What the RDCS is, the cardiac specialties it covers, how it is earned, and how it relates to the CCI cardiac credential.
The RDCS — Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer — is the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) credential for imaging the heart. A sonographer who holds the RDCS performs echocardiograms, the moving ultrasound images of the heart described on the Cardiac Sonography page. It is one of the four primary ARDMS credentials, alongside the RDMS, RVT, and RMSKS.
What the RDCS covers
The RDCS is awarded in a cardiac specialty. The available specialty exams are Adult Echocardiography, Fetal Echocardiography, and Pediatric Echocardiography (ARDMS). Adult Echocardiography is the most common. The pediatric-heart specialty is distinct from general Pediatric Sonography, which images children’s body systems rather than the heart and falls under the RDMS.
How it is earned
Like all ARDMS credentials, the RDCS is earned by examination, with two exams required (ARDMS):
- The SPI exam — the physics exam shared across all ARDMS credentials. See The SPI Physics Exam.
- A cardiac specialty exam — for example, Adult Echocardiography.
The exams may be taken in either order, but the second must be passed within five years of the first (ARDMS). Meeting the prerequisites, usually through an accredited program, is required before sitting.
Keeping it active
The RDCS is maintained through the ARDMS Maintenance of Certification program, which all active registrants follow: a recurring three-year continuing-education cycle plus an annual attestation and renewal fee (ARDMS).
The RDCS and the CCI cardiac credential
Cardiac imaging can be credentialed two ways. The RDCS comes from ARDMS; the RCS — Registered Cardiac Sonographer — comes from Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). They are different credentials from different bodies covering much the same work. CCI Credentials and Choosing Between ARDMS and CCI compare the two routes.
Last verified: 2026-06-14. Credential requirements and fees change; confirm current details with ARDMS. This page is informational and does not recommend a credential or program.