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FREE ARDMS RDCS Pediatric Echo Exam Guide 2026 (PE)
Key Facts
- ARDMS RDCS with Pediatric Echocardiography (PE) requires passing the SPI physics exam AND the PE specialty exam within a rolling 5-year window.
- The ARDMS PE specialty exam has 145 multiple-choice questions including hotspot Advanced Item Types, delivered over 3 hours at Pearson VUE test centers.
- Both ARDMS exams use a scaled 300-700 scoring system with a passing score of 555, roughly 68-72% of scored items correct.
- The Pediatric Echocardiography specialty exam fee is $300 USD (includes $100 non-refundable processing); SPI is $250. International centers add a $50 fee.
- Unlike RDCS Adult Echo (On Demand year-round), ARDMS Pediatric Echo (PE) is Windowed — delivered only in specific months per the ARDMS calendar.
- RDCS has 3 cardiac specialty tracks: Adult (AE), Pediatric (PE), and Fetal (FE). RDCS AE holders can add PE by passing only the PE specialty.
- PE content pathology (congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, Kawasaki, rheumatic) dominates at roughly 40-45% of scored items on the PE outline.
- Effective January 1, 2026, ARDMS MOC requires 4 annual Knowledge Confirmation quizzes plus 25 CMEs per 3-year cycle, with a $105 annual renewal fee.
- BLS (SOC 29-2032) reports a May 2025 median wage of $96,590 for cardiac sonographers; pediatric cardiac sonographers typically earn $80,000-$115,000.
- ARDMS allows up to 5 PE attempts per 5-year eligibility window; failed candidates must wait for the next PE administration window to retake.
ARDMS RDCS Pediatric Echocardiography Exam Guide 2026: Pass the PE on the First Attempt
The ARDMS Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) with the Pediatric Echocardiography (PE) specialty is the dominant credential for pediatric cardiac sonographers in the United States and Canada. It is what IAC-accredited pediatric echo labs, children's hospitals, academic medical centers, and pediatric cardiology groups ask for — and the near-universal requirement for a lead pediatric echo tech role or a traveling pediatric cardiac sonographer assignment.
This guide treats the PE exam the way high-scoring candidates actually do: as a segmental analysis + congenital heart disease pattern recognition challenge on top of pediatric-specific Z-score measurement discipline , filtered through SPI Doppler physics. By the end of this page you will know exactly what the exam tests, which prerequisite path fits your background, what CHD anatomy and Z-scores to memorize cold, and how to pace a realistic 12-16 week prep around the Windowed PE schedule.
Ready to start practicing now? Jump straight to our FREE Pediatric Echocardiography practice questions — hundreds of exam-style items covering segmental analysis, every major CHD lesion, postoperative single ventricle circulations, Kawasaki coronary Z-scores, fetal echo basics, and SPI physics crossover.
RDCS PE Exam At-a-Glance (SPI + Pediatric Echo Structure)
The RDCS PE credential is not a single exam. It is a two-exam pathway through ARDMS.
- Exam Component SPI (Physics Prerequisite) Pediatric Echocardiography (PE Specialty)
- Full Name Sonography Principles & Instrumentation Pediatric Echocardiography
Items ~110 items (100 scored + pilots) 145 items (incl. hotspot Advanced Items on cine loops and segmental anatomy)
- Time 2 hours 3 hours
- Scoring Scaled 300-700, pass = 555 Scaled 300-700, pass = 555
- Fee (2026) $250 $300 per official ARDMS PE page; each includes $100 non-refundable processing
- Delivery Pearson VUE (On Demand, year-round) Pearson VUE ( Windowed — specific months only)
Score Release Preliminary Pass/Fail at test center; scaled score within ~10 business days ~60 days after the close of the PE administration window (no test-center preliminary result)
- Eligibility Window 90 days from ECL Must test inside the active PE administration window
- Retake Wait 60 days Wait until the next PE administration (no fixed day count)
- 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 the RDCS (PE) when you have passed both exams AND ARDMS has verified your prerequisite pathway documentation. If PE 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 PE. Adding PE to an existing RDCS AE credential does not require a repeat SPI as long as Active Status is maintained — you only take the PE specialty.