What Is A RTVI?

What a RTVI Actually Is

A RTVI is a technologist who has earned the Registered Technologist - Vascular-Interventional Radiography credential. In the issuing organization's own terms, the discipline is called Vascular Interventional Radiography (VI). "RTVI" is the abbreviation this site uses for it, so you will see the shorter form here even though it is not how the registry formally designates the discipline.

The credential is aimed at radiologic technologists who work in the angiography and interventional suite. These are the people who stand at the sterile field or circulate the room while a physician obtains vascular access, runs diagnostic angiography, places stents or embolization devices, or performs nonvascular interventions such as drainage procedures. Holding the credential signals that you have met a defined education requirement, documented hands-on case volume, and passed a standardized national exam on that body of work.

If you want a deeper look at the terminology question, our explainers on what RTVI stands for and the meaning of RTVI cover the naming in more detail, while the broader RTVI certification overview sets out the full picture.

Who Issues It and How It Is Delivered

The credential is issued by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). The exam is delivered at Pearson VUE test centers, so you schedule an appointment at a physical testing location rather than sitting the exam at home or at your hospital.

Two terms matter early in your planning:

• Postprimary: The credential is earned after, and in addition to, a primary pathway. You cannot start here without already holding a foundation credential.
• Content specifications: The registry publishes a Vascular Interventional Radiography Examination Content Specifications document. The version relevant here was board approved in July 2022 and took effect July 1, 2023. It is the controlling reference for what the exam covers.

One small wrinkle worth knowing: a 2025 annual report introduction mentions a July 2024 revision date, while the dedicated specifications document and the registry's own announcement establish July 1, 2023 as the effective date. The dedicated specifications are the authority for exam scope, and that is what this article follows.

Who Can Sit for It

Eligibility has several parts, and missing any one of them stops your application. For the complete walkthrough, see our RTVI requirements guide. The essentials are:

1. Current ARRT certification and registration in Radiography. This is the foundation. Holding Nuclear Medicine Technology or Radiation Therapy alone is not a supporting credential for VI.
2. Ethics compliance. You must meet the registry's ethics requirements.
3. Structured education. Sixteen hours of structured education completed within the 24 months before you apply, with at least one credit in each major content category.
4. Clinical experience. Documented, verified procedure repetitions, described in the next section.
5. Current BLS certification. It must come from a provider the registry recognizes.

The 200-Repetition Clinical Requirement

The clinical requirement is where many candidates spend the most time, because it depends on what your department performs and what you are permitted to do. The structure is specific:

Rules that shape how you log cases

• Record 5 to 10 repetitions per selected procedure.
• Log no more than 10 procedures per day.
• You must be physically present in an active primary scrub or circulating role for the whole procedure. Observation alone does not qualify.

The per-procedure cap and the daily cap are deliberate. They prevent a candidate from accumulating the entire requirement from one or two high-volume case types, which pushes you to demonstrate breadth across the suite.

Verification

A qualified ARRT-certified and registered technologist, supervisor, or interpreting physician must verify your experience. For postprimary credentials, the verifier does not need to have directly observed your work and may verify remotely. That is more flexible than it sounds, but you still need someone with the right standing who is willing to attest to your logs.

What the Exam Looks Like

The exam is computer-based and closed book. You get a total of 210 questions, made up of 160 scored questions and 50 unscored pilot questions. You will not be told which are which, so treat every item as if it counts.

Practical exam-day mechanics

• You must answer each item before advancing, but you can flag questions and return to them.
• Basic and scientific on-screen calculators are available, and Pearson can supply a basic four-function calculator on request. Personal calculators are prohibited.
• Because the exam is image-aware, expect to interpret angiographic and procedural images rather than only recall text.

Our difficulty guide discusses how these format features translate into actual test-taking demands, and our exam dates article covers scheduling and windows.

The Three Content Categories

The exam is organized into three major content categories. These are the official examination categories, not preparation-curriculum headings, and the scored-question counts below are the official allocations out of 160.

The takeaway is not subtle: the exam is overwhelmingly about procedures. A candidate who knows patient care and imaging well but is thin on procedures is exposed. For topic-level detail in each category, see our complete domains guide, and keep our cheat sheet handy as a quick reference.

Scoring, Attempts and First-Time Results

The passing score is 75 on the registry's 1-99 scaled-score range. This is a scaled score, not a percentage of questions answered correctly. Do not assume you need 75% correct, because scaling adjusts for differences between exam forms. Our passing score article explains the distinction in more depth.

You have three examination attempts within three years of the opening of your initial examination window. Plan your first attempt as the one that counts rather than treating it as a trial run.

On first-time performance, the ARRT Annual Exam Report for 2025 shows 61.2% of first-time candidates passed in 2025, based on 454 candidates. That is a meaningful figure, and it also tells you a sizable share of first-timers did not pass. The sample is modest in size, so treat it as a useful reference rather than a precise prediction of your own outcome. For fuller context, read our pass rate analysis.

Fees and Keeping the Credential Active

Exam fees

See the certification cost breakdown for the other costs that surround these fees, such as education and the opportunity cost of case logging.

Maintenance

Earning the credential is not the end of the administrative work. To stay certified and registered you need:

• Annual renewal: $65, regardless of how many ARRT credentials you hold.
• Ethics compliance: continuing compliance with the ethics requirements.
• Continuing education: 24 approved CE credits per two-year biennium. This applies per biennium, not per credential, so holding VI alongside Radiography does not double your CE load.

Credentials earned on or after January 1, 2011 also carry Continuing Qualifications Requirements every 10 years. That involves a professional profile, a structured self-assessment, and any prescribed CE. The registry also permits you to accept the maximum CQR CE prescription instead of taking the self-assessment.

Where the Credential Fits in a Career

The natural employers are the places that run interventional suites: hospitals with angiography and interventional radiology services, academic medical centers, and outpatient vascular and interventional facilities. Within those settings, the credential supports roles in the angiography and interventional suite and can distinguish you from technologists who hold only a primary credential.

I will not put figures on pay here, because the specifics vary by region, facility and experience and are better handled in dedicated analysis. If you are weighing the decision, our salary guide, ROI analysis and jobs overview go further. The same logic applies to preparing for the role itself, where our training article is the right next stop.

Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain

One short note on method, tied to the exam's weighting. Because Procedures accounts for 112 of 160 scored questions, it deserves the largest share of your calendar, and its three sub-areas each warrant their own block.

For a complete plan, our study guide expands on this approach, and you can test yourself against realistic questions on the main practice test site.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are still deciding whether this credential fits your path, start with the foundational overviews at what is RTVI and what RTVI means, then move on to the requirements and practice questions when you are ready to commit.