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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

ARRT nuclear medicine practice exam: test your knowledge

Quick, free ARRT nuclear medicine practice test with instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Swapnam Sekher BoraUpdated Aug 27, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art quiz for ARRT nuclear medicine practice exam testing radiopharmaceuticals imaging knowledge on yellow background

This ARRT nuclear medicine practice exam helps you check your knowledge of radiopharmaceuticals, imaging steps, dose calculations, and camera basics before test day. To strengthen related skills, try our radiology practice test, explore ct registry exam questions, and review for the radiologic technologist exam to round out your study plan.

Which radiopharmaceutical is most commonly used for thyroid imaging?
F-18 FDG
Tc-99m pertechnetate
Ga-67 citrate
I-131 sodium iodide
Tc-99m pertechnetate is trapped by the sodium-iodide symporter in thyroid tissue but not organified, making it ideal for imaging thyroid morphology. It emits 140 keV gamma photons with a 6-hour half-life, yielding high-quality images at low radiation dose. I-131 is used for therapy more than diagnostic scans, and F-18 FDG and Ga-67 have different targets. For more information, see .
What is the physical half-life of technetium-99m?
6 hours
3 days
110 minutes
8 days
Technetium-99m decays with a physical half-life of approximately 6 hours, balancing image quality and patient radiation exposure. This short half-life is ideal for diagnostic imaging, allowing sufficient time to acquire images before significant decay. The 6-hour window reduces radiation dose to patients while ensuring adequate counts for gamma camera detection. For details, see .
In nuclear medicine, what does 'biodistribution' refer to?
Pattern of radiopharmaceutical uptake in tissues
Calibration of imaging equipment
Quality of image resolution
Amount of radiation dose administered
Biodistribution describes how a radiopharmaceutical is distributed, accumulated, and cleared by various organs and tissues in the body. It is critical for interpreting scan findings and assessing organ function or pathology. Differences in biodistribution underlie the diagnostic usefulness of specific tracers. More on biodistribution at .
Which type of collimator is best suited for bone scintigraphy using Tc-99m?
Medium-energy general-purpose
Low-energy high-resolution (LEHR)
Low-energy general-purpose (LEGP)
High-energy general-purpose
Bone scintigraphy typically uses Tc-99m-labeled compounds and requires high spatial resolution to detect small lesions. A low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) collimator is optimized for the 140 keV photon energy of Tc-99m, providing superior spatial resolution. LEGP collimators trade off resolution for sensitivity, and medium- or high-energy types are unnecessary for Tc-99m. Learn more at .
Which quality control test assesses the uniformity of response across a gamma camera detector?
Energy resolution test
Sensitivity (cpm/µCi) test
Flood field uniformity test
Spatial resolution test
A flood field uniformity test uses a uniform flood source to evaluate the detector's ability to produce a homogenous image, identifying non-uniformities or hot/cold spots. It is performed daily to ensure accurate quantitative and qualitative image quality. Energy resolution and sensitivity tests evaluate other performance parameters. More details at .
A patient is administered 10 mCi of Tc-99m with a biological half-life of 2 hours and a physical half-life of 6 hours. What is the effective half-life?
3.0 hours
4.0 hours
8.0 hours
1.5 hours
Effective half-life combines biological and physical half-lives using the formula Teff = (Tbio × Tphys)/(Tbio + Tphys). Plugging in: (2 h × 6 h)/(2 h + 6 h) = 12/8 = 1.5 hours. It represents the rate at which activity decreases due to both decay and biological elimination. For more, see .
Which radiopharmaceutical is commonly used for myocardial perfusion imaging in SPECT?
F-18 FDG
Tc-99m MDP
Tc-99m sestamibi
Ga-67 citrate
Tc-99m sestamibi concentrates in myocardial tissue proportional to blood flow, making it ideal for perfusion imaging. It emits 140 keV photons compatible with SPECT cameras. Tc-99m MDP is used for bone scans, F-18 FDG for metabolic imaging in PET, and Ga-67 for infection/inflammation imaging. More info at .
In PET imaging, the typical coincidence timing window used to detect true coincident events is approximately:
100-200 nanoseconds
4-10 nanoseconds
1-2 microseconds
100-200 picoseconds
The coincidence timing window, often 4 - 12 nanoseconds, determines whether two photons are considered simultaneous and thus true coincidence events. A narrow window reduces random coincidences but requires precise timing electronics. Windows in the picosecond range are too narrow and microseconds too broad. For details, see .
What is the primary purpose of performing a daily well counter constancy check in a nuclear medicine department?
Measure room background radiation levels
Calibrate patient dose delivery system
Verify instrument sensitivity remains constant
Assess gamma camera spatial resolution
A well counter constancy check ensures that the instrument's sensitivity to a known source remains stable over time, essential for accurate radioactivity measurements in blood or urine samples. It is performed daily before patient studies. It is not used for imaging equipment or environmental monitoring. See .
A dual-head SPECT system acquires 120 projections over 360 degrees. What is the angular step between successive projections?
6 degrees
1 degree
12 degrees
3 degrees
Angular step is calculated by dividing total rotation (360°) by the number of projections (120), yielding 3° per step. Correct step size is critical for image reconstruction accuracy and spatial resolution in SPECT. Too large a step can cause artifacts; too small increases scan time. More information at .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Radiopharmaceutical Properties -

    You'll be able to explain key characteristics of common radiopharmaceuticals and their diagnostic and therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine.

  2. Apply Nuclear Medicine Imaging Techniques -

    You'll be able to select and describe appropriate imaging protocols for various clinical scenarios, enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

  3. Analyze Image Quality and Artifacts -

    You'll be able to identify factors affecting image quality and recognize common artifacts to improve interpretation of nuclear medicine scans.

  4. Evaluate Radiation Safety Protocols -

    You'll be able to assess patient and staff protection measures, including dose optimization and adherence to regulatory guidelines.

  5. Interpret ARRT Nuclear Medicine Practice Exam Questions -

    You'll be able to tackle certification-style sample questions, demonstrating readiness for the ARRT nuclear medicine practice exam.

  6. Identify Knowledge Gaps and Review Strategies -

    You'll be able to pinpoint areas for further study and use targeted review strategies to reinforce understanding of nuclear medicine principles.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Radiopharmaceutical Decay & Half-Life Calculations -

    Mastering the exponential decay formula N=N₀e❻λt (with λ=0.693/t₝/₂) is essential for arrt nuclear medicine practice exam questions on activity over time. For example, Tc-99m (t₝/₂=6 h) has λ≈0.115 h❻¹, so only 12.5% remains after 18 h. Try sample calculations like "What fraction remains after three half-lives?" to build confidence.

  2. Gamma Camera Collimator Types & Selection -

    Knowing when to use a parallel-hole, pinhole or fan-beam collimator can boost your score on nuclear medicine imaging techniques quiz items. Use the mnemonic "PAP" (Pinhole for Pediatrics, Parallel-hole for Planar, Fan-beam for Focused regions) to recall applications. Regularly review IAEA guidelines on spatial resolution vs. sensitivity trade-offs.

  3. Radiation Dose Units & ALARA Principle -

    Be fluent in SI units (Becquerel for activity, Gray for absorbed dose, Sievert for dose equivalent) as these appear in nuclear medicine practice questions. Apply ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) by optimizing time, distance and shielding per SNMMI recommendations. A quick mnemonic: "TDS" (Time ↓, Distance ↑, Shielding ↑) helps cement safety protocols.

  4. SPECT vs PET Imaging Techniques -

    SPECT uses single-photon emitters and mechanical collimation, while PET detects coincident 511 keV annihilation photons, giving higher resolution and sensitivity. In arrt nuclear medicine certification sample questions, note that PET's spatial resolution (~4 mm) surpasses typical SPECT (~8 - 12 mm). Practice comparing clinical applications like myocardial perfusion (SPECT) vs. oncology (PET).

  5. Quality Control & Equipment Calibration -

    Daily QC is vital for reliable images: perform extrinsic and intrinsic flood-field uniformity tests, check energy resolution (should be ≤10% at 140 keV for Tc-99m) and use a Jaszczak phantom for system sensitivity. Follow IAEA Safety Reports and SNMMI practice parameters to schedule weekly, monthly and annual tests. These routines often appear in nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals quiz scenarios.

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