Exam Performance of Reinstatement Candidates Pursuing ARRT Certification and Registration in Radiography

To investigate the exam performance of reinstatement candidates pursuing the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification and registration in radiography.

This study compared exam performance data from reinstatement candidates taking the ARRT radiography exam in 2017 and 2018 (N = 412) to the performance of 2017 and 2018 first-time exam candidates (N = 22 731) and the reinstatement candidates' past successful passing exam attempts.

Scores on the reinstatement exam at the overall exam and the section levels were significantly lower (P < .01) than scores for first-time radiography candidates, as well as the reinstatement candidates' own previous successful passing exam attempts. The first-time pass rate was 89%, while the reinstatement pass rate was 56%. Reinstatement candidates also scored lower than first-time radiography candidates on all sections of the exam. The section with the smallest effect size difference was Patient Interactions and Management, and the sections with the largest effect size differences were Radiation Protection and Extremity Procedures. There was not a strong relationship between time lag and exam scores.

Reinstatement candidates had a lower exam pass rate than first-time exam candidates. The reinstatement pass rate was, however, greater than 50%, which indicates that reinstatement candidates perform better than do candidates failing and retaking the initial radiography exam (pass rate of 40%-45%). Reinstatement candidates' lower performance on multiple sections of the exam suggest that reinstatement candidates do not perform as well as first-time candidates on numerous portions of content.

A lower percentage of reinstatement candidates for the ARRT radiography exam pass the exam on a first attempt compared with first-time exam candidates. Passing the exam as a reinstatement candidate is, however, achievable given the pass rate of above 50%.