Since certification examinations are required to be practice related, ARRT periodically conducts a job analysis to make certain that the certification examination content specifications and the clinical requirements remain comprehensive, accurate and fair. ARRT, with the help of the professional community, reviews the certification documents every five years. 

In July 2017, the ARRT Board of Trustees approved the changes to the following documents, which go into effect on July 1, 2018. 

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES TO THE ENTRY LEVEL CLINICAL ACTIVITIES

• Postoperative GI study, therapeutic bursa aspiration and/or injection, CT colonography, therapeutic joint injection, percutaneous drainage with or without placement of catheter, and superficial lymph node biopsy were added.
• Defecography and small bowel study via enteroclysis tube were removed.
• Other activities were reworded to better define the activity and reflect current practice.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES TO THE CONTENT SPECIFICATIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS ADMINISTERED AFTER JULY 1, 2018 

• The content categories were retitled and rearranged into three major sections to make them consistent with the universal category titles in all ARRT disciplines.
• Small bowel study via enteroclysis tube and defecography were removed from the list of abdominal procedures performed.
• Percutaneous drainage, post-operative GI study, and CT colonography were added to the list of abdominal procedures performed.
• Diagnostic joint aspiration, therapeutic joint injection, and therapeutic bursa aspiration and/or injection were added to the list of musculoskeletal procedures performed.
• Superficial lymph node biopsy was added to the list of vascular and lymphatic procedures performed.
• Topic regarding pentobarbital and chloral hydrate were removed from the Patient Care section.
• Topics regarding adverse events, neurologic and psychotropic drugs, stroke, and incident reports were added to the Patient Care Section.
• Topics regarding incident reports, the ICRP, methods to reduce patient exposure, MQSA personnel requirements, AERC, MRI safety, qualify improvement and research were added or expanded to provide additional detail in the Safety section.  
• Topics regarding ileus, inflammatory bowel syndrome, obstruction, cholangitis, nephrostomy tubes, ureteral stents, infertility, penile implants, pessary, contraceptive devices, endocarditis, BI-RADS, breast implants, orthopedic hardware, septic arthritis, bursitis, inflammatory thyroid disorder, neurologic embolization devices, Chiari malformation, tethered cord, vascular and lymphatic medical devices, dissection, infectious or inflammatory lymphadenopathy, venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis were added to the Procedures section.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES TO THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• CT colonography, post-operative GI study, therapeutic bursa aspiration and/or injection, percutaneous drainage with or without placement of catheter (excluding paracentesis and thoracentesis), and superficial lymph node biopsy were added to the list of elective procedures.
• Small bowel study via enteroclysis tube and defecography were removed from the list of elective procedures.
• The minimum number of arthrogram repetitions required was increased from 15 to 20 and must now include five shoulders and five hips. 
• Lumbar puncture with contrast (elective) was combined with lumbar puncture without contrast (mandatory) to become lumbar puncture with or without contrast (mandatory).
• Cervical, thoracic, or lumbar myelography - imaging only was changed from elective to mandatory.
• All areas of the clinical experience and competence requirements were edited for clarity and to update terminology to reflect current practice.

Please call ARRT Initial Certification at 651.681.3119 if you have questions about how these changes may affect your eligibility for certification and registration in this discipline.

DOCUMENTS EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2018

Entry Level Clinical Activities

Examination Content Specifications

Didactic and Clinical Portfolio Requirements