ARRT Exam Registration: How to Apply and Schedule Your Exam

ARRT exam registration happens in two stages: you apply to ARRT and get a Candidate Status Report (CSR), then you use that CSR to book a seat with Pearson VUE. These steps cover the primary eligibility pathway, which is how most people earn their first ARRT credential in Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiation Therapy, MRI, Sonography, or Vascular Sonography.

Fees, deadlines, and policies last verified October 26, 2026, against ARRT's 2026 Primary Eligibility Pathway Handbook and current ARRT and Pearson VUE pages.

Register in 8 steps

1. Confirm you're eligible. You need to finish an ARRT-verified educational program in the same discipline as your exam. You also need an associate degree or higher from a school accredited by an agency ARRT recognizes. The degree can be in any subject, but it must be conferred before you take the exam. (ARRT education requirements)

2. Handle any ethics issue early. The application asks about three things: criminal charges or convictions; actions by a regulatory authority or another certification board; and withdrawal, suspension, dismissal, or expulsion from an educational program. If any of these apply, you can file an optional ethics review preapplication ($100, nonrefundable) to get a ruling before you apply. ARRT says these reviews can take three months or longer. (Ethics review preapplication; Handbook pp. 10–13)

3. Create your ARRT online account at arrt.org. Your program director sends the setup instructions. They also have to approve your account before the Apply button works.

4. Apply online, up to 90 days before you finish. Log in and click Apply on your dashboard. You can apply up to 90 days before you complete your program or your degree, whichever comes later.

   • Enter your name exactly as it appears on your ID.
   • Pay the $225 fee by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express. Your program director may set it up so the program pays instead.
   • If you need testing accommodations, request them in this same application.

   (Application fees; Handbook p. 23)

5. Wait for verification and processing. After your completion date, your program confirms to ARRT that you finished the classroom and clinical requirements and earned your degree. Allow at least 30 calendar days for ARRT to process your application. It takes longer if you requested accommodations. (Handbook pp. 23–24)

6. Check your Candidate Status Report. ARRT posts your CSR to your account within two business days of processing your application. It shows your ARRT ID, your eligibility period, and your exam window dates. Check the name against your IDs first. If it's wrong, send ARRT a Name Change Form and wait for a corrected CSR before you schedule. (Handbook pp. 26, 28–29)

7. Book with Pearson VUE. You can schedule starting 24 hours after you receive your CSR.

   • Book at Pearson VUE's ARRT page or by phone at 800-632-9055, using your ARRT ID.
   • If you're new to Pearson, a new Pearson account can take up to 24 hours to activate.
   • Book early in your window. Nearby dates can fill up.

   (Handbook p. 31)

8. Keep Pearson's confirmation email. It lists your date, time, and test center address. Check every detail. If the email doesn't arrive, contact Pearson right away. Your registration isn't done until you have this email. (Pearson VUE ARRT page)

Taking an ARRT-administered exam only for a state license? Start with your state licensing agency, not this process. Your exam window is shorter, and the steps differ. See the state-license path below.

Key numbers

Sources: ARRT fee page; Handbook pp. 7, 10, 14, 22–23, 30–33.

When your exam window opens: three examples

Your exam window doesn't necessarily open when you apply. If ARRT processes your application before you complete both your educational program and degree, the window begins when both requirements are complete. If you apply after both are complete, ARRT sets the window after processing. The examples below apply ARRT's published rules. The exact dates for your own case are printed on your CSR.

Example 1: Your program and degree finish on the same day. You complete your program and your degree is conferred on May 15, 2027.

Example 2: Your degree is conferred after your program ends. You complete your program on May 15, 2027. Your associate degree is conferred on August 20, 2027.

This is the case that catches people. Some students apply in February and then wait for a window that can't open until August. Check the degree conferral date on your transcript before you plan.

Example 3: You've already graduated. You finished both requirements earlier and are applying now. Plan on at least 30 days for ARRT to process your application. Once it's processed, your window opens within about two calendar days and runs for one year.

Don't wait until near the end of your three-year period. ARRT says it won't process an application received fewer than 30 calendar days before that period ends.

(Handbook pp. 22–23, 30; ARRT three-year rule)

Before you click Submit

• My program director has approved my ARRT account.
• The name on my application matches my government ID exactly. Middle names and initials don't have to match.
• I've answered every ethics question honestly, including old charges and honor-code issues. I don't need to report poor grades.
• I know my degree conferral date, and it will be before my exam date.
• If I need accommodations, I'm requesting them in this application.
• I know whether I'm paying or my program is.
• My email, address, and phone number in my ARRT account are current.

Before you book with Pearson

• My CSR is in my ARRT account, and at least 24 hours have passed since I got it.
• The name on my CSR matches the two IDs I'll bring on exam day.
• I know my window's opening and closing dates, and I'm booking well inside them.
• I have my ARRT ID ready.
• If I was approved for accommodations, I'm following the scheduling instructions that came with that approval.

Stuck? Who fixes what

ARRT's Initial Certification Department: 651.687.0048 (choose the option for earning an ARRT credential), or toll-free 877.560.ARRT (2778).

(Handbook pp. 26–27; Pearson VUE ARRT page)

What goes wrong, and what it costs

(Handbook pp. 30, 35, 42; ARRT exam FAQ)

Cancelling or rescheduling

You can reschedule within your window through your Pearson account or by calling 800-632-9055. Pearson charges a fee every time you reschedule. Your original appointment stays in place until you accept a new one.

The deadline is at least 24 hours, or one business day, before your appointment. Because it's a business-day rule, you have to cancel a Monday exam on the Friday before, no later than your appointment time.

(Handbook pp. 33–34; ARRT exam FAQ)

Testing accommodations

Request ADA testing accommodations in your application, and do it again every time you apply or reapply. Don't wait until you're booking with Pearson; the test center doesn't arrange them.

ARRT holds your application while Paradigm Testing reviews your request, so processing takes longer than the usual 30 days. Keep in mind:

• If you don't submit your documentation within a year, ARRT processes your application without accommodations.
• Once ARRT assigns your exam window, you can't request accommodations for that attempt.

(Handbook pp. 21–23)

Exam day: ID and check-in

Bring two valid, unexpired IDs:

• Primary ID: government-issued, with your printed name, photo, and signature (or a military ID bar code).
• Secondary ID: shows your printed name and signature.

Both IDs must be signed, and the name on them must match your CSR. At check-in, Pearson records a digital signature, scans your palm vein, and takes your photo. ARRT also says Pearson test centers will start wand screening candidates in November 2026.

(Handbook pp. 18–19, 40; ARRT exam FAQ)

After the exam: scores and retakes

You'll see a preliminary score at the end of the exam. It isn't final, and it doesn't confirm that you passed. ARRT emails you when your official score report is ready in your account, usually within about 10 business days. If you don't pass, you can apply again. Every attempt is a separate application with a new fee. You get three attempts within three years of when your first exam window opens, and your CSR shows your eligibility period. ARRT says the Reapply button appears on your dashboard after an unsuccessful first or second attempt.

If you use all three attempts, or your three years run out, you have to requalify. That means meeting the eligibility requirements again, including completing an educational program.

(Handbook pp. 7, 14, 25, 52–53; ARRT exam FAQ)

State license only: a different registration path

Some states use ARRT-administered exams for their own licenses, including limited-scope licenses. If that's the only exam you're taking, the steps above don't apply.

Some states give you a longer eligibility period: California and Louisiana use 365-day eligibility periods, and Florida uses 180 days. The initial ARRT-assigned exam window is still 90 days. For California, Louisiana, and Florida, ARRT handles eligible window-extension requests within those state-set limits; other states generally route extension decisions through the state licensing entity.

Don't pay ARRT until your state has authorized you and sent instructions.

(ARRT: How to apply for state licensing; ARRT state candidate FAQ)

Other situations

• You're already an R.T. and adding a credential such as CT, mammography, or bone densitometry. This is the postprimary pathway. It has clinical experience requirements and its own handbook. The fee is $225 for most postprimary applications, or $450 for certain ones that use an NMTCB or ARDMS credential as the supporting category. Start at ARRT's How to Apply page.
• You're applying to become a Registered Radiologist Assistant (R.R.A.). It has its own application and handbook, on the same page.
• Your ARRT credential lapsed. See ARRT's Reinstatement of Certification and Registration by Examination Handbook on the handbooks page.
• You need a state license to work. ARRT certification and a state license are separate. A state license doesn't make you eligible for ARRT, and ARRT certification doesn't license you in a state. See ARRT's state licensing overview and contact your state agency.

Quick answers

Do I register with ARRT or Pearson VUE first?

ARRT. Pearson can't book you until ARRT issues your Candidate Status Report and 24 hours have passed.

Can I register for the ARRT exam before I graduate?

Yes. You can apply up to 90 days before you finish your program or your degree, whichever is later. Your exam window won't open until both are complete.

How much does ARRT exam registration cost?

The primary pathway application fee is $225. It's nonrefundable, and every attempt needs a new application and fee. The optional ethics review preapplication costs $100, and Pearson charges a separate fee if you reschedule.

How long until I can schedule?

ARRT says to allow at least 30 calendar days for processing, and longer if you asked for accommodations. Your CSR is posted within two business days of processing. You can book with Pearson 24 hours after that.

How long is the ARRT exam window?

It's 365 days for ARRT certification and registration. A state-licensing-only candidate generally receives an initial 90-day ARRT exam window, although the state's separate eligibility period can be longer. Go by the exact dates on your CSR.

Does a missed appointment count as one of my three attempts?

No. But you lose the fee, your window closes, and your three-year period keeps running.

Sources

We checked these published ARRT and Pearson VUE sources on October 26, 2026. We reviewed the relevant pages of ARRT's 2026 Primary Eligibility Pathway Handbook, including the application, exam-window, scheduling, rescheduling, ID, accommodations, exam-conduct, and score sections. We did not log into an ARRT or Pearson VUE account or test a live scheduling transaction.

• ARRT, 2026 Primary Eligibility Pathway Handbook (PDF; listed on ARRT Handbooks):
  • Eligibility and ethics: pp. 6–14
  • ID rules: pp. 18–19
  • Accommodations: p. 21
  • Applying, processing, and payment: pp. 22–24
  • Requalification: p. 25
  • Name and address changes: pp. 26–27
  • CSR and exam window: pp. 28–30
  • Scheduling, cancelling, and missed appointments: pp. 31–35
  • Check-in and conduct: pp. 40–42
  • Scores: pp. 52–53
• ARRT, Application Fees
• ARRT, Application Process: Primary
• ARRT, Primary Eligibility Pathway Requirements and Education Requirements
• ARRT, Three-Year Limit on Eligibility
• ARRT, Ethics Review Preapplication
• ARRT, Examination FAQ
• ARRT, How to Apply for State Licensing and State Candidate FAQ
• Pearson VUE, ARRT Examinations and Assessments (page dated August 6, 2026)

Researching programs rather than registering? See ARRT Radiography Exam Pass Rates by Program.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or Pearson VUE. Exam and credential names are used only to identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. If anything here differs from ARRT's current handbook or your Candidate Status Report, follow ARRT.

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Researched and drafted with AI assistance against the sources above. See our methodology and editorial standards.