1.1 ARRT CT Exam Facts, Format & Scoring

What the ARRT CT Credential Certifies

The ARRT Computed Tomography (CT) examination is a postprimary credential exam offered by ARRT (The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists). Unlike ARRT's primary-pathway exams (such as Radiography), CT is not an entry point into the profession — it is an additional certification for technologists who already hold an ARRT-recognized primary credential (most commonly R.T.(R) in Radiography) or, in some cases, an approved credential from the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB). Passing adds a "(CT)" suffix to your existing ARRT designation — for example, R.T.(R)(CT) — and certifies that you have the entry-level knowledge and cognitive skills to perform CT procedures safely and competently. The exam is delivered by computer at Pearson VUE test centers only. There is no remote or online-proctored option, so you must present two forms of government-issued photo ID, respond to a nondisclosure agreement within a 2-minute window, and store personal belongings in a locker before your appointment clock starts.

Question Count, Timing, and Delivery

Per ARRT's Examination Content Specifications for Computed Tomography (board approved July 2025, implementation date September 1, 2026), the exam totals 195 items: 165 scored questions plus 30 unscored pilot questions that ARRT is field-testing for future forms. You are never told which items are pilot questions, so treat every question as if it counts toward your score. Candidates get 180 minutes of test time inside a 210-minute (3.5-hour) appointment — the extra 30 minutes covers the built-in tutorial, the nondisclosure agreement, and an optional post-exam survey. That works out to a little under one minute per item on average, though pilot items are mixed in unpredictably, so pacing discipline matters (covered in 1.2). Every item is single-best-answer with four options — there are no multi-select, ordering, or fill-in-the-blank formats on this exam.

How ARRT Scoring Actually Works

ARRT does not report raw percent-correct. Performance converts to a scaled score from 1 to 99, and the pass mark for CT — like every ARRT exam — is a scaled score of 75. Scaling equalizes slightly different exam forms, so a 75 earned on a harder form represents the same demonstrated competency as a 75 on an easier one. This is the single most misunderstood fact about ARRT exams: a scaled score of 75 does not mean 75% of items answered correctly. ARRT's own 2024 Annual Exam Report shows the "approximate percent correct to pass" for CT was 66% — meaning the typical passing candidate answered roughly two-thirds of items correctly, not three-quarters. The same report lists a mean scaled score of 79.2 for CT candidates — only about four points above the passing standard, which tells you this is a tightly clustered, unforgiving exam where a handful of missed items can separate a pass from a fail. Your official score report also breaks out section-level performance for each of the four content categories (reported on a narrower 0.1-9.9 scale), pinpointing exactly which domain cost you the pass if you fail.

The Four Content Categories (Effective September 1, 2026)

ARRT's CT blueprint divides the 165 scored items into four categories. The board-approved specification takes effect September 1, 2026 and restructures the prior seven-subcategory model into four scored domains:

Procedures alone is nearly 43% of the scored exam — imaging protocols for head, spine, musculoskeletal (MSK), neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis, plus the cross-cutting "Additional Procedures" focus (vascular CTA/CTV, biopsy, drainage, trauma, and surgical planning). Procedures and Image Production together are 74.5% of the scored test — nearly three-quarters. Patient Care and Safety are tied at 12.7% each, together contributing barely a quarter, but each is still 21 scored items — enough to swing a borderline result.

Eligibility, Fees, and Retakes

CT uses ARRT's postprimary eligibility pathway, meaning you cannot walk in cold. You must already hold an ARRT-recognized supporting credential (typically R.T.(R)) or an approved NMTCB credential, complete 16 hours of CT-specific structured education — with at least one credit in each major content category — within the 24 months before you apply, document the required CT clinical experience procedures within that same 24-month window, and satisfy ARRT's Ethics Requirements. The standard postprimary application fee is $225; if you use an NMTCB credential as your supporting category, the fee is $450. ARRT permits up to three attempts within three years of your first exam window opening, and each attempt requires a brand-new application and fee — there is no unlimited-retake option.

Scheduling and the Testing Window

Once approved, your Candidate Status Report (CSR) posts to your ARRT account (usually within one business day) with an assigned testing window. Postprimary candidates get a generous 365-day window to schedule and sit for the exam through Pearson VUE — far longer than the 90-day window given to primary-pathway (entry-level) candidates. Don't let that length breed procrastination: popular test centers fill up, so schedule early rather than waiting until the window is nearly closed.

After You Pass: Maintaining the Credential

Passing CT does not end your obligations. Like all ARRT credentials, you must renew your registration annually and complete 24 continuing-education (CE) credits every two years. Separately, ARRT credentials are subject to Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) — a structured self-assessment on a 10-year cycle — which is independent of the biennial CE requirement. A handful of professional-practice items on the exam itself test whether you understand this maintenance framework, and all of it governs your real CT career once the (CT) designation is on your badge.