RVS exam guide
About the Registered Vascular Specialist (RVS) exam
The CCI Registered Vascular Specialist examination is designed for professionals working in vascular ultrasound. Use this short diagnostic to identify gaps in vascular anatomy and hemodynamics, ultrasound physics, patient safety, cerebrovascular, abdominal, extremity arterial and venous, and hemodialysis examinations, then organize further study around the official examination matrix.
MedPorium is an independent education platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Exam details can change; confirm them with the official source before applying.
RVS exam format at a glance
- Questions
- 170
- 150 scored; 20 unscored
- Time
- 3 hours (2 hours 50 minutes for questions, plus 10 minutes for the tutorial and survey)
- Delivery
- Computer-based at Pearson Professional Centers; offered year-round based on availability
Knowledge to review for the RVS exam
These foundations support the practical tasks in the official examination matrix.
Vascular foundations and clinical assessment
- General and cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, vascular hemodynamics, disease processes, progression, anomalies, and variants
- History and physical assessment, vascular signs and symptoms, risk factors, pharmacology, mathematics, and basic statistics
- Patient care, BLS, medical terminology, ethics, compliance, departmental policies, and critical-finding communication
Ultrasound physics and physiologic testing
- Ultrasound physics, instrumentation, B-mode, spectral, color, power, and contrast imaging
- Transducer and preset selection, resolution, artifact recognition, Doppler optimization, and bioeffect safety
- Segmental pressures, ABI, PVR, exercise testing, and specialty physiologic studies
Vascular examinations and interventions
- Cerebrovascular, abdominal, visceral, arterial, venous, and hemodialysis examinations
- Pre- and post-intervention surveillance of bypass grafts, stents, endovascular repair, ablation, PICC, and dialysis access
- Nonsurgical and surgical interventions and correlation with CT, MR, and other imaging modalities
RVS examination matrix
The percentages below are the approximate exam-score weights published by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Use them to allocate study time, then adjust for your own weak areas.
11%
Maintaining Patient Care and Safety
Ensure each examination is appropriate, safe, technically responsible, and clearly communicated from patient identification through the preliminary findings.
- Identify and assess the patient, obtain history and risk factors, and verify examination appropriateness and contraindications
- Position the patient and identify, document, and communicate critical findings
- Apply infection control and sterile technique and maintain ergonomic and bioeffect safety
- Maintain equipment, perform quality assurance and improvement, and generate preliminary findings for physician interpretation
15%
Applying Principles of Physics and Hemodynamics
Apply ultrasound and vascular-flow principles to select equipment, optimize grayscale and Doppler data, recognize artifacts, and preserve diagnostic accuracy.
- Select transducers and examination presets and obtain optimal grayscale images
- Apply vascular hemodynamic principles
- Optimize pulsed-wave, continuous-wave, color, and power Doppler
- Recognize and correct imaging and Doppler artifacts
10%
Performing Abdominal/Visceral Examinations
Perform arterial and venous abdominal studies, including surveillance of repairs, stents, and transplanted organs.
- Perform renal and mesenteric duplex examinations
- Perform abdominal aortoiliac duplex, including endovascular-repair surveillance
- Perform iliocaval duplex, including venous-stent assessment
- Perform kidney, liver, and other organ-transplant duplex examinations
20%
Performing Extracranial/Intracranial Examinations
Acquire and interpret extracranial carotid and transcranial Doppler data and assess vessels following intervention.
- Perform extracranial duplex
- Perform imaging and non-imaging transcranial Doppler
- Perform extracranial post-intervention duplex surveillance
22%
Performing Arterial Examinations of the Upper and Lower Extremities
The largest domain integrates arterial duplex, pressure and waveform testing, exercise and specialty studies, surveillance, and assessment of procedural complications.
- Perform upper- and lower-extremity arterial duplex and post-intervention assessment of grafts and stents
- Perform segmental pressures, ABI, PVR, and exercise testing
- Perform Allen's, cold-sensitivity, thoracic-outlet, popliteal-entrapment, and other specialty physiologic testing
- Assess pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, hematoma, and other post-procedure arterial complications
19%
Performing Venous Examinations of the Upper and Lower Extremities
Evaluate extremity venous patency and reflux, map veins, and support peri-procedural assessment for ablation, vascular access, and related procedures.
- Perform upper- and lower-extremity venous duplex
- Perform lower-extremity venous-insufficiency testing
- Perform vein mapping
- Perform peri-procedural venous assessment for ablation, PICC placement, and related interventions
3%
Performing Hemodialysis Examinations
Evaluate hemodialysis access anatomy, inflow, conduit, outflow, volume flow, and pre- or postoperative findings.
- Perform hemodialysis-access examinations
- Perform preoperative mapping and postoperative testing
How to use this RVS diagnostic
The 15 questions emphasize extracranial and intracranial, extremity arterial, and extremity venous examinations because those domains account for 61% of the official matrix. This is a short baseline rather than a pass prediction. Review every rationale, classify each gap as anatomy, hemodynamics, acquisition, optimization, physiologic testing, pathology, or safety, and follow with larger mixed sets that include the smaller abdominal and hemodialysis domains.
High-yield RVS study priorities
Priority 1
Build extremity arterial reasoning from waveform to lesion
At 22%, this is the largest domain. Integrate duplex velocities and ratios with ABI, segmental pressures, PVR morphology, exercise response, calcification, collateral patterns, interventions, and post-procedure complications.
Priority 2
Contrast cerebrovascular and venous workflows
Extracranial/intracranial and extremity venous studies contribute 39% together. Rehearse vessel identification, positioning, Doppler settings, diagnostic criteria, alternate windows, limitations, and the critical findings that require prompt communication.
Priority 3
Use physics to solve technical problems
For each artifact or weak signal, identify the physical cause and the best adjustment to frequency, depth, PRF, wall filter, gain, sample volume, angle, color box, or modality. Include the tradeoff created by that adjustment.
Priority 4
Keep smaller domains in mixed practice
Abdominal/visceral and hemodialysis content can be under-practised because of their smaller weights. Use recurring cases on renal and mesenteric disease, EVAR, iliocaval disease, transplant flow, fistula maturation, access stenosis, and central outflow obstruction.
RVS exam FAQ
How many questions are on the CCI RVS exam?
CCI currently lists 170 questions: 150 scored questions and 20 unscored questions that are not identified during the examination.
How long is the RVS exam?
The exam appointment is three hours. CCI allocates 2 hours 50 minutes to answer questions and 10 minutes to the tutorial and post-exam survey.
What is the largest RVS exam domain?
Performing Arterial Examinations of the Upper and Lower Extremities is the largest domain at approximately 22%, followed by Extracranial/Intracranial Examinations at 20% and Venous Examinations at 19%.
Which vascular examination areas are covered?
The matrix covers abdominal and visceral, extracranial and intracranial, upper- and lower-extremity arterial, upper- and lower-extremity venous, physiologic arterial, and hemodialysis-access examinations, including pre- and post-intervention assessment.
Is the RVS exam offered year-round?
CCI states that the computer-based RVS exam is administered year-round at Pearson Professional Centers, subject to test-center availability.
Does this diagnostic predict whether I will pass?
No. A 15-question diagnostic is a low-confidence baseline, not a validated pass prediction. Use it to identify review priorities and confirm current requirements with CCI.
Is MedPorium affiliated with CCI?
No. MedPorium is an independent education platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cardiovascular Credentialing International.
Review and official source
Clinical reviewer: K. J. Walter
Exam format and matrix information were checked against the CCI Registered Vascular Specialist credential page. Source reviewed October 10, 2026.
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