The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) is looking for help from working professionals in Computed Tomography (CT). We encourage you to review the proposed changes to the Computed Tomography Examination Content Specifications and Clinical Experience Requirements.
Our goal is to produce comprehensive, accurate, and fair documents that cover the knowledge and cognitive skills required of entry-level CT technologists. ARRT’s examinations are job-related. That is, we only include topics if that knowledge relates directly to a clinical activity typically required for a technologist’s job. A survey of possible tasks and procedures was sent to 4,000 current CT technologists to determine these topics. Results from these surveys were used to update the content specifications and clinical experience requirements.
The ARRT Computed Tomography Practice Analysis Committee (composed of subject matter experts from throughout the United States) began working on these documents in November 2023 and will complete work on them this spring. After that, ARRT’s Board of Trustees will review the proposed changes. The new Computed Tomography documents have a scheduled implementation date of September 1, 2026.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE EXAMINATION CONTENT SPECIFICATIONS:
Patient Care
- Time-out and scanning techniques were added.
Safety
- Adverse event reporting was added.
Image Production
- External equipment was added.
- Informatics was updated.
Procedures
- Lumbar was changed to lumbosacral and sacrum/coccyx was removed.
- Heart was changed to cardiac and additional details were added.
- Biliary was removed because it is included with the liver.
- Esophagram, urogram/IVU, renal stone, retrograde cystogram, and colonography were added.
- Surgical planning was added under Focus of Questions.
SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Musculoskeletal trauma was changed to extremity trauma.
- Larynx/airway without contrast, esophagram with oral contrast, colonography (virtual), and surgical planning were added to the list of possible procedures. Tube warm was added to calibration checks.
- Ablations was removed from the list of possible procedures.
- The age range for pediatrics was changed from 12 and under to 6 and under.
REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK
We invite you to review the documents below and provide feedback through an online survey (live until March 14, 2025). The survey is the official method we use to track feedback. The Computed Tomography Practice Analysis Committee will review all comments and may make additional changes based on your feedback.
Note: Additions are in blue, and deletions are in strikethrough red in the drafts.
QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about how the proposed changes may affect your eligibility for certification and registration in Computed Tomography, call 651.687.0048. Select the option for earning an ARRT credential.
Thank you for your contribution to this important project!