VI exam guide
About the Vascular Interventional Radiography (VI) exam
The ARRT Vascular Interventional Radiography examination assesses patient care, fluoroscopic image production, and diagnostic and therapeutic vascular and nonvascular interventions. Strong preparation integrates anatomy, hemodynamics, disease, sterile technique, access, contrast, equipment, radiation safety, procedural sequence, pharmacology, and complication 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.
VI exam format at a glance
- Questions
- 210
- 160 scored; 50 unscored
- Time
- 210 minutes of test time within a 230-minute appointment
- Delivery
- Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE test centers
Knowledge to review for the VI exam
These foundations support the practical tasks in the official examination matrix.
Patient and procedural care
- History, labs, renal and bleeding risk, allergies, consent, sedation, medications, access, sterile technique, monitoring, emergencies, hemostasis, and post-care
- Vascular anatomy, physiology, pathology, collateral circulation, pressure and flow, and cross-sectional correlation
Fluoroscopic image production
- Imaging systems, C-arm geometry, detectors, acquisition, subtraction, roadmapping, processing, injectors, contrast, artifacts, and quality control
- Radiation biology, dose metrics, protection, shielding, collimation, positioning, and dose optimization
Interventional procedures
- Angiography, venography, angioplasty, stents, atherectomy, thrombolysis, thrombectomy, embolization, filters, EVAR, dialysis access, and neurovascular work
- Biopsy, drainage, biliary, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, portal, oncology, and other nonvascular interventions and complication response
VI 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.
13.8%
Patient Care
Assess, prepare, sedate, medicate, monitor, stabilize, and recover patients undergoing invasive procedures.
- Review indication, history, consent, labs, medication, allergy, renal, bleeding, infection, and sedation risks
- Apply access, sterile technique, medication, contrast, physiologic monitoring, and emergency principles
- Achieve hemostasis, recognize complications, educate, document, and transfer care
16.2%
Image Production
Operate angiographic systems and optimize images, contrast, subtraction, and radiation dose.
- Select geometry, projections, acquisition mode, frame rate, field, processing, subtraction, roadmapping, and injection
- Apply collimation, shielding, distance, pulse rate, magnification, positioning, and dose monitoring
- Recognize motion, misregistration, incomplete subtraction, equipment, contrast, and processing artifacts
70%
Procedures
The dominant area covers anatomy, equipment, diagnostic angiography, vascular and nonvascular interventions, endpoints, and complications.
- Perform or assist with arterial, venous, neurovascular, dialysis, aortic, peripheral, visceral, and pulmonary procedures
- Support angioplasty, stenting, thrombolysis, thrombectomy, embolization, filters, endografts, biopsy, drainage, and biliary or GU interventions
- Select wires, catheters, sheaths, balloons, stents, embolics, and devices and respond to bleeding, dissection, perforation, embolism, occlusion, infection, and contrast complications
How to use this VI diagnostic
The diagnostic samples the three current areas, with Procedures accounting for 70% of scored content. Review every miss by vascular territory, indication, access, device, imaging choice, medication, physiologic monitoring, endpoint, post-care, and possible complication.
High-yield VI study priorities
Priority 1
Study procedures as algorithms
Map indication, imaging, access, equipment sequence, medication, endpoint, closure, post-care, and bailout options.
Priority 2
Own device selection
Compare wire, catheter, sheath, balloon, stent, filter, thrombectomy, drainage, biopsy, and embolic properties by target and risk.
Priority 3
Track anatomy in projections
Review vascular territories, branches, collaterals, variants, lesion location, and the projection that best demonstrates each segment.
Priority 4
Rehearse complications early
Recognize bleeding, spasm, dissection, perforation, embolism, thrombosis, ischemia, reaction, oversedation, sepsis, and device migration before instability.
VI exam FAQ
How many questions are on the ARRT Vascular Interventional Radiography examination?
The current examination format contains 210 questions: 160 scored questions and 50 unscored pilot questions. Pilot questions are mixed into the examination and are not identified.
How long is the Vascular Interventional Radiography examination?
210 minutes of test time within a 230-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 13.8%, Image Production 16.2%, Procedures 70%. 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 Vascular Interventional Radiography?
Procedures is the largest scored content area at approximately 70%. 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: J. F. Franks
Exam format and matrix information were checked against the ARRT Vascular Interventional Radiography credential page and examination content specifications. Source reviewed October 15, 2026.
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