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United States · Certification exam

ARRT MRI certification: the primary and postprimary routes

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of two disciplines you can earn from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) by either pathway. You can finish an ARRT-approved MRI program as your first credential, or add MRI to a credential you already hold. Either way, ARRT MRI certification ends in the same exam: 200 scored questions, under content specifications in effect from February 1, 2025.

  • 2Pathways: primary or postprimary
  • 75%First attempts passed in 2025
  • 200 questionsScored, plus unscored pilot ones
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How do you get ARRT MRI certification?

On the primary pathway, you complete an ARRT-approved educational program in MRI and an associate degree or higher, the same rules as Radiography. JRCERT, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, accredits magnetic resonance programs, and both ARRT’s and JRCERT’s program searches list them.

On the postprimary pathway, you need a supporting credential in Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiation Therapy, Sonography or Vascular Sonography. Nuclear Medicine Technology can come from the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) and Sonography from the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). You then complete 16 hours of structured education and ARRT’s MRI clinical experience requirements within the 24 months before you apply.

Finding an MRI or radiography program →ARRT: Magnetic Resonance Imaging ↗All ARRT credentials and their letters →

What the ARRT MRI exam covers

The MRI content specifications, implemented February 1, 2025, split the 200 scored questions like this:

SectionQuestions
Patient interactions and management16
MRI screening and safety21
Physical principles of image formation40
Sequence parameters and options36
Data acquisition and processing30
Neurological procedures25
Body procedures15
Musculoskeletal procedures17

Image production, the three middle sections, makes up more than half the exam. The full name of the fifth section is Data Acquisition, Processing, and Storage.

ARRT: MRI content specifications, February 2025 (PDF) ↗

How long is the ARRT MRI exam?

ARRT’s documents don’t agree on the pilot questions. The MRI content specifications and the 2026 primary pathway handbook say 30 unscored pilot questions, for 230 in 230 minutes. The 2026 postprimary handbook’s chart shows 20, for 220 in 210 minutes. Your Candidate Status Report and the handbook for your pathway are the ones to follow; if they differ, ask ARRT.

ARRT: 2026 Postprimary Eligibility Pathway Handbook (PDF) ↗

MRI pass rate and practice

In 2025, 3,311 people took the MRI exam for the first time and 75% passed, with a mean scaled score of 79.7, ARRT’s annual report says. For practice, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) offers a Magnetic Resonance SEAL (Student Exam Assessment Library) of five 100-question tests and an MR Roadmap, a six-month study timeline. ARRT doesn’t endorse any of them.

ARRT exam prep options →ASRT: Exam preparation ↗
Sources: ARRT · ASRT and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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