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Adult Echocardiography Specialty Examination
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) offers assessments and credentialing for medical sonographers, and the Adult Echocardiography Specialty Examination is one of the assessments offered. This criterion-referenced test lasts three hours, and includes around 150 questions in multiple-choice format. There are video case studies included in this test, which is taken as part of the Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) credential. Around 15% of the test questions are not counted as part of the total grade, but are used as pre-trial questions for future exams. The student will not know which questions count towards the final score and which do not. The final score will be within the 300-700 range. Candidates must receive a minimum score of 555 to be successful. A candidate may re-take the test if unsuccessful, but must wait 60 days to retake the test. Before taking this assessment, a candidate must have fulfilled the academic requirements of classes, clinical work and mandated paperwork, which must be finished and accepted prior to the exam. If the test is being retaken and the candidate's clinical verification was completed in the same year, the candidate does not have to go through the approval process again. If it has been more than a year, the candidate will need an updated clinical verification.
The subject areas of the Adult Echocardiography Specialty Examination include:
- Anatomy and Physiology - 5%-10%
- Technique - 10%-20%
- Valvular Heart Disease - 15%-25%
- Pericardial Disease - 2%-8%
- Systemic & Pulmonary Hypertensive Heart Disease - 1%-3%
- Cardiomyopathies - 5%-15%
- Ventricular Function - 10%-20%
- Cardiac Tumors - 2%-5%
- Miscellaneous - 5%-10%
- Congenital Heart Disease in the Adult - 3%-7%
- Diseases of the Aorta - 3%-7%
- Doppler - 3%-7%
- Stress Echo - 0%-3%
As your test day approaches, make sure that you have had plenty of time to study. Review an ARDMS exam study guide or study using ARDMS exam flashcards so that you strengthen any areas that might be more difficult for you on the test. You'll have the rest of your life to enjoy being successful on the exam, but you can only spend time between now and your test day to get prepared. Study hard and maximize your chances of success.
