ARRT Radiography curriculum
An ARRT Radiography Boards curriculum for all 4 domains, in plain English.
28 chapters mapped to the current ARRT Radiography Content Specifications. Free chapter summaries, a sample question for each of the 8 ARRT subcategories, and the full program of 570 study slides inside the app.
Have a specific question? Try Quick Answers. Want strategy + study plans? See the Blog.
The 4 ARRT exam domains
The ARRT Radiography exam blueprint splits into four content domains. Every chapter on this page maps to one of them, and to one or more of the 8 ARRT subcategories used on the registry.
Patient Care
Patient interactions, communication, infection control, monitoring, and emergency response. 16.5% of the ARRT exam to 28 February 2027 (33 of 200 scored questions), 15.5% from 1 March 2027 (31).
5 chapters
Ethics, Law & Communication
Assault vs battery, negligence, informed consent rules, HIPAA and PHI, the 22 ARRT Rules of Ethics, and therapeutic communication for the radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Infection Control
The six-link chain of infection, medical vs surgical asepsis, Standard Precautions, the contact, droplet, and airborne isolation rules, and PPE order for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Patient Monitoring
Vital sign ranges, oxygen delivery devices and flow rates, ET tube and chest tube rules, shock types, and exam scheduling order for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Contrast Media & Venipuncture for the ARRT Exam
Barium and iodinated agents, the perforation rule, ionic vs non-ionic osmolality, reaction grading, epinephrine in anaphylaxis, and venipuncture technique for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Patient Transfer & Body Mechanics for the ARRT Exam
Body mechanics, fall risk, wheelchair and gurney transfers, log rolling, transfer devices from gait belt to Hoyer lift, restraints, and the DABDA grief stages.
Read chapter overview →
Image Production
Technical factors, image quality, equipment operation, digital workflow, and quality control. 25.5% of the ARRT exam (51 of 200 scored questions).
3 chapters
Radiographic Quality
The five image qualities in ARRT's 2027 factor table, the 15 percent rule, magnification factor math, grid ratio and cutoff, and AEC detector selection for the radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Equipment Operation & QA
X-ray tube parts, generator ripple values, the 2.5 mm Al filtration rule, the image intensifier chain, and textbook QC tolerances for ARRT radiography exam prep.
Read chapter overview →Digital Image Processing
The image processing chain, window width vs window level, histogram analysis and LUTs, the deviation index scale, and the 2027 ARRT outline listing MIMPS beside PACS.
Read chapter overview →
Procedures
Positioning, anatomy, and projections for the entire body. 33% of the ARRT exam to 28 February 2027 (66 of 200 scored questions), 36% from 1 March 2027 (72), the largest domain.
18 chapters
Positioning Terminology
Projection vs position vs view, 206 bones and joint classes, body planes, movement terms, decubitus rules, body habitus percentages, and image markers for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Chest Radiography for the ARRT Exam
T7 centering, 72 inch SID, 110 to 125 kV, 10 posterior ribs, lateral decubitus rules, AP lordotic, oblique lung selection, and chest pathology for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Hand, Wrist & Forearm Positioning for the ARRT Exam
27 bones, the carpal mnemonic, PIP and MCP centering points, scaphoid and ulnar deviation views, Gaynor-Hart carpal canal, and named fractures for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Elbow, Humerus & Shoulder Positioning
The interepicondylar plane, elbow obliques and fat pads, Coyle method angles, shoulder rotations, Grashey and Garth, scapular Y, and weighted AC joints for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Foot, Ankle & Calcaneus Positioning for the ARRT Exam
The 26 foot bones, the three frontal ankle rotations (0, 15-20, and 45 degrees), the 40 degree axial calcaneus, and weight-bearing foot projections for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Knee, Leg & Patella
The AP knee ASIS angle rule, the 5-7 degree lateral knee, 45 degree obliques, tunnel views (Camp Coventry, Holmblad, Beclere), and tangential patella methods for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Femur, Pelvis & Hip
The 15-20 degree internal rotation rule, AP pelvis rotation checks, frog-leg contraindications, and the Danelius-Miller trauma hip lateral for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Cervical & Thoracic Spine Positioning for the ARRT Exam
The cervical-thoracic swap (foramina vs zygapophyseal joints), the AP open mouth, 45 degree cervical obliques, the swimmer's lateral, and breathing technique for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Lumbar Spine, Sacrum & Coccyx on the ARRT
The 45 degree lumbar obliques and the Scottie dog, sacrum 15 cephalad vs coccyx 10 caudad, SI joint obliques, and the scoliosis series for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Bony Thorax
The RAO sternum and its breathing technique, true vs false vs floating ribs, the rib decision table, and above or below diaphragm breathing rules for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Skull, Facial Bones & Sinuses for the ARRT Radiography Exam
The cranial positioning lines, Towne and Caldwell angles, Waters vs modified Waters, petrous ridge placement, and the upright sinus rules for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Abdomen Radiography
Covers the KUB centered at the iliac crest, erect and decubitus views 5 cm above it, the 5-minute minimum upright time (10 to 20 preferred), and the acute abdomen series, typically three images with a PA chest.
Read chapter overview →Esophagus, Stomach & Biliary on the ARRT Radiography Exam
The fundus rule for barium and air, the five upper GI projections, centered by body habitus (L1 for sthenic), RAO stomach rotation of 40 to 70 degrees, NPO for 8 hours, and ERCP through the mouth.
Read chapter overview →Lower GI Barium Enema
The 60 cm enema bag limit, Sims position and the 7.5 to 10 cm tip rule, which obliques open each colic flexure, and the 30 to 40 degree axial angle for the rectosigmoid.
Read chapter overview →Urinary System & Contrast Studies for the ARRT Exam
Retrograde urography, cystography, VCUG, the 30-degree kidney rotation, the three ureteral constrictions, and myelography at L3-L4 for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Trauma, Mobile & Surgical Radiography for the ARRT Exam
Cross-table lateral C-spine to C7-T1, the Danelius-Miller hip, Coyle elbow angles, grid cutoff at the bedside, and C-arm safety rules for the ARRT Radiography exam.
Read chapter overview →Pediatric Radiography
Pediatric technique for the ARRT exam: the 10 cm grid rule, Pigg-O-Stat chest at 72 inches SID, the 13-entry skeletal survey for suspected abuse, and infant centering rules.
Read chapter overview →Pathology
Additive and destructive pathology for the ARRT exam: why ascites takes more exposure and emphysema takes less, the osteopetrosis vs osteoporosis mix-up, and when AEC does it for you.
Read chapter overview →
Safety
Radiation physics, biology, protection practices, and personal dosimetry. 25% of the ARRT exam to 28 February 2027 (50 of 200 scored questions), 23% from 1 March 2027 (46).
2 chapters
Radiation Physics & Radiobiology
X-ray production, photoelectric vs Compton interactions, SI radiation units, the law of Bergonie and Tribondeau, and acute radiation syndrome dose bands for the ARRT exam.
Read chapter overview →Radiation Protection
Occupational dose limits, TLD vs OSL dosimeters, apron lead equivalents, fluoroscopy dose rules, and why routine gonadal shielding is no longer recommended by AAPM and NCRP and is not named on the ARRT outline.
Read chapter overview →Ready to read all 570 study slides?
The free tier opens once you sign up and verify your email: 3 chapters, 50 questions, 1 sample exam, no credit card. The full curriculum (every chapter, drill, flashcard and timed exam) comes with a paid plan, and paid plans open soon.