ARDMS SPI Exam Updated Study Guide
Questions and Answers (2026) | Focused
Revision Pack | Grade A+
What happens to spatial pulse length when frequency increases? -✓✓decreases
Axial resolution is dependent on? -✓✓wavelength
Lateral resolution is dependent on? -✓✓beam diameter
Where does the beam of an unfocused transducer diverge? -✓✓Fraunhofer zone
Reverberation artifacts are a result of -✓✓two or more strong reflecting surfaces
True/False: Grating lobes are essential for the proper operation of a linear phased
array. -✓✓False
True/False: Electronically steered scanners always produce higher resolution
images than do mechanically steered scanners. -✓✓False
True/False: An annular array scanner uses mechanical beam steering. -✓✓True
True/False: A linear sequenced array cannot be dynamically focused. -✓✓False
,registration or B-mode alignment -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes all
the groups of wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
axial resolution -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the A group of
wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
lateral resolution -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the B group of
wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
dead zone -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the D group of wires in
the AIUM 100 mm test object?
depth calibration -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the C or E groups
of wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
What happens to axial resolution when spatial pulse length is decreased? -
✓✓improves
How much will a 3.5 MHz pulse be attenuated after passing through 2 cm of soft
tissue? -✓✓3.5 dB
Propagation speed errors result in -✓✓improper axial position
Enhancement is caused by -✓✓weakly attenuating structures
The Doppler shift frequency is -✓✓directly proportional to the velocity of the
reflector
,The number of frames per second necessary for a real-time image to be flicker free
is -✓✓more than 15
True/False: The SPTA intensity will always be larger than the SATA intensity. -
✓✓True
The intensity of the ultrasound beam is usually greater at the focal zone because of
-✓✓the smaller beam diameter
If the amplitude is doubled, the intensity is -✓✓quadrupled
The attenuation for soft tissue is -✓✓increased with tissue thickness
The acoustic impedance of the matching layer -✓✓can be chosen to improve
transmission into the body
True/False: In a pulse-echo system, the quality factor should be made as large as
possible. -✓✓False
True/False: The beam diameter is constant in the near zone. -✓✓False
The operating frequency is dependent on -✓✓thickness of the crystal
The period of an ultrasound wave is -✓✓the time of one wavelength
, The dynamic range of a system is -✓✓the ratio of smallest to largest power level
that the system can handle
True/False: The intensity of an ultrasonic beam can be measured with radiation
force balance. -✓✓True
Increasing the pulse repetition period -✓✓increases the maximum depth that can
be imaged
Ultrasound bioeffects -✓✓are not confirmed below 100 mW/cm² SPTA
True/False: No refraction can occur at an interface if the media impedances are
equal. -✓✓False
True/False: Smaller transducers always produce smaller beam diameters. -✓✓False
True/False: The ultrasound beam profile can be measured with a hydrophone. -
✓✓True
True/False: The pulsed-Doppler system yields better depth resolution than the
continuous wave (CW) system. -✓✓True
True/False: The gray-scale display was made possible when digital scan converters
replaced analog scan converters. -✓✓False
True/False: Videotape recorders operating at 30 frames per second cannot be used
with mechanical real-time units because the fram rate is too slow. -✓✓False
Questions and Answers (2026) | Focused
Revision Pack | Grade A+
What happens to spatial pulse length when frequency increases? -✓✓decreases
Axial resolution is dependent on? -✓✓wavelength
Lateral resolution is dependent on? -✓✓beam diameter
Where does the beam of an unfocused transducer diverge? -✓✓Fraunhofer zone
Reverberation artifacts are a result of -✓✓two or more strong reflecting surfaces
True/False: Grating lobes are essential for the proper operation of a linear phased
array. -✓✓False
True/False: Electronically steered scanners always produce higher resolution
images than do mechanically steered scanners. -✓✓False
True/False: An annular array scanner uses mechanical beam steering. -✓✓True
True/False: A linear sequenced array cannot be dynamically focused. -✓✓False
,registration or B-mode alignment -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes all
the groups of wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
axial resolution -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the A group of
wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
lateral resolution -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the B group of
wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
dead zone -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the D group of wires in
the AIUM 100 mm test object?
depth calibration -✓✓Which AIUM test object function utilizes the C or E groups
of wires in the AIUM 100 mm test object?
What happens to axial resolution when spatial pulse length is decreased? -
✓✓improves
How much will a 3.5 MHz pulse be attenuated after passing through 2 cm of soft
tissue? -✓✓3.5 dB
Propagation speed errors result in -✓✓improper axial position
Enhancement is caused by -✓✓weakly attenuating structures
The Doppler shift frequency is -✓✓directly proportional to the velocity of the
reflector
,The number of frames per second necessary for a real-time image to be flicker free
is -✓✓more than 15
True/False: The SPTA intensity will always be larger than the SATA intensity. -
✓✓True
The intensity of the ultrasound beam is usually greater at the focal zone because of
-✓✓the smaller beam diameter
If the amplitude is doubled, the intensity is -✓✓quadrupled
The attenuation for soft tissue is -✓✓increased with tissue thickness
The acoustic impedance of the matching layer -✓✓can be chosen to improve
transmission into the body
True/False: In a pulse-echo system, the quality factor should be made as large as
possible. -✓✓False
True/False: The beam diameter is constant in the near zone. -✓✓False
The operating frequency is dependent on -✓✓thickness of the crystal
The period of an ultrasound wave is -✓✓the time of one wavelength
, The dynamic range of a system is -✓✓the ratio of smallest to largest power level
that the system can handle
True/False: The intensity of an ultrasonic beam can be measured with radiation
force balance. -✓✓True
Increasing the pulse repetition period -✓✓increases the maximum depth that can
be imaged
Ultrasound bioeffects -✓✓are not confirmed below 100 mW/cm² SPTA
True/False: No refraction can occur at an interface if the media impedances are
equal. -✓✓False
True/False: Smaller transducers always produce smaller beam diameters. -✓✓False
True/False: The ultrasound beam profile can be measured with a hydrophone. -
✓✓True
True/False: The pulsed-Doppler system yields better depth resolution than the
continuous wave (CW) system. -✓✓True
True/False: The gray-scale display was made possible when digital scan converters
replaced analog scan converters. -✓✓False
True/False: Videotape recorders operating at 30 frames per second cannot be used
with mechanical real-time units because the fram rate is too slow. -✓✓False
