MAMMO PRACTICE TEST EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
c. ducts - ANSWERSThe most common location for breast cancer formation is the: a.
fatty tissue
b. dense tissue
c. ducts
d. lymph vessels
b. exposure time - ANSWERSOne of the best ways to reduce patient motion in
mammography is to reduce:
a. SID
b. exposure time
c. kVp
d. mA
a. with dense breasts - ANSWERSAccording to the Digital Mammographic Imaging
Screening Trial (DMIST) digital imaging is able to provide higher quality images than
film screen imaging for women:
a. with dense breasts
b. with fatty breasts
c. older than 60 years
d. considered morbidly obese
a. American College of Radiology - ANSWERSThe first accreditation program in the
United States for mammographic imaging was administered by the:
a. American College of Radiology
b. American Academy of Physicists of Medicine
c. American Society of Radiologic Technologists
d. American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
a, b, and c - ANSWERSThe phantom used for mammographic accreditation contains
which of the following:
a. fibers
b. specks
c. masses
d. flecks
c. MQSA - ANSWERSIn 1993, the congress passed legislation requiring the FDA to
create a breast imaging quality inspection program. This legislation, which became
effective in 1994, is known by what acronym?
a. HIPPA
b. MIPPA
,c. MQSA
d. ACS
b, c, and d - ANSWERSTarget materials used in mammography are:
a. aluminum
b. tungsten
c. molybdenum
d. rhodium
nipple - ANSWERSTo take advantage of the anode heel effect, mammography
equipment is constructed so that the anode is oriented at the:
a. 4:1 - ANSWERSWhich of the following is common grid ratio used in mammo:
a. 4:1
b. 8:1
c. 12:1
d. a smaller focal spot is used - ANSWERSTo help maintain spatial resolution during
magnification, what change is made to the mammographic imaging technique?
a. a lower kVp is used
b. a smaller image receptor is used
c. a longer SID is used
d. a smaller focal spot is used
reduced patient dose, better spatial resolution, uniform exposure across the image -
ANSWERSThe benefits of using compression in mammography:
a. high frequency - ANSWERSA ________ generator provides the most consistent x-
ray beam and allows the mammographer to adjust very precise technical factors.
a. high frequency
b. 3-phase, 6-pulse
c. 3-phase, 12 pulse
d. single phase
molybdenum, rhodium, tungsten - ANSWERSMost modern mammographic equipment
allows the mammographers to select between what 3 target materials?
low energy - ANSWERSAdding filtration to an x-ray tube is designed to remove ____ x-
rays.
ensure that no breast tissue is missed - ANSWERSManufacturers of mammography
equipment have made adaptations such as moving the x-ray tube closer to the patient
to account for the divergent beam, the purpose of these modifications is to:
mammography requires high detail and contrast - ANSWERSThe development of
mammographic imaging lagged behind conventional radiographic imaging because:
, 1 and 2 - ANSWERSWhich of the following are patient benefits associated with the use
of digital mammography?
1. reduced radiation exposure
2. quicker exams
3. less compression
b, c, and d - ANSWERSWhich of the following are true regarding the breast phantom
used for ACR accreditation?
a. the phantom was developed in 1994
b. the phantom is made of plastic and wax
c. Medical physicists check phantom images for quality
d. the dose reading from a phantom exposure should not exceed 3
the federal government - ANSWERSThe Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA)
represents the first time a medical imaging system has been regulated by:
A pathologist - ANSWERSBreast biopsy involves evaluation of a small piece of breast
tissue by who?
Molybdenum - ANSWERSWhat is the target material most often chosen in
mammography?
Beryllium - ANSWERSThe target window of the mammography tube is made of?
keystone - ANSWERSIn mammography, the typical effective focal spot is ________
shaped.
kVp, density setting, and filter material - ANSWERSThe full auto mode used in
mammographic imaging can be used to control what three things?
1 and 3 - ANSWERSFull manual mode should be used with:
1. patients who have implants
2. patients who have dense breast tissue
3. male patients
mammographer - ANSWERSIn digital mammography, the acquisition workstation is
primarily used by the:
2% - ANSWERSAccording to the MQSA standards, collimation should not extend
beyond the edge of the receptor by more than what percentage of the source-to-image
receptor distance?
1.5 - ANSWERSMammography magnification usually is set at a factor of
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
c. ducts - ANSWERSThe most common location for breast cancer formation is the: a.
fatty tissue
b. dense tissue
c. ducts
d. lymph vessels
b. exposure time - ANSWERSOne of the best ways to reduce patient motion in
mammography is to reduce:
a. SID
b. exposure time
c. kVp
d. mA
a. with dense breasts - ANSWERSAccording to the Digital Mammographic Imaging
Screening Trial (DMIST) digital imaging is able to provide higher quality images than
film screen imaging for women:
a. with dense breasts
b. with fatty breasts
c. older than 60 years
d. considered morbidly obese
a. American College of Radiology - ANSWERSThe first accreditation program in the
United States for mammographic imaging was administered by the:
a. American College of Radiology
b. American Academy of Physicists of Medicine
c. American Society of Radiologic Technologists
d. American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
a, b, and c - ANSWERSThe phantom used for mammographic accreditation contains
which of the following:
a. fibers
b. specks
c. masses
d. flecks
c. MQSA - ANSWERSIn 1993, the congress passed legislation requiring the FDA to
create a breast imaging quality inspection program. This legislation, which became
effective in 1994, is known by what acronym?
a. HIPPA
b. MIPPA
,c. MQSA
d. ACS
b, c, and d - ANSWERSTarget materials used in mammography are:
a. aluminum
b. tungsten
c. molybdenum
d. rhodium
nipple - ANSWERSTo take advantage of the anode heel effect, mammography
equipment is constructed so that the anode is oriented at the:
a. 4:1 - ANSWERSWhich of the following is common grid ratio used in mammo:
a. 4:1
b. 8:1
c. 12:1
d. a smaller focal spot is used - ANSWERSTo help maintain spatial resolution during
magnification, what change is made to the mammographic imaging technique?
a. a lower kVp is used
b. a smaller image receptor is used
c. a longer SID is used
d. a smaller focal spot is used
reduced patient dose, better spatial resolution, uniform exposure across the image -
ANSWERSThe benefits of using compression in mammography:
a. high frequency - ANSWERSA ________ generator provides the most consistent x-
ray beam and allows the mammographer to adjust very precise technical factors.
a. high frequency
b. 3-phase, 6-pulse
c. 3-phase, 12 pulse
d. single phase
molybdenum, rhodium, tungsten - ANSWERSMost modern mammographic equipment
allows the mammographers to select between what 3 target materials?
low energy - ANSWERSAdding filtration to an x-ray tube is designed to remove ____ x-
rays.
ensure that no breast tissue is missed - ANSWERSManufacturers of mammography
equipment have made adaptations such as moving the x-ray tube closer to the patient
to account for the divergent beam, the purpose of these modifications is to:
mammography requires high detail and contrast - ANSWERSThe development of
mammographic imaging lagged behind conventional radiographic imaging because:
, 1 and 2 - ANSWERSWhich of the following are patient benefits associated with the use
of digital mammography?
1. reduced radiation exposure
2. quicker exams
3. less compression
b, c, and d - ANSWERSWhich of the following are true regarding the breast phantom
used for ACR accreditation?
a. the phantom was developed in 1994
b. the phantom is made of plastic and wax
c. Medical physicists check phantom images for quality
d. the dose reading from a phantom exposure should not exceed 3
the federal government - ANSWERSThe Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA)
represents the first time a medical imaging system has been regulated by:
A pathologist - ANSWERSBreast biopsy involves evaluation of a small piece of breast
tissue by who?
Molybdenum - ANSWERSWhat is the target material most often chosen in
mammography?
Beryllium - ANSWERSThe target window of the mammography tube is made of?
keystone - ANSWERSIn mammography, the typical effective focal spot is ________
shaped.
kVp, density setting, and filter material - ANSWERSThe full auto mode used in
mammographic imaging can be used to control what three things?
1 and 3 - ANSWERSFull manual mode should be used with:
1. patients who have implants
2. patients who have dense breast tissue
3. male patients
mammographer - ANSWERSIn digital mammography, the acquisition workstation is
primarily used by the:
2% - ANSWERSAccording to the MQSA standards, collimation should not extend
beyond the edge of the receptor by more than what percentage of the source-to-image
receptor distance?
1.5 - ANSWERSMammography magnification usually is set at a factor of
