The FE examination assesses the knowledge, skills and abilities in the areas of normal and abnormal fetal cardiac anatomy, physiology, pathology and hemodynamics before delivery.

Applicants may pursue the FE specialty under either the R​DMS or RDCS credential. Once the FE examination is taken under the selected credential, it cannot be switched.

As a windowed examination, scores for the FE examination will be available approximate 60 days after the close of the administration. For more information, review the “Scoring” tab.

We periodically conduct an FE Job Task Analysis (JTA) and update the FE examination to reflect the frequency and importance of FE tasks being performed by Sonography Professionals.

The latest FE JTA was conducted in 2012. Click to view the 2012 FE JTA Results.

The FE examination is three hours and contains 150 multiple-choice questions, which include hotspot questions. The hotspot questions​ are Advanced Item Type questions​ that assess and measure your practical sonography skills.

In order to earn the RDMS or RDCS credential with an FE specialty, you must pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination and the FE examination within five years.

After passing the SPI examination, you can earn additional credentials without having to retake the SPI examination, provided you maintain active status.

Note: The FE Examination is a windowed examination. Therefore, it is only offered during select periods of the year. Please refer to the “Schedule” tab for upcoming dates.

​ARDMS functions under policies intended to demonstrate impartiality, high ethical standards and validity of its certification assessments. ARDMS does not restrict Applicants, Candidates or becoming a Registrant based on limiting conditions, such as membership of an association or professional society of any organization. ARDMS will not unfairly impede or inhibit access to its certification to Applicants, Candidates or Registrants who meet our stated policies regarding qualification requirements, renewal requirements and/or passing ARDMS’ psychometrically sound certification assessments. 

​To earn an RDMS, RDCS, RVT or RMSKS credential, you must pass the SPI examination and a corresponding specialty examination within five years, regardless of sequence. This five-year rule does not apply if you are seeking additional specialties under a credential already earned or if you have already earned a credential with the SPI examination. If you do not complete both examinations within the five-year period, you must retake the examination previously passed.

The five-year rule is based on the calendar year (January 1 through December 31). The five-year period begins the day you pass the first examination, and it includes any time that remains in that year plus the next five years. For example, a candidate who passed the first ARDMS examination on June 6, 2010, is required to pass the second examination by December 31, 2015.

Click to view the SPI Requirement and General Prerequisites​.

If you are a Re-applicant, visit the “Apply” tab.

​When applying for the FE examination, if your prerequisite selection requires documentation of clinical experience, please note that application letter(s) must:

     • Be an original, official letter with the address and telephone number indicated
     • Include the current date (mm/dd/yyyy)
     • State actual dates of employment or program
     • Contain original signatures (stamped and/or computer generated signatures are not
       acceptable); letters cannot be signed by a relative of the applicant
     • Provide a physician’s medical license number or chief sonographer’s/technologist’s
       ARDMS number (hand signed; stamped or computer generated signatures will not be
       accepted)

Employment letters must indicate full-time or part-time training/experience AND must include the total number of paid clinical hours.

Program completion letters must include the total number of hours in the program and state individually, the number of didactic and clinical hours in the program.

​Provided are some sample letters that may correspond with your prerequisite requirements: 

General Application Sample Letters:​
     • Prerequisite 2 Sample Letter
     • Student Prerequisite 3B Sample Letter
     • Graduate Prerequisite 3B Sample Letter
     • Employer Sample Letter
     • Program Completion Sample Letter
     • Residency Fellowship Completion Sample Letter

Patient Log

     • Patie​nt Log

     • International

Standard Clinical Verification forms are intended for applicants residing in the U.S or Canada. International Clinical Verification forms are intended for applicants residing outside the U.S. or Canada. Please note that the home address on record at the time of application submission is the basis for determining which form to use.

​Degrees earned internationally must be evaluated prior to selecting a prerequisite. We require a course by course evaluation. Click for a complete list of Evaluation Agencies for International Degrees.

Applicants that have passed all three parts of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) certification may submit a copy of the ECFMG® certificate with a copy of an active MD or DO license from the U.S. or Canada in lieu of the evaluation.

Based on your prerequisite or requirement selection, you must submit the necessary supporting documentation within 21 days of submitting your online application.

Once you are ready to apply for an ARDMS examination, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to MY ARDMS and choose the "Apply Online" option.
   
2. Complete the online application form and submit payment. If you are a first-time applicant, you are required to choose a general prerequisite under which to apply.
3. Gather the required supporting documentation.
4. Submit your supporting documentation for receipt within 21 days of applying online. You may do this by mail or by submitting through MY ARDMS. Review of your application can take up to five business days from receipt of documentation in the office.

For more details, please visit the ARDMS How to Apply Guide​​​​​​​. For a copy of this guide, complete the How to Apply Guide Request.

Once we have reviewed your information, we will email you with either an Examination Confirmation Letter (ECL) or a request for additional documentation. When you receive the ECL, you may contact Pearson VUE to schedule an examination appointment during your eligibility period.  The eligibility period will be available on your ECL or you may click here to view the current FE examination administration dates. 

If you are found ineligible to take the examination, your application will be partially refunded (less the $100 USD processing fee per examination) and your documentation will be mailed back to you.

​The FE examination fee is $250 USD, which includes a $100 USD non-refundable processing fee.

If you take an ARDMS examination at an international test center (outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico), you will be charged an additional non-refundable $100 USD fee when you schedule your examination. This fee is subject to change without notice.

​The application checklist is a helpful, online tool that lets you track the status of your submitted application. To view it, log into MY ARDMS and visit "Application Checklist" from the "Application Center" drop down menu.

Once we have reviewed your documentation, you can find out what documentation we accepted and what additional documentation we may still need by selecting “View Checklist.” If “View Checklist” is not available, it simply means we have not yet reviewed your documentation. 

You can also use the following checklist to ensure that you are submitting all the required documentation:
     • ARDMS General Ap​plication Checklist

​If you are found eligible to take an examination, we will email you an Examination Confirmation Letter (ECL) within one to two days of application approval and you will be able to schedule your appointment at that time. The ECL will also be posted to your MY ARDMS  account and will include your eligibility period to schedule and take your examination.

​If you need special accommodations, please select "Yes” for “Special Accommodations” in the application and submit the following along with your completed application:

     • An original copy of a letter dated within the past five years and typed on official
       letterhead from a qualified physician or health care provider who specializes in the
       disability. This letter must document the disability and its severity, describe the
       applicant's limitation due to the disability and state exactly what accommodations are
       recommended. The letter must contain an original signature and the physician's or
       provider’s credentials.
     • An original copy of a comprehensive medical evaluation/report of the diagnosed
       disability from the physician or health care provider, dated within the past five years.
     • A completed Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Special Acco​mmod​ations
       Questionnaire, which must be submitted each time you apply for an examination.

For more information, visit Americans with Disabilities Act.

​The FE examination is only offered during select periods of the year. See schedule below.

*NOTE: Application window closes at midnight EST.

Once your FE application has been approved, an Examination Confirmation Letter (ECL) will be emailed to you so that you can schedule an appointment with Pearson VUE – ARDMS’ official testing vendor. The ECL will include your eligibility period based on the set administration dates and you are encouraged to schedule promptly to ensure availability.

If you have not done so already, visit Pearson VUE to:
     • Create a Pearson VUE account
     • Search for seat availability
     • Locate a test center
     • Schedule an examination
     • Contact Pearson VUE Customer Service

If you are taking the examination at an international test center (outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico), a $100 USD non-refundable fee and Value Added Tax (VAT) will be charged by Pearson VUE. All international scheduling fees and associated VAT will be charged at the time the examination is scheduled. The fees and associated VAT are subject to change without notice, and they are non-refundable.

​To reschedule the date and time of your examination during your eligibility period, you must contact Pearson VUE (1-877-258-9220) at least 96 hours prior to the scheduled examination date and time.

Please note: This is a windowed examination and extensions are not available.  You can reschedule your appointment for another time within your stated eligibility period.  However, if you cannot take it within your stated eligibility period, please follow the cancellation procedure.

​To cancel an examination appointment, you must contact Pearson VUE (1-877-258-9220) and cancel the scheduled appointment no later than 96 hours prior to the scheduled examination appointment time. You will receive a cancellation email from Pearson VUE.

To request a partial refund, you must wait 24 hours after canceling the appointment with Pearson VUE and then submit a cancellation/partial refund request no later than 96 hours prior to the last date of the eligibility period.

To submit this request:

1. Log in to your MY ARDMS account
2. Visit "My Examination/Application Status" under "Application Center."
   
3. Select the examination you wish to request a partial refund for. ​​
4. Complete and submit the form

We will refund your examination fee, less the $100 USD processing fee per examination, unless we receive your request too late, you never schedule your examination or you do not keep your scheduled examination appointment. Then, the entire examination and processing fees are forfeited.

Please note: This is a windowed examination and extensions are not available.  You can reschedule your appointment for another time within your stated eligibility period.  However, if you cannot take it within your stated eligibility period, please follow the cancellation procedure.

​When you arrive at a test center, be prepared to:

     • Check in with a Test Center Administrator
     • Present one valid photo identification (ID); see Test Center Identification Requirements
     • Provide a digital signature
     • Have your palm vein scanned
     • Take a test-day photograph

Note: The only thing that you can bring into the testing room is you. The test centers have lockers you can use to store personal belongings. Study materials as well as food and drink are prohibited in the test center. No visitors, guests, pets or children are allowed.

Important: Review ARDMS’ Examination Admission Compliance Policies to ensure you are not refused admission at the test center and do not conduct unauthorized examination behavior.

Test centers will provide white boards for notes during the examination upon request.
If you need special accommodations, please select "Yes” for “Special Accommodations” in the application when you apply.

Taking a practice test or two is a great way to prepare for your actual examination. We offer a Fetal Echocardiography (FE) Practice Test that simulates the computer interface used in the actual test center environment. The FE practice test review is comprised of 30 sample questions and is 30 minutes long.

After you complete a practice test, you will be emailed a report that shows the number of questions you answered correctly. While the report is an indication of your knowledge, the practice test results should not be used to predict how well you will perform on the actual examination at the test center. 

See FAQ​​s for additional information. 

Each practice test costs $35 USD and requires payment via PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, you will be prompted to create one upon check out.
 
You can now register for a FE practice test by signing into your MY ARDMS account and clicking the Sign Up/View Practice Test option in the Application Center tab. You can also view the computer system requirements in your MY ARDMS portal. For any general questions or technical problems regarding the practice tests, please call ARDMS at (800) 541-9754 option 1​ for assistance or email practicetests@ARDMS.org.

Before you start your test you should review the test tutorial​. Please note you will not get a chance to review the test tutorial during the actual practice test, so please prepare accordingly. Once your session begins, you have 30 minutes to complete the practice test.

Register for a FE practice test, by signing in to your MY ARDMS account.  

​The FE examination contains 150 questions that cover the following content areas. All percentages are an approximate distribution of the questions across the content areas.

FE Content Out​​​line​​

​

Assess Anatomy  [18%]

Your score report will display and include performance feedback for these content areas.

​After all of your diligent preparation and hours spent studying, here are a few valuable tips to help make your examination day a success:

     • Double check that you know where the test center is before examination day and give
       yourself plenty of time to get there. Remember, you MUST arrive and register at least 30
       minutes before the examination begins.
     • Get a good night's sleep before you take your examination. Being well rested and relaxed
       when you take your examination will help you concentrate.
     • Bring one form of current and valid identification that complies with the
       test center identification requirements.     
     • Travel light. The only thing you can bring into the testing room is you. You can store your
       personal belongings — your car keys, watch, smartphone, purse, backpack, etc. — in
       lockers at the test center. The following items are not allowed in test centers: study
       materials, food, drink, visitors/guests, pets and children.
     • Request a white board if you plan to jot down notes during the examination. Test centers
       are using white boards (rather than paper) in an effort to "go green."

Good luck!

​Even though we offer practice examinations and sample questions, we do not offer study materials for our examinations – but our sister organizations do. You can find materials at:

     • Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
     • American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
     • Society for Vascular Ultrasound
     • American Society of Echocardiography

​The FE examination features Advanced Item Type questions, which assess and measure your practical sonography skills. They will include hotspot questions in which you will receive questions about individual images, and you will use the cursor to mark the correct answer directly on the image.

Watch ARDMS Presents: How to Answer a Hotspot Question.

​The FE examination evaluates the fetal echocardiography knowledge and skills you must demonstrate as a Sonography Professional. The primary test result is a PASS or FAIL decision. In addition, you will receive a scaled score, ranging from 300 to 700. A scaled score of 555 is required to pass all ARDMS examinations.

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

​Examination results and a full score report will be available approximately 60 days after the close of the examination administration. At that time, an email will be sent to you with instructions on how to access your score report in MY ARDMS.

Candidates receiving a confirmed passing score on all required examinations and meeting all other requirements will be awarded a certification. For information on the ARDMS' scoring methods, visit Notification of Results and Scoring.

Candidates who do not pass are invited to re-apply.

​When submitting your ARDMS application, you consent to us releasing your examination results to your educational program.

Program Directors can receive a School Report for current programs and programs completed in the past three years. To learn more, visit School Reports.

​You can request a score verification for a $35 USD fee, payable by check, money order or credit card. Score verification ensures that the computer counted the correct and incorrect answers appropriately, but it does not review the questions and answers.

You must submit the completed Exam Score Verifi​​cation Form​ within 30 days of receipt of the examination score. The Exam Score Verification Form will be returned if incomplete, unsigned or unpaid.

When deciding whether to have your score verified, please consider that ARDMS examinations are scored electronically with a high degree of accuracy, and it is unlikely that verification will alter your original score.