstrated at the examination)

One full ESRA annual congress registration is mandatory to be eligible for the part 2 examination, candidates can either provide a certificate of attendance of a previous ESRA annual congress or a confirmation of registration that they are attending the congress when sitting the part 2. A registration for one day only is not enough, the entire congress needs to be attended.

 

Applicants who are already practicing as specialists or consultants at their institution need to produce a letter from the chair of the department or employer specifying that they are engaged in sessions of chronic pain management.

Part I:

• Will be a 60 MCQ paper with a stem and 5 possible answers. Candidates will be asked to distinguish  True and False statements.
  
• There will be no negative marking for candidates who choose the wrong answer.
  
• The questions will be set to reflect a broad pain curriculum and will be weighted to represent the importance of an area of the curriculum as viewed by the examination faculty.
• The examination faculty will be responsible for setting agreeing and refreshing a bank of MCQ pain questions to serve as the basis for the Part 1.

Part 1 Examination will be compulsory for all candidates.

The ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine Part 2 Examination:

Part II – Oral and Practical Examination (Viva + ACEP)

• Part 2 now consists of two integrated components: the traditional Viva (oral examination) and the new Assessment of Clinical Expertise in Pain (ACEP) practical examination, introduced from September 2026.

Viva (Oral Examination):

• Consists of 1  viva questions centred on  a clinical scenario that will be predetermined for the examiners by the faculty.
• The examiners will be allowed a number of open guiding questions to guide the candidate through a scenario.
• The scenario will not be set rigidly neither will the examiners be given marking scenarios.
• 2 viva examiners will conduct the examination of each candidate. There might be an observer as well.

ACEP (Practical Examination):

The ACEP practical examination consists of three distinct skill stations, each lasting up to 10 minutes:

• Clinical Assessment Skills:

Candidates perform a focused physical examination/ clinical assessment relevant to pain management on a simulated patient or model.

• Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Skills:

Candidates demonstrate recognition of key anatomical structures and targets, as well as correct probe handling and procedural technique for performing ultrasound-guided interventions on a live model.

• Fluoroscopy-Guided Interventional Skills:

Candidates are assessed on their understanding of radiation safety, ability to interpret fluoroscopic images, and precision in performing procedures on a cadaver or high-fidelity phantom.

Each station is objectively scored by two independent ESRA-DPM examiners using standardised marking rubrics. Examiners undergo regular training and calibration to ensure consistent and fair assessment across all examination sessions.

Implementation

The ACEP Practical Examination will be introduced in the upcoming examination cycle, commencing at the 43rd ESRA Annual Congress in Lisbon, Portugal (9–12 September 2026), and will thereafter be held at additional international centres according to the published schedule.

Please note that the third ACEP component will be introduced in Lisbon in September 2026, and that in Dhaka the examination will be conducted only under the old system — a viva exam with two viva questions.

Key Information

• Candidates must pass the written examination (MCQs) to be eligible for the oral (Viva) and practical (ACEP) components.
• Those who have completed the written examination (MCQs) before 10 April 2026 may choose between the previous format (two Viva sets) or the new format (one Viva and ACEP).
• To be awarded ESRA-DPM candidates must pass both VIVA and ACEP components
• Comprehensive details on registration, venues, schedules, and examination guidelines—including the list of required procedures—will be available on the ESRA-DPM website.

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Examination fees:

The examination fee for part I is €350 (€350/sitting) and part II is €1000(€1000/sitting) and must be paid in advance upon confirmation of application. Please note that cheques are not accepted.

Cancellation policy

• A withdrawal request submitted to the Examination Office before the closing date of applications is entitled to a refund of the exam fee, minus the administration fee of €150, which is automatically deducted from the refund.
• A withdrawal request submitted after the closing date of applications is not entitled to any refund.
• In exceptional circumstances a transfer request may be granted, if there is a serious medical condition that prevents the candidate sitting the examination and the request reaches the Exams Office no later than 2 weeks prior to the first date of the exam.
• Transfer requests received after that date will not be entertained.
• Transfer requests due to visa difficulties and/or postal delays will not be entertained.
• Refunds will only be processed after the examination.
• The administration fee is non-refundable.

Curriculum:

Click here to access the full syllabus with the list of topics for candidates to prepare for the examination. This document is the summary of clinical conditions that the candidate should have, the knowledge and skills to diagnose and manage chronic pain patient in pain medicine practice.

Regulations:

Click here to access the regulations. This document provides information regarding training, curricula and exam regulations for the European Diploma in Pain Medicine Management (ESRA-DPM) of the European Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Therapy.

Preparation Sessions:

Click here to access the ESRA Academy with your ESRA membership credentials and find webcasted presentations from our experts to help you be ready for your exam.

Committee members:

Chair:

Andrzej Krol, UK

Vice-Chairs:

• Eric Buchser, Switzerland
• Athmaja Thottungal, UK

Members:

• Gaurav Chhabra, UK
• Gustavo Fabregat, Spain
• Senthil Jayaseelan, UK
• Anu Kansal, UK
• Maurizio Marchesini, Italy
• Vaishali Wankhede, Switzerland

Ex-Officio Board Member:

• Eleni Moka, Greece

Click here to access the terms of reference.

 

Diplomates:

The list of diplomates is available here.

Please check the Code of Ethics and Communication policy for ESRA Diplomas candidates