ARDMS Exam Registration: How to Apply and Book Your Exam

ARDMS exam registration happens in two places: you apply and get approved in the Inteleos portal, then book your seat with Pearson using your Examination Confirmation Letter (ECL). Paying for the application doesn't book a seat, and an ECL isn't an appointment; save Pearson's confirmation email to verify your booking.

Your ARDMS registration checklist

Before you apply

1. Pick your exam. To earn your first ARDMS credential, you need SPI plus one specialty exam. Already hold an active ARDMS credential? You only need the new specialty. (Exam table)
2. Check the application window. SPI, AB, AE, BR, OB/GYN, and VT are open year-round. FE, PS, PE, and MSKS open only at set times. (Current dates)
3. Choose your prerequisite pathway and gather every document it requires. Everything must be complete before you submit. (Pathways)
4. Make your names match. The first and last name on your Inteleos account, your documents, and your test-day ID must agree. Fix any mismatch now, not on test day.

Apply

5. Sign in to the Inteleos portal. It now uses your email address to log in. If you had a MY ARDMS account, click "Forgot Password" the first time.
6. Complete the application, pay the fee, and accept the Application Agreement and Compliance Policies.
7. Request testing accommodations now if you need them. Request them during the application; if you need to request them after approval, follow Inteleos's post-approval procedure.
8. Upload your documents, submit, and watch your email for any request for more documentation.

After approval

9. Open your ECL and note your eligibility dates. Schedule an appointment you can take within those dates: generally a 90-day eligibility period for year-round exams, or the approved window for windowed exams.
10. Save Pearson's confirmation email and check the exam, date, time, and test center. Rescheduling or canceling must be done at least 96 hours before your appointment.

Fees at a glance: SPI $275 · each specialty exam $300 · $100 of every fee is non-refundable · Pearson states ECL issuance within four weeks of a completed application · testing at a secure Pearson test center

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Registration rules, fees, and exam dates last verified October 28, 2026, against Inteleos and Pearson official pages.

Which exam to register for

There's no single "ARDMS exam." Every sonographer credential takes two passes: the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) physics exam and at least one specialty exam. You can take them in either order.

RDMS is Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, RDCS is Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer, RVT is Registered Vascular Technologist, and RMSKS is Registered Musculoskeletal Sonographer.

Sources: Inteleos fee schedule, 2026 exam calendar, RDMS requirements, RDCS requirements, RVT requirements, RMSKS requirements.

FE applicants: decide whether you're pursuing RDMS or RDCS. Once you pass FE toward one credential, it can't be switched to the other.

Adding a credential: once you've passed SPI and keep your ARDMS status active, you don't retake SPI to earn another credential. You register for the new specialty only.

What you'll actually pay

• Each fee already includes a $100 non-refundable processing fee.
• Testing at a center outside the U.S., Canada, or Mexico adds a $50 non-refundable fee per exam, charged when you schedule.
• Worked example: a first-time RDMS candidate registering for SPI and Abdomen pays $275 + $300 = $575 in application fees. Of that, $200 consists of the non-refundable processing fees. This covers one attempt at each exam, not retakes, transcripts, or travel.

Windowed exam dates

For FE, PS, PE, and MSKS, there are three different deadlines. The application period is when you can apply. The scheduling deadline is the last day approved candidates can book. The testing window is when the exam is given.

Latest published 2026 cycles. Status checked October 28, 2026.

Source: Inteleos Exam Calendar 2026.

The next windows weren't listed on these official pages when we checked. For reference, the first 2026 cycles for FE and PS opened in December 2025. Check the exam's official page (FE, PS, PE, MSKS) for the next application period. The published 2026 calendar lists score-release dates after these windows close.

Pick your prerequisite pathway

You apply under exactly one pathway, and everything it requires must be done before you submit. Inteleos won't decide eligibility by phone or email. If you're unsure, start with the official Prerequisite Prep Tool. Then confirm your pathway in the SPI & specialty prerequisites document.

CV forms are for specialty examinations. SPI does not require one, whichever prerequisite route you use.

Applying for MSKS? It has its own prerequisites. Don't use the table above, and don't confuse it with APCA's separate MSK exam for physicians and eligible advanced care providers.

What "12 months full-time" means for Pathways 1 and 3A: the employment route requires at least 12 months and 1,680 hours of qualifying ultrasound/vascular work. Full-time means 35 hours a week for at least 48 weeks. Part-time work is prorated. It must be paid diagnostic work in a hospital, clinic, or private practice. Volunteer, unpaid, instructor, and veterinary experience don't count, and neither do keepsake 3D/4D scans.

The education route instead requires successful completion of a formal, full-time ultrasound/vascular program lasting at least 12 months, with at least 1,680 total program hours, including appropriate clinical and didactic hours and a clinical internship or externship. If the program is longer than 12 months, you must finish the whole program. The chart says the education and clinical-experience periods used to qualify under these pathways cannot overlap.

Pathway 1: if you use a DMS or CVT program to meet the education requirement, you also need 12 additional months of clinical experience outside that program. (Prerequisite chart and Pathway 1 notes)

Applying before you graduate

• SPI: the Early Entry pathway lets students sit for SPI with only the physics requirement. It covers SPI only. You'll need a full pathway for any specialty exam later.
• Pathway 2 students: if your program director uses the Paperless Application Program, you can apply up to 60 days before graduation for AB, OB/GYN, AE, or VT. Your program director verifies you electronically, the application is approved automatically, and your credential is issued once completion is confirmed. CV validity through this program runs for one year from the examination-eligibility date, not one year from graduation.
• Pathway 3B students: you can apply up to one year before finishing, once you've completed 12 months of full-time clinical work in the program. The minimum is 1,680 clinical scanning hours. After graduation, use the graduate letter and a current CV form for each specialty. If your completed program meets Pathway 2 requirements, apply under Pathway 2 instead.

If you test early through Paperless Pathway 2 and don't finish the program, ARDMS will take back the exam results and any credential earned through that route. (Student pathway notes)

Documents that hold up applications

Program and employer letters must (official requirements):

• Be on official letterhead with the institution's name, address, and phone number
• Be dated, give start and end dates, and name the specialties
• Be signed by hand. Stamped and digital signatures are rejected. The signer's ARDMS/APCA number or physician license number goes with the signature.
• Employer letters: say full-time or part-time and give total paid hours
• Program letters: give total program, didactic, and clinical hours

Use the official sample letters and CV forms instead of writing your own format. Pathways 2 and 3B have mandatory letter formats.

Also check these before you submit:

• Names: every document must match your application name. If one doesn't, upload legal proof of the change, like a marriage or divorce certificate.
• Non-English documents need a notarized English translation.
• Foreign diplomas need an evaluation. For SPI Early Entry and Pathways 1, 3A, and 3B, the degree or transcript evaluation must be course-by-course. Follow the international degree guidance and the requirements for your pathway.
• Approval can be audited. Inteleos may check an approved application later. If you're found ineligible then, the application may be canceled with a partial refund offered, and any booked appointment would be canceled.

Applying in the Inteleos portal

The ARDMS and APCA portals merged into one Inteleos MY PORTAL. Since August 18, 2026, you sign in with your email address instead of your ID number.

• Had a MY ARDMS account? Click "Forgot Password" on your first sign-in. That reset prompt is expected, and the new login page is legitimate. Your credentials and exam history transferred. If you can't get in, email CustomerCareSupport@inteleos.org rather than opening a second account. (Portal FAQ)
• New applicant? Create an account in the same portal, then choose the exam you're applying for.

From there, the official process is:

1. Complete the exam application.
2. Pay the fee.
3. Accept the Application Agreement and Compliance Policies.
4. Upload your documents. You can add them at different times before you submit.
5. Submit for review.

If you need testing accommodations, answer "Yes" to the accommodations question in the application. For a disability-related request, upload:

• a letter of recommended accommodation from a qualified healthcare provider who specializes in the disability, on official letterhead, with the original signature and credentials, dated within the past five years
• an original medical evaluation or report completed by a qualified healthcare provider and dated within the past five years
• the ARDMS Testing Accommodations Request Form

Review can take up to 14 days. If you ask only after approval, the review time comes out of your eligibility period, which isn't paused. If you already booked, cancel the Pearson appointment, send its cancellation confirmation to accommodations@inteleos.org, and upload the requested documents. Keep the exam application active.

If previously approved accommodation documents are still valid, only a new request form is required for each exam application. For other needs, including nursing-parent accommodations, follow the applicable official request instructions.

Wait for accommodation approval and follow your ECL's scheduling instructions; some accommodations require booking by phone.

After you apply: your ECL and booking with Pearson

How long approval takes: Pearson's ARDMS page says the ECL is sent within four weeks of a completed application. Inteleos notes that some exams take several weeks. An incomplete application gets a request for more documents instead of an ECL. (Pearson ARDMS page, Inteleos ECL page)

Your eligibility dates are on the ECL. Schedule and take your exam within them. Inteleos lists a 90-day eligibility period for year-round exams; for windowed exams, use the calendar and your letter's exact dates. Contact Inteleos before your eligibility expires if you need more time. (Schedule or change an exam)

How to book:

1. Start from the Pearson ARDMS page. It sends you through the Inteleos portal to schedule. You can also call 877-258-9220 (toll-free in the U.S.).
2. Pearson emails a confirmation. If it hasn't arrived within 24 hours of booking, contact Pearson customer service.
3. Check that the exam, date, time, and location are right.

On test day:

• ID: bring one original, unexpired, government-issued photo ID with your signature, like a passport or driver's license. The first and last name must match your Inteleos account. Photocopies, digital IDs, and birth certificates don't count. Without an acceptable ID, Pearson marks you absent and you forfeit the full exam fee and seat. Any ID exception needs Pearson's approval at least three business days ahead. The ID must also meet the testing-country rules; if you lack primary ID from the country where you're testing, check the international-passport requirement. (Acceptable ID)
• Arrival: get there at least 30 minutes early for check-in. (Test center admission)

Current Inteleos instructions describe testing at a secure Pearson test center. Use the delivery options shown in your current authorization and scheduling instructions.

Rescheduling, canceling, and refunds

Canceling an appointment isn't the same as requesting a refund; you have to do both. The $100 processing fee is non-refundable. Whether you get the rest back depends on the exam's current refund rules. (Exam refunds)

If you need to retake

• Year-round exams (including SPI): you can submit a new application and payment 72 hours after an unsuccessful attempt. You can't test again until 60 days after your last attempt, and that wait can't be waived. For specialty re-applicants covered by Inteleos's CV-based process, a current required CV form allows automatic approval and scheduling within a day.
• FE, PS, PE, and MSKS: wait for the next administration window. Day 60 doesn't open a window that isn't scheduled.

(Retake and reapply guidelines; exam-specific rules: FE, PS, PE, MSKS)

The five-year rule

You must pass SPI and your specialty exam within five years of each other. The clock runs by calendar year, not to the exact anniversary. Inteleos's own example: pass your first exam on June 6, 2026, and you have until December 31, 2031 to pass the second. Miss it, and you retake the exam you already passed.

The rule doesn't apply when you add a specialty to a credential you already hold. (5-Year Rule)

Old instructions you'll still find online

Older portal and fee instructions still appear in search results.

Common questions

Do I have to pass SPI before a specialty exam? No. You can take them in either order, as long as you meet each exam's prerequisites and pass both under the five-year rule. Each examination has its own application and fee. (SPI requirements, application process)

Does passing SPI make me registered? No. You need SPI plus at least one specialty exam for RDMS, RDCS, RVT, or RMSKS.

What happens if I'm found ineligible? Inteleos tells you why. The $100 processing fee in each application isn't refunded. (Application process)

Is ARDMS certification the same as a state license? No. It's a national certification. Whether you need a license to practice depends on your state, and employers may set their own requirements. (Scope of practice)

I was looking for ARRT registration. ARRT is a separate organization with its own process. See our ARRT exam registration guide. An active ARRT Sonography, Vascular Sonography, or Breast Sonography credential meets Pathway 5's credential requirement; its CV and other application requirements still apply.

Official sources

• Inteleos MY PORTAL — apply or check application status
• Application Process — Inteleos
• Portal Upgrade FAQ — Inteleos, July 14, 2026
• SPI & Specialty Examination Prerequisites (PDF) — Inteleos
• MSKS Prerequisites (PDF) — Inteleos
• Paperless Applications for Students — Inteleos
• Application Letters and Clinical Verification — Inteleos
• Exam Fee Schedule (PDF) — Inteleos
• Exam Calendar 2026 (PDF) — Inteleos
• Exam Confirmation Letter and Schedule or Change an Exam — Inteleos
• ARDMS Examination Testing — Pearson
• Exam Refunds, Retake and reapply guidelines, 5-Year Rule — Inteleos
• Acceptable ID, Test Center Admission, Accommodations — Inteleos

Last verified October 28, 2026: portal sign-in instructions, fees, prerequisites, 2026 exam calendar, scheduling and change rules, refunds, retakes, five-year rule, ID, and accommodations.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), Inteleos, or Pearson. Exam and credential names identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners.