Free ARRT Radiography Practice Test (Registry Exam)
Radiography registry practice questions written to the ARRT content specifications, with an explanation for every answer.
Which ankle projection opens the distal tibiofibular joint best?
470 original questions · 111 radiation physics and protection questions · 116 positioning questions in their own drill
ARRT radiography practice questions by content area
ARRT’s content specifications fix how many of the 200 scored questions come from each of eight subcategories. Each one has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer.
Patient Care
Patient Care · 33 of 200 scored questions
Consent and patients’ rights, legal terms, ARRT Standards of Ethics, communication, transfers and body mechanics, vital signs, medical emergencies, infection control, contrast media and reactions.
Physics and Radiobiology
Safety · 21 of 200 scored questions
X-ray production, bremsstrahlung and characteristic radiation, beam quality and quantity, the inverse square law, photoelectric and Compton interactions, SI units, radiosensitivity and biological effects.
Radiation Protection
Safety · 29 of 200 scored questions
Minimizing patient dose with technique, collimation and filtration, fluoroscopy dose controls, time, distance and shielding, lead equivalents, dosimeters and NCRP dose limits.
Image Acquisition
Image Production · 26 of 200 scored questions
How mAs, kVp, SID, OID, focal spot, grids and motion affect receptor exposure, spatial resolution and distortion, technique charts, AEC, digital image characteristics and image evaluation.
Equipment and QC
Image Production · 25 of 200 scored questions
Generators and x-ray tubes, AEC hardware, digital detectors, fluoroscopic units, image processing and display, PACS and DICOM, and quality control of equipment and lead aprons.
Head, Spine and Pelvis
Procedures · 18 of 200 scored questions
Skull, facial bones, sinuses, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, sacrum, SI joints, pelvis and hip, myelography and GU studies: positioning, anatomy, adaptation and image evaluation.
Thorax and Abdomen
Procedures · 20 of 200 scored questions
Chest, ribs, sternum, soft tissue neck, abdomen series and fluoroscopic GI studies (esophagus, upper GI, small bowel, contrast enema): positioning, anatomy and image evaluation.
Extremities
Procedures · 28 of 200 scored questions
Fingers through shoulder, toes through femur, long bone measurement, bone surveys and arthrography: positions, central ray angles, anatomy and what a correct image shows.
Ready for the full exam?
230 questions in 230 minutes, drawn in the content specifications’ count for each subcategory, scored on the 200 that count, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe ARRT radiography exam at a glance
Answer radiography registry practice questions written to ARRT’s Examination Content Specifications, read the explanation for every answer, then take a timed 230-question practice exam in the real format with a score for every content subcategory.
The ARRT radiography exam is the certification exam radiography program graduates take to earn the R.T.(R)(ARRT) credential, and most state licensing boards accept it. It has four content categories: Patient Care (33 questions), Safety (50 questions), Image Production (51 questions), Procedures (66 questions). New content specifications take effect March 1, 2027 (Patient Care 31, Safety 46, Image Production 51, Procedures 72); our questions avoid the content that change removes, so they serve both.
- Exam
- The ARRT certification and registration exam in Radiography, the exam behind the R.T.(R)(ARRT) credential, from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
- Format
- 230 questions: 200 scored and 30 unscored pilot questions you cannot tell apart. Most are multiple choice with one best answer; some ask you to select several answers, sort options into order or select part of an image
- Time
- 230 minutes of test time in a 250-minute appointment, which adds an 8-minute tutorial, 2 minutes for the nondisclosure agreement and a 10-minute survey
- Content
- Through February 28, 2027: Patient Care 33, Safety 50, Image Production 51 and Procedures 66 scored questions (2022 specifications). From March 1, 2027: 31, 46, 51 and 72
- Passing score
- A total scaled score of 75 on a 1–99 scale. A scaled score is not a percentage; ARRT’s 2025 report puts the Radiography pass at about 67% correct
- Fee
- $225 for the primary application, which includes the exam; $200 to reapply after a first or second attempt that does not pass
- Where
- Computer-based at Pearson VUE test centers. You schedule within a one-year exam window that opens when your application is processed and your program and degree are complete
- Attempts
- Three attempts within three years of the date your first exam window opens. Each attempt needs a new application and fee. ARRT publishes no waiting period between attempts
- Eligibility
- Complete an ARRT-verified radiography program, including its clinical competencies, earn an associate degree or higher, meet ARRT’s ethics requirements, and apply within three years of finishing the program
- After you pass
- Renew your credential every year, meet continuing education requirements every two years and continuing qualifications requirements every 10 years
Where the exam fits in becoming a registered radiographer
- Complete an ARRT-verified radiography program, including ARRT’s didactic and clinical competency requirements, and earn an associate degree or higher.
- Apply to ARRT and pay the $225 primary application fee. You can apply up to 90 days before you finish your program, and you must apply within three years of finishing it.
- Schedule with Pearson VUE during your one-year exam window and take the 230-question exam.
- Pass with a scaled score of 75. You have three attempts within three years of your first exam window.
- Renew every year and meet continuing education requirements every two years; check whether your state also requires a license.
Studying for another healthcare exam too? Our CCMA practice test covers the NHA medical assistant exam.
How to use this ARRT registry review
- Take the free mixed drill to see where you stand across all eight subcategories.
- Drill the procedures sections and the positioning drill first: Procedures is the largest category, 66 of the 200 scored questions, rising to 72 in March 2027.
- Work through Safety (50 questions): learn the NCRP dose limits, the inverse square law and the interactions until the numbers are automatic.
- Clear Image Production (51) and Patient Care (33), focusing on the technique conversions and the infection control and contrast reaction rules.
- Take the full 230-question practice exam under the 230 minutes clock, then drill your two lowest subcategories and take it again. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the ARRT radiography exam?
230. Two hundred are scored and 30 are unscored pilot questions that ARRT is trying out for future exams. ARRT does not identify the pilot questions, so answer every question as if it counts.
How long is the ARRT radiography exam?
230 minutes of test time. The appointment is 250 minutes (4 hours 10 minutes) because it adds an 8-minute tutorial, 2 minutes to accept the nondisclosure agreement and a 10-minute survey at the end.
What score do you need to pass the ARRT radiography exam?
A total scaled score of 75. Scaled scores run from 1 to 99 and are not percentages: a 75 means the same level of performance on every version of the exam. ARRT’s 2025 Annual Exam Report says the Radiography pass took about 67% correct, and 85.8% of the 14,072 first-time candidates passed that year.
How much does the ARRT radiography exam cost?
$225 for the primary application, which includes the exam. If you do not pass on your first or second attempt, reapplying costs $200.
How many times can you take the ARRT registry?
Three attempts within three years of the date your first exam window opens. Each attempt needs a new application and fee. If you do not pass in three attempts or three years, you must requalify, which means completing another educational program.
Is the ARRT radiography exam changing in 2027?
Yes. New content specifications take effect March 1, 2027. The total stays at 200 scored questions, but Patient Care drops from 33 to 31, Safety from 50 to 46, Procedures rises from 66 to 72 and Image Production stays at 51. Computed radiography (CR), compensating filters and IV urography are removed; virtual grids, teleradiology, foreign bodies, line and tube placement and more positions are added. A new passing standard also takes effect in March 2027.
Does ARRT have an official radiography practice test?
No. ARRT does not sell practice tests and does not endorse study materials; it points candidates to its content specifications. The exam starts with a tutorial with a few practice questions. These questions are original practice written to ARRT’s content specifications, not ARRT exam questions.
Is this ARRT practice exam the same format as the real exam?
It matches the length, the clock and the content split: 230 four-option questions in 230 minutes, 200 scored in the subcategory counts of the specifications in force plus 30 unscored pilot questions. You can flag questions and return to them. Our questions are single-answer multiple choice; the real exam also has a few select-all, ordering and image-selection items, which the mock does not include.
Ready for test day?
230 questions in 230 minutes, drawn in the content specifications’ count for each subcategory, scored on the 200 that count, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
- ARRT: Radiography Examination Content Specifications, in force through February 28, 2027 (PDF)
- ARRT: Radiography Examination Content Specifications, effective March 1, 2027 (PDF)
- ARRT: 2026 Primary Eligibility Pathway Handbook: exam format, scoring, exam window and attempts (PDF)
- ARRT: Fees
- ARRT: Annual Exam Report 2025: passing score and approximate percent correct (PDF)
- ARRT: Updated Radiography documents (May 1, 2026), changes effective March 1, 2027
- NCRP Report No. 116, Limitation of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the ARRT Radiography Examination Content Specifications; they are not ARRT exam questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or Pearson VUE. ARRT and R.T. are trademarks of the ARRT. Follow your facility’s protocols and your program’s instruction in practice.