Since certification examinations are required to be practice related, ARRT periodically conducts a job analysis to make certain that the certification examination content specifications remain comprehensive, accurate, and fair. ARRT, with the help of the professional community, reviews the certification documents every five years. The ARRT Board of Trustees recently approved changes to the following document which goes into effect on September 1, 2026.
OVERVIEW OF MAJOR CHANGES TO THE BREAST SONOGRAPHY CONTENT SPECIFICATIONS
Patient Care
Additional content including more detail in external appearance and patient symptoms/clinical indications was added to the patient assessment section.
Automated whole breast ultrasound was added to the correlation of other imaging with breast ultrasound section.
Additional details about inherent risk factors for breast cancer were added to the epidemiology section.
Image Production
Beam steering, static elastography, and automatic imaging optimization were added to the image optimization section.
Mirror artifact and implant rupture artifacts were added to the artifact recognition section. Ring-down artifact was removed from this section.
Several sonographer quality assurance tasks were added to the maintenance of sonographic equipment and accessories area.
Procedures
The anatomy and physiology section was renamed to anatomical layers and breast tissue. It was updated to list the different breast layers and components.
The pathology section was renamed to pathology and sonographic features. This section was updated with current terminology.
A section on other breast ultrasound imaging was added.
Please direct any questions about your eligibility and requirements for the breast sonography certification and registration to Initial Certification at 651.687.0048, select the option for Earning ARRT Credentials.