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Specialty Exam Recommendation: Discover Your Path to Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology Imaging
Based on your survey answers, we recommend the ARDMS Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) Specialty Exam as the next step in your professional journey. This certification is designed to strengthen your expertise in OB/GYN imaging, support your career aspirations, and establish your position as a trusted provider in diagnostic medical imaging.
Earning this credential highlights your dedication to excellence and ensures you possess the skills and knowledge needed to deliver the highest standard of care to your patients. By achieving this certification, you join a respected community of professionals recognized for their commitment to advancing diagnostic imaging in women’s health.
Start your journey today and take the next step in becoming a leader in OB/GYN ultrasound diagnostics.
Obstetrics ＆ Gynecology (OB/GYN)
You can now take the OB/GYN examination online from home, at any time of the year. Learn more!
The Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) examination tests the requisite obstetrics and gynecology knowledge, skills and abilities essential to Sonography Professionals.
To earn a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) credential with an OB/GYN specialty, you must pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination and the OB/GYN examination within five years. After passing the SPI examination, you can earn additional credentials without having to retake the SPI examination, provided you maintain active status.
You must wait 60 days before you can retake the OB/GYN examination if you do not pass it; however, you are welcome to reapply after 3 days.
OB/GYN Examination Review
The OB/GYN examination assesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities in the areas of the female reproductive system as well as the fetus in the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
We periodically conduct an OB/GYN Practice Analysis and update the OB/GYN examination to reflect the frequency and importance of OB/GYN tasks being performed by Sonography Professionals.
The latest OB/GYN Practice Analysis was concluded in 2021. Click to view the 2021 OB/GYN Practice Analysis Report.
All questions on the Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) examination will fall under the domains and subdomains listed in the OB content outline. It is essential that you review the OB/GYN content outline to understand what will be covered in the examination.
Question Format & Duration
The Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) examination is three hours, including a five-minute survey, and contains approximately 170 questions, which may include hotspot, PACSim, or multiple-choice questions. Learn more about our PACSim questions . To earn a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) credential with an OB/GYN specialty, you must pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination and the OB/GYN examination.
After passing the examination, you can earn additional credentials without having to retake the SPI examination, provided you maintain active status.
Impartiality
ARDMS functions under policies intended to demonstrate impartiality, high ethical standards, and validity of its certification assessments. ARDMS does not restrict Applicants, Candidates, or becoming a Registrant based on limiting conditions, such as membership of an association or professional society of any organization. ARDMS will not unfairly impede or inhibit access to its certification to Applicants, Candidates or Registrants who meet our stated policies regarding qualification requirements, renewal requirements and/or passing ARDMS’ psychometrically sound certification assessments.
Five-Year Rule
To earn an RDMS, RDCS, RVT or RMSKS credential, you must pass the SPI examination and a corresponding specialty examination within five years, regardless of sequence. This five-year rule does not apply if you are seeking additional specialties under a credential already earned or if you have already earned a credential with the SPI examination. If you do not complete both examinations within the five-year period, you must retake the examination previously passed.
The five-year rule is based on the calendar year (January 1 through December 31). The five-year period begins the day you pass the first examination, and it includes any time that remains in that year plus the next five years. For example, a candidate who passed the first ARDMS examination on June 6, 2010, is required to pass the second examination by December 31, 2015.
Prerequisites
OB/GYN Prerequisites
To sit for the OB/GYN examination and earn the RDMS credential, First-Time Applicants must select a prerequisite that best meets your education and clinical experience.
Physicians can now apply under the new ARDMS physician prerequisite. Learn more!
Click to view the ARDMS General Prerequisites.
Prerequisite Prep Tool
To earn an ARDMS credential, Applicants must choose and meet the requirements of a prerequisite. Review the Prerequisite Prep tool to help guide you through the prerequisite selection process and to select a prerequisite that best meets your education and clinical ultrasound experience.
A re-applicant is a Candidate or Registrant who has previously applied and been approved by ARDMS to take or has taken an ARDMS examination and who is applying to take another examination; this does not include an individual who has only been approved for MSKS, MW examinations and approval of the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination under the SPI Examination Requirement Pathway. Re-applicants should apply as such and thus this guide isn’t necessary for you.
Re-Applicant Information
- If you were previously approved to sit for any of the following Sonographer-level specialty examinations:
- Abdomen (AB)
- Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN)
- Breast (BR)
- Fetal Echocardiography (FE)
- Pediatric Sonography (PS)
- Adult Echocardiography (AE)
- Pediatric Echocardiography (PE)
- Vascular Technology (VT)
- If you were previously approved to sit for the SPI examination under a prerequisite (excludes approval of the SPI examination under the SPI Examination Requirement)
Applying as a Re-applicant:
- If you have a current OB/GYN Clinical Verification (CV) Form on file, you will need to submit
the application and examination fee only. The application will automatically be approved
and you will be able to schedule within a day. - If you do not have a current OB/GYN CV Form on file, you will need to submit the application, the examination fee and a current OB/GYN CV Form. To access your active CV Forms, please log into MY ARDMS/MY APCA and click on “Clinical Verification Form” under “Application Center.” You must wait 60 days before you can retake the OB/GYN examination if you do not pass it; however, you are welcome to reapply after 3 days.
OB/GYN Examination Fee
Includes a $100 USD non-refundable processing fee.- If you take an ARDMS examination at an international test center (outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico), you will be charged an additional non-refundable $50 USD fee when you schedule your examination. This fee is subject to change without notice.
- Click to view the ARDMS General Prerequisites
Choose When and How to Take Your Exam
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Application Process
Once you are ready to apply for an ARDMS examination, follow the steps below:
- Log in to MY ARDMS/MY APCA and choose the “Apply Online” option.
- Complete the online application form and submit payment. If you are a first-time applicant, you are required to choose a general prerequisite under which to apply.
- Gather your supporting documentation and submit at time of application
- To upload your documentation to your MY ARDMS/MY APCA account, click the “My Resources” tab, then “Upload Documents”. For “File Type” select “Application Documents”
For more details, please view the ARDMS How to Apply Guide. For a copy of this guide, complete the How to Apply Guide Request.
Once we have reviewed your information, we will email you with either an Examination Confirmation Letter (ECL) or a request for additional documentation. When you receive the ECL, you may contact Pearson VUE to schedule an examination appointment during your 90-day eligibility period.
If you are found ineligible to take the examination, your application will be partially refunded (less the $100 USD processing fee per examination).
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Document Requirements
The required supporting documents depend on your chosen prerequisite and must be submitted online with your application.
Please note: We do not review application documentation received prior to receipt and payment of the online application.
Application Letter Requirements
When applying for the examination, if your prerequisite selection requires documentation of clinical experience, please note the following:
- All letters must be printed on the official institution/employer letterhead and include the institution/company name, address, and telephone number as shown in the sample letters.
- All letters must be dated.
- Employer Letters must specify whether the experience was obtained on a full-time or part-time basis and should include the total number of paid clinical hours as indicated in the sample letters.
- Program Completion Letters must include the total number of hours in the program and should separately state the number of didactic and clinical hours in the program as indicated in the sample letters.
- All letters must clearly state the start and end dates of employment or program in mm/dd/yyyy format.
- All letters must specify the specialties in which the experience was obtained.
- All letters must include a hand-written signature. Stamped and/or computer-generated signatures will not be accepted.
- Include the ARDMS/APCA number or physician license number in the signature as indicated in the sample letters.
Sample Letters
CV Forms
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Report a Compliance Violation
Do you have an unreported compliance violation? The examination application will ask you to attest to being compliant with the ARDMS Compliance Policies. If you are unsure if you have a compliance violation or if you have a violation to report, please take a moment to watch the short informational video for guidance. For additional assistance please contact [email protected].
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International Degrees
Degrees earned internationally must be evaluated prior to selecting a prerequisite. We require a course by course evaluation. Click here for a complete list of Evaluation Agencies for International Degrees.
If the applicant has taken and passed all three parts of and earned the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®) certification, a copy of the ECFMG® certificate may be submitted with a copy of current, valid MD or DO license from the U.S. or Canada in lieu of the evaluation.
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Application Checklist
The examination checklist is a helpful, online tool that lets you track the status of your submitted application. To view it, log into MY ARDMS/MY APCA and visit the “Application Checklist” from the “Application Center” drop down menu.
Once we have reviewed your documentation, you can find out what documentation we accepted and what additional documentation we may still need by selecting “View Checklist.” If “View Checklist” is not available, it simply means we have not yet reviewed your documentation.
You can also use the following form to ensure that you are submitting all the required documentation:
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Examination Confirmation Letter
If you are found eligible to take an examination, we will email you an Examination Confirmation Letter (ECL) within one to two days of application approval and you will be able to schedule your appointment at that time. The ECL will also be posted to your MY ARDMS/MY APCA account and will include your eligibility period to schedule and take your examination.
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Americans With Disabilities Act
If you need special accommodations, please select “Yes” for “Special Accommodations” in the application and submit the following along with your completed application:
- An original copy of a letter dated within the past five years and typed on official letterhead
from a qualified physician or health care provider who specializes in the disability. This letter
must document the disability and its severity, describe the applicant’s limitation due to the
disability and state exactly what accommodations are recommended. The letter must contain
an original signature and the physician’s or provider’s credentials. - An original copy of a comprehensive medical evaluation/report of the diagnosed disability
from the physician or health care provider, dated within the past five years. - A completed ADA Special Accomodations Questionnaire, which must be submitted each
time you apply for an examination.
For more information, visit Americans with Disabilities Act.