ARRT Mammography Examination Practice Test
Mammography practice questions address breast imaging procedures, image quality, radiation safety, and patient care. The available bank samples practical decisions involving breast compression, x-ray beam energy, digital image processing, image artifacts, and markers used to document skin findings. It also includes patient-screening and immediate-care scenarios relevant to conducting mammographic examinations.
Exam overview
About the ARRT Mammography Examination Exam
Mammography work requires positioning and compression choices that support diagnostic visibility while limiting motion and unnecessary exposure. Technologists must recognize artifacts and distinguish equipment-related patterns from features of the breast, including when a speck recurs at the same detector location across different patients. Questions also touch on selecting beam energy for the examination and applying validated digital processing consistently so image appearance remains controlled. Patient-care decisions include responding to possible pregnancy when imaging is not urgent, obtaining relevant menstrual or reproductive history, using shielding for a companion who stays in the room, and assisting a patient who becomes lightheaded after standing. Radiopaque markers provide a way to identify a skin finding on the image. These scenarios connect acquisition technique, image interpretation support, safety, and communication in the mammography workflow.
Sample Practice Questions
Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.
A mammogram displays a small bright speck that is absent on the other views and appears in the same detector location on images of different patients. What is the most likely explanation?
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Correct answer: AA repeated feature at the same detector location across different patients suggests an equipment or image-acquisition artifact rather than patient anatomy. The artifact should be evaluated according to department procedures.
A breast image shows a faint, broad band across the field that changes position when the compression paddle is repositioned. Which artifact is a likely cause?
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Correct answer: BA mark or residue on the paddle can produce a broad image artifact, and its position may change when the paddle is moved. The technologist should inspect and clean equipment according to facility procedures, then assess whether repeat imaging is needed.
What is the main purpose of breast compression during mammography?
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Correct answer: BCompression immobilizes the breast and reduces tissue thickness. This can help reduce motion and scatter while improving image quality and limiting the exposure needed.
Which action is most appropriate if a patient may be pregnant and the mammography examination is not urgent?
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Correct answer: BMammography uses ionizing radiation. A pregnancy concern should be handled under facility policy, with appropriate clinical consultation and documentation; the decision depends on the patient’s circumstances and the examination’s indication.
Which factor most directly influences the selection of mammographic x-ray beam energy for a particular examination?
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Correct answer: ABeam energy is selected in relation to breast thickness and composition to balance image contrast, penetration, and dose. The other factors do not determine the appropriate beam energy.
In digital mammography, why should image processing be applied consistently according to the system’s validated protocol?
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Correct answer: AValidated, consistent processing helps produce reliable image presentation and reduces unnecessary variation between examinations. Processing cannot restore information that was never captured, replace calibration, or guarantee detection.
What is the purpose of a lead apron or other shielding used for a companion who remains in the mammography room?
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Correct answer: AProtective shielding may be used for a person who must remain in the room, according to facility policy and radiation-protection guidance. The companion should also be positioned away from the primary beam.
How to use this practice test
Access is free. The bank contains 50 published practice questions; each session presents up to 20 random questions. Use a session to check how you reason through acquisition, artifact, safety, and patient-care scenarios, then review the results to identify which concepts need more attention.
Preparation tips
- Compare how compression affects breast thickness, motion, tissue separation, and image quality; connect each benefit to the acquisition task.
- Practice tracing recurring image patterns to their likely source, distinguishing detector-related artifacts from features that move with the patient or paddle.
- Review how breast composition and the imaging task inform beam-energy selection, and why digital processing should follow the system’s validated protocol.
- Rehearse patient-care responses for possible pregnancy, post-examination lightheadedness, companion shielding, and documentation of a skin finding with a radiopaque marker.