Information on the Core Surgical Exam 2025
- Organizer
Basic examination association for surgical specialist training
- Realization
Examination board for the core surgical exam
- Date
Saturday, 25 october 2025
- Time
approx. 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM
- Location
University of Bern
- Language
English
- Examination fee
The exam fee is CHF 600.00 for one-time participation.
An additional CHF 200.00 will be charged for late (01.09.2025 - 10.09.2025) or incomplete registrations!- Registration
April 25 - August 31, 2025
Please note that the regular registration deadline is 31.08.2025. A processing fee of CHF 200.00 will be charged for late registration (possible until 10.9.2025).Registrations after 10.09.2025 can no longer be considered for organizational reasons.
Please note:
Registration (online only) is only valid once the examination fee has been paid.- Authorization
The core surgical exam is intended to evaluate the basic knowledge that is important for every surgical specialty, i.e. the so-called “common trunk”. For this reason, at least one year of clinical practice is recommended when registering for the examination.
For candidates for a specialist title, the conditions set out in Article 23 of the WBO apply to admission.
- Further training regulations (WBO)
Information on the continuing education programs of the specialist societies can be found at the specialist societies or at SIWF / ISFM
- Preparation
To prepare for the Core Surgical Exam, we recommend the e-learning from the Core Surgical Curriculum, as well as the preparation courses organized by the Swiss College of Surgeons.
- Documents
Handout
In the document linked above you will find further information on the correct procedure for completing and submitting the exam. You will also be provided with a printed copy of the handout at the examination.- Resignation
No refunds will be made in the event of withdrawal from the examination. In the event of deregistration and non-attendance at the examination, the full amount remains due, regardless of the reason.
Core Surgical Exam and/or Core Surgical Curriculum
Since 2024, various further training programs in surgical fields have stated that either the Core Surgical Exam and/or the Core Surgical Curriculum can be taken for the first part of the examination. This means that the Core Surgical Exam is not required if a corresponding CSC certificate can be presented.
You can find out which further training programs this regulation already applies to on the website of the Swiss Institute for Further and Continuing Education (https://www.siwf.ch/weiterbildung/facharzttitel-und-schwerpunkte.cfm).
If nothing is specified in the training program of the desired specialization, the Core Surgical Exam still applies.
Regulations
The Core Surgical Exam is based on the regulations of the SIWF Training Regulations (WBO), the training programs and is committed to the scientific criteria of a professional medical examination.
The following regulations were issued on 8 March 2024 by the Examination Board of the Association for the Basic Examination for Specialist Training in Surgery and approved by the Board of the Association on 8 March 2024.
Realization regulations
The realization regulations are part of the examination regulations and describe the details of the procedure.
Passing limit
The pass mark will be determined in 2024 following the introduction of the new exam content and the amendment of the CSC regulations by means of a standard setting according to the scientifically recognized Hofstee** method. This is based on estimated values (minimum and maximum pass mark, minimum and maximum failure rate) of the examination board, which are mathematically and graphically transferred to the current distribution of points. To ensure a constant level of requirements, a comparison is also made with the pass thresholds of previous years.
**Livingston, Samuel A. & Zieky Michael J. (1982), Passing Scores, A Manual for setting standards of performance on educational and occupational tests, Educational testing Service; USA.
Bloch R, Hofer D, Krebs, R., Schläppi, P., Weiss, S., Westkämper, R. & Jakob, L. Competent testing. Handbook for planning, conducting and evaluating specialist examinations. Institute for Education, Training and Continuing Education IAWF. Berne: 1999
The evaluation and statistical/technical processing is ensured through cooperation with the Institute for Medical Education (IML) in Bern. For over 40 years, it has offered examination services primarily in medical education and training, but also in a variety of non-medical areas. It currently supervises over 200 written and practical examinations, including the federal examinations for the university medical professions (human medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, chiropractic) for the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH.