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Free ARRT MRI Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ARRT MRI) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free ARRT MRI practice test to study every exam domain.

These 10 free ARRT MRI questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Patient Care 8% of exam

Question 1

A patient with an eGFR of 25 mL/min/1.73m² requires a contrast-enhanced MRI. According to ACR guidelines, which action is MOST appropriate?

  1. Use a Group II agent after informed consent
  2. Cancel the exam and order CT with iodinated contrast instead
  3. Proceed with any available gadolinium agent at a reduced dose
  4. Delay imaging until dialysis can be arranged within one hour
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Use a Group II agent after informed consent

Domain 2: Safety 10.5% of exam

Question 2

A patient experiences cardiac arrest while on the MRI table in Zone IV. The MOST appropriate first action is to:

  1. Initiate a magnet quench and then begin chest compressions on the table
  2. Begin CPR on the table while another staff member calls a code blue
  3. Move the patient out of Zone IV before beginning resuscitation
  4. Retrieve the crash cart and defibrillator from the adjacent control room
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Move the patient out of Zone IV before beginning resuscitation

Question 3

Which factor has the GREATEST effect on the specific absorption rate (SAR) delivered to a patient?

  1. Number of signal averages (NEX)
  2. Magnetic field strength (B₀)
  3. Receive bandwidth
  4. Phase-encoding matrix size
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Magnetic field strength (B₀)

Domain 3: Image Production 53% of exam

Question 4

A technologist increases the receive bandwidth on a spin echo sequence while keeping all other parameters constant. Which combination of effects will result?

  1. Increased SNR and decreased chemical shift artifact
  2. Decreased SNR and decreased chemical shift artifact
  3. Decreased SNR and increased chemical shift artifact
  4. Increased SNR and increased chemical shift artifact
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Decreased SNR and decreased chemical shift artifact

Question 5

An image of the cervical spine demonstrates alternating bright and dark lines running parallel to the spinal cord-CSF interface. Which action will BEST reduce this artifact?

  1. Apply a spatial saturation band over the throat
  2. Increase the receive bandwidth
  3. Swap the phase and frequency encoding directions
  4. Increase the phase-encoding matrix size
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Increase the phase-encoding matrix size

Domain 4: Procedures 28.5% of exam

Question 6

A post-gadolinium MRI of the knee is ordered for a patient with orthopedic hardware. Which fat suppression technique is MOST appropriate?

  1. STIR, because it is unaffected by field inhomogeneity
  2. Chemical frequency-selective fat saturation
  3. Dixon method
  4. Water excitation
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Dixon method

Question 7

A technologist changes the acquisition matrix from 256 × 256 to 256 × 192 while keeping TR, TE, NEX, and FOV constant. What is the effect on scan time?

  1. Scan time increases by 25%
  2. Scan time decreases by 25%
  3. Scan time decreases by 50%
  4. Scan time remains unchanged
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Scan time decreases by 25%

More ARRT MRI practice questions

Question 8

On a Siemens MRI system, the pulse sequence TrueFISP corresponds to which sequence on a GE system?

  1. FIESTA
  2. SPGR
  3. GRASS
  4. BRAVO
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - FIESTA

Question 9

A brain MRI shows a lesion that is hyperintense on DWI and hypointense on the ADC map. This pattern is MOST consistent with:

  1. T2 shine-through from a chronic infarct
  2. Acute ischemic stroke
  3. Vasogenic edema surrounding a tumor
  4. Normal CSF pulsation artifact
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Acute ischemic stroke

Question 10

A shoulder MRI shows increased signal within the supraspinatus tendon on PD-weighted images, but the signal returns to normal on T2-weighted images. The MOST likely explanation is:

  1. Partial-thickness rotator cuff tear
  2. Full-thickness rotator cuff tear
  3. Magic angle artifact
  4. Tendinosis with early degeneration
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Magic angle artifact

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