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Below is a list of frequently asked questions:
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| Q: How are the exam questions generated? |
A: The exam questions are generated by a group of about eight domain experts, some of them are members of our Board of Directors, some of them external consultants. The questions are than reviewed by several members of our Board of Directors, and, in addition, by an educational consultant to make sure they meet general guidelines. The general format is multiple choice, with most of them 4 possible answers, and no more than 10% of them with a T/F answer. After this comprehensive review, volunteers are taking the exam as "guinea pigs" to make sure the allotted time is reasonable and there are no major oversights. After that, the exams are released for people to take them. There is a continuous quality control process, because all answers are stored in a database, so that questions that are consistently being answered incorrectly can be identified and modified accordingly.
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| Q: How many different exam versions are there? |
A: The exams are generated by randomly selecting questions for each item as listed in the requirements for the respective certification. Therefore, the chance that a person is taking the same exam as another person and/or the same exam upon re-taking it is very low.
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| Q: Is the PARCA certification limited to radiology? |
A: No. As a matter of fact, several people already commented about the importance of having the same professional experience for cardiology. In particular, this is getting more exposure with the IHE cardiology technical framework being defined. Pathology is another emerging field where digital technologies will be implemented very soon. So, in conclusion, the PARCA certification is applicable to any healthcare technology support person dealing with medical imaging, such as radiology, cardiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, etc.
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| Q: How many chances do you get to take an exam? |
A: You can take an exam a total of two times within 6 months at a minimal additional charge for the second attempt. If you fail the exam the second time, you will need to purchase a new approval code for the full price to try again. You may only take the exam a maximum of 3 times within 12 months.
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| Q: Why are you required to take some certification exams before others? |
A: All of the certifications are related and we want to make sure that each potential candidate is fully competent in each.
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| Q: What do you receive upon passing a certification exam? |
A: A certificate will be sent to you.
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| Q: Do you have any recommendations for training materials, courses, etc.? |
A: PARCA does not recommend and/or favor any of the available training classes. We recommend that you compare the PARCA certification requirements with the course outline. In addition, we suggest you ask the training company whether their classes meet the PARCA certification requirements. To assist potential candidates in selecting the appropriate training means, we listed below a handful of helpful links that can be used here.
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| Q: How long is my certification valid? |
A: Certification is valid for 5 years.
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| Q: What are the requirements for recertification? |
A: To become recertified a member must have current membership and must successfully retake the certification exam for the highest certification level that the member holds.
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| Q: What is the fee for recertification? |
A: The cost of recertification is the cost of the certification exam for the highest certification level that the member holds. The recertification fee will be discounted for members who have kept their membership current.
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| Q: Does PARCA require Continuing Education Credits? |
A: PARCA no longer requires continuing education credits. The pace of technological change demands that PARCA revises and updates the technical requirements for certification and modify our certification exams accordingly. Studying the new requirements for these updated exams in order to maintain certification takes the place of acquiring continuing education credits.
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| Q: What are the technical requirements for taking an exam? |
A: Computer: A computer with a built in webcam and microphone (built in or external)(You can check this at www.testmycam.com )
Internet: Network connection with internet speed of at least 3 Mbps for both UPLOADING and DOWNLOADING. (You can check this yourself at http://www.speedtest.net )
Browser: Web browser with pop-up blocker DISABLED.
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