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Abdomen (AB)

General Sonography and Maternal Fetal Health

Administered by ARDMS

Applications are always open.

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Ready to apply for Abdomen?

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This exam is administered by ARDMS.

SPI Required?

Within 5 years

Application Window

Year-Round

Exam Fee

$300 USD

Exam Window

Year-Round

The AB exam tests your knowledge of the soft tissues, blood vessels, and organs of the human abdomen.

Overview

Care for the human core with AB.

The exam assesses the basic knowledge, skills, and abilities that every abdominal sonography professional needs:

Basic abdominal anatomy
Perfusion and function
Pathology
Vascular abnormalities
Trauma
Postoperative anatomy
Abdominal physics
Clinical care and practice

The AB exam is a qualifying exam for RDMS certification. The SPI exam is also required. You must pass both exams within five years of each other, in any order.

Job Task Analysis

Quality exams start with a simple purpose: reflect real-world care. We routinely evaluate and update the AB exam to ensure that it captures the requirements of today’s practice.

Latest Analysis: 2018

Question format & scoring

The AB exam covers approximately 165 questions over three hours.

Multiple choice
Hotspot questions: answer questions about individual images by marking directly on them
- Watch ARDMS Presents: How to Answer a Hotspot Question.
Five-minute survey

Scoring

You will receive your score report at the test center after completing your exam, and it will also be available in your Pearson account. Your results will be posted to your Inteleos portal within one week.

Pass/fail score
Point scale 300 to 700 (555 or better passes; not percentage or curve-based)

If you do not pass, you can reapply after three days. However, you must wait 60 days before retaking the exam.

Statistics

ARDMS exams assess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to practice each specialty. Student pass rates vary.

2023 First-time takers: 72% Overall: 64%	2022 First-time takers: 69% Overall: 61%	2021 First-time takers: 69% Overall: 62%
2020 First-time takers: 74% Overall: 67%	2019 First-time takers: 79% Overall: 72%	2018 First-time takers: 83% Overall: 77%
2017 First-time takers: 84% Overall: 77%	2016 First-time takers: 81% Overall: 75%	2015 First-time takers: 77% Overall: 69%
2014 First-time takers: 70% Overall: 63%	2013 First-time takers: 68% Overall: 60%