The ARDMS Certification exam | ArticleFulltime.com

Credentialing Ultrasound technicians has become the responsibility of a non-profit organization known as the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. After their inception in 1975 they became the main authoritative body for testing the knowledge and skill set of ultrasound technicians and maintaining a registry for those that pass the exam.

Credentials Issued by ARDMS
ARDMS issues distinct credentials within four areas of Sonography specialty in the medical field. These exams not only serve the Ultrasound technicians that perform the test but also the physicians that read interpret the results.
. Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS)
. Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS)
. Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT)
. Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation (RPVI)

Achieving Certification through ARDMS
To achieve certification, students must successfully complete a prerequisite undergraduate program in ultrasound technology. The Sonography Principals and Instrumentation (SPI) exam is the first ARDMS examination that an applicant must take once qualified prior to taking one of the specialty exams. The specialty exam must be taken within five years of passing the SPI exam? A passing score on a series of additional subject-specific examinations is required in order to achieve certification as an ultrasound technician. Each credential requires the passing of the SPI exam. The subject-specific examinations under each specialty are as follows.
. RDMS Certification: Abdomen, Breast, Fetal Echocardiography, Neurosonology and Obstetrics and Gynecology.
. RDCS Certification: Adult Echocardiography, Fetal Echocardiography and Pediatric Echocardiography.
. RVT Certification: Vascular Technology.

The Sonography Principals and Instrumentation Exam
To pass the SPI exam and one of the specialty exams, the ultrasound technician must understand what is covered on the exam and be well prepped. The applicant has 2 hours to complete 120 multiple choice questions which include knowledge of ultrasound images. The exam covers six primary sections which includes:
. Patient care, safety and communication (5% of the total exam)
. Physics principles (20%)
. Ultrasound transducers (20%)
. Pulse-echo instrumentation (30%)
. Doppler instrumentation and hemodynamics (20%)
. Quality assurance and quality control of equipment (5%)

Passing the SPI ExamThe exam is scored without a curve. In other words, the individual test taker?s score is the final ranking on the examination. The applicant must achieve a minimum ranking of 555 out of a possible 700 to pass the exam. If a candidate fails to pass the exam on the first try, it can be retaken.

Registering for the SPI Exam
The SPI exam is conducted by a third-party administrator, Pearson VUE, and registration for the test must be secured through that vendor. Candidates can locate testing centers, process registration, and check the status of an application for testing on the Pearson VUE website. In order for the ultrasound technician to gain admittance to the testing facility for exam purposes, they must present two current forms of identification. It is important to note that the name on both forms of ID must match exactly as the name that appears on the registration or admittance to test will not be granted.

Recertification Requirements
Recertification is required in order to maintain an ARDMS credential. Beginning in 2012, ARDMS will implement a new recertification procedure. Additionally, every ten years, registered ultrasound technicians must sit for and pass a recertification exam. Annual renewal fees must be paid in order to keep a credential current.

Aspen Rae written many articles on the Ultrasound Technician Requirements and maintains a website about becoming an Ultrasound Technician as well as Ultrasound Tech Salary where you can get answers to the rest of your questions.

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