If you need help studying for the ARDMS Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free ARDMS SPI practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
How to Register
Exam Scores
Retaking the Exam
What Test-Takers Are Saying
FAQs
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the ARDMS Sonography Principles and Instrumentation exam, you’ll have to meet at least ONE of the prerequisites below:
Prerequisite 1
Allied Health Pathway
You need to complete a two-year allied health education program in a patient-care field.
Experience
You need at least 12 months of full-time ultrasound/vascular experience.
Prerequisite 2
Accredited Sonography Graduate Pathway
You need to be a graduate from or student of a CAAHEP/CMA/HSO-accredited ultrasound/vascular program.
Experience
No additional experience required.
Prerequisite 3A
Degree with Clinical Experience Pathway
You need to have a bachelor’s degree in any major.
Experience
You need at least 12 months of full-time ultrasound/vascular experience.
Prerequisite 3B
Degree in Sonography Pathway
You need to be a graduate from or student in a bachelor’s degree program specifically in sonography or vascular technology.
Experience
No additional experience required.
Prerequisite 4
Physician Pathway
You need to have an MD, DO, or MBBS degree.
Experience
You need to have at least 500 ultrasound/vascular cases over at least 6 months.
Prerequisite 5
Cross-Credentialing Pathway
You need to have an active credential in RCS, RCCS, RVS (CCI), Sonography/Vascular/Breast Sonography (ARRT), or CRGS, CRCS, CRVS (Sonography Canada).
Experience
You’ll have met the necessary clinical experience through your credentialing organization.
If you meet the requirements within one of these pathways, you’re set to begin the registration process!
What’s on the Exam?
There are 110 questions on the exam, which are grouped into four domains, and the time limit is 2 hours (this includes a 5-minute survey).
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the SPI exam.
1. Perform Ultrasound Examinations
23% of the exam
- Contrast agents
- Ergonomics
- Established imaging protocols
- General patient care standards
- The interaction of sound and matter
- Metric system of measurement
- Tissue density, penetration and depth
- Ultrasound limitations Knowledge of confidentiality and privacy guidelines
- Reviewing medical/surgical history
- Correcting imaging artifacts
2. Manage Ultrasound Transducers
7% of the exam
- The components of a transducer
- Frequency relationship in the selection of appropriate transducer
- Using different transducers
3. Optimize Sonographic Images
26% of the exam
- Frequency, PRF, PRP and pulse duration
- Pre- and post-processing techniques
- The principles of 2D imaging
- Sector widths
- The concepts of scan lines, line density, frames, and frame rate
- Optimizing image beyond scan preset
4. Apply Doppler Concepts
34% of the exam
- Doppler angle
- Doppler effect
- Doppler shift
- Hemodynamic principles
- Low flow areas
- Optimizing image in 2D color and Doppler
- Interpreting Doppler colors
- Identifying imaging artifacts
5. Provide Clinical Safety & Quality Assurance
10% of the exam
- Universal infection control protocols
- Documenting QA check on ultrasound machine
- Assessing transducer integrity
- Verifying ultrasound machine integrity
- Performing gray scale QA testing with tissue-mimicking phantoms
- Applying statistical parameter concepts
How to Register
Once you’ve ensured that you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can register for the exam.
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application on the ARDMS website. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the testing fee, which is $250.
ARDMS SPI Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score. This scaled score will range somewhere between 300 and 700.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test after a 60-day waiting period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
What Test-Takers Are Saying
Don’t just take our word for it! See what real test-takers are saying about the ARDMS SPI exam:
“I found the SPI questions to be a lot more simple than what I was expecting. Focus a lot on wall filter, doppler, persistence, temporal, lateral, and axial resolution, and phantoms!”
IntentionOpposite533
“I got a lot of resolution questions—I would say about 20-25 questions on axial, lateral and temporal resolutions. 10-12 questions on artifacts: reverberation, shadowing, acoustic enhancement, refraction, and side lobes. Got about 8-10 questions on aliasing, 5 questions on wall filter, about 6-7 questions on spatial and temporal (persistence).”
AirSantoNino23
“The majority of the test was on how to fix aliasing, wall filter, spatial/temporal compounding (they only used the word ‘persistence’ on my test so make sure you know alternative words), and lateral, axial, and temporal resolution.”
dreamygaze, RDMS
“I would focus on resolution (specifically lateral and temporal), wall filter, PRF, compounding, and just relationships in general. You’ll be asked what would affect the resolutions. How to fix aliasing and doppler artifacts. I had maybe 3 questions on artifacts, 2 on phantom, 1 on transducers.”
ProfessionalMeat2121, RDMS
FAQs
How many questions are on the ARDMS SPI exam?
The exam contains 110 questions.
What is the time limit for the ARDMS SPI exam?
The exam is timed at 2 hours.
What is the passing score for the ARDMS SPI exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 555 to pass.
How much does the ARDMS SPI exam cost?
The testing fee is $250.
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