ARDMS Abdomen Exam
ARDMS practice test questions and
answers 2024-2025
Sonographers should be aware of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Best practice
while scanning is to avoid abducting the arm more than how many degrees?
a. 50
b. 90
c. 30
d. 40 -Correct Answer ✔c. 30
Which action demonstrates best practice during ultrasound exams regarding the ALARA
principle?
a. The exposure time should be extended during the exam.
b. use the lowest possible output power that provides a diagnostic image.
c. use the lowest possible gain.
d. Ensure that the time gain compensation (TGC is within acceptable limits. -Correct
Answer ✔b. use the lowest possible output power that provides a diagnostic image
Which type of cavitation is the most concerning cause of bioeffects?
a. Transient
b. Absorption
c. Stable
d. Thermal -Correct Answer ✔a. transient
Assuming an unfocused ultrasound beam, the American Institute of ultrasound in
Medicine's "statement on Mammalian Biological Effects of ultrasound In vivo" has
confirmed that no bioeffects have been noted when the spatial pulse temporal average
(SPTA) intensity is less than which value?
a. 1 mW/cm2
b. 100 W/cm2
c. 1 W/cm2
d. 100 mW/cm2 -Correct Answer ✔d. 100 mW/cm2
A sonographer notices that the mechanical index (MI) is too high during an ultrasound.
What would be the MOST appropriate modification that the sonographer can make?
a. decrease receiver gain
b. increase period
c. decrease the output power
d. decrease the frequency of the transducer -Correct Answer ✔c. decrease the output
power
Select the technique that will generate the LEAST amount of exposure to the
patient.
a. Spectral Doppler
ARDMS Abdomen Exam
,ARDMS Abdomen Exam
b. Color flow Doppler
c. Grayscale
d. M-mode -Correct Answer ✔c. grayscale
When a vibrating string or fluid pump is used to test system performance,
what parameter is being tested?
a. Dead zone
b. Doppler velocities
c. Contrast resolution
d. Grayscale sensitivity -Correct Answer ✔b. Doppler velocities
A tissue-equivalent phantom is used to ensure the efficiency of the
ultrasound machine. Choose the resolution that is NOT tested with this
phantom.
a. Temporal
b. Contrast
c. Axial
d. Horizontal -Correct Answer ✔a. temporal
Which performance check describes the ability of the ultrasound machine
to correctly visualize signals that are weaker than others?
a. Accuracy
b. Specificity
c. Reliability
d. Sensitivity -Correct Answer ✔d. sensitivity
What is the name of the recent technological advancement that is used on tissues such
as the liver, breast, prostate, and thyroid to assess the stiffness of tissue or to better
assess lesions?
a. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound
b. Fusion imaging
c. Elastography
d. Harmonics -Correct Answer ✔c. elastography
Which choice is NOT a true statement regarding this filling defect within the gallbladder?
a. The filling defect displays a significant amount of attenuation.
b. it has created an enhancement artifact.
c. It has created a shadowing artifact
d. Regions deeper than the filling defect are obscured. -Correct Answer ✔b. it has
created an enhancement artifact
Which type of artifact appears echogenic and stems from gas bubbles as they vibrate
due to the interaction with the ultrasound beam?
a. Ring-down artifact
b. edge shadow
c. Crosstalk
ARDMS Abdomen Exam
, ARDMS Abdomen Exam
d. Slice thickness -Correct Answer ✔a. ring-down artifact
What is the fundamental reason that the power and intensity of the ultrasound beam
diminish as it travels through tissue?
a. Absorption
b. Cavitation
c. Obstruction
d. Acoustic impedance -Correct Answer ✔a. absorption
Select the modification that the sonographer can make to decrease the amount of
attenuation as the ultrasound beam travels through tissues.
a. Increase the imaging depth.
b. Increase the frequency of the transducer.
c. Decrease the output power.
d. Decrease the frequency of the transducer. -Correct Answer ✔d. decrease the
frequency of the transducer
Choose the ultrasound system function that enables the sonographer to
adapt to the amount of attenuation that occurs with increasing depth.
a. Focusing
b. Receiver gain
c. TGC
d. Output power -Correct Answer ✔c. TGC
Assume that a sound beam is traveling in soft tissue. Calculate the
attenuation coefficient if the frequency is 12 MHz.
a. 12dB/cm
b. 6 dB/cm
c. 8 dB/cm
d. 10 dB/cm -Correct Answer ✔b. 6 dB/cm
What is NOT a component of attenuation?
a. Reflection
b. Scattering
c. Resolution
d. Absorption -Correct Answer ✔c. resolution
Impedance is NOT influenced by which component?
a. The frequency of the transducer
b. Density
c. Propagation speed
d. Stiffness -Correct Answer ✔a. the frequency of the transducer
For reflection to take place, which situation must exist?
a. The border of two different tissues must have different impedances.
ARDMS Abdomen Exam
ARDMS practice test questions and
answers 2024-2025
Sonographers should be aware of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Best practice
while scanning is to avoid abducting the arm more than how many degrees?
a. 50
b. 90
c. 30
d. 40 -Correct Answer ✔c. 30
Which action demonstrates best practice during ultrasound exams regarding the ALARA
principle?
a. The exposure time should be extended during the exam.
b. use the lowest possible output power that provides a diagnostic image.
c. use the lowest possible gain.
d. Ensure that the time gain compensation (TGC is within acceptable limits. -Correct
Answer ✔b. use the lowest possible output power that provides a diagnostic image
Which type of cavitation is the most concerning cause of bioeffects?
a. Transient
b. Absorption
c. Stable
d. Thermal -Correct Answer ✔a. transient
Assuming an unfocused ultrasound beam, the American Institute of ultrasound in
Medicine's "statement on Mammalian Biological Effects of ultrasound In vivo" has
confirmed that no bioeffects have been noted when the spatial pulse temporal average
(SPTA) intensity is less than which value?
a. 1 mW/cm2
b. 100 W/cm2
c. 1 W/cm2
d. 100 mW/cm2 -Correct Answer ✔d. 100 mW/cm2
A sonographer notices that the mechanical index (MI) is too high during an ultrasound.
What would be the MOST appropriate modification that the sonographer can make?
a. decrease receiver gain
b. increase period
c. decrease the output power
d. decrease the frequency of the transducer -Correct Answer ✔c. decrease the output
power
Select the technique that will generate the LEAST amount of exposure to the
patient.
a. Spectral Doppler
ARDMS Abdomen Exam
,ARDMS Abdomen Exam
b. Color flow Doppler
c. Grayscale
d. M-mode -Correct Answer ✔c. grayscale
When a vibrating string or fluid pump is used to test system performance,
what parameter is being tested?
a. Dead zone
b. Doppler velocities
c. Contrast resolution
d. Grayscale sensitivity -Correct Answer ✔b. Doppler velocities
A tissue-equivalent phantom is used to ensure the efficiency of the
ultrasound machine. Choose the resolution that is NOT tested with this
phantom.
a. Temporal
b. Contrast
c. Axial
d. Horizontal -Correct Answer ✔a. temporal
Which performance check describes the ability of the ultrasound machine
to correctly visualize signals that are weaker than others?
a. Accuracy
b. Specificity
c. Reliability
d. Sensitivity -Correct Answer ✔d. sensitivity
What is the name of the recent technological advancement that is used on tissues such
as the liver, breast, prostate, and thyroid to assess the stiffness of tissue or to better
assess lesions?
a. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound
b. Fusion imaging
c. Elastography
d. Harmonics -Correct Answer ✔c. elastography
Which choice is NOT a true statement regarding this filling defect within the gallbladder?
a. The filling defect displays a significant amount of attenuation.
b. it has created an enhancement artifact.
c. It has created a shadowing artifact
d. Regions deeper than the filling defect are obscured. -Correct Answer ✔b. it has
created an enhancement artifact
Which type of artifact appears echogenic and stems from gas bubbles as they vibrate
due to the interaction with the ultrasound beam?
a. Ring-down artifact
b. edge shadow
c. Crosstalk
ARDMS Abdomen Exam
, ARDMS Abdomen Exam
d. Slice thickness -Correct Answer ✔a. ring-down artifact
What is the fundamental reason that the power and intensity of the ultrasound beam
diminish as it travels through tissue?
a. Absorption
b. Cavitation
c. Obstruction
d. Acoustic impedance -Correct Answer ✔a. absorption
Select the modification that the sonographer can make to decrease the amount of
attenuation as the ultrasound beam travels through tissues.
a. Increase the imaging depth.
b. Increase the frequency of the transducer.
c. Decrease the output power.
d. Decrease the frequency of the transducer. -Correct Answer ✔d. decrease the
frequency of the transducer
Choose the ultrasound system function that enables the sonographer to
adapt to the amount of attenuation that occurs with increasing depth.
a. Focusing
b. Receiver gain
c. TGC
d. Output power -Correct Answer ✔c. TGC
Assume that a sound beam is traveling in soft tissue. Calculate the
attenuation coefficient if the frequency is 12 MHz.
a. 12dB/cm
b. 6 dB/cm
c. 8 dB/cm
d. 10 dB/cm -Correct Answer ✔b. 6 dB/cm
What is NOT a component of attenuation?
a. Reflection
b. Scattering
c. Resolution
d. Absorption -Correct Answer ✔c. resolution
Impedance is NOT influenced by which component?
a. The frequency of the transducer
b. Density
c. Propagation speed
d. Stiffness -Correct Answer ✔a. the frequency of the transducer
For reflection to take place, which situation must exist?
a. The border of two different tissues must have different impedances.
ARDMS Abdomen Exam
