ARRT radiography exam: pass rates and rules

ARRT radiography exam: pass rates and rules are the first questions that program directors and candidates raise when a cohort nears its credentialing examination. A candidate who misreads the attempt rules can use up a limited number of tries, and a program that cannot answer the outcome questions loses credibility with applicants. This guide sets out the exam format, the passing standard, the attempt limits, ARRT's published first-time pass rate, and the JRCERT benchmarks that accreditors apply. Every figure comes from an ARRT or JRCERT document listed at the end.

What the exam measures and how it is scored

The Radiography examination is delivered on a computer at a standardized testing center and covers four categories: Patient Care, Safety, Image Production, and Procedures. ARRT reports a total scaled score on a 1 to 99 scale rather than a percentage. ARRT runs studies to determine how many correct answers produce a 75 on each exam, so no single percentage serves as the passing mark for every sitting.

Current and revised content specifications

The current Radiography content specification took effect January 1, 2022, and ARRT's credential page lists it for exams through February 28, 2027. The revised specification, approved in January 2026, keeps 200 scored and 30 pilot items but moves items between categories. ARRT's May 2026 notice also records that all computed radiography content was removed.

Attempts, retakes and requalification

Each attempt requires a new application and fee, and ARRT must receive a reapplication at least 30 calendar days before the three-year period ends. State licensing attempts count against the same limit when the candidate also applies for ARRT certification. After a failed third attempt, or once the three-year period has passed, the candidate must requalify, which includes completing an ARRT-verified educational program. The handbook also advises comparing the current content specification with the one used for the previous attempt.

The ethics requirement

Ethics is an eligibility requirement separate from the examination. Applicants must comply with the ARRT Standards of Ethics and answer ethics questions on criminal, regulatory and honor code violations. A candidate under an ethics review may sit for the exam, but ARRT holds the scores until the review ends.

First-time pass rates and what they measure

ARRT's 2025 Annual Exam Report covers examinations taken from January 1 through December 31, 2025. For Radiography it lists 14,072 first-time candidates, 2,726 repeat candidates, 50 state candidates and 532 reinstatement candidates, for a total of 17,380. The first-time pass rate is 85.8 percent, which the summary table rounds to 86 percent. This is a national first-attempt figure, not a program rate, and it does not show how many candidates pass on a later attempt.

JRCERT program effectiveness benchmarks

Under Standard 6.1 of the 2021 Standards for an Accredited Educational Program in Radiography, a program maintains a five-year average credentialing examination pass rate of not less than 75 percent at first attempt within six months of graduation, a five-year average job placement rate of not less than 75 percent within twelve months, and an annual completion rate. Standard 1.6 requires these figures and their sample sizes to be published on the program's website. The standard sets no numeric completion threshold. Programs should confirm that the edition on jrcert.org is the one governing their accreditation cycle.

Canadian candidates

Canadian candidates write the CAMRT national certification examinations, which the Ontario regulator CMRITO accepts as the only approved written examinations for radiography, so the ARRT figures in this article do not apply to them.

Checks before relying on these figures

• Confirm which content specification applies to the candidate's exam date on arrt.org, because the category counts change on March 1, 2027.
• Ask the program for its five-year JRCERT figures and the sample sizes behind them, since the standard requires both to be published.
• Map any retake plan against the three-attempt and three-year window before the first sitting.

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