AAA Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Why There Is No Fixed Test Date

Candidates searching for "AAA exam dates 2026" often expect a calendar of testing windows, registration deadlines and seat-booking cutoffs, the way many proctored credentials work. The POCUS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Certification does not follow that model. It is administered by the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy, part of Inteleos, and it is delivered online through myPOCUS and the Academy's learning management system. There is no test-center appointment and no published seasonal window you must hit.

That changes what "scheduling" means. Instead of picking a date on a calendar, you control when you purchase the assessment, and that purchase starts a 90-day completion clock. Your real deadlines are therefore personal and rolling: they are set by when you buy, when you submit your peer evaluators, and when you finish the clinical cases. This article walks through each of those timing rules so you can plan around them.

If you are still deciding whether this credential fits your career, our overview of what AAA certification is and our AAA requirements guide are good starting points. Here we focus strictly on timing.

The 90-Day Window Explained

The single most important timing rule is the completion window. According to the issuer's advanced certification information, you must complete both components of the assessment within 90 days of purchase. Those two components are:

• The clinical case assessment: five simulated clinical cases containing multiple-choice and interactive image-hotspot questions.
• The Peer Evaluation: a separate assessment of your practical scanning abilities, completed by healthcare-provider peers who know your work.

Both components must be passed. This is the part candidates most often misread, so it is worth being precise about what the 90 days is and is not.

What the 90 days is

It is an access and completion window. From the moment you purchase, you have 90 days to finish everything. The issuer's FAQ permits you to stop and resume online assessments, so you are not forced to complete the cases in one continuous session.

What the 90 days is not

It is not a timed examination sitting. It is not a practical-assessment duration, and it is not a course-hour requirement. Nobody is counting hours of study or clock time on a single case. The five cases are a case count, not a question count, and we have not found a verified fixed total number of questions in the public sources, so be skeptical of any site that quotes one with certainty. A legacy flier on the issuer's site contains an approximate historical question description, but it is not a fixed current total.

What Must Be Done Before the Clock Starts

Because the 90 days begins at purchase, the smartest scheduling move is to finish your prerequisites before you buy. Starting the clock early and then scrambling for peer evaluators is the most common way candidates burn through their window.

Confirm eligibility first

You need to be a healthcare professional in good standing and actively practicing in the relevant clinical area. You also attest that you have performed and participated in the interpretation of at least 15 AAA POCUS cases within the preceding 2 years. If you have not yet reached that case volume, your real "exam date" is the date you finish logging those scans. Our full breakdown is in the AAA requirements guide.

Line up your peer evaluators

You must provide at least 2 healthcare-provider peer evaluators with an ultrasound clinical background who know your relevant scanning abilities. The first 2 completed peer questionnaires determine your peer result. That detail matters for timing: the evaluators who respond first are the ones that count, so choose people who are reliable and responsive rather than simply senior. Contact them before you purchase, tell them what the questionnaire covers, and confirm they will respond promptly.

The Peer Evaluation uses 7 evenly weighted criteria, which your evaluators will be judging:

• Diagnostic Quality
• Gain
• Depth
• Views
• Measurement
• Pathology
• Color Doppler

If a colleague has not watched you optimize gain, set depth, or apply color Doppler on an aortic scan, they may not be the best person to name. Spend a few shifts scanning alongside prospective evaluators before you purchase so they can speak to your abilities.

Sort out POCUS Fundamentals

POCUS Fundamentals is required unless it is waived. A waiver applies if you passed an SPI examination within the past 5 years or hold a current qualifying ARDMS or APCA credential. If you need Fundamentals, build that into your timeline, because it is a separate purchase with its own fee. Our AAA certification cost breakdown covers the money side in detail.

Retake Timing and Waiting Periods

Timing rules matter most if your first attempt does not go as planned. The issuer's academy policies set out a specific sequence:

1. A 30-day wait follows an unsuccessful attempt. You cannot immediately re-sit the assessment.
2. You must apply for a retake within 90 days of failure. A retake application and fee are required. The fee amount was not verified in the public sources reviewed, so confirm it with the issuer.
3. Any component you initially passed is retained for the first retake application. If you passed the clinical cases but fell short on the Peer Evaluation, you would not be forced to redo the cases on that first retake.
4. Two total content-specific assessment attempts are allowed before a 1-year waiting period applies.

Because the exact numeric passing mark and a credential-specific pass rate were not verified in the public sources we reviewed, you cannot calibrate your risk using published statistics. For a candid look at what is and is not known, see our AAA pass rate analysis and the AAA passing score guide.

Fundamentals Timing and the 3-Year Progression Rule

One timing rule is frequently misunderstood. The FAQ, handbook and renewal guidance state that POCUS Fundamentals does not expire. However, the academy policies separately require that you earn your first content-specific certificate within 3 years of Fundamentals, or reapply for Fundamentals.

That is a progression restriction, not a 3-year expiry of the Fundamentals credential itself. In practical terms, if you earn Fundamentals and then let several years pass before attempting the AAA certification, you may need to reapply for Fundamentals first. The restriction does not apply once you have earned a content-specific certificate and appropriately maintained it.

The takeaway for scheduling: do not buy Fundamentals years before you intend to pursue AAA. Sequence the two purchases reasonably close together, and keep your 3-year progression clock in mind.

Timing Rules at a Glance

Pacing Your Window Around the Five Domains

Since you have 90 days and the freedom to pause, the best use of the window is to allocate your effort according to how the clinical case assessment is weighted. The official domain weights cover that assessment only, not the entire two-component credential. They are:

For a deeper look at each content area, read our complete guide to all five AAA exam domains.

A pacing plan tied to the domains

Here is one way to divide a 90-day window. This is an original teaching example, not an official schedule, and the clinical scenarios you encounter will differ from anything you practice.

Do not leave the cases for the final week. Because the first 2 completed peer questionnaires determine your peer result, a slow evaluator can stall your entire submission even if your case work is done. Our AAA study guide expands on how to structure your preparation, and the AAA cheat sheet is a quick reference for final review.

Validity and Renewal Timing

Once you pass both components, the certification is valid for 5 years. Renewal is a separate timing consideration worth putting on your calendar the day you pass. Clinical renewal every 5 years requires:

• An attestation of active practice and good standing
• The relevant knowledge check
• A fee of USD 50

Specialty-only professional-development points do not apply to this individual clinical certification, so do not plan around accumulating those. The issuer's policies and maintenance pages differ on specialty point totals, and we do not import any such total into this clinical scope. Check the maintenance page when you approach your renewal period to confirm current requirements.

If you are weighing whether the investment of time and money is justified, see our analyses of whether the certification is worth it and the role-based earnings picture. Note that pay depends on your role and employer, and no credential-specific raise is promised.

Putting it together

Because there are no fixed testing dates, "exam dates" for this credential really means your personal timeline: prerequisites first, then a 90-day window you control, with retake and renewal clocks running afterward. Treat the purchase date as the true start of your exam season and plan backward from there. If you want to gauge how demanding the content is before committing, our guide on how hard the AAA exam is can help, and you can test yourself on the AAA Exam Prep practice questions before you buy.

Frequently Asked Questions