CI exam guide
About the Cardiac Interventional Radiography (CI) exam
The ARRT Cardiac Interventional Radiography examination assesses patient care, fluoroscopic image production, and diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular procedures. Success requires integrating anatomy, hemodynamics, ECG findings, medications, sterile technique, radiation safety, devices, complications, and post-procedure management.
MedPorium is an independent education platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Exam details can change; confirm them with the official source before applying.
CI exam format at a glance
- Questions
- 185
- 145 scored; 40 unscored
- Time
- 195 minutes of test time within a 215-minute appointment
- Delivery
- Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE test centers
Knowledge to review for the CI exam
These foundations support the practical tasks in the official examination matrix.
Patient care and hemodynamics
- History, labs, renal and bleeding risk, allergy, sedation, medications, access, monitoring, ECG, pressure waveforms, emergency care, and hemostasis
- Cardiovascular anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, coronary circulation, valves, shunts, and cardiac output calculations
Fluoroscopic image production
- X-ray systems, detectors, geometry, acquisition modes, contrast, injectors, digital processing, artifacts, and quality control
- Radiation biology, dose metrics, patient and personnel protection, shielding, collimation, positioning, and dose reduction
Interventional procedures
- Right and left heart catheterization, coronary angiography, pressure and shunt studies, IVUS, OCT, FFR, and physiologic assessment
- PCI, atherectomy, thrombectomy, valves, closure devices, circulatory support, electrophysiology, implants, and complication management
CI examination matrix
The percentages below are the approximate exam-score weights published by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Use them to allocate study time, then adjust for your own weak areas.
27.6%
Patient Care
Prepare, monitor, medicate, protect, and stabilize patients before, during, and after invasive cardiac procedures.
- Review history, indication, consent, labs, medications, allergy, renal function, bleeding and sedation risks
- Apply sterile technique, vascular access care, physiologic and ECG monitoring, medication safety, and emergency response
- Achieve hemostasis, recognize access and systemic complications, educate, document, and transfer care
13.8%
Image Production
Operate fluoroscopic systems and optimize diagnostic information while controlling radiation and contrast exposure.
- Select projections, geometry, acquisition settings, processing, and contrast delivery
- Apply collimation, shielding, positioning, distance, pulsed fluoroscopy, dose monitoring, and ALARA
- Recognize artifacts, equipment faults, and quality-control concerns
58.6%
Procedures
The dominant area covers cardiovascular anatomy, hemodynamics, diagnostic studies, interventions, devices, and complications.
- Perform or assist with right and left heart studies, angiography, pressure, shunt, valve, and coronary physiologic assessment
- Support PCI, structural, peripheral, electrophysiology, implant, thrombectomy, and mechanical-support procedures
- Select equipment, anticipate procedural sequence, and recognize dissection, perforation, embolism, no-reflow, tamponade, arrhythmia, and device complications
How to use this CI diagnostic
The diagnostic samples the three current areas, with Procedures carrying most scored questions. Classify misses as assessment or emergency care, imaging or radiation control, diagnostic catheterization, coronary intervention, structural or electrophysiology procedure, hemodynamics, equipment, or complication response.
High-yield CI study priorities
Priority 1
Organize procedures by sequence
Know indication, setup, access, catheter or device selection, imaging views, measurements, endpoint, hemostasis, and complications.
Priority 2
Read waveforms with anatomy
Link pressure morphology and oxygen saturation data to chamber, valve, shunt, resistance, and cardiac-output physiology.
Priority 3
Make dose reduction automatic
Apply geometry, collimation, pulse rate, magnification, shielding, distance, positioning, and dose monitoring in every scenario.
Priority 4
Practise rescue decisions
Use cases involving contrast reaction, oversedation, arrhythmia, bleeding, perforation, tamponade, no-reflow, embolism, and shock.
CI exam FAQ
How many questions are on the ARRT Cardiac Interventional Radiography examination?
The current examination format contains 185 questions: 145 scored questions and 40 unscored pilot questions. Pilot questions are mixed into the examination and are not identified.
How long is the Cardiac Interventional Radiography examination?
195 minutes of test time within a 215-minute appointment. ARRT's appointment time also includes the tutorial, nondisclosure agreement, and survey where applicable.
How is the content outline weighted?
The currently effective specification is approximately Patient Care 27.6%, Image Production 13.8%, Procedures 58.6%. These percentages are calculated from ARRT's scored-item counts, so rounding may prevent the displayed values from totaling exactly 100%.
What should I prioritize for Cardiac Interventional Radiography?
Procedures is the largest scored content area at approximately 58.6%. Give it the largest share of practice, but continue sampling every area because the examination blueprint is broad.
What score is required to pass an ARRT examination?
ARRT reports examination results on a scaled score from 1 to 99, and a scaled score of 75 is required to pass. A 75 scaled score is not the same as answering 75% of questions correctly.
Does this diagnostic predict whether I will pass?
No. A 15-question diagnostic is a low-confidence baseline, not a validated pass prediction. Review every rationale and use larger mixed and content-specific sets to build a more stable readiness estimate.
Is MedPorium affiliated with ARRT?
No. MedPorium is an independent education platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Review and official source
Clinical reviewer: G. R. Drummond
Exam format and matrix information were checked against the ARRT Cardiac Interventional Radiography credential page and examination content specifications. Source reviewed October 15, 2026.
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