Candidates must pass the Sonography Principles & Instrumentation (SPI) examination and the corresponding specialty examination within five years, regardless of sequence. Candidates who do not complete both exams within five years must retake the examination previously passed. Candidates who passed the now-unavailable UPI, CPI or VPI examination(s) are required to pass the SPI examination if the five-year period lapses. The five-year rule does not apply to Certificants seeking additional specialties under a credential already earned.
The five-year rule is based on the calendar year (January 1 through December 31). The five-year period begins the day the first examination is passed, 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.
