The Vascular Technology Specialty Examination is a comprehensive and wide-ranging examination for men and women looking to enter this exciting and rewarding field of health care. Those who take it must also pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation Examination in order to obtain the Registered Vascular Technologist credential.
The Vascular Technology Specialty Examination is developed by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The test is three hours long and consists of 170 multiple-choice questions. Its content is divided into six domains: cerebrovascular (25 to 35 percent); venous (25 to 35 percent); peripheral arterial (20 to 30 percent); abdomen and visceral (5 to 15 percent); miscellaneous conditions and tests (5 to 15 percent); and quality assurance (3 to 5 percent).
In the first four content areas, the exam reviews issues related to anatomy, physiology, hemodynamics, mechanisms of disease, signs, symptoms, and testing. The fifth content area, miscellaneous conditions and tests, covers areas such as preoperative vein mapping, dialysis access, and impotence testing. The section on quality assurance addresses statistics and patient safety.
The questions on the Vascular Technology Specialty Examination are presented in a multiple-choice format, with four possible answers for each question. Some answer choices may be partially correct; it is the test takers job to select the best answer. The exam is administered by computer in testing centers around the country.
