ARRT MRI exam-day guide
ARRT MRI · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Two valid forms of ID
Bring one primary government-issued photo ID with your signature (e.g., driver's license or passport) plus a second ID. The first and last name on your IDs must match the name on your ARRT record exactly. Check expiration dates before test day.
Appointment confirmation and testing-center address
Save a digital and printed copy of your appointment confirmation, and confirm the exact street address, building, and suite. Verify your authorization to test is active in your ARRT account before you travel.
Route, parking, and timing plan
Pre-drive or map the route, identify parking or transit options, and add a 20-30 minute buffer for traffic, security screening, and check-in.
Arrival target of about 30 minutes early
Plan to be at the center roughly 30 minutes before your appointment so there is time for ID verification and workstation assignment. Confirm the center's late-arrival policy with the provider.
Leave prohibited items at home or in the car
Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, notes, textbooks, and study cards are not allowed in the testing room. On-site storage may be limited, so minimize what you bring.
Comfortable layered clothing
Testing rooms can run warm or cold. Avoid clothing with excessive pockets or metal that could slow security screening. Follow any center-specific dress rules confirmed with the provider.
Know what scratch materials are supplied
Many centers provide a dry-erase board or scratch paper and marker that must be returned. Confirm with the provider what is supplied so you do not bring your own.
One-page personal summary reviewed the day before
Condense high-yield material (pulse sequence parameters, MRI safety zones, SAR concepts, coil selection, artifacts) into one page. Review it at home; it cannot go into the testing room.
Meal, hydration, and sleep plan
Eat a normal meal before the exam, hydrate moderately, and protect a full night of sleep. Avoid heavy caffeine if you are sensitive, and avoid alcohol the night before.
Backup contact for the testing center
Save the center's phone number in case of a delay, weather event, or reschedule need, and confirm the reschedule policy with the provider in advance.
Emergency reschedule awareness
If illness or an emergency arises, contact the provider immediately. Fees and windows for rescheduling vary, so confirm the current terms rather than assuming.
Plan the day
Confirm appointment date, time, address, and ID validity. Re-read the current candidate handbook on arrt.org for question count, time limit, and scoring. Take one timed practice set under exam conditions, then stop learning new content and review only your weak areas and your one-page summary.
Adjust your sleep schedule so you are waking near your test-day time. Avoid all-night cramming, which reliably costs more points than it gains.
Pack IDs and confirmation, lay out clothing, confirm the route and parking, check the weather, and set two alarms. Do light review of your summary page only, then stop by early evening. Eat a normal dinner and go to bed at your usual time.
Eat breakfast, drink a moderate amount of water, and leave with enough buffer to arrive about 30 minutes early. Bring only your IDs and confirmation into the building; leave your phone and study materials in the car or at home.
Present your IDs, follow proctor instructions for locker use and pockets, use the restroom before you are seated, and read any on-screen instructions carefully before starting the timer.
Read each question fully and watch for absolutes and 'except'/'not' wording. Answer every question; there is no penalty for guessing. Flag and move past items that stall you, then return to them. Use supplied scratch materials for calculations. Watch the clock so you leave time to review flagged items.
If you take an unscheduled break, confirm with the proctor first and expect the clock to keep running. Confirm break rules with the provider before test day.
Review flagged items if time allows, submit, return all scratch materials, and follow the proctor's checkout process. Confirm with the provider how and when official results are released.
Rules to check
Bring acceptable identification: typically one primary government-issued photo ID with signature and one secondary ID. The name on your IDs must match your ARRT record exactly, so resolve any discrepancy before test day.
Arrive early. Candidates who arrive after the appointment time may be refused admission or lose their fee; confirm the center's exact late-arrival policy with the provider.
Do not bring phones, smartwatches, notes, books, or other unauthorized materials into the testing room. Unauthorized items can lead to score invalidation.
Breaks are generally available on request, but the exam timer usually continues to run. Confirm break and timing rules with the provider before test day.
Follow all proctor instructions, remain seated unless excused, and do not communicate with other candidates. Suspicious behavior can void your score.
Scratch materials, if provided, must be returned and are collected at the end of the session. Do not attempt to remove them.
Scoring is pass/fail based on a scaled score rather than a raw percentage. Confirm the current passing standard and results-release timeline with ARRT.
Misconduct, impersonation, or attempting to record exam content can result in score cancellation and reporting to the credentialing body.