ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R) Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R), eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
$225
Provider
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
Validity
Annual renewal, CQR every 10 years
Available
USA
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
1-3 years of hands-on experience recommended
Specific Requirements
- Complete an ARRT-verified educational program in radiography, accredited by a mechanism ARRT accepts.
- Earn an associate degree or higher from an institution accredited by an agency ARRT recognises, if you do not already hold one.
- Document the mandatory and elective clinical competency procedures your program requires, within ARRT's limit on simulated procedures.
- Meet the ethics requirement under the ARRT Standards of Ethics, and report any potential violation within 30 calendar days of its occurrence.
- Apply for certification and registration, and earn your degree, no more than three years after completing the educational program.
- Pay the $225 primary application fee. An optional ethics preapplication costs a separate nonrefundable $100.
- Hold two valid forms of acceptable identification for the test centre, one of them government-issued with photo and signature.
Number of Questions
230
Duration
230 minutes of test time within a 250 minute appointment (4 hours, 10 minutes)
Question Format
Multiple choice items drawn from the published content specifications, 200 scored items that count toward the scaled score, 30 unscored pilot items that do not count but are indistinguishable during the exam, Image-based items on positioning, anatomy and image quality
Passing Requirement
75 total scaled score. ARRT's Board of Trustees sets it through standard setting with a panel of subject matter experts.
How It Is Delivered
Computer-based at a Pearson VUE test centre. An on-screen scientific calculator is provided, and candidates may request a handheld calculator, earplugs, noise-reducing headphones or a replacement booklet from test centre staff.
Languages Offered
English
Rules specific to this exam
- The appointment includes 8 minutes for the tutorial, 2 minutes to accept the nondisclosure agreement and 10 minutes for a post-exam survey, on top of 230 minutes of test time.
- ARRT allows approximately one minute per question, which is where the 230 minute figure comes from.
- You must answer each question before the software moves on. You can flag an item and return to it if time remains.
- There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so ARRT advises guessing on anything you do not know.
- Leaving the test centre building before finishing cancels your score and burns one of your three attempts.
- New content specifications take effect on 1 March 2027, changing the category counts to Patient Care 31, Safety 46, Image Production 51 and Procedures 72.
Visit the official American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
Total scaled score from 1 to 99. Section scores from 0.1 to 9.9, reported in one-tenth point intervals.
Score You Need
75 total scaled score. ARRT's Board of Trustees sets it through standard setting with a panel of subject matter experts.
How It Is Calculated
Your raw score is the number of the 200 scored items you answer correctly. ARRT converts that raw score to a scaled score so that a 75 represents the same level of performance across exam versions, adjusting for differences in difficulty. Section scores come from smaller sets of items, so ARRT warns they are less reliable than the total and that averaging them will not reproduce your total score.
When You Get Results
An unofficial preliminary score appears at the test centre and cannot be printed or retrieved once you leave that screen. ARRT stopped mailing paper score reports and now emails a link to the online report, typically within 10 days. The Verify Credentials page reflects your certification status within about four weeks of the exam date.
In raw terms: ARRT's Annual Exam Report 2025 lists the approximate percentage correct required for a scaled score of 75 on radiography as 67 percent, with a reported mean scaled score of 82.7.
- A scaled score of 75 does not mean 75 percent correct, and ARRT states this explicitly in its annual report.
- The Annual Exam Report 2025 also prints a mean section score for each subcategory: Image Acquisition and Evaluation 8.4, then Patient Interactions and Management, Radiation Physics and Radiobiology, Equipment Operation and Quality Assurance and Extremity Procedures at 8.3, Radiation Protection and Head, Spine and Pelvis Procedures at 8.2, and Thorax and Abdomen Procedures lowest at 8.1.
- A section score of 8.1 can be read as the scaled score you would have earned if that section had been the whole exam.
- Passing candidates receive a mailed packet with a welcome letter, the official certificate and a QR code to the Guide to Maintaining Your ARRT Credential.
- ARRT can cancel scores where eligibility requirements were not met, where ID was questionable, or where a candidate left the test centre building before finishing.
- A scoring appeal costs $25 and must be postmarked within 14 calendar days of the score report becoming available.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R)?
Complete an ARRT-verified educational program in radiography, accredited by a mechanism ARRT accepts.. Earn an associate degree or higher from an institution accredited by an agency ARRT recognises, if you do not already hold one.. Document the mandatory and elective clinical competency procedures your program requires, within ARRT's limit on simulated procedures.. Meet the ethics requirement under the ARRT Standards of Ethics, and report any potential violation within 30 calendar days of its occurrence.. Apply for certification and registration, and earn your degree, no more than three years after completing the educational program.. Pay the $225 primary application fee. An optional ethics preapplication costs a separate nonrefundable $100.. Hold two valid forms of acceptable identification for the test centre, one of them government-issued with photo and signature..
How much does the ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R) cost?
The ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R) exam costs $225. This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R)?
Visit the official American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R)?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for ARRT Radiography Certification, R.T.(R)?
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