Updated: Feb 26
According to the ARDMS ® SPI exam statistics, in 2020, only 76% of applicants passed the SPI exam on their first try. Study hard, and try, try again.

Keep your cool, and don't freak out! We assure you that everything will be fine. No, it's going to be fantastic! Really! Because failing the ARDMS ® SPI exam is not the end of the world, you can still have a very successful sonography career. Perhaps failing two times is a big deal, but if you use Prepry's iOS or Android app, that's unlikely to be the case.
When you first hear the news, try to stay positive and breathe. Talk to a person you care about who can bring you back to center. Have some tacos or your favorite comfort food. It is beneficial to step back, relax and regroup!
You can register to retake the test after 3 days, but must wait 60 days before you can retake the ARDMS SPI Exam. The good news is that you only need to pass the ARDMS ® SPI exam once before you can sit to take Abdomen, Breast, OB/GYN, Pediatric Sonography and Vascular Technology exams, which Prepry can completely assist you with! Prepry is an ARDMS and Exam app that uses spaced repetition to help you learn with increased efficiency, leading to improved exam results. Prepry will help you review ARDMS ® SPI exam content (that will undoubtedly be on the test) in a completely memorable manner. It's also far more interesting and beneficial than sonography flashcards. Download a free trial today but keep reading for advice on recovering from the initial shock of failing the ARDMS ® SPI exam. We assure you that it is not as bad as you think!
Forgiveness and Acceptance
The first and most crucial step in recovery is accepting the score and forgiving yourself for not doing well. Failing is awful and disappointing, but if you tell yourself things like, "I'm too stupid to be a sonographer, I should just give up," you'll never make it in sonography or anywhere else. Positive thoughts such as, "It's okay!" I'll crush it the next time! It will go a long way. Accept what occurred at the testing facility, forgive yourself, promise to do better next time, and move on. You can devise a strategy to avoid a repeat scenario in round two of the ARDMS ® SPI exam. Our advice? Make use of Prepry! We are confident that our sonography registry review app, with its 2700+ questions and spaced repetition, is the best out there. Our app is also available for free download and use! You can get a second opportunity. Prepry can aid you in crushing the ARDMS ® SPI exam!
Examine the Situation and the Reasons for Your Failure on the ARDMS ® SPI Exam
The SPI examination evaluates the SPI knowledge and skills you must demonstrate as a sonography professional. The primary test result is a PASS or FAIL decision. In addition, you will receive a scaled score, ranging from 300 to 700. A scaled score of 555 is required to pass all ARDMS examinations.
The scaled score is not a percentage of correct answers, nor is it built on a “curve” where a certain percentage of scores would pass and a certain percentage would fail. To learn more, visit Notification of Results and Scoring.
https://www.ardms.org/get-certified/spi/
Examine your score report. This part may be painful, but the sooner you figure out what happened, the sooner you can return to studying (and the sooner you'll have your sonographer credentials). Examine the information you were given and conduct a self-analysis to determine why you failed the ARDMS ® SPI exam. Did you study ineffectively? Maybe you were close to passing in most areas, but you didn't study as much as you should have or took shortcuts. It happens. You don't need to beat yourself up or make excuses; instead, figure out why you failed the ARDMS ® SPI exam so you can pass the next time. Most of us struggle with identifying our own weaknesses, this is what is awesome about Prepry. We help you identifying your own weaknesses, overcome test anxiety, identify content knowledge deficits, and understand how to choose the most correct question on the ARDMS ® SPI exam.