M (ARRT) - Mammography RT

Mammographers aid in the early detection of breast cancer by performing preventative screenings, and they support women diagnosed with breast cancer through staging and follow-up scans. This role is an important one. Mammographers help catch breast cancer early and act as a comforting presence for scared and anxious patients. To work in this field, consider the Mammography certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

Anyone who wishes to work as a mammographer should consider this certification from the ARRT. This certification demonstrates that you have the necessary skills and training to meet the highest standards of patient care.

Cost

• Application fee $225

• Reapplication fee $200

The three-hour computer-based exam has 140 questions made up of 115 scored items and 25 unscored.

There are three types of questions on the exam. Some ask you to select multiple answers and present a list of four to ten possible responses from which you must choose all the right answers. There are also sorted list questions with a list of four to eight items which you must place in the correct order. Finally, there are hot area or video questions where you will have a drawing, image, or video to look at before choosing the right answer. With video questions, you will be asked a question about the content of the video. With other formats, you will have to move the cursor over the right area on the screen.

You have three attempts to pass the exam, and you must make those attempts within three years of your first exam window. Exam applications must be filled out online.

To qualify to take the ARRT mammography exam, you must first complete one of the primary pathway certifications. This means that before you can take the mammography exam, you must obtain one of the following certifications from ARRT:

• R.T. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

• Registered Technologist in Radiography (R)

• Radiation Therapy (T)

• Registered Technologist in Sonography (S)

• Registered Technologist in Nuclear Medicine Technology (N)

• Vascular Sonography (VS)

Each of these certifications requires an associate's degree or higher and completing a corresponding ARRT structured education course. After you meet the education and ethical requirements, you can apply for the mammography exam.

After ARRT approves your application and sends you an exam window, you can schedule your exam through Pearson Vue. Your exam window starts on the second day after ARRT processes your application and is good for 365 calendar days. Your exam window will also close if you miss a testing appointment without giving notice, if you refuse to sign the nondisclosure agreement within two minutes at the testing center, or if you are turned away from the testing center due to a name discrepancy.

If you need to reschedule your exam, contact Pearson VUE at least one business day before your exam appointment by either calling its toll-free number or following the online prompts.

You will receive a preliminary score at the end of the exam, but this is not the final score and does not mean that you passed or failed the exam. Pearson VUE sends all the testing data to ARRT for analysis. As long as you are eligible to take the exam, you will receive a score report within 30 days.

You must renew your certification every year. To do so, you must remain up-to-date on your Continuing Qualifications Requirements and complete CE activities every two years. 

You can renew online by logging into your ARRT account. If you sign up for email notifications, ARRT will send you an email alerting you when it’s time to renew. If you do not renew, your certificate will be discontinued.

Renewal fees are only $30 a year for your first certification and $15 a year for your second. Since you need a primary certification as well as a mammography certification, renewal will cost you $45 every year. Any additional post primary certifications will cost you $15 every year.

The ARRT offers resources for exam candidates, including:

• Handbook

• Content Outline

• Task Inventory

To practice as a mammographer, you have to get a license from the state where you plan to work in addition to your ARRT certification.

If you already hold one of the primary pathway certificates from ARRT, they offer many other advanced certifications that can expand your career opportunities in radiographic imaging. They are: 

• Bone Densitometry (BD)

• R.T. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

• Cardiac Interventional Radiography (CI)

• Computed Tomography (CT)

• Registered Technologist in Vascular-Interventional Radiography (VI)

• Breast Sonography (BS)