ARDMS Exam Results: When They Post and What Your Score Means
ARDMS exam results are pass/fail on a 300–700 scale, and 555 passes. When you see your result depends on whether your exam runs year-round or in a testing window.
| Your ARDMS exam | When you get your result | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Year-round: SPI, AB, AE, BR, OB/GYN, VT | At the test center, as a score report when you finish. Posted to your Inteleos portal within one week. | Test-center report, your Pearson account, and the Inteleos portal |
| Fetal Echocardiography (FE), tested Sep 8–Oct 1, 2026 | November 30, 2026 (scheduled release) | Email with access instructions; Inteleos portal |
| Pediatric Sonography (PS), tested Sep 15–Oct 8, 2026 | December 7, 2026 (scheduled release) | Email with access instructions; Inteleos portal |
| Pediatric Echocardiography (PE), tested Oct 13–Nov 5, 2026 | January 4, 2027 (scheduled release) | Email with access instructions; Inteleos portal |
| Musculoskeletal Sonography (MSKS), tested Oct 27–Nov 19, 2026 | January 25, 2027 (scheduled release) | Email with access instructions; Inteleos portal |
The 2026 calendar lists FE, PS, PE and MSKS as windowed exams. Inteleos releases those scores about 60 days after the window closes, not 60 days after your own appointment, so go by the published date for your administration. Earlier 2026 windows had scheduled releases on June 1 (FE, PS), June 29 (PE) and July 6 (MSKS).
One MSKS note: the current MSKS exam page also says results post to the portal "within one week." The 2026 calendar lists January 25, 2027 for the fall MSKS window, and Inteleos's results policy puts windowed releases about 60 days after the window closes. The January 25 date shown above is the one listed for this administration in the official calendar.
Open the official Inteleos portal · Signing in to the new portal for the first time as an existing ARDMS user? Inteleos says to click Forgot Password first.
Sources: Inteleos Notification of Results and Scoring ("Year-Round Exams," "Windowed Exams"), the "Scoring" section of each year-round exam page (for example, SPI and Abdomen), and the 2026 Exam Calendar, "Score release" column. By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Last verified: October 28, 2026.
SPI = Sonography Principles and Instrumentation; AB = Abdomen; AE = Adult Echocardiography; BR = Breast; OB/GYN = Obstetrics and Gynecology; VT = Vascular Technology.
How to find your ARDMS result
- Keep your test-center report if you took a year-round exam. It's your first record of the result.
- Sign in at myportal.inteleos.org. This is the new unified Inteleos portal. Older guides and school handouts call it MY ARDMS. Existing users need the Forgot Password step on their first sign-in.
- For a windowed exam, watch your email. Inteleos emails instructions for accessing your result when it's released. Check spam on your release date.
Still nothing after the posting period or release date? Contact Inteleos (main line (240) 386-1710) with the exam name, your test date, and your test-center report or result notice if you have one.
Lost your report? Request a duplicate by emailing appeals@inteleos.org. Inteleos notes that a given score report may not be available (Notification of Results and Scoring, "Duplicate Score Reports"), so save or photograph the one you have.
Don't read tea leaves. A changed requirement or prompt in an app, a portal checklist, or a classmate's result isn't your result. For a windowed exam, a blank account before the release date tells you nothing about pass or fail.
What does your ARDMS score mean?
555 is the cut score on a 300–700 scale. It isn't a percentage, and it isn't a curve. Every ARDMS exam uses the same 555 standard (Passing Standard).
ARDMS converts your raw score (the number of scored questions you answered correctly) to a scaled score so different versions of an exam are held to the same bar. That means a harder version can require fewer correct answers to reach 555 than an easier one (Inteleos: Examination Development Process, step 10). You aren't competing with the people who tested that day.
Two illustrative scores:
- 554: below the passing standard. The one-point gap doesn't mean you missed by one question, because the raw-to-scaled conversion differs from version to version.
- 555: a pass, the same pass/fail outcome as a 640. It isn't 55.5% correct, and it doesn't mean you hold a credential yet (see below).
Your scaled score alone does not tell you your percent correct, percentile, or number of missed questions. Inteleos describes the result as a pass/fail decision with a scaled score.
How 555 is set: panels of practicing, certified content experts use judgment-based methods (Modified Angoff and Bookmark). The ARDMS council reviews their work along with performance trends and score precision, and the standard is re-evaluated about every five years (Passing Standard).
What to do with your result
Find the row that matches your situation.
| Your situation | What it means | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| You have a year-round test-center report, but the portal hasn't updated | The two channels update at different times; posting can take up to a week | Keep the report. Contact Inteleos if a week has passed with no update. |
| You're waiting on a windowed exam (FE, PS, PE, MSKS) | Windowed results follow a release schedule; an empty account before the release date isn't a fail | Match your window to the dates at the top of this page and watch for the release email. |
| Your status says Passed, but you haven't passed both SPI and a specialty | You've cleared one requirement, not earned the credential | Note your five-year deadline and plan the other exam (see below). |
| You've passed SPI and a qualifying specialty within the applicable five-year rule | The exam requirements for that credential are met | Watch for your credential and digital-badge email; use official verification for employers (see below). |
| Your status says Failed | That attempt was below 555 | You can reapply after 72 hours unless an appeal is pending. Wait at least 60 days to retest; FE, PS, PE and MSKS also require the next eligible administration (see below). |
| Your status says Cancelled, Absent or Expired | These are appointment and eligibility statuses, not a scored fail | Check what happened (below). If you missed your appointment for a documented emergency, the appeal clock is 30 days. |
What the non-score statuses mean (Notification of Results and Scoring, "Score Reports"):
- Cancelled: you cancelled your exam appointment.
- Absent: you arrived late, didn't arrive, or were barred entry.
- Expired: you didn't schedule an appointment within your eligibility period.
For Absent or Expired, Inteleos accepts appeals for documented situations such as a medical emergency, a death or hospitalization of a covered family member, or inclement weather. The appeal must be received within 30 days of the missed appointment or of the eligibility expiration (Appeals Process). Without acceptable documentation, the exam fee is forfeited and you reapply.
I passed. Am I registered now?
Not from one pass alone. RDMS, RDCS, RVT and RMSKS each require the SPI exam plus a corresponding specialty exam, passed within five years of each other in either order, along with the other application requirements (5-Year Rule; SPI exam page). For example, RDMS pairs SPI with AB, OB/GYN, BR, FE or PS.
A "Passed" status on one exam doesn't automatically mean you've earned the credential. Use your official certification notification and verification record to confirm what you have earned (Verify Certification).
Your five-year clock is based on the calendar year and starts the day after you pass your first exam. Inteleos's example: pass your first exam on June 6, 2026, and you have until December 31, 2031 to pass the second. The rule doesn't apply when you're adding a specialty to a credential you already hold (5-Year Rule). If you miss the deadline, you retake the exam you passed earlier.
If you already hold an active ARDMS credential and have passed SPI, you do not need to retake SPI to earn additional ARDMS certifications as long as you maintain active status (SPI exam page, “Associated Certifications”).
Proving it to an employer: once your credential is awarded, Credly emails a digital badge to claim (Digital Badges). Employers can search the Inteleos member directory, and you can request a status verification letter through the portal (Verify Certification). The official verification page doesn't give a set number of days for the directory to update. If it hasn't caught up with a credential you've earned, ask Inteleos.
An ARDMS credential is a certification. Whether your employer or your state requires it for your job is a separate question to confirm with them.
I didn't pass. When can I retake it?
Two different clocks apply (Retake and reapply guidelines):
- Reapply after 72 hours. Submit a new online application and the exam fee. For an RDMS, RDCS or RVT specialty retake, include a current Clinical Verification form if you don't have one valid on file. SPI does not require that form (SPI and Specialty Examination Prerequisites, pages 2–3). For MSKS, follow its separate documentation requirements under “Get Ready to Apply.”
- Retest after 60 days. Your eligibility period starts 60 days from the last date you took the exam. Inteleos says the wait can't be waived.
For FE, PS, PE and MSKS, you also wait for the next administration (PS exam page; FE exam page). The specialty pages and linked calendar we checked still displayed 2026 testing windows; check your exam page for the next eligible administration. Year-round specialty re-applicants with a current Clinical Verification form on file are approved automatically and can schedule within about a day.
Worked example (year-round exam). You test on SPI on October 28, 2026, and don't pass:
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Earliest reapplication (after 72 hours) | October 31, 2026, once 72 full hours have elapsed |
| Your new eligibility period opens (60 days after the test date) | December 27, 2026 |
This is calendar arithmetic from the published rules, not an appointment. Seat availability and your eligibility notice control your actual date.
Got an appeal pending? Don't reapply until it's decided. Inteleos says reapplying before you receive the determination makes your appeal invalid (Appeals Process).
Plan the next 60 days differently, not just longer. In 2025, repeat takers passed each of the ten exams below at noticeably lower rates than first-time takers. The numbers don't say why. For your next attempt, rebuild your review from the current content outline on your exam's Inteleos page rather than rereading the same notes.
Can I request a score verification?
Yes. You can ask Inteleos to verify the accuracy of your score. Send the $35 USD fee and a completed, signed Examination Score Verification Form within 30 days of receiving your examination scores. Incomplete, unsigned or unpaid requests are returned (Score Verification).
If you receive your year-round score report at the test center, the 30 days start that day. For a windowed exam, count from when you receive your examination scores. If that date is unclear, contact Inteleos promptly.
Be realistic about it. ARDMS notes that its exams are scored electronically with high accuracy and that verification is unlikely to change a score (Examination Score Verification Form, “Instructions”). Request one when you have a specific reason to suspect an error, not as a way to raise a near-miss.
Did something go wrong in the testing room?
That's an appeal, not a score verification. For a disruptive test-center condition, Inteleos requires that you told the proctor and got a case number and mentioned it in your exit survey before you received your score (Appeals Process). If you've already tested and did both, read the appeals process now and submit through your portal or appeals@inteleos.org with your documentation.
ARDMS pass rates (2025)
| Exam | First-time takers | Repeat takers | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPI | 74% | 47% | 68% |
| Abdomen (AB) | 73% | 45% | 67% |
| Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) | 80% | 50% | 75% |
| Breast (BR) | 77% | 49% | 71% |
| Adult Echocardiography (AE) | 74% | 37% | 65% |
| Vascular Technology (VT) | 70% | 45% | 63% |
| Fetal Echocardiography (FE) | 75% | 41% | 68% |
| Pediatric Echocardiography (PE) | 66% | 36% | 59% |
| Pediatric Sonography (PS) | 71% | 44% | 65% |
| Musculoskeletal Sonography (MSKS) | 60% | 48% | 57% |
Source: ARDMS/APCA Global Exam Performance Summary, 2025 (administrations January 1–December 31, 2025). These are global historical pass rates, not a prediction of your result. The report gives percentages only, without counts or a definition of the denominators, so it doesn't support exact candidate counts or conclusions about exam sample sizes. Individual exam pages on Inteleos may still show earlier years; past reports are on Exam Statistics.
Other questions about ARDMS results
Can my school see my result? Inteleos shares results only with you, with one exception: a program director can request a school report covering candidates who passed, the exams each person took, credentials earned, and aggregate scores and pass percentages (Notification of Results and Scoring, "School Reports"). School reports do not include individual raw scores or the names of candidates who failed (School Reports).
I'm a physician who took an APCA exam. RPVI, RMSK and the other APCA exams follow their own schedules in the same 2026 Exam Calendar. This page covers ARDMS exams only.
Took an ARRT exam instead? ARRT is a different organization with a different score scale and timeline. See ARRT exam results.
Sources
Results and scoring
- Inteleos: Notification of Results and Scoring: status values, year-round and windowed timing, school reports, duplicate reports
- Inteleos: 2026 Exam Calendar (PDF): windowed testing windows and score-release dates
- Inteleos exam pages, "Scoring": SPI, Abdomen, Fetal Echocardiography, Pediatric Sonography, Musculoskeletal Sonography
- Inteleos: Passing Standard
- Inteleos: Examination Development Process, step 10: equating across exam forms
After your result
- Inteleos: 5-Year Rule
- Inteleos: Verify Certification
- Inteleos: Digital Badges
- Inteleos: Retake and reapply guidelines
- Inteleos: SPI and Specialty Examination Prerequisites (PDF), pages 2–3: specialty re-applicants and SPI documentation
- Inteleos: Score Verification
- Inteleos: Examination Score Verification Form (PDF), “Instructions”
- Inteleos: Appeals Process
- Inteleos: School Reports: information included and privacy limits
Data
Last verified: October 28, 2026. We checked result timing and delivery, the 2026 windowed release dates, status definitions, the 555 passing standard and scaled scoring, the five-year rule, credential verification, retake and reapply rules, score verification, appeals, school and duplicate reports, and the 2025 pass rates against the Inteleos and ARDMS pages linked above. We didn't sign in to a candidate account or test the portal's internal screens.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), Inteleos, or Pearson VUE. Exam and credential names identify the subjects of this page, and trademarks belong to their respective owners.