SPI Practice Exam | 100% Correct Questions
and Answers (ARDMS Practice Tests) | Latest
2025 Update
1. Which technique utilizes modulation of the transmitted pulse to improve
signal-to-noise ratio?
A. Apodization
B. Panoramic imaging
C. Coded excitation
D. Spatial compounding - ANSWER Coded excitation
2. Which imaging mode requires 2 elements mounted side by side?
A. M-mode
B. B-mode
C. Pulsed wave Doppler
D. Continuous wave Doppler - ANSWER Continuous wave Doppler
3. What is the nyquist limit if a pulsed wave Doppler instrument has a PRF of
16 KHz?
A. 32 KHz
B. 10 KHz
C. 8 KHz
D. 5 KHz - ANSWER 8 KHz
4. During the performance of an abdominal exam, the depth has been
increased. What system control has been adjusted?
A. Receiver
B. Overall gain
C. Pulser
D. Image Processor - ANSWER C. Pulser
5. Which of the following angles is a safety recommendation for technicians
for shoulder abduction while performing an ultrasound?
A. 45 degrees
1
, B. 30 degrees
C. 20 degrees
D. 40 degrees - ANSWER B. 30 degrees
6. Which property measures the velocity of the sound wave as it travels
through a medium?
A. Density
B. Propagation speed
C. Impedance
D. Bulk modules - ANSWER B. Propagation speed
7. The amount of energy loss for transmitting sound can be calculated by using
A. Snell's Law
B. Attenuation coefficient
C. Acoustic impedance
D. Wavelength formula - ANSWER B. Attenuation coefficient
8. You are interrogating the portal vein at an angle of 45 degrees. This angle
can be described as
A. Normal incident
B. Perpendicular
C. Parallel
D. Oblique incident - ANSWER D. Oblique incident
9. While performing a color Doppler on the external carotid artery, you want to
improve the range resolution. Which system setting would you adjust?
A. Doppler angle
B. Packet size
C. Frequency
D. Wall filter - ANSWER C. Frequency
10.The vertical axis on an X and Y grid is called
A. The origin
B. X axis
C. Horizontal axis
D. Y axis - ANSWER D. Y axis
11.Which sound process requires a specific angle in order to occur?
A. Reflection
B. Impedance
2
, C. Attenuation
D. Refraction - ANSWER D. Refraction
12.During a sonogram, you notice horizontal lines presenting in the far field,
what step could you take to reduce the artifact?
A. Increase the number of scan lines to minimize beam width
B. Turn on spatial compounding to interrogate the image from multiple
angles
C. Increase transducer frequency to shorten the SPL
D. Increase the incident angle to 90 degrees - ANSWER A. Increase the
number of scan lines to minimize beam width
13.In the middle of an echocardiogram, the tech accidentally scans a rib. What
will be displayed on the screen?
A. Because of the change in propagation speeds and the angle of the
probe, the transmitting sound will divert from its set course
B. As long as the temporal resultion is yielding a high frame rate, the
picture quality will be fine
C. The high impedance mismatch between the rib and surrounding tissue
will create a strong reflection resulting in little or no transmission of
sound producing a shadow - ANSWER C. The high impedance
mismatch between the rib and surrounding tissue will create a strong
reflection resulting in little or no transmission of sound producing a
shadow
14.Harmonic imaging improves lateral resolution because
A. Processed harmonic waves occur at the center of the beam
B. There is improved signal to noise ratio
C. The processed frequency is doubled
D. The number of focal zones is increased - ANSWER
15.Which of these scanning parameters will yield the greatest ultrasound
intensity, assuming the power is identical?
A. 6MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 5cm
B. 4MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 8cm
C. 8MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 2cm
D. 2MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 10cm - ANSWER C. 8MHz
frequency scanning at a depth of 2cm
3
, 16.Depth remains unchanged while the PRF is increased. If no other changes
are made, what will be the potential effect?
A. Aliasing
B. Increased penetration
C. Poor temporal resolution
D. Depth ambiguity - ANSWER
17.The technician is scanning a vessel demonstrating organized and streamlined
flow patterns. What is the nature of the flow?
A. Laminar
B. Turbulent
C. Plug
D. Parabolic - ANSWER A. Laminar
18.A verbal order is executed for an exam, what is the most appropriate action
for the sonographer to take?
A. Seek the supervisor's approval
B. Immediately perform the exam
C. Repeat the verbal order to ensure accuracy
D. Wait to perform the exam until a written order is received - ANSWER
D. Wait to perform the exam until a written order is received
19.The finite dimensions of the ultrasound beam can cause which artifact to be
seen within a cystic structure?
A. Posterior enhancement
B. Slice thickness artifact
C. Mirror image
D. Edge shadowing - ANSWER B. Slice thickness artifact
20.During a color Doppler study, the sonographer uses a 5MHz transducer. If
the red blood cells are approaching the probe, what will be the approximate
received echo frequency?
A. 5500 kHz
B. 4995 kHz
C. 4500 kHz
D. 5005 kHz - ANSWER D. 5005 kHz
21.A beam of mechanical energy is approaching an interface at normal incident.
What will be the expected result if both impedance values are identical?
A. A strong reflection with little transmission of ultrasound
4
and Answers (ARDMS Practice Tests) | Latest
2025 Update
1. Which technique utilizes modulation of the transmitted pulse to improve
signal-to-noise ratio?
A. Apodization
B. Panoramic imaging
C. Coded excitation
D. Spatial compounding - ANSWER Coded excitation
2. Which imaging mode requires 2 elements mounted side by side?
A. M-mode
B. B-mode
C. Pulsed wave Doppler
D. Continuous wave Doppler - ANSWER Continuous wave Doppler
3. What is the nyquist limit if a pulsed wave Doppler instrument has a PRF of
16 KHz?
A. 32 KHz
B. 10 KHz
C. 8 KHz
D. 5 KHz - ANSWER 8 KHz
4. During the performance of an abdominal exam, the depth has been
increased. What system control has been adjusted?
A. Receiver
B. Overall gain
C. Pulser
D. Image Processor - ANSWER C. Pulser
5. Which of the following angles is a safety recommendation for technicians
for shoulder abduction while performing an ultrasound?
A. 45 degrees
1
, B. 30 degrees
C. 20 degrees
D. 40 degrees - ANSWER B. 30 degrees
6. Which property measures the velocity of the sound wave as it travels
through a medium?
A. Density
B. Propagation speed
C. Impedance
D. Bulk modules - ANSWER B. Propagation speed
7. The amount of energy loss for transmitting sound can be calculated by using
A. Snell's Law
B. Attenuation coefficient
C. Acoustic impedance
D. Wavelength formula - ANSWER B. Attenuation coefficient
8. You are interrogating the portal vein at an angle of 45 degrees. This angle
can be described as
A. Normal incident
B. Perpendicular
C. Parallel
D. Oblique incident - ANSWER D. Oblique incident
9. While performing a color Doppler on the external carotid artery, you want to
improve the range resolution. Which system setting would you adjust?
A. Doppler angle
B. Packet size
C. Frequency
D. Wall filter - ANSWER C. Frequency
10.The vertical axis on an X and Y grid is called
A. The origin
B. X axis
C. Horizontal axis
D. Y axis - ANSWER D. Y axis
11.Which sound process requires a specific angle in order to occur?
A. Reflection
B. Impedance
2
, C. Attenuation
D. Refraction - ANSWER D. Refraction
12.During a sonogram, you notice horizontal lines presenting in the far field,
what step could you take to reduce the artifact?
A. Increase the number of scan lines to minimize beam width
B. Turn on spatial compounding to interrogate the image from multiple
angles
C. Increase transducer frequency to shorten the SPL
D. Increase the incident angle to 90 degrees - ANSWER A. Increase the
number of scan lines to minimize beam width
13.In the middle of an echocardiogram, the tech accidentally scans a rib. What
will be displayed on the screen?
A. Because of the change in propagation speeds and the angle of the
probe, the transmitting sound will divert from its set course
B. As long as the temporal resultion is yielding a high frame rate, the
picture quality will be fine
C. The high impedance mismatch between the rib and surrounding tissue
will create a strong reflection resulting in little or no transmission of
sound producing a shadow - ANSWER C. The high impedance
mismatch between the rib and surrounding tissue will create a strong
reflection resulting in little or no transmission of sound producing a
shadow
14.Harmonic imaging improves lateral resolution because
A. Processed harmonic waves occur at the center of the beam
B. There is improved signal to noise ratio
C. The processed frequency is doubled
D. The number of focal zones is increased - ANSWER
15.Which of these scanning parameters will yield the greatest ultrasound
intensity, assuming the power is identical?
A. 6MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 5cm
B. 4MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 8cm
C. 8MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 2cm
D. 2MHz frequency scanning at a depth of 10cm - ANSWER C. 8MHz
frequency scanning at a depth of 2cm
3
, 16.Depth remains unchanged while the PRF is increased. If no other changes
are made, what will be the potential effect?
A. Aliasing
B. Increased penetration
C. Poor temporal resolution
D. Depth ambiguity - ANSWER
17.The technician is scanning a vessel demonstrating organized and streamlined
flow patterns. What is the nature of the flow?
A. Laminar
B. Turbulent
C. Plug
D. Parabolic - ANSWER A. Laminar
18.A verbal order is executed for an exam, what is the most appropriate action
for the sonographer to take?
A. Seek the supervisor's approval
B. Immediately perform the exam
C. Repeat the verbal order to ensure accuracy
D. Wait to perform the exam until a written order is received - ANSWER
D. Wait to perform the exam until a written order is received
19.The finite dimensions of the ultrasound beam can cause which artifact to be
seen within a cystic structure?
A. Posterior enhancement
B. Slice thickness artifact
C. Mirror image
D. Edge shadowing - ANSWER B. Slice thickness artifact
20.During a color Doppler study, the sonographer uses a 5MHz transducer. If
the red blood cells are approaching the probe, what will be the approximate
received echo frequency?
A. 5500 kHz
B. 4995 kHz
C. 4500 kHz
D. 5005 kHz - ANSWER D. 5005 kHz
21.A beam of mechanical energy is approaching an interface at normal incident.
What will be the expected result if both impedance values are identical?
A. A strong reflection with little transmission of ultrasound
4
