EBOD Format, Scoring and Revision Planning

What the diploma examines

The European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma (EBOD) is EBO's comprehensive examination of ophthalmic knowledge and clinical judgement. It is distinct from EBO's FEBOS subspecialty examinations. Passing supports the FEBO qualification; national specialist registration remains a separate requirement. This guide prepares candidates for the comprehensive curriculum and does not predict the questions in a particular sitting.

The official curriculum covers basic science, optics, clinical ophthalmology, pathology, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology and general medicine relevant to eye care. Preventive care and medicolegal judgement also belong in clinical answers. A study plan limited to common surgical diagnoses therefore misses examinable material. For example, a cataract case may require interpretation of refraction, recognition of zonular disease and counselling about systemic treatment as well as a surgical plan.

Written and clinical components

The format introduced in May 2024 remains the applicable published structure at this review date:

Part I therefore contains 60 stems/questions and 180 answer decisions: 150 true/false statements and 30 SBA selections. Counting every true/false statement as a separate stem would give an incorrect impression of the paper. EBO awards one point for a correct true/false decision and zero for an incorrect or unanswered decision; there is no negative marking. A true/false stem should be approached statement by statement: accepting one proposition does not establish that its neighbours are true.

An SBA asks for the best response to its particular scenario. Read the requested decision before comparing options. A plausible diagnosis may lose to a more urgent action when the question asks for immediate management. Conversely, a management question is not answered merely by naming the underlying disease. Do not import details that the stem has not supplied to make a favourite answer fit.

The published onsite contingency allows 150 minutes for Part I if technical problems require paper answer sheets. This is a contingency, not the routine time allowance. Follow the instructions for the actual sitting rather than assuming a venue, device or paper arrangement from an older examination report.

The four clinical stations

There are two cases per station. These groupings are not separate published percentages for each disease. The overall 40:60 weighting between written and clinical parts must not be converted into invented retina, glaucoma or cornea weights. Use the complete curriculum to allocate revision time, then give additional practice to weaknesses demonstrated by recall and case performance.

Scaled marks and passing requirements

Part I contributes 40% and Part II 60% to the overall result, with 15% assigned to each clinical station in EBO’s detailed scoring algorithm. The published pass grade is 6. Part I must reach at least 6; an overall result of at least 6 is also required. A score below 6 is permitted in only one clinical station. EBO’s detailed scoring update specifies that both the written score and overall score must then be above 6. The ordinary written hurdle remains at least 6 when no station needs compensation. Two failed clinical stations cannot be rescued by a strong written result.

EBO rescales raw performance and assigns grade 6 to the benchmark corresponding to the candidate-group mean minus one standard deviation. This does not make grade 6 equivalent to a fixed raw 60%, nor does it publish a universal conversion formula for every possible raw mark. A practice-bank percentage is useful for tracking learning but cannot be substituted directly for an EBO scaled grade.

When an example supplies already-scaled aggregate part scores, the overall calculation is:

$$G=0.40G_I+0.60G_{II}.$$

For Part I 7.4 and aggregate Part II 6.2, the result is $2.96+3.72=6.68$. That calculation alone does not establish a pass: the individual clinical-station results still need checking. Part I 5.8 and Part II 8.0 would produce 7.12 overall but fail the mandatory written hurdle. Similarly, a candidate with one failed station and an overall grade exactly 6 does not satisfy the published compensation wording.

Using the format to prepare

A practical revision cycle combines recall, calculations and directed clinical answers. After studying a topic, explain its mechanism without the page open; solve a changed numerical example; then respond to a case asking only one decision at a time. Record whether an error arose from knowledge, interpretation, arithmetic or answering a different question. This makes subsequent revision specific rather than repeating an entire chapter indiscriminately.

For written practice, mark uncertain statements for review and return after completing material you can resolve confidently. No negative marking removes the scoring penalty for an incorrect response, but it does not justify careless reading. Time allocation is personal: 120 minutes divided by 60 stems is an average of two minutes per stem, while a five-statement stem usually needs more reading than a short SBA. These are planning calculations, not official timers imposed on individual questions.

Clinical rehearsal should include recognising findings, forming a justified differential and proposing an appropriate plan. Practise short, precise descriptions such as the location and layer of a corneal infiltrate or the congruity and laterality of a field defect. State uncertainty when the supplied evidence cannot distinguish diagnoses, and name the observation or investigation that would resolve it. See the final clinical-response section for worked approaches to directed questions.

Official references: EBO detailed scoring update, EBO examination structure and curriculum and recommended reading. Recheck candidate instructions before a sitting because delivery arrangements can change.