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Exam Overview
Thearrt®Radiographyexamination
The radiography examination is administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), the credentialing organization for radiologic technologists in the United States. It measures the knowledge and cognitive skills of an entry-level radiographer, as defined by ARRT's practice analysis of working technologists and published in the exam's content specifications. Passing the exam, together with meeting ARRT's education and ethics requirements, earns certification and registration as R.T.(R)(ARRT).
Exam Pattern
The exam contains 230 multiple-choice questions: 200 scored items and 30 unscored pilot items that are being tried out for future exams. Pilot items are mixed in with the scored items and are not identified, so give every question your best effort. You have 230 minutes to answer the questions, about 1 minute per question; the full appointment is longer because it also includes a tutorial, a nondisclosure agreement, and a short survey. Each question has one best answer, and there is no penalty for guessing. Many questions include images such as radiographs or diagrams.
| ContentCategory | ScoredItems | SubcategoriesandWhatTheyCover |
|---|---|---|
| PatientCare | 33(165%) . | PatientInteractionsandManagement(33):ethicalandlegalaspects , |
| interpersonalcommunication physicalassistanceandmonitoring medical , , | ||
| emergencies infectioncontrol hazardousmaterials pharmacology , , , | ||
| Safety | 50(25%) | RadiationPhysicsandRadiobiology(21);RadiationProtection(29):minimizing |
| patientexposureandrepeats personnelprotection(ALARA) doselimits and , , , | ||
| monitoring | ||
| ImageProduction | 51(255%) . | ImageAcquisitionandEvaluation(26);EquipmentOperationandQuality |
| Assurance(25) | ||
| Procedures | 66(33%) | Head Spine andPelvis(18);ThoraxandAbdomen(20);Extremity(28): , , |
| positioning anatomy procedureadaptation andevaluationofdisplayed , , , | ||
| anatomy |
ARRT revises the radiography content specifications periodically, and a revised outline with more Procedures items is scheduled to replace the one shown here. Check the content specifications posted on arrt.org for the version that applies on your test date; the categories, question count, and scoring stay the same, and nearly all of the content in this guide applies to both versions.
Eligibility: Education, Ethics, and Examination
| Requirement | WhatItMeans |
|---|---|
| Education | Complete an ARRT -recognized radiography educational program including its didactic courses and the , |
| ARRTclinicalcompetencyrequirements andholdanassociateorhigherdegreefromaninstitution , | |
| accreditedbyanagencyARRTrecognizes | |
| Ethics | MeettheARRTStandardsofEthics;reportanycriminalconvictions disciplinaryactions orhonorcode , , |
| violationsontheapplication(anethicsreviewbeforeapplyingisavailabletostudentswhoareunsure) | |
| Examination | Passtheradiographyexamwithintheallowednumberofattempts |
Scoring
ARRT reports a scaled score from 1 to 99, and a total scaled score of 75 or higher passes. A scaled score is not a percentage: scaling adjusts for small differences in difficulty between exam forms, so a 75 represents the same level of performance on every form. Only the 200 scored items count. The score report also shows scaled scores for each content category to help you target study if a retake is needed, but pass or fail is decided by the total score alone.
Exam at a Glance
| ExamAspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Questions | 230 multiple-choice questions: 200 scored and 30 unscored pilot items |
| Time | 230minutestoanswerthequestions plustimeforthetutorial nondisclosureagreement andsurvey , , , |
| Delivery | Computer-based at Pearson VUE test centers; on-screen calculator provided; breaks allowed but the , , |
| clockkeepsrunning | |
| Identification | Two forms of acceptable ID; the first must be a valid government-issued photo ID with signature and , |
| namesmustmatchyourARRTrecordexactly | |
| Scoring | Scaledscore1–99;75orhigherpasses |
| Results | Apreliminaryscoreatthetestcenter;officialresultsbyemailwithinabout10businessdays |
| Applicationfee | $225fortheprimaryradiographyapplication;365daystoscheduleandtaketheexamoncethe |
| applicationisprocessed | |
| Retakes | Up to three attempts within a three-year period; a new application and fee apply to each attempt |
| Renewal | Annual registration renewal; 24 continuing education credits every two-year biennium; Continuing |
| Qualifications Requirements (CQR) every 10 years for newer time-limited credentials , |
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