Ultrasound Student Assessment (USA)

1. Meet Testing Environment Requirements

The USA is not compatible with:

• Mac
• Chromebook
• Tablet
• Phone

Before You Take the USA

Set up your computer on a flat surface with a clear area and no clutter.

Make sure your computer has:

• Windows operating system
• Display settings set at no more than 100%
• A physical keyboard—touchscreens are not compatible with the USA
• A standard-size, free-moving mouse
  • We strongly advise you to use a mouse pad, too.

Unable to meet any of these requirements?

Contact the program director as soon as possible.

2. Schedule Your USA

1. Pay for the USA

   The USA and the Pegasus proctoring fee: $85

   You can pay by credit card:

   • Visa
   • MasterCard
   • American Express
   • Discover

   Online: Pegasus Lectures Products & Seminars

   Phone: 972-564-3056

   • During business hours:
     • Monday through Friday
     • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST

2. Schedule Your Exam

   Testing hours:

   • Monday through Friday
   • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST

3. Receive Email from Pegasus Lectures

   The email will confirm your scheduled appointment date and time.

3. Take the USA

Before the Exam

• Be ready to take the assessment continuously on the same day
• Know there is no time limit
  • USA generally lasts 1½ to 2 hours
• Make sure all other programs on your computer are closed before starting the assessment

On the Day of the Exam

Before your scheduled exam time, you will receive an email with a link for the proctor to connect to your computer.

Follow the email instructions carefully.

• Provide your instructor's name and email address:
  • Brandie Bach
  • brandie.bach@tccd.edu
• Choose Student as the role
• Specify your dominant hand to the USA
  • Choose the hand that you use for a computer mouse or any hand you feel comfortable with
• Leave the following details blank if you are unsure about any of them; N/A will be filled in automatically:
  • Your GPA
  • Maximum GPA possible
  • Rank in college
  • Number of students in your class

During the Exam

Work carefully: You are allowed only 1 attempt for taking the USA before submitting your sonography program application so:

• Take your time
• Analyze the questions
• Choose your answers carefully

Need help during the test? Don't hesitate to ask for it.

• Depending on the nature of your question, the proctor may or may not be able to respond to it.
• A chat box with the examination proctor will be recorded during the test.

If significant technical issues occur, do not proceed with the test.

After the Exam

You will not receive your scores after you complete the USA. The TCC Sonography Program account will upload the scores.

To request a review of your score for this assessment, you must contact the sonography program director via email.

Do not contact Pegasus Lectures for scores.

If you have any technical questions, email Cindy Davis at techsupport@pegasuslectures.com.

How is the USA scored?

The TCC Sonography Program uses the physics and clinical score groups to assign points for program application assessment. The total score—overall USA score—you receive is the combination of points you achieve in both categories.

The Physics Category includes abilities such as:

• Spatial resolution
• Logic
• Graph interpretation
• Problem-solving

The Clinical Category includes abilities such as:

• Visualization
• Judgment
• Dexterity / hand-eye coordination
• Persistence

Scores Explained

The USA does not follow the traditional passing or failing approach or adopt a scale of 0-100 points.

Instead, an average score of zero (0) is assigned to any category.

About the Table

• Column 1: applicant's cumulative test score, including both the clinical and physics categories
• Columns 2 and 3: points earned for each category, which are combined to get the final score

Scores are rounded off to the nearest 10th.

Can I prepare for the USA?

There is no preparation because the USA program is designed as a genuine aptitude test.

The exam measures inherent abilities such as hand-eye coordination and visualization, which are crucial for mastering ultrasonography's fundamental concepts.

In certain domains, the raw cut score may register a negative value, indicating poorer performance in that category. However, this does not imply failure. Instead, it spotlights areas that require improvement.

Download & Print Instructions

• 2023 Ultrasound Student Assessment (USA) Instructions (PDF)Listen