RTT Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

What "RTT Exam Dates" Actually Means for This Credential

Searching for RTT exam dates usually turns up a fixed calendar of sitting days. That is not how this credential works. Registered Technologist - Radiation Therapy is earned through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) as the Radiation Therapy (T) discipline, and the exam is computer-based at Pearson VUE test centers. "RTT" is the abbreviation used on this site; ARRT's own discipline designation is Radiation Therapy (T). Because delivery is through test centers rather than a single nationwide exam day, the dates that matter to you are personal: when your program ends, when your degree is conferred, when ARRT opens your examination window, and when your three-year attempt period closes.

This guide walks through each of those dates and deadlines, how they interact, and how to build a realistic calendar around the exam's three content areas. If you are still confirming whether you qualify at all, start with our RTT requirements guide, then return here to plan timing.

The Two Clocks: Application Deadline vs. Attempt Window

The most common timing mistake candidates make is treating all ARRT deadlines as one deadline. There are two distinct clocks, and they do different jobs.

Clock one: the initial application deadline

You must earn your degree and submit your application no more than three years after completing your radiation therapy program. This is the clock that determines whether you are still eligible to apply under the primary pathway. Miss it, and the pathway may no longer be open to you without additional steps.

Clock two: the three-attempt window

Once your application is approved and the initial examination window opens, you get three examination attempts within three years of that opening. This clock is separate from the application deadline. A candidate who applies in month 35 after program completion still receives a full three-year attempt window starting from the opening of their initial examination window.

The degree requirement and your timeline

Primary eligibility requires an associate degree or higher from an ARRT-recognized accredited institution. The degree can be in any major, but it must be conferred before you take the examination. If your degree is not yet conferred when you finish your clinical program, your exam date is gated by the registrar, not by ARRT or Pearson. Confirm your institution's conferral date early so it does not become the bottleneck.

You also need to have completed an ARRT-verified radiation therapy educational program with its didactic and clinical competencies, and be in compliance with ARRT ethics requirements. An existing Radiography credential is not a universal prerequisite, so do not delay your timeline waiting on a credential you may not need.

Which Content Specifications Apply to a 2026 Sitting

Dates matter for content, too. The controlling source for examinations through January 31, 2027 is the Radiation Therapy Examination Content Specifications, board approved January 2021 (V.2021.02.25) and effective January 1, 2022. A separate set of 2027 Radiation Therapy Content Specifications becomes effective February 1, 2027.

If you are testing in 2026, study to the 2022-effective specifications. Do not blend in material from the 2027 document, and be cautious with any study resource that claims to cover "the new exam" without naming which specification it follows. If your attempt window straddles the February 1, 2027 transition, check which specification governs your actual sitting date.

What the 2026 blueprint covers

The exam draws from three official major content categories. The scored-question allocations below are counts out of 200 scored questions, not official percentages.

Scope boundaries help you plan study time: SI units are primary, brachytherapy coverage is limited to basic common-use, surrounding-tissue-dose and radiation-protection concepts (not detailed procedures or isotope characteristics), staging is limited to basic concepts rather than site-specific staging, and specific CPT codes are excluded. For a deeper breakdown, see the complete guide to all three RTT content areas.

From Application to Appointment: Scheduling Mechanics

Here is the sequence in practice, using the fee and logistics details published by ARRT.

1. Confirm program completion and degree status. Know your program completion date (it starts the application clock) and your degree conferral date (it gates the exam).
2. Verify clinical competency documentation. Your program director or designee must verify competency through in-person direct observation. Remote or virtual observation is not accepted, so make sure your sign-offs were obtained in a compliant way before you apply.
3. Submit the application with the initial fee. The initial application fee is $225 USD. For the full financial picture, including retakes and renewal, see the RTT certification cost breakdown.
4. Receive approval and your examination window. Once ARRT approves your application, your initial examination window opens, which also starts your three-year attempt clock.
5. Schedule through Pearson VUE. Book your appointment at a Pearson VUE test center using the testing provider's ARRT page.
6. Sit for the exam. Allow for the full appointment length, discussed below.

Clinical requirements to have finished before applying

The competency list is substantial, so these are worth tracking against your application date rather than leaving to the last month. Requirements include CPR plus six other patient-care activities, five quality-control activities, six treatment-simulation procedures, dose calculations for six treatment plans, fabrication of three accessory devices, participation in four special treatment procedures, one specialized simulation procedure and one specialized accessory-device construction process, and 16 radiation treatment procedures. Of those 16, at least 13 must be on patients and no more than three may be simulated.

Exam-Day Timing: 230 Minutes, 250-Minute Appointment

When people ask "how long is the exam," there are two correct answers, and mixing them up leads to poor planning.

You cannot tell which questions are the 30 unscored pilot items, so treat every question as if it counts. The exam is primarily single-best-answer multiple choice, with possible alternative item formats and image-based questions; ARRT's handbook also describes multiple-response and ordered-response formats. It is closed book. Basic and scientific on-screen calculators are available, and Pearson can supply a basic four-function calculator on request, but personal calculators are prohibited. That matters for the Prescription and Dose Calculation content, so practice with an on-screen calculator rather than your own device.

You must answer each item before advancing, but you may flag and revisit answers. That navigation rule shapes pacing: do not leave blanks hoping to return, but do flag uncertain items so you can use leftover time wisely.

Retake Planning Inside the Three-Year Window

You have three examination attempts within three years of the opening of your initial examination window. The first attempt is covered by the initial application fee of $225 USD; each reapplication costs $200 USD. Because the attempt clock runs from the opening of your window rather than from the day you first test, every month you wait before your first sitting shortens the runway for any retake.

For context on how candidates fare, ARRT's Annual Exam Report - 2025 lists a 77.1% first-time pass rate for 2025 (n=958). That means a meaningful minority did not pass on the first try, so building retake margin into your calendar is simply prudent. Read our pass rate analysis for how to interpret that figure.

Working Backward: A Domain-Based Prep Calendar

Once your test date is chosen, plan backward from it. Procedures carries 103 of the 200 scored questions, so it deserves the largest share of your time, but Safety's physics and QA content often needs early attention because it feeds into dose-calculation reasoning. Here is one way to structure the final eight weeks.

This is a scaffold, not a prescription. Adjust it to your own gaps, and pair it with the RTT study guide for resource suggestions and the one-page review sheet for last-week refreshers. You can also run timed question sets on the main practice test site to check whether your pacing fits the exam's length.

After You Pass: Renewal and CQR Dates

Earning the credential starts a new set of recurring dates. Certification and registration are maintained through annual renewal at $65 regardless of the number of ARRT credentials you hold, along with continuing ethics compliance and 24 approved continuing education credits per two-year biennium (per biennium, not per credential).

Credentials earned on or after January 1, 2011 also carry Continuing Qualifications Requirements every 10 years. That cycle involves a professional profile, a structured self-assessment and any prescribed CE. ARRT also permits accepting the maximum CQR CE prescription instead of taking the self-assessment. Mark your renewal month and biennium end date in your calendar the week you pass.

If you are weighing the long-term picture, our guides on whether the certification is worth it, earnings and where RTT credential holders work cover what comes next. New to the terminology? What Is RTT? explains the abbreviation used throughout this site.

Frequently Asked Questions