Cardiology Exam Information

Section 1: Introduction

The nuclear cardiology technologist is a nuclear medicine technologist who has a high level of knowledge in nuclear cardiology and is dedicated to producing high quality, diagnostically accurate results in a manner that is safe and effective for the patient. In addition to meeting all the eligibility requirements for an entry level nuclear medicine technologist and passing the certification exam, the nuclear cardiology technologist has additional clinical experience and knowledge specific to the use of instrumentation, radiopharmaceuticals and adjunct medications in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.

The NCT Exam is administered by the NMTCB as a specialty examination designed to allow the nuclear cardiology technologist the opportunity to demonstrate his or her expertise in the field of nuclear cardiology technology and properly use the credentials "NCT".

Professional certification is a vital component of a successful career. The certification process includes meeting the eligibility requirements and then successfully completing the certification examination.

These instructions will familiarize you with the NMTCB's application and examination administration procedures. It is important that you understand and follow the procedures outlined in these instructions. Read them entirely and carefully before completing and submitting your application. You are responsible for knowing what is contained in these instructions. You will be more comfortable at the test site if you first familiarize yourself with the procedures and policies relating to the examination. Refer to these instructions for reference and contact the NMTCB office at the address at the bottom of this page if you have any questions. The NMTCB application and instructions are revised annually to reflect changes in policies and eligibility requirements. It is important that you complete and return the current application form.

The NMTCB does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, physical impairment, marital status, or national origin.

A total of 432 individuals are Active NCT Certificants.

Section 2: Eligibility Requirements

A candidate for examination must show documented evidence of the following:

1. Active NMTCB, ARRT(N), or CAMRT nuclear medicine certification
2. A minimum 700 hours of documented clinical experience as a certified/registered nuclear medicine technologist performing all aspects of nuclear cardiology imaging including radiopharmaceutical handling, injection if permitted by state and/or institutional regulations) and imaging. Supervision must be performed by a board certified cardiologist, nuclear medicine physician or radiologist OR direct supervision must be performed by a certified NMTCB, ARRT(N) or CAMRT nuclear medicine technologist.
3. Previous NCT certificant holders with current nuclear medicine certification are eligible to take the NCT examination.

The NMTCB NCT Examination is a time-limited credential that will last seven (7) years, and will expire thereafter. At the end of seven years, specialty certificants have the option to recertify through either (1) re-examination OR (2) by displaying 42 hours of specialty-specific continuing education obtained during the seven year period. (The equivalent of 6 hours per year of certification.) A completed application and payment are required for either option a certificant selects. You may find the applications here.

Specialty certificants will be expected to submit all of the CEs related to their specific exam at the time of recertification, prior to their expiration date. Specialty CE credits obtained for recertification will be allowed to apply towards a certificant’s entry level (CNMT) certification requirements as well, if the certificant holds the NMTCB entry level credential.

Specialty certification must be renewed annually AND the NCT Certificant must consistently maintain their NMTCB (CNMT) certification, ARRT(N), CAMRT nuclear medicine credentials as "Active", "in compliance" or "in good standing."

Section 3: Application Processing

Submitting Your Application

Read all instructions listed here carefully before completing the application form. Incomplete applications delay processing and may affect eligibility.

Applications may be submitted via the online NMTCB NCT exam application page available here, with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover payment for the examination processing fee of $225.00 or through the downloadable PDF. Click here for the NCT Exam Application Form. The application fee is nonrefundable. Applications are processed in the order received. A request for withdrawal of an application received by the NMTCB office will result in total forfeiture of the exam application fee.

Acknowledgement of Application

Once the NMTCB has received your completed application and fees, an acknowledgement email will be sent to the email address provided on your application. Acknowledgement does not imply eligibility to sit for the examination. If you have not received this email within three weeks after you submitted the application, please contact the NMTCB office.

Name and Address Change

If you change your name or address after submitting your application, you must inform the NMTCB in writing immediately. If the NMTCB is not promptly notified, you may not receive your eligibility letter to take the examination, your official score report and certification card may be delayed and your certificate may be incorrectly prepared, resulting in a replacement cost. Your cooperation will ensure the most expeditious receipt of your NCT certificate.

Credentials Verification

Once the NMTCB has received a complete application, it is processed. All of your credentials must be verified or you may be determined ineligible to take the examination.

Discrepant Information

You will be notified by letter, telephone, or facsimile of any discrepancies between the information provided on your application and the information the NMTCB is able to verify. Any unresolved discrepancies may cause you to be determined ineligible to sit for the examination and result in postponement of your examination or permanent disqualification.

Eligible Applicants

Once eligibility has been established, you will be emailed a username, password and instructions for scheduling your examination. This email will contain a link where you will login and schedule your appointment. Eligible candidates will have six (6) months in which to schedule an individual appointment and take the examination at one of the test sites. During the scheduling process, you will be provided with a list of test sites and available examination times. If you do not see an appointment available on your desired testing date and location, please call IQT at 1-866-773-1114 so that they may assist you in making those arrangements. Once you have scheduled your appointment, you will be able to print your candidate admission letter. Take your candidate admission letter and a currently valid government issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) to the test site when reporting for your appointment. Make sure to review the authorized materials list included in your candidate admission letter.

There may be delays in scheduling due to testing volume. It is to your advantage to schedule your appointment soon after receiving your authorization letter.

Ineligible Applicants

You will be notified in writing of any item(s) necessary to complete your file. All completed materials must be received by the NMTCB office in a timely manner or you will be determined ineligible. It is to your advantage to submit your application early in case clarification is required.

Applicants with a Disability

The NMTCB will make every reasonable effort to accommodate applicants for the Certification Examination who have a disability as that term is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

An applicant who wishes to request modifications in the environment because of a disability must notify the NMTCB in writing at the time of application and provide appropriate documentation about the disability and the needed modification. Applications received without appropriate documentation will be processed without testing accommodations.

To ensure that the appropriate accommodations are provided for your disability, you must provide current documentation of your condition as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants must show documentation containing a recommendation of reasonable accommodation(s) that has been obtained from an appropriate licensed medical professional or qualified diagnostician within the past 5 years. Applications received without appropriate documentation will be processed without testing accommodations.

The supporting documentation must be submitted in sufficient time to make proper arrangements to take the examination under conditions which will accurately reflect the applicant's achievement level. Requests for modifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Requests for testing accommodations will be reviewed and decision will be made to approve or deny the request within 20 business days. If NMTCB denies a request for accommodations, applicants will be given the reason(s) for denial in writing and will be provided an opportunity to appeal or to discuss alternative accommodations.

Replacement of Candidate Admission Letter

If you lose your printed candidate admission letter you may reprint it by logging in to your account with the username and password that is provided in your confirmation email. Please note that the username and password are case sensitive.

Schedule/Reschedule/Cancellation of Examination

The NMTCB Specialty examinations are offered through IQT, Inc. A list of the testing centers and their locations is available to NMTCB candidates on the IQT website.

The NMTCB NCT Specialty Examination is available on-demand. Once your application is approved, you may schedule yourself to sit for the exam at any time within six (6) months of the eligibility decision. Once you are determined eligible for the exam, you will be emailed instructions on how to schedule your examination day/time through IQT. You are expected to make an appointment and appear for the examination within the six (6) month testing period.

If you fail to show up for your examination at the scheduled time, do not have the proper identification, or do not have your admission document, you will not be allowed to sit for your exam. You will be considered a "No-Show", your examination fees will be forfeited, and you will be required to re-register and pay all fees prior to sitting for the exam. However, if an issue arises that prohibits you from making it to your scheduled exam, you may reschedule prior to (5) calendar days before your scheduled exam date by contacting IQT at 1-866-773-1114. You may be required to pay a rescheduling fee to process your request. If it is less than (5) calendar days, you will not be allowed to cancel or reschedule your exam unless one of the following 4 situations have occurred:

• Jury Duty
• Death in the immediate family
• Military Deployment
• Sickness

The immediate family is defined as a person's grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings and children.

If you experience any of the above, you MUST provide IQT with proper documentation before being rescheduled to a new date. Documentation must be submitted to IQT within 10 calendar days of your missed examination or it will not be considered for a reschedule.  If none of the above are the reason for wanting to reschedule or cancel your exam less than 5 days prior to your exam date, then you will not be allowed to reschedule or cancel your exam.

If your area is experiencing inclement weather, it is your responsibility to contact your testing center to confirm if it is closed or delayed in opening. Most likely there will be a voice message on the testing center’s phone system to notify candidates of any change in business hours during the inclement weather. If you are unable to take your examination due to the inclement weather, you must contact IQT directly at 1-866-773-1114 or 1-727-733-1110 to reschedule your examination for a later date.

Candidates who fail to make an appointment during the eligibility period may extend the eligibility period by an additional six calendar months one time for a fee of $100.00 USD. This request must be submitted in writing to NMTCB. Candidates who fail to sit for the exam within one calendar year of eligibility approval will be required submit the full application fee in order to be reactivate the application and be considered eligible. 

Returned Checks

Checks returned by the bank to the NMTCB office for any reason are subject to a $45.00 returned check fee. The returned check fee and the replacement fee must be submitted in certified funds only (money order, cashier's check, etc.). A personal check cannot be accepted as replacement. All financial obligations to the NMTCB must be met before the eligibility letter is sent.

Reactivation of Application

Eligible candidates may repeat the examination by reactivating their eligibility by submitting a reactivation application online along with the current processing fee. A candidate may take the exam a maximum of two times within a 12 calendar month period. For re-examination, the eligibility criteria must still be met (Active NMTCB, ARRT(N) or CAMRT nuclear medicine technology certification). Applicants who were determined ineligible to take the examination, but who later meet the current eligibility requirements, may reapply, pay the current processing fee and reactivate their application. Applications are kept on file for three years from date of original application submission. After the three year expiration, candidates must meet current eligibility requirements at the time of new application. To reactivate an application you can visit the application page here.

Section 4: Taking the Examination

Examination Format

The NMTCB NCT exam is a computer-based test. The NCT examination consists exclusively of 4 option multiple choice items. Each item includes a keyed (correct) response and 3 distractors (incorrect responses). The examination consists of 100 multiple choice questions and 50 pretest items and you will have three hours to complete the exam. You cannot skip an answer to a question, but you are able to mark a question for later review. You may also change answers.

The NMTCB values and welcomes your opinions and comments on the examination facilities, examination application and administration procedures, and the examination itself. You will be given an opportunity to make comments during the exam. All comments are later summarized and presented to the Board of Directors. In addition, you may send a letter of concern by writing the NMTCB office directly and referring to the examination date, examination site, and specific issue(s) of concern. If you have comments about particular examination questions, please try to restate the question as accurately as possible in the letter to the NMTCB office. The Board of Directors will review all comments and send a reply, if possible.

Examination Content

The following is an abbreviated list of the content for the NMTCB's NCT Specialty Exam:

1. Nuclear Medicine Imaging Procedures (~50%)
2. Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology (~10%)
3. Radiopharmaceuticals and Interventional Drugs (~15%)
4. Non-pharmacologic (Exercise) Stress Testing (~15%)
5. Patient Care (~10%)

Click here to see the more detailed exam content specifications.

Examination Security

Examination security includes sign-in rosters, lockers, and proctoring but may also include, but not limited to, sleeve checks, metal detecting, pocket checks, and spyware checks (e.g. cameras in glasses). Failure to follow candidate instructions will result in your application being voided and forfeiture of your application fee. Conduct that results in violation of security or disrupts the administration of the examination could result in cancellation of your examination and dismissal from the testing center. In addition, your examination will be considered void and will not be scored. Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to, the following: writing on anything other than the IQT Authorized Scratch Paper provided to you, looking at another candidate's computer monitor, or talking with other candidates anytime during the entire examination period. Do not bring notes, books, or papers of any kind. Cellular phones and beepers are prohibited in the testing area. The use of headphones inside the testing area is prohibited. Electrical outlets will not be available for any reason. Earplugs for sound suppression are allowed. Any candidate who is observed violating test center rules will be subject to dismissal from the examination, may be barred from future examinations and may be required to forfeit his/her current examination fee(s). Refer to the Authorized Materials List in the candidate admission letter for authorized materials allowed during the examination.

The NMTCB NCT Examination is copyrighted and owned by the NMTCB. Any attempt to reproduce any portion of the examination is prohibited by law and violators will be vigorously prosecuted.

Use of Calculators

Examinees will not be provided with a calculator at the test site and are responsible for bringing their own device to their appointment. Calculators are allowed only if they are noiseless and battery or solar-powered. No provisions or time will be allowed or given to repair or replace broken calculators. You may not share calculators. Calculators capable of storing text (i.e., a key for every letter in the alphabet) will not be allowed by test site personnel. You will be observed at all times while taking the examination. This will include direct observation by test site personnel.

Scheduling Exam

1. To schedule, you must login online with the username and password that is provided to you by email from IQT once NMTCB pre-registers you for the exam. You will receive an email from NMTCB when you have been determined eligible and pre-registered for the exam. Scheduling your appointment well in advance of your desired date is strongly recommended during the summer and fall heavy testing periods. Take your candidate admission letter with you. Bring at least one current (not expired) piece of photo identification with your signature, such as a driver's license, Government Issued ID Card, Military ID card, or passport. No examination candidate will be admitted to the examination site without proper identification and will forfeit the entire exam fee. The name on your photo ID must match the name on your admission letter.
2. Report to the examination site fifteen (15) minutes before the exam. Candidates who arrive late will not be allowed to take the examination. Visitors are not allowed in the immediate area of the examination site.
3. You will have three hours to complete the exam. Plan your time carefully. You are encouraged to bring a wristwatch. The examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and 50 pretest items.
4. Please refer to the candidate admission letter you received after scheduling your exam appointment regarding reschedule/cancellation policies.
5. Notify the test site supervisor in case of sudden illness. If you withdraw from the examination due to illness, your examination will be scored. A candidate who cannot make it to his/her exam must call IQT at (866) 773-1114 or (727) 733-1110.
6. When you have finished the exam, you may leave the facility; however, once you leave you will not be allowed to re-enter the facility or review your completed exam.

Exam Results

Preliminary test results will be available at the test site following the exam. Your final score will be mailed to you approximately three weeks after the examination. No examination results will be given over the telephone under any circumstances.

The passing score is determined for each examination based on the following:

• Examination Content
• A review of examination performance on specific questions
• A review of statistical analysis of response data

Using these methods, the Examination Committee is able to take into account the difficulty of each version of the examination (and the ability of each group examined) to provide consistency in the passing score among different forms of the examination.

If you move after taking the examination, notify the NMTCB office promptly to ensure timely receipt of your results. Be sure to file a forwarding order with the post office.

Rescoring

Strict quality control procedures are performed to ensure the accuracy of the examination results reported. You may have your examination manually rescored for a fee. Any requests for rescoring must be made in writing within two (2) months of receipt of the original official score report and must include the rescoring fee of $50.00 (made payable to the NMTCB). Rescoring very seldom changes reported score results.

Item Writing

We need your assistance. The NMTCB is in need of Nuclear Cardiology Technologists (NCT's) to write exam items for the Cardiology Specialty examination. If you are interested, please visit our Item Writer's Invitation page or contact us at board@nmtcb.org. We really appreciate your support!

Section 5: Privileges and Responsibilities

Passing the NMTCB NCT Examination entitles you to certain privileges and obligates you to fulfill certain responsibilities. These are summarized below:

Privileges of Certification:

CERTIFICATE: The most immediate benefit of certification is your certificate which will be mailed to you approximately three (3) weeks after successful completion of the examination.

CREDENTIALS: Upon certification, you will also be granted the right to use the credential "NCT" after your name.

ANNUAL CERTIFICATION CARD: A personalized pocket-size annual certification card will be mailed to you after you receive your examination results. Most certificants carry the card with them. The certification card is a convenient method to provide your employer, governmental agencies and others with documentation that you are certified and registered in NCT. An updated certification card will be mailed to you annually upon payment of the annual registration fees.

DIRECTORY LISTING: The names of all currently registered NCT technologists are listed in the "NMTCB Directory of Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologists", on the NMTCB website. The directory is made available only to other NMTCB certificants.

NMTCB NEWSLETTER: The NMTCB NEWS, published semi-annually, is provided to all certificants of nuclear medicine technology, CT, radiation safety, nuclear cardiology technology, PET, and NMAA. NMTCB NEWS covers topics of concern to certified technologists, trends in NMT education, developments in health care, nationwide salary comparisons, and other professional information.

CE CREDITS: 24 SNMMI VOICE credits are awarded for passing the NCT Exam. If you are not a member of the SNMMI, contact them at 703-708-9000 or www.snmmi.org to join.

Successful completion of the NCT specialty exam will be recognized by the NMTCB as the equivalent of 24 hours of CE.

The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) accepts the successful completion of NMTCB specialty examinations as a Continuing Education waiver for nuclear medicine technologists.

Responsibilities of Certification:

ANNUAL REGISTRATION: Perhaps the greatest responsibility of certification is annual registration. Once you are certified by the NMTCB, you remain certified and certification cannot be revoked without due process. It is necessary for you to register your certification annually with the NMTCB. Your annual registration fee pays for the privileges you enjoy as an NMTCB Certificant. More importantly, your annual registration fee supports the certification process for nuclear medicine professionals, thereby enhancing the profession of nuclear medicine technology.

Responsibilities of NMTCB NCT certificants include maintaining an active primary certification/registration in nuclear medicine in order to complete the yearly renewal of your NCT certification. You will be allowed to renew your NCT certification only if you maintain active primary certification/registration.

Section 6: Appeals Procedure

Every effort is made to ensure that the NMTCB examination procedures are reasonable and that fair and equitable treatment is accorded to all applicants. To ensure fairness and a right of redress in the evaluation and processing of applications, examination procedures, and certification activities, the Directors of the NMTCB have established a formal appeals procedure which you must follow for appeal of any NMTCB policy, requirement, or decision.

If you are dissatisfied with or adversely affected by any action or decision of the administration of the NMTCB, you have the right to appeal such action or decision. If you wish to appeal any action or decision, your appeal must follow these guidelines which can be found here.