FREE RCIS Exam Guide 2026: CCI Format, Study Plan, Topics, and Practice
Video
In a right-dominant coronary circulation, which artery gives rise to the posterior descending artery (PDA)?
Cardiac Anatomy Physiology
Question · Easy
A current 2026 RCIS exam guide for cath lab candidates, with official CCI facts, eligibility, scoring, high-yield study topics, and free practice resources.
Blog
What must be confirmed during the pre-procedure time-out?
Pre-Procedural Activities
Flashcard
Which coronary artery is BEST visualized in a left anterior oblique (LAO) cranial projection?
Coronary Angiography
Question · Medium
Members of the procedural team do this to their hands and forearms with an antimicrobial soap for the manufacturer's recommended time before donning sterile gloves.
Pre-procedure preparation
Guess the Term
Introduction & Exam Overview
1.1 Current RCIS Exam Facts
Study guide
Cheat sheet
Which test is performed BEFORE radial artery access to confirm dual blood supply to the hand?
Diagnostic Catheterization
Read the clue and guess the term in 6 tries.
Game
Why review renal function before iodinated contrast?
A pulmonary artery catheter measurement records a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) of 22 mmHg. This MOST likely reflects which condition?
To reduce aspiration risk before procedural sedation, patients abstain from food and drink for a minimum period by doing this.
Which catheter is preferred for left ventriculography to permit power injection of contrast without recoil?
What is the purpose of a radial collateral-circulation assessment?
TIMI flow grade 2 is BEST described as which of the following?
Pressure-derived index measured during maximal hyperemia that compares pressure beyond a coronary narrowing with aortic pressure; readings above about 0.75 to 0.80 are non-ischemic.
Coronary physiology
1.2 Eligibility Pathways & Documentation
Per current AHA/ACC and ESC guidelines, which vascular access site is associated with LOWER bleeding and mortality in primary PCI for STEMI?
Swap tiles to line up three of the same term.
Term Match
What should a baseline cath-lab assessment establish?
Which guide catheter shape is MOST commonly used to engage a left main coronary artery with normal aortic root anatomy during PCI?
Pci Coronary Intervention
Resting pressure index measured during a quiet part of diastole; a reading below 0.89 is considered ischemic.
Which guidewire category is specifically designed for crossing chronic total occlusions (CTOs)?
Question · Hard
What does the aortic pressure waveform represent?
Diagnostic Procedures
A patient with severe aortic stenosis has a peak instantaneous transvalvular gradient. Using the modified Bernoulli equation, what is the gradient if peak velocity across the valve is 4.5 m/s?
Hemodynamics Cardiac Physics
Catheter-based imaging that uses a transducer at its tip to produce cross-sectional views of the coronary artery and guide stent sizing.
Intracoronary imaging
1.3 Examination Matrix & Study Plan
Which RAO caudal or AP caudal projection is also called the 'spider view' and is BEST for visualizing the left main bifurcation and ostia of LAD/LCx?
Flip two cards at a time to find matching terms.
Term Pairs
What creates the right-atrial a wave?
A patient is given unfractionated heparin for a PCI. What target activated clotting time (ACT) is appropriate during the procedure?
Pharmacology Emergencies
Intracoronary imaging that uses echoes of backscattered light, with resolution one to two orders of magnitude finer than intravascular ultrasound.
Which of the following is the FIRST priority of the RCIS when the patient suddenly develops ventricular fibrillation on the cath lab table?
What creates the right-atrial v wave?
An intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is timed to inflate at which point of the cardiac cycle?
Structural Heart Other Interventions
Radiation-protection principle applied in the cath lab through time, distance and shielding to limit dose to patients and staff.
Radiation safety
Pre-Procedural Room Setup & Sterile Technique
2.1 Procedure & Control Room Setup
Which iodinated contrast medium type is preferred in cardiac catheterization for the lowest osmolality and adverse-event profile?
Radiation Safety Sterility Equipment
Find five hidden terms in a grid of letters.
Term Search
How is cardiac output calculated by the Fick principle?
Which of the following is the MOST important strategy to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with eGFR <60 mL/min?
Buildup of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances that hardens in arteries and narrows them.
Coronary anatomy
An RCIS is calculating Qp:Qs by oximetry to assess a possible left-to-right shunt. Qp:Qs greater than which value generally indicates a clinically significant shunt warranting closure consideration?
What can an oxygen-saturation step-up indicate?
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