AACN-CMC Exam Information and Outline
Cardiac Medicine Subspecialty Certification
AACN-CMC Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the official AACN-CMC exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap, breaking down exactly which technical domains and skills will be tested. By reviewing the syllabus, you can identify your strengths and focus your study time on the areas where you need the most improvement.
The information below reflects the latest 2026 course contents as defined by AACN. We provide this detailed breakdown to help you align your preparation with the actual exam format, ensuring there are no surprises on test day. Use this outline as a checklist to track your progress as you move through our practice question banks.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
Exam Code: AACN-CMC
Exam Name: Cardiac Medicine Subspecialty Certification
Number of Questions: 90
Exam Type: Multiple-choice
Exam questions: 75 scored and 15 unscored
Passing Marks: 50 (out of 75 scored questions)
Time Allotted: 2 hours
I. CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS (23%)
- Cardiac Conditions
- Acute coronary syndrome (e.g.- STEMI- NSTEMI- unstable angina)
- Cardiac tamponade
- Cardiomyopathies
- Dysrhythmias
- Heart failure
- Hypertensive urgency or emergency
- Inflammatory and infectious conditions
- Pericardial effusion
- Pulmonary edema
- Syncope
- Valvular disorders
- Vascular Conditions
- Acute arterial occlusion
- Acute venous thrombosis
- Aortic aneurysm or dissection
- Hyperlipidemia
- Post-intervention vascular complication
II. NON-CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS (23%)
- Respiratory
- Acute pulmonary embolus
- Acute respiratory failure (e.g.- ARDS- ALI)
- Pleural space abnormalities (e.g.- pneumothorax)
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Sleep apnea
- Endocrine
- Adrenal disorders
- Diabetes mellitus
- Metabolic syndrome
- Thyroid disorders
- Hematology
- Coagulopathies
- Anemia
- Neurology
- Cerebrovascular accidents (stroke)
- Renal
- Acute kidney injury
- Chronic kidney disease
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Multisystem
- Multisystem organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)
- Shock states
- Non-cardiac chest pain
- Behavioral and Psychosocial
- Substance use and withdrawal
III. THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS (39%)
- Cardiac Procedures
- Right heart catheterization
- Left heart catheterization
- Percutaneous coronary interventions
- Pericardiocentesis
- Intra-aortic balloon pumps
- Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs)
- Percutaneous structural heart interventions
- Vascular Interventions
- Peripheral angiography and interventions
- Carotid angiography and interventions
- Endovascular grafts
- Catheter-directed thrombolysis
- Cardiovascular Pharmacology
- Antidysrhythmics
- Anticoagulants
- Diuretics
- Inotropes
- Platelet inhibitors
- Thrombolytics
- Vasoactive agents
- Electrophysiologic Interventions
- Temporary pacemakers
- Permanent pacemakers
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator
- External wearable defibrillator
- Ablation
- Cardioversion
- Defibrillation
- Respiratory
- Non-invasive ventilation
- Mechanical ventilation
- Renal
- Renal replacement therapy (e.g.- hemodialysis- CRRT- SCUF)
- Multisystem
- Targeted temperature management
- Palliative and end-of-life care
IV. MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS (16%)
- Cardiovascular
- Hemodynamic monitoring
- Echocardiography
- Electrocardiography (ECG)
- Laboratory testing
- Stress testing
- Remote cardiovascular monitoring (e.g.- dysrhythmia monitoring- pulmonary artery sensor)
- Respiratory
- Arterial blood gases (ABG)
- Mixed venous gases
- Pulse oximetry
- End-tidal capnography (EtCO2)
- Radiography