Computed Tomography Practice Test

The Computer Tomography (CT) exam, which is administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), is designed to assess the knowledge and skills of prospective CT technologists.

Click “Start Test” below to take a free Computed Tomography practice test!

Eligibility

To be eligible to take the CT exam, you must meet the following education and ethics requirements:

Education

• You must have obtained at least an associate’s degree from an accredited institution.
• You must have completed an AART-verified educational program that applies to computed tomography.

Ethics

• You must not have any felony or misdemeanor charges or convictions.
• You must not have any charges or convictions pertaining to drug- or alcohol-related traffic violations.
• You must not have any convictions in a military court-martial.
• You must not have any standing violations of controlled substance laws.
• You must not have had any disciplinary actions taken regarding a professional certification, permit, license, or registration.

Exam Outline Review

The CT exam contains 195 multiple-choice questions, 30 of which are unscored, and you will be given a time limit of 3.5 hours.

The exam is split into four content categories:

1. Patient Care (22 scored questions)

The questions in this category assess your knowledge and skills related to patient interactions and management. These are the topics that are covered by these questions:

Patient Assessment and Preparation

• Patient history
• Patient education
• Patient monitoring
• Interpersonal communication
• Scheduling and screening
• Consent
• Positioning aids for patient safety
• Ergonomics
• Patient transfer techniques
• Accessory medical device management
• Lab values
• Medications and dosages

Contrast and Medication

• Contrast media types and properties
• Noncontrast medications
• Special contrast considerations
• Venipuncture
• Injection techniques
• Administration routes
• Dose calculations
• Post-procedure care
• Infection control
• Adverse reactions

2. Safety (22 scored questions)

The questions in this category assess your knowledge and skills related to radiation safety and dose. These are the topics that are covered by these questions:

Radiation Physics

• X-ray production
• X-ray beam
• Photon interactions with matter
• Target interactions

Radiation Protection

• Minimizing patient exposure
• Patient considerations
• Shielding
• Dose measurements
• Personnel protection

3. Image Production (50 scored questions)

The questions in this category assess your knowledge and skills related to image formation, evaluation, and archiving. These are the topics that are covered by these questions:

Image Formation

Components of a CT Unit

• Gantry
• Array processor
• Host computer

Imaging Parameters

• Pitch
• Peak kilovoltage (kVp)
• Milliampere-seconds (mAs)
• Acquisition slice thickness
• Scan field of view (SFOV)
• Collimation/beam width
• Planes (\(x\), \(y\), and \(z\))

Methods of Data Acquisition

• Volumetric
• Helical
• Axial/sequential
• Dual energy/dual source
• Shuttle/continuous/cine

Image Reconstruction

• Raw data vs.image data
• Filtered back-projection reconstruction
• Retrospective reconstruction
• Iterative reconstruction
• Interpolation
• Reconstruction algorithm
• Reconstruction interval
• Reconstruction slice thickness

Post Processing

• Quantitative analysis
• Multi-planar reformation
• 3D rendering

Image Evaluation and Archiving

Image Display

• Image magnification
• Matrix
• Geometric distance
• Region of interest
• Pixel
• Voxel
• Display field of view (DFOV)
• Cine loop
• Window level
• Window width

Image Quality

• Noise and uniformity
• Contrast resolution
• Linearity
• Spatial resolution
• CT number
• Temporal resolution
• Quality assurance and accreditation

Artifact Recognition and Reduction

• Motion
• Patient positioning
• Metallic
• Beam hardening or cupping
• Edge gradient
• Equipment artifacts
• Partial volume averaging

Informatics

• Archive
• Networking
• Hard copy
• Electronic copy
• Medical image management and processing systems (MIMPS, formerly PACS)
• Electronic medical record (EMR)

4. Procedures (71 scored questions)

The questions in this category assess your knowledge and skills related to various procedures. These are the topics that are covered by these questions:

Head

• Sinuses
• Temporomandibular joints
• Temporal bones
• Internal auditory canal
• Orbits
• Maxillofacial and/or mandible
• Brain perfusion

Spine

• Lumbar
• Cervical
• Sacrum/coccyx
• Thoracic
• Post-myelography

Musculoskeletal

• Upper and lower extremities
• Shoulder
• Bony pelvis
• Arthography

Neck and Chest

• Soft tissue neck
• Larynx
• Chest wall
• Mediastinum
• Heart
• Lungs
• Low-dose lung screening

Abdomen

• Spleen
• Adrenals
• GI tract
• Liver
• Biliary
• Adrenals
• Pancreas
• Kidneys and/or ureters

Pelvis

• Colorectal
• Bladder
• Reproductive organs

These questions may focus on any of the following:

• Cross-sectional anatomy
• Vasculature
• Landmarks
• Pathological considerations
• Imaging planes
• Protocol and patient considerations
• Post-processing presentations
• Indications
• Effects on images
• Scan/prep delay
• Biopsies
• Trauma
• Aspirations
• Drainages

Registration

To register for the Computed Tomography exam, you will need to create an online ARRT account, fill out an application, and submit the $225 application fee. Once your application is approved, you will receive an email that contains your ARRT ID number and the dates that are available for you to take the exam.

Once you have received the email, you can schedule your exam with Pearson VUE. Pearson VUE will send you a confirmation email that provides the date, time, and location of your exam.

Test Day

On the day of your exam, you should arrive at the testing center 30 minutes early to allow time for the check-in process. If you arrive late, you will not be able to take the exam and your exam fee will not be refunded. Note that you are the only person that should enter the testing center; no friends or family members are allowed.

Once you arrive, you will be asked to show a form of valid photo ID, sign a digital signature pad, and scan your palm veins for authentication purposes. You will then be asked to leave all personal items in a locker outside the testing room.

Before the exam begins, you will be asked to read and sign the ARRT Rules Agreement and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Once these are signed, your exam will begin.

You will be permitted a 10-minute break during the exam, but the timer will not be stopped while you are away. Additionally, if you take longer than 10 minutes, an incident report will be filed and investigated.

How the Exam is Scored

The CT exam is scored using a scaling method. This method takes your raw score, which is the number of questions you answered correctly, and converts it into a score that falls on a scale of 1-99. To pass the exam, you will need to achieve a scaled score of 75.

You will receive a preliminary score report as soon as you finish the exam, and a final score report analyzed by Pearson VUE will be made available within 30 days.

FAQs