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FREE ARDMS RDMS Abdomen (AB) Exam Guide 2026: Pass on First Try
Key Facts
- ARDMS RDMS Abdomen requires passing both the SPI physics exam and the Abdomen (AB) specialty exam within a rolling 5-year window (ARDMS).
- The ARDMS Abdomen (AB) exam contains approximately 165 multiple-choice and hotspot questions delivered over 3 hours at Pearson VUE (Inteleos).
- ARDMS exams use a 300-700 scaled score range with a 555 minimum passing standard (Inteleos).
- The 2026 ARDMS AB exam fee is $300 USD, and the SPI exam fee is $275 USD (Inteleos).
- The ARDMS Abdomen content outline has 4 domains: Pathology 42%, Anatomy/Perfusion 30%, Clinical Care 20%, and Abdominal Physics 8% (ARDMS V24.1).
- Beginning January 1, 2026, ARDMS requires four annual Knowledge Confirmation quizzes (40 questions total) per specialty on the SKILLS Platform (Inteleos).
- ARDMS reduced the RDMS CME requirement to 25 ARDMS/APCA-accepted credits per 3-year cycle for periods ending December 31, 2026 or later (ARDMS).
- The 2026 ARDMS annual renewal fee for RDMS certificants is $105 USD due each December 31 (ARDMS).
- ARDMS requires a 60-day waiting period between failed exam attempts and allows reapplication after 3 days (Inteleos).
- BLS May 2025 data reports an $96,590 median annual wage for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers with 14% projected growth 2025-2035 (BLS OOH).
ARDMS RDMS Abdomen (AB) Exam Guide 2026: Pass the Abdominal Sonography Registry
The ARDMS Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) with the Abdomen (AB) specialty is the dominant credential for abdominal sonographers in the United States and Canada. It is what IAC-accredited ultrasound labs, radiology practices, academic medical centers, and hospital systems ask for when they hire — and the near-universal requirement for a staff general sonographer position that covers abdominal imaging.
This guide treats the AB exam the way high-scoring candidates actually do: as a breadth-of-pathology recognition challenge across every organ in the abdomen and pelvis, layered on top of protocol mastery, filtered through SPI Doppler and B-mode physics. By the end of this page you will know exactly what the exam tests, how to get eligible, what measurements and criteria to memorize cold, and how to pace a realistic 12-16 week prep.
Ready to start practicing now? Jump straight to our FREE Abdomen practice questions — hundreds of exam-style items covering all AB domains, organ-by-organ pathology, Doppler vascular criteria, and SPI physics crossover.
RDMS AB Exam At-a-Glance (SPI + Abdomen Structure)
The RDMS (AB) credential is not a single exam. It is a two-exam pathway through ARDMS.
- Exam Component SPI (Physics Prerequisite) Abdomen (AB Specialty)
- Full Name Sonography Principles & Instrumentation Abdomen
- Items ~110 items (100 scored + pilots) ~165 items (incl. hotspot Advanced Items on cine loops)
- Time 2 hours 3 hours
- Scoring Scaled 300-700, pass = 555 Scaled 300-700, pass = 555
- Fee (2026) $275 $300 per the current ARDMS Get-Certified pages; each includes $100 non-refundable processing
- Delivery Pearson VUE (On Demand, year-round) Pearson VUE (On Demand, year-round)
- Eligibility Window 90 days from ECL 90 days from ECL
- Retake Wait 60 days 60 days
- Max Attempts 5 per 5-year window 5 per 5-year window
- 5-Year Window Must pass BOTH within 5 years of each other Must pass BOTH within 5 years of each other
You earn RDMS (AB) when you have passed both exams AND ARDMS has verified your prerequisite pathway documentation. If AB was passed first, you have 5 years from that date to complete SPI. If SPI was first, you have 5 years from SPI to complete AB. Additional RDMS specialties (OB/GYN, Breast, MSK, Fetal Echo) later do not require a repeat SPI as long as Active Status is maintained.