CCI RCIS Certification Exam Syllabus

CCI RCIS syllabus for CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) preparation

Welcome to the official MedicoExam syllabus guide for the CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist certification. This page delivers a clear, structured overview of the CCI RCIS exam, including key exam details, syllabus topics, and preparation references to support effective study planning. The CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) is intended for professionals pursuing roles aligned with cardiac catheterization, with assessment centered on applied competencies such as diagnostic cardiac catheterization and hemodynamics, interventional cardiovascular procedures, patient safety and emergency/post-procedural care within real-world settings like cardiac catheterization laboratories, interventional cardiology departments, hospital cardiovascular procedure units.

The syllabus outline below reflects the core domains and expectations defined by the official CCI certification framework and aligns with the cognitive and professional standards assessed in the CCI RCIS exam. Candidates can use this guide alongside official vendor resources and structured practice to align their preparation with current exam standards and professional expectations for invasive cardiovascular technologists, cardiac catheterization nurses, radiologic technologists and related allied health professionals

CCI RCIS Exam Summary and Key Details

Exam Name	CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist
Credential	CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)
Vendor	Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)
Exam Code	RCIS » CCI RCIS Certification Practice Exam
Exam Delivery Mode	Computer-based examination at Pearson Professional Centers and Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centers, administered year-round subject to test-center availability
Exam Duration	180 mins
Number of Questions	170 questions (150 scored and 20 unscored)
Passing Score	650 (on a scale of 0-900)
Exam Price	$365 (USD)
Scheduling Window	90-day eligibility window after issuance of the Authorization to Test (ATT)
Schedule Exam	Pearson VUE
Trainings/Resources	- Moscucci, Mauro. Grossman and Baim’s Cardiac Catheterization, Angiography, and Intervention. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - Darovic, Gloria Oblouk. Hemodynamic Monitoring: Invasive and Noninvasive Clinical Application. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. - Kern, Morton J., Sorajja, Paul and Lim, Michael. The Cardiac Catheterization Handbook. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. - Watson, Sandy, and Kenneth A. Gorski. Invasive Cardiology: A Manual for Cath Lab Personnel. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Sample Questions	CCI RCIS Exam Sample Questions
Recommended Practice	CCI RCIS Certification Practice Exam

CCI RCIS Exam Syllabus Topics and Weighting

Topic Areas	Topic Details, Courses, Books	Weighting
Conducting Pre-Procedural Activities	- Prepare procedure/control room (e.g., set up equipment, radiation equipment, sterile technique, QC, QA) - Prepare patient and personnel for procedure - Review and validate patient or procedure information (e.g., medical records, lab values, time out, consent, patient status)	8%
Conducting Diagnostic Procedures	- Monitor vital signs of patients (e.g., heart rate, rhythm, blood pressure, respiratory rate, O2 saturation, ETCO2) - Assist with/perform left heart catheterization (e.g., coronary angiography, LV angiography) - Assist with/perform right heart catheterization (e.g., waveform analysis, hemodynamic calculations, endomyocardial biopsy) - Perform 12-Lead ECG analysis (e.g., infarct, bundle branch block, ischemia) - Assist with/perform intra-cardiac imaging procedures (e.g., ICE, identify structures) - Assist with/perform intra-vascular imaging procedures (e.g., IVUS, OCT, identify structures) - Identify structures on cardiac ultrasound images - Assist with/perform fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous fractional reserve (iFR) studies - Ensure radiation safety (e.g., time, distance, shielding, ALARA, C-arm/table geometry) - Assist with/perform radiographic procedures (e.g., set-up, positioning, operation) - Acquire/interpret radiographic images (e.g., cardiac, peripheral vascular) - Anticipate the need for pharmacologic intervention - Recognize pharmacologic effects of medications - Assist with/perform vascular access (e.g., femoral, radial, brachial, jugular, peripheral, ultrasound-guided access)	40%
Conducting Interventional Procedures	- Assist with/perform device implants (e.g., pacemaker, ICD, CRT devices, loop recorders) - Assist with/perform coronary interventions (e.g., balloon angioplasty, stenting) - Assist with/perform vascular closure devices - Assist with/perform complex coronary interventions (e.g., CTO, atherectomy, alcohol ablation) - Assist with/perform peripheral interventions (e.g., renals, lower extremities, vena cava filters, stenting) - Assist with/perform complex peripheral interventions (e.g., carotids, critical limb salvage, atherectomy) - Assist with/perform mechanical circulation support (e.g., IABP, LVAD, Impella, ECMO) - Assist with/perform insertion and operation of transvenous temporary pacemaker - Assist with/perform pericardiocentesis - Assist with/perform cardiac thrombectomy (mechanical and aspirational) - Assist with/perform peripheral thrombectomy (mechanical and aspirational) (e.g., thrombolysis) - Assist with/perform insertion of distal protection devices (e.g., cardiac, peripheral) - Assist with/perform nonvalvular structural heart therapies (e.g., septal defects, LAA) - Assist with/perform percutaneous valve interventions (e.g., valvuloplasty, TAVR, annuloplasty, paravalvular leak, valve repair)	34%
Responding to Emergency Procedures and Protocols	- Respond to emergency clinical presentations (e.g., STEMI, cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema, stroke) - Respond to intraprocedural coronary interventional complications (e.g., perforation, no reflow) - Respond to intraprocedural peripheral and structural heart complications (e.g., embolism, dissection, device migration, perforation) - Maintain and operate emergency equipment (e.g., defibrillator, code cart, suction, airway management)	13%
Conducting Post-Procedural Activities	- Assist with/obtain arterial and venous hemostasis - Manage access site complications (e.g., bleeding, occlusion) - Provide post-procedure patient education - Report and transfer of care	5%

The CCI RCIS certification exam is designed to assess both theoretical knowledge and applied professional judgment in cardiac catheterization. The exam evaluates competencies such as diagnostic cardiac catheterization and hemodynamics, interventional cardiovascular procedures, patient safety and emergency/post-procedural care, ensuring candidates are prepared for real-world responsibilities as invasive cardiovascular technologists, cardiac catheterization nurses, radiologic technologists and related allied health professionals working in settings such as cardiac catheterization laboratories, interventional cardiology departments, hospital cardiovascular procedure units.

To prepare effectively for the CCI Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist exam, candidates are encouraged to review official vendor materials, complete structured practice assessments, and gain hands-on experience relevant to their professional role.