Question 1IP1.A · Factors affecting image quality
An AP pelvis is made at 25 mAs with a 12:1 Bucky grid. For a mobile repeat, a 6:1 grid is used. What mAs keeps receptor exposure the same?
Is the radiography registry exam hard?
Most first-time candidates pass: 85.8% did in 2025. It is still a long, broad exam: 230 questions in 230 minutes, from patient care and radiation physics to positioning for every body part, scored as one total.
| First-time pass rate, 2025 | 85.8% of 14,072 candidates |
|---|---|
| Questions | 230: 200 scored and 30 unscored pilot |
| Time | 230 minutes of test time, in a 250-minute appointment |
| Passing score | 75 on a scale of 1 to 99 |
| Fee | $225 per attempt |
What makes it hard
- Length: almost four hours of questions at about one minute each.
- Breadth: four categories and eight subcategories, from contrast reactions to the Nyquist frequency.
- Procedures carry the most marks: 72 of the 200 scored questions from 1 March 2027, on positioning, central ray, anatomy and how to adapt for trauma or age.
- Arithmetic: the inverse square law, the exposure maintenance formula, grid conversions and the 15 percent rule.
- Formats: most questions are multiple choice, but some ask you to select several answers, sort options into order, pick a spot on an image or watch a short video.
What makes it easier
ARRT publishes the content specifications with the number of scored questions from every subcategory, so you know where the marks are. Your score comes from the total right, not from each section, and a wrong answer costs nothing, so answer every question.
How to prepare
Learn the content specifications area by area, then practice under time. Start with the free diagnostic: your score in each area shows where to begin. Our questions are text only; your program's image critique work covers the image-based questions.
Try 3 questions
Question 2S1.A · Radiation physics
The air kerma rate is 9 mGy per hour at 1 m from a source. What is the rate at 3 m?
Question 3P1.B · Spine and pelvis
A trauma lateral cervical spine does not show C7 even with the shoulders depressed. Which projection is added?
Next step
Questions people ask
What percentage of people pass the radiography registry exam?
85.8% of 14,072 first-time candidates passed in 2025, and 85.2% of 12,665 in 2024, by ARRT's annual exam reports.
How many questions are on the radiography registry exam?
230: 200 scored and 30 unscored pilot questions, in 230 minutes.
What score do you need to pass?
A scaled score of 75. Scaled scores run from 1 to 99.
How many times can you take the exam?
Three attempts within three years of the date your first exam window opens, each with a new application and fee.