ARRT certification: exam, CE, renewal & jobs
ARRT is the national credential for US radiologic technologists: a $225 primary exam, $65 yearly renewal, and 24 CE credits every 2 years.
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A radiologic technologist positions a patient at an X-ray machine before a scan.
What is ARRT certification?
ARRT certification is the national credential for radiologic technologists in the United States, issued by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. It confirms that you've met the education, ethics, and examination standards to work in medical imaging or radiation therapy. You earn the certification once and then hold an annual registration that you renew each year and keep current with continuing education. Most states use ARRT certification as the basis for their own license, and most imaging employers list it as required. Radiography is the primary pathway, and you can add disciplines such as CT and MRI later.
ARRT disciplines and pathways
ARRT credentials come through two routes: a primary pathway you enter as a student, and a post-primary pathway you use to add a discipline after you're already registered. Radiography is where most technologists start, and every post-primary credential requires it first.
| Radiography (R) | The primary pathway most technologists start with. Covers X-ray imaging and is the base credential for the post-primary categories. |
|---|---|
| Nuclear Medicine Technology (N) | A primary pathway of its own, for technologists who image using radioactive tracers. |
| Radiation Therapy (T) | A primary pathway for technologists who deliver radiation treatment to cancer patients. |
| CT, MRI, mammography, sonography | Post-primary credentials you add after you already hold a primary one, by documenting clinical experience and passing a separate exam. |
Radiography is the entry point most people mean when they say "ARRT certified", and you need it before you can add most post-primary categories.
Who requires ARRT
Imaging and radiation-therapy employers require ARRT on nearly every clinical posting, because most states tie their license to it. In our US listings that covers radiologic technologists, MRI technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, and radiation therapists. Hospitals, imaging centers, and outpatient clinics list it as required, and the ARRT category they name follows the modality: a CT posting asks for radiography plus the CT credential, and a radiation oncology posting asks for the radiation therapy credential.
Requirements and eligibility
ARRT sets three requirements for every credential: education, ethics, and examination.
- Education. For the primary pathway you must earn an associate degree or higher from an ARRT-recognized accredited institution and complete an ARRT-approved educational program. The degree doesn't have to be in radiologic sciences, but you need it before you test. You have 3 years after finishing your program to establish eligibility and apply.
- Ethics. You must meet the ARRT Standards of Ethics, which govern professional conduct and require you to disclose any criminal charges or convictions and any professional-license discipline. If a past issue concerns you, ARRT lets you file an ethics review preapplication before you apply.
- Examination. You must pass the ARRT certification exam for your discipline. The radiography exam has 230 questions, 200 of them scored, and you pass with a scaled score of 75 on a 1 to 99 scale.
You don't need paid work experience to sit for a primary exam. The supervised clinical work happens inside your educational program, and ARRT verifies it through your program.
Cost, format, and renewal
The figures below are current as of 2026, from the ARRT fee schedule.
| Exam application fee | $225 for a primary credential such as radiography (ARRT, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Post-primary application fee | $225 to add a discipline such as CT or MRI |
| Retake fee | $200 to reapply after a failed attempt |
| Annual renewal fee | $65 a year, whatever number of ARRT credentials you hold |
| Format | Computer-based exam at a Pearson VUE test center |
| CE requirement | 24 Category A or A+ continuing education credits every 2 years, a period ARRT calls a biennium |
| CQR | Continuing Qualifications Requirements: a structured self-assessment every 10 years for primary categories you earned by exam |
| Validity | Certification is earned once; registration is renewed every year |
| Issuing body | American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) |
ARRT certification and your state license
ARRT certification is national, and the state license most jobs also require is separate. Most states license the profession and accept the ARRT exam as the qualifying standard, so you apply to ARRT and to your state radiologic technology board on your own. A few states don't license the profession at all, and some run their own certification on top of ARRT. Check your state's rules before your first job, because where the state requires a license, the employer needs both.
How to get certified
- Enroll in an ARRT-approved educational program in your discipline, and earn at least an associate degree.
- Complete the program's classroom coursework and clinical competency requirements.
- Read the ARRT Standards of Ethics, and if a past charge concerns you, file an ethics review preapplication early.
- Apply to ARRT and pay the $225 application fee. You have 3 years after your program to apply.
- Schedule and pass your exam at a Pearson VUE center. The ARRT website holds the current handbook and content specifications.
- Apply for your state license if your state requires one, then renew your ARRT registration each year and log 24 CE credits per biennium.
Demand for ARRT on MedJobList
ARRT is named in 793 of the active US openings we track right now. Those roles are in diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy, where employers list the certification the modality calls for. You can browse those roles in the section below, or filter the full job list by ARRT yourself.
On the job
Keep your registration current and your CE logged, because a lapse can pull you off the schedule. Employers verify ARRT status directly through the registry, so an expired registration shows up fast. Ask at onboarding who pays for continuing education: many hospitals cover CE courses and some reimburse the annual renewal, so raise it in the interview before you pay out of pocket.
FAQ
The application fee is $225 for a primary credential such as radiography, and $200 to reapply after a failed attempt (ARRT, 2026). After you're certified, registration renews for $65 a year, whatever number of ARRT credentials you hold.
You earn the certification once and keep it by renewing your registration every year. To stay current you complete 24 Category A or A+ continuing education credits every 2 years, plus a structured Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) self-assessment every 10 years for primary categories earned by exam.
ARRT sets three: education, ethics, and examination. On the primary pathway you need an associate degree or higher from an ARRT-recognized institution and an ARRT-approved educational program, you must meet the ARRT Standards of Ethics, and you must pass the certification exam for your discipline.
The radiography exam has 230 questions, 200 of them scored. You pass with a scaled score of 75 on a 1 to 99 scale, so the number of correct answers needed can vary between forms.
Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) is a structured self-assessment you complete every 10 years for each primary category you earned by exam. It identifies knowledge gaps and points you to continuing education to close them. CQR does not replace your 24-credit biennial CE requirement.
No. ARRT certification is national, and most states run a separate license that accepts the ARRT exam as its qualifying standard. A few states don't license the profession, and some add their own certification. Where a state requires a license, you hold both the ARRT credential and the state license.