The ARDMS Clinical Verification Form is a specialty-specific skills checklist that a qualified supervisor signs to confirm you can competently perform diagnostic ultrasound in a given clinical area. You need one on file before ARDMS will approve you to sit for any specialty examination, and the signature is valid for exactly one year.1The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. CV Forms This applies to first-time applicants and anyone reapplying.
When the Form Is Required
Every ARDMS specialty examination requires a valid CV form: Abdomen, Adult Echocardiography, Breast, Fetal Echocardiography, OB/GYN, Pediatric Echocardiography, Pediatric Sonography, and Vascular Technology. The Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam is the one exception and does not require a CV form.2American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. ARDMS General Prerequisites Candidates who took SPI first sometimes assume the same paperwork carries forward, but the specialty exam adds this requirement.
The form is required under every prerequisite path, whether you came in through a diagnostic medical sonography program, a two-year allied health program, a bachelor’s degree route, or an existing sonography credential from CCI, ARRT, Sonography Canada, or ASUM.3American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. ARDMS Documentation and Prerequisite Guide One narrow carve-out: under Prerequisite 3B, if you apply within one year before completing your program and have already finished 12 months of clinical experience within that program, the CV form is waived at the time of application.4American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Application Submission Checklist
Choosing the Right Specialty Version
Each specialty has its own form with a checklist tailored to that clinical area. ARDMS publishes eight versions:1The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. CV Forms
- AB — Abdomen
- AE — Adult Echocardiography
- BR — Breast
- FE — Fetal Echocardiography
- OB/GYN — Obstetrics and Gynecology
- PE — Pediatric Echocardiography
- PS — Pediatric Sonography
- VT — Vascular Technology
If you’re applying for more than one specialty exam, you need a separate signed form for each. Download the correct one directly from the ARDMS website. Submitting an Abdomen form for a Vascular Technology application will delay your review.
What You Fill In
The form has three parts: your identifying information, a clinical skills checklist, and a supervisor verification block.
Applicant Information
Enter your full name and your ARDMS or APCA number. If this is your first application and you don’t have a number yet, you’ll receive one when you create your MY ARDMS account.
Skills Checklist
The checklist is the core of the form. Your supervisor reviews each numbered competency and places handwritten initials next to the ones you’ve demonstrated. Using the Abdomen form as an example, the 12 skills cover areas such as:5American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Abdomen (AB) Clinical Verification (CV) Form
- Communicating appropriately with patients, physicians, and staff
- Identifying the goal of the exam and recognizing significant clinical information from medical records
- Selecting the correct transducer type and frequency, and adjusting instrument controls to optimize image quality
- Applying spectral analysis and color flow imaging as they relate to the specialty
- Identifying abnormal sonographic patterns and modifying the scanning protocol accordingly
- Performing measurements and recording examination findings
Other specialty forms follow the same structure with specialty-specific anatomy, pathology, and techniques. Every item needs initials. A single blank line can get the form returned.
Supervisor Verification Block
At the bottom, your supervisor provides a signature, printed name, date, phone number, email address, and either their ARDMS or APCA registry number or a physician license number with the issuing state or country.5American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Abdomen (AB) Clinical Verification (CV) Form
Who Can Sign
The sponsoring sonographer must hold an active ARDMS registration in the specific specialty being verified. For a Vascular Technology form, the signer must be an active-status RVT registrant.6American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Vascular (VT) Clinical Verification (CV) Form A reporting physician with a valid medical license is also acceptable. In either case, the signer must have direct knowledge of your clinical performance, and ARDMS verifies credentials.
The form cannot be signed by a relative.6American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Vascular (VT) Clinical Verification (CV) Form If you work alongside a credentialed parent or sibling, you’ll need a different qualified supervisor.
One-Year Validity
A signed CV form is valid for exactly one year from the date of signature. If it expires before ARDMS processes your application, or before you actually sit for the exam, you’ll need a new one with a current date.1The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. CV Forms Don’t rush to get the form signed months before you plan to apply. If your exam date has slipped, check whether your form will still be valid on test day.
The same rule applies to reapplicants. A form from a different specialty won’t carry over, and even the same specialty form won’t work once the signature is more than a year old.
How to Upload It
Once the form is fully signed and dated, scan it to a clear digital file. Confirm every initial and signature is legible. Log in to your MY ARDMS account, go to the “My Resources” tab, click “Upload Documents,” and under “File Type” choose “Application Documents.”1The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. CV Forms Upload the form when you submit your application rather than later; ARDMS asks for all documentation at the point of application, and a missing CV form holds up the entire review.
Keep a personal copy of the signed form. If your application is selected for audit, you’ll need to produce the original or a legible copy.
Mistakes That Trigger Rejections
Most problems with the CV form are preventable:
- Submitting the wrong specialty version. Check the abbreviation in the header against the exam you’re applying for.
- Missing initials. Every numbered item needs handwritten initials from your supervisor.
- Unqualified signer. The sonographer must hold an active ARDMS credential in the exact specialty being tested; a signer credentialed only in Abdomen cannot verify an Adult Echocardiography form.
- Expired signature. If the signature date is more than a year old when ARDMS reviews the application, the form is invalid.
- Relative as signer. ARDMS prohibits a family member from completing the form regardless of their credentials.
- Illegible scan. If initials or signatures aren’t clearly visible, ARDMS will request a better copy.
Getting the form right the first time saves weeks of back-and-forth. If any detail is unclear, review the instructions on the specific specialty form before your supervisor signs.