EDAIC Exam: Dates, Format, Eligibility and Preparation

Key facts

EDAIC overview

The European Diploma in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (EDAIC) is awarded by the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC). It is a multilingual, two-part examination covering basic sciences and clinical subjects relevant to specialist anaesthesiologists. You must pass both parts to receive the diploma.

EDAIC exam format: Part I and Part II

Part I: written multiple true/false papers

Part I has two papers, each with 60 stems followed by five statements to mark true or false. Paper A covers basic sciences; Paper B covers clinical anaesthesia and intensive care. Each paper lasts 120 minutes, or 90 minutes at designated computer centres. Each correct response earns a mark; incorrect and blank responses carry no penalty.

Part II: structured oral examinations

Part II consists of four 25-minute structured oral examinations (SOEs) in one day. The morning sessions focus on basic sciences and the afternoon sessions on clinical topics. Each session has two examiners. Candidates receive a short written prompt 10 minutes before the examination begins; clinical sessions may include diagnostic images.

EDAIC dates and registration

2026 dates and registration

The 2026 Part I sitting was Saturday 19 September. The individual registration deadline was 11 June; some national-authority registrations had an earlier deadline of 12 May. Both deadlines have passed.

The 2026 Part II registration deadline was 2 February, and registration is closed. Remaining scheduled sittings are:

• 24–25 October: English
• 31 October–1 November: Cairo
• 6–8 November: French/English
• 20–22 November: German/English
• 30 November–1 December: Portuguese/English, Brazilian time
• 11–13 December: Turkish/English

ESAIC has not announced the 2027 exam dates or registration windows. Part I is held annually in September, while Part II has several sittings during the year. Registration fees vary by country category and membership; see ESAIC’s fee table.

EDAIC eligibility requirements

Candidates of any nationality may apply. For Part I, you must be a medical graduate. For Part II, you must have passed Part I and either hold a specialist anaesthesiology diploma that allows full, unrestricted practice in the country where it was issued, or be in the final year of anaesthesiology training in a European member state of the World Health Organization or in Brazil. Final-year candidates must provide the required training confirmation; ESAIC must receive the final specialist diploma before awarding the EDAIC.

ESAIC recommends taking Part I after three years of anaesthesiology training and Part II after five years. These are recommendations, not formal entry requirements.

EDAIC syllabus and subject areas

EDAIC assesses knowledge across a broad range of anaesthesiology and intensive care subjects. ESAIC’s candidate guidance describes expected knowledge areas but does not present them as a complete, fixed list of examination questions.

• Basic sciences: anatomy; pharmacology; physiology and biochemistry; physics, measurement and equipment; and statistics.
• Clinical anaesthesiology: preoperative assessment; general and regional anaesthesia; obstetric and other specialist anaesthesia; perioperative care; monitoring; and complications.
• Emergency medicine and resuscitation: immediate care, trauma and resuscitation.
• Intensive care: assessment and management of critical illness, including respiratory and circulatory failure, sepsis, fluid and electrolyte problems, renal failure and multi-organ failure.
• Pain: pain physiology, acute and chronic pain management, multidisciplinary care and palliative symptom control.

The oral examination spans the same broad basic-science and clinical range as Part I. Candidates are also expected to follow major developments in anaesthesia, pain medicine and intensive care.

EDAIC pass mark, scoring and results

Part I standard

ESAIC does not set one permanent numerical pass mark for Part I. The pass mark varies slightly from year to year with the standard of the papers and candidate performance. You must pass both papers; a strong result in one cannot compensate for failing the other. Candidates receive a report showing performance by paper and subject area.

Part II standard and results

Part II uses fail, borderline and pass marks. To pass, you need at least 25/40 in the morning sessions, 25/40 in the afternoon sessions, and 60/80 overall. Examiners review the marks at the end of the examination day, and results are shared that day.

How to prepare for EDAIC

For Part I, alternate basic-science and clinical revision rather than leaving one paper until the end. Practise timed sets in the five-statement MTF format, decide whether each statement is true or false independently, and keep separate records of weak areas in Paper A and Paper B. Include statistics, physics and measurement alongside the clinical subjects.

For Part II, practise speaking through a structured assessment and management plan, not just recalling facts. Rehearse the 10-minute preparation period and four-session sequence, and include image interpretation in clinical practice. Broad knowledge matters: the pass standard requires minimum scores in both halves of the day as well as overall.

ESAIC offers resources including the EDAIC Trainer, the Basic and Clinical Sciences Anaesthetic Course, the Viva Course, OLA/HOLA and ESAIC Academy materials. See ESAIC’s EDAIC preparation resources. For a detailed study plan, read Navigating the EDAIC Journey.

More preparation advice: Navigating the EDAIC Journey: From Aspiring Anesthesiologist to Certified Professional

Frequently asked questions

References

Exam rules, dates and fees change. Always confirm the details with the awarding body before you apply.