Examination Development, Scoring and Security

​All ARDMS examinations go through a rigorous and labor-intensive process to ensure that they accurately and thoroughly assess the knowledge and skills of medical professionals. In fact,  developing a new one — from what to test to how to score it — requires an examination development process that can take up to several years.

Examinations for sonographers do not consider, are not based upon, and should not be construed to be either a measurement of diagnostic assessment tasks as utilized by licensed physicians or an evaluation of the competency of a practicing physician using ultrasound for diagnosis.

Non-Discrimination: ARDMS complies with all applicable non-discrimination laws.

Based on seat availability, you can register at a testing center and take the following on-demand and year-round ARDMS examinations:

• Abdomen (AB)
• Adult Echocardiography (AE)
• Breast (BR)
• Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN)
• Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI)
• Vascular Technology (VT)

ARDMS windowed examinations are available during two one-month periods each year. Visit each link to determine when you can apply for and take a specific windowed examination.

• Fetal Echocardiography (FE)
• Midwife Sonography (MW)
• Musculoskeletal (MSKS)​​
• Pediatric Echocardiography (PE)
• Pediatric Sonography (PS) 

If you take an on-demand examination, you can get preliminary results at the testing center immediately after taking it. Note that all results are subject to final review and acceptance by ARDMS. Your final results will be posted to MY ARDMS. 

If you take a windowed examination, you will receive an email with information on how to retrieve your final results from MY ARDMS approximately two months after the testing period ends.

We do not release results by phone, fax or email. To learn more, visit Notification of Results and Scoring.

ARDMS examinations are PASS/FAIL. Pass rates for first-time takers and retakers vary by examination. You can view examination statistics for the past several years. You can view examination statistics for the past three years by visiting the examination page under Get Certified.

You will also receive a scaled score, ranging from 300 to 700. A scaled score of 555 is required to pass.

The scaled score is not a percentage of correct answers, nor is it built on a "curve" (a certain percentage of scores pass and a certain percentage fail). To learn more, visit Notification of Results and Scoring.

ARDMS takes examination security seriously. We do not tolerate cheating during or after the examination (when you might be tempted to share specific information about the examination with others).

If we receive a report of potential cheating, we will initiate a formal investigation that may include legal action and a court case.

To learn more, visit ARDMS Examination Security.