EpiFITE Examination

What is EpiFITE?

The Epilepsy Fellowship In-service Training Examination (EpiFITE) is an epilepsy-specific examination that enables program directors and fellows to determine if there are specific areas where more study and experience are needed.

EpiFITE assesses trainee knowledge of epilepsy treatment, identifies areas for growth, serves as practice for (and a mechanism to predict success on) other examinations (such as the ABPN Epilepsy Certification Exam), and provides benchmarking against other programs nationwide.

 

Important Dates

Mid-November 2023Registration opens
Tuesday, February 13, 2024Registration deadline
Wednesday, March 13 - Wednesday, March 20, 2024Testing period
Wednesday, April 3, 2024Results available

 

 

 

Exam Content and Length

 

Exam Topic Breakdown

  • Seizure Classification: 10%
    • Seizure semiology, epilepsy syndromes
  • EEG: 20%
    • Routine and ambulatory, long-term monitoring (EMU and ICU), intracranial
  • Evaluation: 20%
    • Epilepsy history and exam, genetics, chemical/metabolic/CSF testing, imaging, neuropsychological testing
  • Management: 35%
    • Overall principles, AEDs, ketogenic diet, brain stimulation and other treatments, surgical treatment, status epilepticus, comorbidities, and psychosocial issues
  • Mechanisms of the Epilepsies: 10%
    • Pathology and pathophysiology
  • Systems-based Practice Issues: 5%


EpiFITE FAQs

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General Information arrow_drop_down

What is the EpiFITE Examination?
The American Epilepsy Society offers an in-service training examination called EpiFITE. EpiFITE is an epilepsy-specific examination that will enable program directors and fellows to determine if there are specific areas where more study and experience are needed.

Why should my program register for EpiFITE?
Currently, EpiFITE is the only epilepsy-specific examination.  This exam will help epilepsy fellowship programs:

  • Assess trainee knowledge of epilepsy treatment
  • Identify areas for growth
  • Serve as a prediction for other examinations such as the ABPN Epilepsy Subspecialty Certification
  • Benchmark performance to peers nationally
What does the examination cover?
Exam content will follow the ABPN Subspecialty Certification in Epilepsy Medicine Content Blueprint and also be informed by the ACGME Epilepsy Milestones.
Pre-registration Information arrow_drop_down

How much does it cost? What payment types are accepted?
The EpiFITE examination fee is $99 per fellow. Please complete the online registration form to enroll your fellows.  The online registration form will be available on the EpiFITE webpage. Online credit card payment is accepted to ensure immediate registration for the exam.  

Can my program pay by check?
If you are unable to pay by credit card, then you may pay the registration fee by check.  All check registrations must be mailed or postmarked by Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Please contact education@aesnet.org for further assistance.

What is the refund policy for EpiFITE?

  1. Refunds may be requested until Friday, March 1, 2024. Refund requests made after this date will not be accepted.
  2. Emergency situations: AES recognizes that unforeseen emergencies may occur that directly influence a fellow’s ability to take the exam during the exam testing period. We will consider these situations on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact education@aesnet.org.

Who should submit the registration form for EpiFITE?
Only the program contact should submit the registration form. The program contact may be either the fellowship program director or program coordinator. This individual will be the primary contact with AES and receive all exam communications.

If my program is not-ACGME accredited, or not in the United States, are my fellows able to participate?
Yes, non-ACGME-accredited programs and international programs are permitted to register for the exam.

Post-Registration Information arrow_drop_down

I’m a program contact. What should I expect after registration?

  • Program contacts will be sent an invitation code one week prior to the exam; March 6, 2024.
  • This invitation code should be provided to fellows on the day they are scheduled to take the exam--do not provide the code to fellows prior to the exam date.
  • After registering your program for the exam, make sure that you have an AES account. An account is required to access the exam reports.

 

I don’t have an AES account. How do I create one?

  • To create an account, go to https://www.aesnet.org/login and click Create User.
    login
  • Complete all the required fields.
  • Make sure to use the same email address used to register as a program contact for the EpiFITE exam.

 

Do my fellows need to do anything after I register them?

  • All fellows registered for the exam must create an AES account (see steps above).
  • The fellows’ email must be the same email that the program contact used for registration. If the fellow uses a different email address than was used for registration, they will not be able to access the exam.
  • AES recommends that fellows create their account after registration and test the log-in information prior to their examination day (March 13 - March 20, 2024)
Exam Information arrow_drop_down

When is the testing period?
Program directors and/or coordinators will determine which date (between March 13 and 20) their fellows will take the exam. The exam closes at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. All fellows must take the exam on the same day, at the same time.

What are the proctoring procedures?

  • The examination must always be proctored, and the proctor should check participants in ahead of time.
    • Fellows should NOT be allowed in the room prior to the proctor. 
  • The program contact is responsible for ensuring the exam is proctored and deciding when to administer the exam during the testing window. 
  • On the date of the exam, the program contact should provide the fellows with the program invitation code.
  • All fellows at your institution must take the exam on the same day. 
    Fellows should have access to a computer and an internet connection. Any major Internet browser may be used to log in to the exam, and cookies must be enabled in the browser’s settings.
    • Onsite registration is NOT permitted, and no walk-ins are allowed.
  • This is not an open-book exam.  Fellows should not have anything on their desks. Textbooks, notes, and pocket guides are not allowed.  All cell phones and pagers should be turned into the proctor.

 

How do fellows access the exam?

  • On the exam day, fellows log in to https://lms.aesnet.org/
    • All fellows must have an AES account to access the exam
  • Fellows enter the program-specific invitation code and begin the exam


How long does the exam typically take?

The exam is estimated to take three hours to complete, but the anticipated average completion is two hours.  Please allow enough time for fellows to take the exam in a single session.  However, if they exceed three hours, the system will not lock them out. 

Post-exam Reporting arrow_drop_down

What feedback will fellows receive?
Upon completion of the exam, fellows may download their own electronic report. This report includes their score and discussion and references for any questions answered incorrectly. To download the report, they will need to log into the LMS site, navigate to the exam, and select REPORTS.

What feedback do programs receive?
The program contact will receive an email from AES with instructions on how to access the electronic downloadable diagnostic report for their fellows from the exam system April 3, 2024. 

Can anyone access the diagnostic report?
The program contact will have access to the reports. If the program director’s name and email were included on the registration form, they will be able to log in and access the report. Otherwise, only the program contact will be able to download the report.

Exam Development Process

Exam questions are developed by an expert faculty comprised of epilepsy professionals trained to develop coursework and examinations that challenge the knowledge, competence, and performance of epilepsy trainees.

Questions undergo a comprehensive review by a test development specialist to ensure the content is clearly written, educationally significant, and inclusive of necessary and relevant topics.

 

Exam Administration

EpiFITE is an online examination. Program directors or program coordinators proctor the exam to fellows at their home institutions during the designated testing period. More information can be found in the EpiFITE FAQs. 

 

Scoring and Reporting

Following the completion of the exam, participants will receive an electronic report that contains discussion and references for any questions answered incorrectly. 

Participating programs will be able to download a diagnostic report that includes comparisons to other programs.

 

Questions? Please contact education@aesnet.org