RTN Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

What "Passing" Means on the ARRT Nuclear Medicine Technology Exam

If you are preparing for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) examination in Nuclear Medicine Technology, the first number you will hear is 75. The second thing you will hear is that "75" does not mean what most people assume. This article breaks down exactly how the passing standard works for the Registered Technologist - Nuclear Medicine Technology (RTN) credential, which is earned through the ARRT primary pathway and is distinct from the NMTCB's CNMT credential. Within this site, "RTN" is simply our shorthand for the ARRT Nuclear Medicine Technology (N) discipline.

Understanding the scoring model matters because it changes how you study. Candidates who think they need to answer 75% of questions correctly often waste energy on the wrong anxieties, such as counting missed questions mid-exam, and ignore the factors that truly drive a passing result: broad content coverage and strong performance in the heaviest-weighted category. If you are still orienting yourself to the credential, the overview in What Is RTN Certification? is a useful starting point.

The 75 Scaled Score, Explained

ARRT reports results on a scaled score range of 1 to 99, and a score of 75 is the passing standard. A scaled score is a mathematical conversion of your raw performance (the number of scored questions you answered correctly) onto a common reporting scale. The conversion exists so that a given score represents the same level of competence regardless of which version of the exam you happened to receive.

Here is why that matters in practice:

• 75 is not 75%. You cannot translate "I got about 150 of 200 right" into a pass or fail, because the raw-to-scaled conversion is not a straight percentage.
• Different forms, same standard. Exam forms can vary slightly in difficulty. Scaling keeps the competence bar consistent across forms.
• The raw number is not published. ARRT does not publish a fixed count of correct answers that equals 75, so there is no public "magic number" to aim for. Your target is mastery of the content, not a tally.

For a broader look at how this plays out against difficulty, see How Hard Is the RTN Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

The February 2025 Cut-Score Change

A revised examination cut-score standard took effect February 1, 2025. Candidates reasonably ask whether that changed the number they need to hit. The answer is that the reported passing score remains 75 on the scaled range. What the revised standard changes is the underlying judgment about the level of performance that corresponds to that reported 75, which is determined through ARRT's standard-setting process rather than by a change to the headline number.

The practical takeaway: do not rely on older forum posts or study-group lore that describe how many questions "used to be enough." Because the standard was revised, any raw-score rule of thumb from before February 2025 is outdated, and as explained above, raw-score rules of thumb were never officially published anyway. Treat the official ARRT cut-score notice and your handbook as the authority.

How the 230-Question Exam Is Built

Knowing the structure helps you understand what the 75 is actually measuring. The exam is computer-based and delivered at Pearson VUE test centers.

The 30 pilot questions are the part that surprises candidates. They look identical to scored items, but they do not count toward your result; ARRT uses them to gather data for future exams. You cannot tell which ones they are, so treat every question as if it counts. This is also why the exam feels longer than the 200-question scored portion suggests.

Question formats you will see

The exam is primarily single-best-answer multiple choice. Depending on the form, you may also encounter alternative item formats and image-based questions, and the ARRT handbook describes multiple-response and ordered-response formats as well. Image-based items are especially relevant in nuclear medicine, where recognizing a scan pattern or artifact is a core skill. Practicing with varied item types, not just recall questions, is part of preparing for the formats the exam can present.

The exam is closed book. Basic and scientific on-screen calculators are available during the test, and Pearson can supply a basic four-function calculator on request. Personal calculators are prohibited. Because both SI and conventional radiation units appear on the exam, you should be comfortable converting between them rather than leaning on one system.

Where Your Scored Questions Come From

The scored portion is distributed across four official major content categories. Per the Nuclear Medicine Technology Examination Content Specifications (board approved January 2021, effective January 1, 2022) that govern examinations through January 31, 2027, the scored-question allocations are:

These are official question counts, and we present them as counts rather than converting them to percentages. For the full breakdown of each category, see RTN Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.

Procedures: The Domain That Decides Your Result

With 118 of 200 scored questions, Procedures is by far the largest category. A candidate who is excellent at Patient Care, Safety, and Image Production but weak in Procedures is in a precarious position, because those three categories combined account for 82 scored questions. The Procedures category breaks down further into five subareas, each with its own count:

Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals is the single largest subarea at 28 questions, so it deserves disproportionate attention. Think about the content you must be able to reason through: what each radiopharmaceutical is, how it localizes, what it is used to image, and what a technologist needs to know about handling and administering it.

Cardiac and Endocrine/Oncology each carry 25, which makes them natural second priorities. Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary (18) and Other Imaging Procedures (22) are smaller, but together they still represent 40 questions, enough to sink a score if neglected.

The role of CT on this exam

Candidates from hybrid-imaging backgrounds sometimes over-prepare on CT. On this examination, CT content is limited to attenuation correction and anatomic localization, not diagnostic CT interpretation. Know what CT contributes to a SPECT/CT or PET/CT study from the technologist's perspective, and do not spend weeks on diagnostic CT protocols that the content specifications do not test.

For help building a plan around this weighting, the RTN Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through topic prioritization in more detail.

Pass-Rate Context for First-Time Candidates

According to the ARRT Annual Exam Report - 2025, 64.7% of first-time candidates passed in 2025 (n=439). That means roughly one in three first-time candidates did not reach the passing standard, a reminder that the exam is a real hurdle even for people who have completed an accredited nuclear medicine program. This figure describes a single year's first-time cohort and should not be treated as a guarantee or a prediction for any individual; your own preparation matters far more than a cohort average.

It is also worth noting that the 2025 cohort tested across a period that included the February 1, 2025 cut-score change, so year-to-year comparisons should be made cautiously. For a fuller discussion of what pass-rate data does and does not tell you, read RTN Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.

Attempts, Fees, and Eligibility Windows

The passing score is only part of the picture; you also need to understand how many chances you get and what each costs.

Two separate clocks are easy to confuse. The first is the initial application deadline: the degree must be earned and the application submitted no more than three years after program completion. The second is the three-year examination-attempt period, which governs how long you have to use your three attempts. They are independent, so completing one does not reset the other. Details on timing are covered in RTN Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling, and the full cost picture is in RTN Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Who is eligible to sit for the exam

Primary eligibility requires an associate degree or higher from an ARRT-recognized accredited institution (the degree may be in any major and must be conferred before the examination), completion of an ARRT-verified nuclear medicine technology educational program with its didactic and clinical competencies, and compliance with ethics requirements. The clinical competencies include eight general patient-care activities (including CPR certification), five quality-control activities, and 25 different diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, with no more than five procedures simulated. The program director or designee must verify clinical competency through in-person direct observation; remote or virtual observation is not accepted. Full details are in RTN Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

A Score-Aware Study Sequence

Since the scaled score rewards broad competence and Procedures dominates the question count, your sequencing should reflect the exam's weight rather than your comfort zone. Here is one way to order the work, tied to the domains rather than to generic habits:

The logic is simple: front-load the material that carries the most scored questions and that other topics depend on, then close with the smaller categories and a full simulation. Adjust the timeline to your own background; a candidate fresh from clinical rotations may compress the procedure weeks, while someone with a gap since graduation may extend them.

Test-Day Mechanics That Protect Your Score

A few format rules directly affect how you should behave during the exam:

• You must answer each item before advancing. There is no skipping to leave a question blank.
• You may flag and revisit answers. Make your best choice, flag anything uncertain, and return if time allows.
• The 30 pilot questions are invisible. A confusing question may be unscored, so do not let one item derail your pacing.
• Use the on-screen calculator for unit work. Basic and scientific versions are available, and a basic four-function calculator can be requested from Pearson.
• Budget the full 250-minute appointment. Only 230 minutes are for answering; the rest covers the tutorial, nondisclosure agreement, and survey.

Pacing works out to roughly one minute per question across all 230 items, which leaves a little room for flagged questions. Do not spend three minutes agonizing over one item when several others, possibly worth the same, are waiting. If you want to rehearse the pace, a timed run on the RTN practice test is the closest thing to the real experience.

After You Pass: Keeping the Credential

Passing is the start of maintaining the credential, not the end. Certification and registration are maintained through annual renewal ($65 regardless of how many ARRT credentials you hold), continuing compliance with ethics requirements, and 24 approved continuing education (CE) credits per two-year biennium, which is per biennium and not per credential. Credentials earned on or after January 1, 2011 also require Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) every 10 years, consisting of a professional profile, a structured self-assessment, and any prescribed CE. ARRT also permits accepting the maximum CQR CE prescription instead of taking the self-assessment.

If you are weighing whether the effort is worth it, the career-side articles are good companions: RTN Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis, RTN Jobs, and Is the RTN Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

The passing standard is clear once you separate the scaled score from a raw percentage: aim for solid command of all four domains, weight your time toward Procedures, and verify readiness with timed practice before you commit to a test date.