- Fetal Biometry, Cardiac Activity, and Dating carries 35% of the clinical-case objectives, the largest of five domains.
- The standard assessment fee is $150 USD; the POCUS Fundamentals prerequisite is a separate $125 unless waived.
- You must attest to 25 obstetric POCUS cases across all three trimesters within the preceding two years.
- Complete both the clinical assessment and peer evaluation within 90 days of registration.
What This Credential Actually Is
POCUS - Obstetrics Essentials (OB-E) is a content-specific clinical certification from the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy, which operates as part of Inteleos. Candidates complete an online assessment through myPOCUS. It is built around clinical image and video cases and a separate peer evaluation of your hands-on imaging ability, not around a classroom curriculum.
That distinction matters for how you review. This is a performance-oriented credential: the assessment asks whether you can recognize, acquire, measure, and interpret obstetric ultrasound findings the way a practicing clinician would at the bedside. If you want the broader picture first, start with What Is OB-E Certification? and then come back to this one-page review.
The One-Page Fact Table
Bookmark this section. Every figure below comes from the issuer's public program, policy, FAQ, and renewal pages.
| Item | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Issuer | Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy (Inteleos) |
| Delivery | Issuer-operated online assessment via myPOCUS |
| Standard fee | $150 USD (eligible-country reductions and group pricing exist) |
| Prerequisite fee | POCUS Fundamentals, $125 unless waived |
| Case attestation | 25 obstetric POCUS cases, all three trimesters, within the past two years |
| Peer evaluators | At least two with clinical ultrasound backgrounds |
| Completion window | 90 days from registration for clinical assessment and peer evaluation |
| Retakes | Two total attempts; 30-day wait; apply within 90 days of failure |
| Validity | Five years |
| Renewal | Attestation, relevant knowledge check, and $50 |
For a deeper look at money, see the OB-E certification cost breakdown.
Eligibility Checklist
The requirements read as a short checklist, but the case attestation and peer evaluators are where candidates most often get stuck. Confirm each item before you pay.
- Practicing professional: you are an actively practicing healthcare professional in good standing.
- Foundational ultrasound credential: POCUS Fundamentals, or a waiver based on a passed SPI within five years or a current ARDMS or APCA credential.
- Case experience: you attest to performing and participating in 25 obstetric POCUS cases across the first, second, and third trimesters within the preceding two years.
- Peer evaluators: you supply at least two peers with a clinical ultrasound background who know your content-specific imaging abilities.
The full walkthrough lives in OB-E Requirements: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
How the Assessment Works
Two components, both required
You pass the credential by passing all required components: the clinical-case assessment and the peer evaluation. Initially passed components carry into the first retake, so a miss on one does not erase the other.
Case-based, image-driven questions
The assessment uses clinical image and video cases. The issuer describes a seven-question media template that does not require a diagnosis on every item. That is a description of a case template, not a statement of how many questions the whole assessment contains. Treat any "total question count" you see elsewhere with suspicion.
Pacing guidance versus a timer
The issuer's FAQ suggests roughly 20-30 minutes per case for planning purposes. That is guidance for scheduling your sittings, not a published exam time limit. Because the online work can be stopped and resumed, you can plan sessions around clinic hours rather than trying to finish in one block.
Key Takeaway
Budget your calendar by cases, not by a countdown clock. Block sessions long enough to review a full case thoroughly, and use the stop-and-resume feature rather than rushing the last cases of a session.
If you are wondering how demanding all this is, read How Hard Is the OB-E Exam? for a realistic difficulty discussion.
The Five Weighted Domains
The issuer's one-page content outline lists five weighted clinical-case assessment objectives totaling 100%. They are assessment objectives, not course curriculum, so review them as skills you must demonstrate on images and clips. A detailed treatment appears in OB-E Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Fetal Biometry, Cardiac Activity, and Dating | 35% |
| 2. Fetal Position/Presentation | 20% |
| 3. Placental Evaluation | 15% |
| 4. Amniotic Fluid Assessment | 15% |
| 5. Fetal Well-being and Overall Impression | 15% |
Domain 1: Fetal Biometry, Cardiac Activity, and Dating (35%)
More than a third of the objectives sit here, so this is where a weak area costs the most.
- Recognize correct landmarks and caliper placement for standard fetal measurements
- Confirm and document fetal cardiac activity, including appropriate use of M-mode
- Connect measurements to gestational age and understand how dating is established
- Spot images where a poor plane would produce a misleading measurement
Domain 2: Fetal Position/Presentation (20%)
The second-heaviest domain rewards fast, confident orientation.
- Identify lie and presentation (for example cephalic versus breech) from a sweep or still
- Orient the fetus relative to maternal anatomy and probe marker conventions
- Recognize why position matters clinically, especially late in pregnancy
Domain 3: Placental Evaluation (15%)
Placental questions test location, appearance, and relationship to the cervix.
- Localize the placenta (anterior, posterior, fundal, lateral) and describe its relation to the internal os
- Recognize when a finding warrants further evaluation instead of a bedside conclusion
- Know the role of color Doppler where it applies
Domain 4: Amniotic Fluid Assessment (15%)
Expect questions on how fluid volume is assessed and whether the technique shown is sound.
- Recognize appropriate fluid pocket measurement technique, including probe orientation and avoiding cord or fetal parts
- Distinguish reduced, normal, and increased fluid on representative images
- Understand why the method used affects the reliability of the result
Domain 5: Fetal Well-being and Overall Impression (15%)
This domain synthesizes everything else into a clinical picture.
- Combine findings across views into a coherent overall impression
- Recognize which findings are reassuring and which call for escalation or formal imaging
- Understand the limits of point-of-care obstetric ultrasound
Peer Evaluation Criteria
The peer evaluation is separate from the clinical-case domains and is not a sixth domain. Your evaluators rate you on equally weighted criteria:
- Diagnostic Quality
- Gain
- Views
- Measurement
- Decision Making
- Depth
- M-Mode and Color Doppler, when applicable
Two practical points drive this part of the process. First, the first two anonymous questionnaires received determine your peer-assessment result, so choose evaluators who have actually watched you scan and will respond promptly. Second, because these criteria are equally weighted, a weakness in something that feels minor, like gain or depth settings, counts as much as a weakness in measurement.
Clocks, Windows, and Retakes
Several different time limits apply, and confusing them is a common planning error.
| Clock | Length | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment and peer completion | 90 days | Registration |
| Case experience lookback | Two years | Preceding your attestation |
| First content-specific certificate | Three years | After Fundamentals |
| Retake application | Within 90 days | After a failed attempt |
| Retake waiting period | 30 days | After a failed attempt |
| Lockout after attempts exhausted | One year | After two total attempts |
The retake rule gives you two total attempts. Components you passed on the first try carry into the first retake, which makes targeted remediation worthwhile. Exact dates and scheduling details are covered in OB-E Exam Dates: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Validity and Renewal
- Validity: five years from certification.
- Renewal requirements: an attestation of active practice and good standing, the relevant knowledge check, and a $50 fee.
- Renewal opens early: you can begin six months before expiration.
- Professional-development points: specialty points do not apply to this standalone clinical certification.
Put your expiration date on a calendar the day you pass and set a reminder for the six-month mark. For the career side of the question, see Is the OB-E Certification Worth It?
Sequencing Your Review Around the Weights
This is the one place where study planning belongs, and it should follow the domain weights rather than generic habits. Front-load the heaviest domain, then rotate through the rest, and keep image review constant throughout because every domain is tested through images and clips.
Biometry, Cardiac Activity, and Dating
- Review landmarks and caliper placement for each standard measurement
- Practice recognizing bad planes that produce wrong numbers
- Revisit M-mode for fetal heart activity
Position/Presentation and Fluid
- Drill lie and presentation from sweeps
- Review fluid pocket technique and common measurement errors
Placenta and Well-being
- Practice placental localization relative to the internal os
- Build overall-impression reasoning across mixed cases
Mixed Review and Peer Logistics
- Take full mixed sets under realistic conditions
- Confirm evaluators are briefed and ready
For a fuller plan, use the OB-E Study Guide, and when you are ready to test yourself on case-style items, try the OB-E practice tests.
What Is Not Publicly Verified
Credibility matters on a cheat sheet, so here is what the retrieved issuer sources do not state:
- An assessment-wide total number of questions
- A fixed examination timer
- A numerical passing mark
- A credential-specific pass rate
Scoring methodology is set by Inteleos Psychometric Services and the PCA Council. Candidates also fall under confidentiality and NDA rules, so legitimate prep focuses on skills and published objectives, never on recalled content. If you see a site quoting a precise cutoff or pass percentage, check it against the issuer's pages first. Our articles on the passing score and pass rate explain what can and cannot be said responsibly.
Key Takeaway
Plan around what is confirmed: the five domain weights, the two required components, the 90-day window, and the retake rules. Do not build your plan around unverified numbers.
FAQ
The standard fee is $150 USD, with eligible-country reductions and group pricing available. The POCUS Fundamentals prerequisite is a separate $125 unless waived, and renewal later costs $50.
Fetal Biometry, Cardiac Activity, and Dating at 35%. Fetal Position/Presentation follows at 20%, and the remaining three domains are 15% each.
The issuer does not publish an assessment-wide question total in the retrieved public sources. It describes a seven-question media template for cases, which should not be read as the total length.
You get two total attempts. Apply for a retake within 90 days of failure, wait 30 days, and any components you already passed carry into the first retake. After both attempts are used, a one-year wait applies.
Five years. Renewal requires an active-practice and good-standing attestation, the relevant knowledge check, and a $50 fee, and you can start six months before expiration.
That is the whole credential on one page: five weighted domains led by biometry, cardiac activity, and dating; two required components; a 90-day window; and a five-year validity period. Use it as a checklist, then go deeper with the linked guides before you register.