Core Exam
Last verified on June 19, 2017
The Core Exam is taken over two days. Candidates need to plan for approximately 7.5 hours for Day One and 6 hours for Day Two. Candidates will receive 30 minutes of break time for each exam.
The exam tests knowledge and comprehension of anatomy, pathophysiology, all aspects of diagnostic radiology, and physics concepts important for diagnostic radiology.
Exam Categories
Eighteen categories are included on the exam:
| Breast Imaging |
Thoracic |
| Cardiac Imaging |
Urinary |
| Gastrointestinal Imaging |
Vascular |
| Interventional Radiology |
Computed Tomography |
| Musculoskeletal |
Magnetic Resonance |
| Neuroradiology |
Radiography/Fluoroscopy |
| Nuclear Radiology |
Ultrasound |
| Pediatric Radiology |
Physics |
| Reproductive/Endocrinology |
Safety |
Study guides for these categories may be found here.
More Information
Core Exams are administered twice yearly, typically in June and November. Please refer to the Exam Dates and Locations page for upcoming exam dates. A candidate is eligible to take the Core Exam in the 36th month of diagnostic radiology training and must take the exam at the first administration offered after eligibility is attained. If a candidate does not take the Core Exam at the first required opportunity and has not been granted a waiver by the ABR, the candidate must delay taking the Certifying Exam until at least 27 months after the date he or she first took the Core Exam.
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