Castleport Test Prep

ARDMS SPI Exam Requirements

You can take the ARDMS SPI exam before you graduate if you have a graded college physics course with a C or better, or 12 ARDMS-accepted physics CME credits earned in the last two years. No clinical hours are needed for that route.

Which SPI route fits you?

Your evidence What ARDMS requires What you upload
A physics course A graded general, medical, or sonographic physics class from a college or other post-secondary school, with a grade of C or above A transcript, official or unofficial
Physics CME At least 12 ARDMS-accepted CME credits from a physics seminar, review course, or correspondence course, earned within two years before you apply The CME certificate
A full prerequisite pathway You already meet one of ARDMS's complete pathways (accredited program, sonography bachelor's, degree plus clinical experience, an existing sonography credential, or physician) That pathway's documents

The first two rows make up ARDMS's SPI Requirement – Early Entry route. It covers the SPI only, needs no clinical experience, and doesn't require a Clinical Verification (CV) form. CME means continuing medical education: credit-bearing courses from approved sponsors. Source: ARDMS/Inteleos SPI & Specialty Prerequisites chart, Pathway Comparison and "SPI Requirement – Early Entry Pathway" notes.

If you already meet a full ARDMS prerequisite pathway, ARDMS recommends applying through it instead, because it also covers your specialty exam.

Last verified October 28, 2026: eligibility, documents, fees, scheduling, retake, and five-year-rule sources checked. By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team.

Quick check: which one is yours?

Use these questions to find the pathway details to check. More than one may match your background.

  1. Already passed the SPI and hold an active ARDMS credential? You don't take the SPI again. Add a credential by meeting its requirements and passing the specialty exam while your status stays active.
  2. Graduated from a CAAHEP- or CMA/HSO-accredited sonography, cardiac, or vascular program? (Or you're within 60 days of graduating and your program director uses ARDMS's Paperless Prerequisite 2 program.) Apply under Prerequisite 2.
  3. Hold an active RCS, RCCS, or RVS (CCI); Sonography, Vascular Sonography, or Breast Sonography (ARRT); or CRGS, CRCS, or CRVS (Sonography Canada)? Apply under Prerequisite 5.
  4. In or graduated from a sonography or vascular technology bachelor's program? Students may apply up to one year before completion once they have completed at least 12 months of full-time clinical experience and at least 1,680 hours of clinical scanning within the program. Apply under Prerequisite 3B; graduates of qualifying accredited programs use Prerequisite 2.
  5. Have any bachelor's degree, or a two-year patient-care allied health program, plus qualifying clinical ultrasound or vascular experience? Or are you an MD, DO, or MBBS with 500 diagnostic studies in your specialty over at least 6 months? Apply under Prerequisite 3A, Prerequisite 1, or the Physician pathway. Pathways 1 and 3A accept qualifying employment or a completed qualifying ultrasound/vascular education program; see the requirements below.
  6. Have a qualifying physics course or 12 qualifying physics CME credits? Apply under Early Entry (SPI only).

If none of these descriptions fits, use the official Prerequisite Prep Tool and chart to check your background. A qualifying physics class or physics CME course can provide the SPI-only route.

This check points you to a pathway. ARDMS makes the eligibility decision from the documents you submit.

Check your documents before you pay

If you're using a physics transcript

ARDMS reads what's printed on the transcript. The transcript itself has to show all of this:

How those rules play out. These are our illustrations of the official rules, not ARDMS rulings. These checks concern the title and grade only; the course must still be a qualifying post-secondary physics class and the rest of the transcript must meet the requirements.

On your transcript Title and grade check Why
General Physics I — B Meets these checks "Physics" is in the title, and B is above C
Sonographic Principles & Instrumentation — A Meets these checks "Instrumentation" is in the title
Ultrasound Physics — C Meets these checks C meets the minimum grade requirement
Physics for Health Sciences — C− Below the stated minimum C− is below a C
Physical Science Survey — A Required title term missing "Physical Science" isn't "Physics" or "Physical Principles"
Principles of Ultrasound — A Required title term missing It says "Principles," not "Physical Principles," and has no "Physics" or "Instrumentation"
Medical Physics — P (pass/fail) C-or-above grade not demonstrated ARDMS asks for a graded class with C or above, and a "P" shows no letter grade
Radiologic Physics — 85, no grade key Not as submitted Number-only grades need a letter-grade key printed on the transcript

Does an older course still count? The current chart does not state an age limit for a transcript course. The two-year limit applies only to CME credits. That's what the chart states, not a promise that any particular old transcript will be accepted. (SPI prerequisite notes, p. 3)

If you're using a CME certificate

Not sure about a provider? Email other@inteleos.org before you pay for the course. Inteleos says its sponsor lists aren't all-inclusive.

Extra documents some applicants need

Upload everything before you submit. The application has to be complete when you hit submit, and Inteleos doesn't decide eligibility by phone, fax, or email. (Prerequisite documentation notes, p. 4; application process)

What Early Entry can't do

  • It's SPI only. You can't use it to apply for a specialty exam such as Abdomen, OB/GYN, Adult Echo, or Vascular Technology. For your specialty, you'll need a full pathway.
  • If you already qualify for a full pathway, use it. ARDMS recommends this when the SPI is your first ARDMS exam because your future applications process faster.
  • SPI-only approval isn't a full-prerequisite approval. Inteleos's re-applicant definition excludes SPI approvals made under this route. For an SPI retake, submit a new application and fee, and follow the document requests in your portal. (Retake and reapply guidelines)

Full prerequisite pathways (SPI plus your specialty)

If you're headed for the RMSKS credential, the Musculoskeletal Sonography specialty has its own prerequisite document. Don't apply the chart below to that exam.

A Clinical Verification form is not required for the SPI examination, including when you use a full prerequisite pathway. CV entries below concern specialty applications and their stated exemptions.

Pathway Education Clinical experience Key documents
2 — Accredited program Graduate of a CAAHEP- or CMA/HSO-accredited DMS, cardiac, or vascular program Covered by the program Diploma or official transcript with the conferral date, plus a Prerequisite 2 letter in ARDMS's mandatory format. No CV form needed if your application is submitted and received within one year of finishing. After that, new documentation and a current specialty CV form are required.
2 — Student (Paperless) Within 60 days of graduating, and your program director uses the Paperless program Covered by the program Your program director submits eligibility verification electronically; you complete your application after receiving the eligibility email. Passed results are rescinded if you don't complete the program.
3B — Sonography bachelor's Student or graduate of a sonography or vascular technology bachelor's Covered by the program Degree or official transcript, plus a Student or Graduate 3B letter. Students may apply up to one year before completion once they have completed at least 12 months of full-time clinical experience and at least 1,680 hours of clinical scanning within the program. No specialty CV form is required for students applying within one year before completion who have met that clinical requirement; after graduation, a Graduate 3B letter and current CV form are required.
3A — Any bachelor's Bachelor's degree, any major 12 months full-time (1,680 hours), through the employment or education route below Degree or official transcript, clinical letter, signed CV form
1 — Allied health One two-year, patient-care allied health program (for example RT, RN, or respiratory therapy) 12 months full-time (1,680 hours), through the employment or education route below; extra experience for DMS/CVT applicants Official transcript, program certificate, certification or license, clinical letter, signed CV form
5 — Already credentialed Active CCI, ARRT, or Sonography Canada credential listed above Covered by the credential Credential card or license, signed CV form
Physician MD, DO, or MBBS 500 diagnostic studies in the specialty over at least 6 months Current valid medical license or registration, clinical letter, signed CV form

What counts as clinical experience (Pathways 1 and 3A). "Full-time" means 35 hours a week for at least 48 weeks, which is 1,680 hours. Part-time work is prorated. The requirement can be met in two ways:

  • Employment: at least 12 months and 1,680 hours in a clinical ultrasound or vascular setting.
  • Education: successful completion of a formal, full-time ultrasound or vascular program lasting at least 12 months, with at least 1,680 total program hours, appropriate clinical and classroom instruction, and a required clinical internship or externship. If the program is longer than 12 months, you must finish the entire program.

Clinical settings must be hospitals, clinics, or private practices. Volunteer, unpaid, barter, instructor, veterinary, and non-diagnostic work (such as 3D/4D keepsake scanning) don't establish the employment route. The formal education route above is a separate option.

Timing for Pathways 1 and 3A: The chart states that "Education and clinical experience timeframes cannot overlap." It also expressly allows the qualifying education-based experience route described above.

Prerequisite 1's program requirement: One patient-care allied health program must meet ARDMS's two-year definition: 24 full-time consecutive calendar months, 60 semester credits, or 84 quarter credits, with a required clinical internship or externship. The official transcript must identify the credits and whether they are semester or quarter credits; clock hours require conversion. The program or school must be authorized by an accrediting agency to award those credits.

For Prerequisite 1, if you use a DMS/CVT program to meet the education requirement, you also need 12 months of clinical experience outside that program. (SPI & Specialty Prerequisites, pp. 2–3)

Letters must be on letterhead, dated, and hand-signed. Stamped or digital signatures aren't accepted. (Application letters)

Sources for the pathway table: current prerequisite chart and pathway notes, pp. 1–4; Paperless Application Program for Educators.

How to apply, what it costs, and when you can test

Fee: $275, which includes a $100 nonrefundable processing fee. Testing at a center outside the U.S., Canada, or Mexico adds a $50 nonrefundable fee when you schedule. (Exam fee schedule)

  1. Pick your route using the table and check above.
  2. Open the Inteleos portal from the official SPI exam page. If you had an ARDMS account before, use "Forgot Password" on your first sign-in.
  3. Complete the application, pay, and accept the attestations. Request accommodations here if you need them.
  4. Upload every document, then submit.
  5. Wait for your Exam Confirmation Letter (ECL). Inteleos may approve you, ask for more documents, or notify you that you are ineligible. Approval can take several weeks for some exams. (Application process)
  6. Schedule with Pearson VUE during the eligibility period printed on your ECL. For on-demand exams like the SPI, that's generally within 90 days. To reschedule or cancel, contact Pearson at least 96 hours before your appointment. (Schedule or change an exam)

You can apply and test year-round. Approved applications can be audited later. If an audit finds you ineligible, the application can be cancelled with a partial refund, and any booked appointment is cancelled too. (Prerequisite chart, p. 4)

SPI exam basics

Item SPI exam detail
Format About 110 multiple-choice questions over 2 hours; the exam page also lists a five-minute survey
Passing score 555 on a 300–700 scale. It isn't a percentage or a curve.
Results Score report at the test center, then posted to your Inteleos portal within a week
Where you test Inteleos's current application instructions describe Pearson VUE test centers. Follow the delivery options offered in your approved scheduling account.
What's covered Five domains: Perform Ultrasound Examinations (23%), Manage Ultrasound Transducers (7%), Optimize Sonographic Images (26%), Apply Doppler Concepts (34%), Provide Clinical Safety & Quality Assurance (10%). (SPI content outline v24.1)

Source for format, scoring, and results: Inteleos SPI exam page.

Passing SPI is half of a credential: the five-year rule

Passing the SPI by itself doesn't make you registered. You earn RDMS, RDCS, RVT, or RMSKS when you've met the applicable credential requirements and passed the SPI and a matching specialty exam, in either order, within five years of each other.

The five-year window is calendar-year based. It starts the day after you pass your first exam; the deadline is December 31 of the fifth calendar year after the year you passed that exam. If you miss it, you retake the exam you already passed. (5-Year Rule)

First exam passed Pass the second exam by
June 6, 2026 (ARDMS's own example) December 31, 2031

The clock starts when you pass your first exam, not when you graduate or finish a physics class. Once you've passed the SPI, hold a credential, and keep your status active, you don't retake the SPI to add more credentials, and the five-year rule doesn't apply to adding specialties to a certification you've already earned.

On exam day

  • Bring one original, unexpired, government-issued ID with your photo, signature, and a first and last name that match your application. Photocopies and digital IDs aren't accepted. If you're testing outside the country that issued your ID, you'll generally need a passport. (Acceptable ID)
  • Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Check-in includes an ID check, a signature, a palm-vein scan, and a photo. Follow Pearson's rules for personal belongings; permitted comfort aids and approved accommodations follow separate rules. (Test center admission)

If you don't pass

You can reapply after three days, but you can't retake the SPI for 60 days, and that wait can't be waived. Each attempt needs a new application and fee, and your new eligibility period starts 60 days after your last test date. Follow the document requests in your portal. (Retake and reapply guidelines)

Other questions

Does high school physics count?

No. The class must come from a college, post-secondary, or higher-education school.

Does an online physics class count?

The published rule does not distinguish online from in-person physics classes. It needs to be a graded post-secondary class, carry a qualifying title, and show a C or above.

Can I take the SPI before graduating if I'm in an accredited program?

Yes, in two ways. You can use Early Entry with your physics course, or apply through the Paperless Prerequisite 2 program up to 60 days before graduation if your program director participates. The Paperless route also covers the eligible specialty exams listed on the program page, but passed results are rescinded if you don't finish the program. (Paperless program and available exams; prerequisite notes, p. 4)

Sources

The requirements and exam-administration facts above were checked against these official sources on October 28, 2026:

ARDMS applies the requirements in effect when you apply. Check the current chart before you pay.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by ARDMS or Inteleos. ARDMS, SPI, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, RMSKS, and other exam and credential names identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners.