RTT Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Passing Score Is 75 Scaled, Not 75% Correct

If you are preparing for the ARRT Radiation Therapy examination (the credential this site abbreviates as RTT, short for Registered Technologist - Radiation Therapy), the single most misunderstood number is the passing score. The passing score is 75, reported on ARRT's 1-99 scaled-score range. It is not a percentage of questions answered correctly. A candidate who sees "75" on a score report has not necessarily answered 75% of the scored items correctly, and a candidate who answered a given percentage correctly cannot simply assume that percentage maps to a particular scaled score.

This distinction matters for how you study and how you interpret practice tests. Many third-party practice exams report raw percentages. Those numbers are useful for tracking progress, but they are not a prediction of your scaled score. Treat any practice percentage as a directional signal about readiness, not as a conversion to the official scale.

For a broader look at how demanding the exam is in practice, see our guide on how hard the RTT exam is, and for the data behind first-time outcomes, our RTT pass rate breakdown.

How Scaled Scoring Works on the ARRT Radiation Therapy Exam

Scaled scoring exists because different candidates sit different forms of the exam. Even with carefully matched content, one form can end up slightly harder or easier than another. Converting raw performance to a scaled score lets ARRT hold the standard constant: a 75 on one form represents the same level of competence as a 75 on another.

What you can and cannot conclude

• You can conclude: a scaled score of 75 or higher is a passing result, regardless of which form you received.
• You cannot conclude: that you need to answer a fixed number of questions correctly. ARRT does not publish a raw-count-to-scale conversion, and you should be skeptical of any source that claims one.
• You cannot conclude: that missing a handful of items on a hard form is equivalent to missing the same number on an easy form.

Your official result is interpreted through ARRT's published score-interpretation guidance, which explains how to read the report you receive after the exam. Read it before test day so you know what the document will and will not tell you, especially if you ever need to plan a retake around weaker content categories.

The February 2025 Cut-Score Standard

A revised examination cut-score standard took effect on February 1, 2025 for the Radiation Therapy examination. The important point for candidates is what did not change: the reported passing score remains 75 scaled. The revision concerned the underlying standard used to determine the cut, not the number printed on your score report.

In practical terms, if you read older forum posts or study materials written before 2025, the "75" you see there is still the number that applies. What may differ is the difficulty or composition of the raw performance needed to reach it, which is exactly why relying on raw-percentage folklore from earlier years is risky. The safest approach is to aim for strong, broad mastery across every content category rather than trying to calculate a minimum.

If your testing window is approaching, our RTT exam dates and scheduling guide walks through deadlines and timing.

Exam Structure: 230 Questions, 200 of Them Scored

Understanding the format helps you convert the abstract "75 scaled" target into a concrete test-day plan.

The pilot questions are invisible to you

Thirty of the 230 questions are unscored pilot items, and they are not labeled. You cannot tell which ones they are, so you must treat every question as if it counts. Do not waste time trying to guess which items are experimental, and do not let one strange-looking question shake your confidence. An odd item may well be a pilot question that has no bearing on your score.

Pacing at roughly one minute per question

With 230 minutes for 230 questions, you have about one minute per item on average. Dose-calculation items and multi-step questions will take longer; recognition questions about patient care or safety should move faster. Because you must answer each item before advancing, you cannot skip and return to a blank, but you can answer your best guess, flag it, and come back. Build this habit during practice so that flagging is a deliberate tool rather than a panic response.

Where the Scored Questions Come From

The 200 scored questions are distributed across three official major content categories. These are the examination content categories, not study headings, and ARRT publishes the question counts for each. Because the passing standard is a single scaled score applied to your overall performance, strength in the largest categories does the most work for you.

For a deeper walkthrough of each category, see our complete guide to the three RTT exam content areas.

What the 2025 First-Time Result Tells You

According to the ARRT Annual Exam Report for 2025, 77.1% of first-time candidates passed, based on n=958 candidates. That is a respectable majority, and it tells you something useful: a well-prepared graduate of an accredited radiation therapy program has a realistic shot at passing on the first attempt. It also tells you that roughly one in four first-time candidates did not pass, so the exam is not a formality.

Be careful about reading too much into a single year's figure. One year of data does not establish a trend, and the February 2025 cut-score standard revision means comparisons with prior years should be made cautiously. Use the number as encouragement and as a reminder not to underprepare, not as a precise forecast of your own outcome. Our RTT pass rate analysis covers how to interpret these figures responsibly.

A Domain-by-Domain Plan Built Around the Score

Because the passing standard is one scaled score applied across the whole scored exam, your study plan should mirror how points are distributed. This is the one place we recommend a structured weekly sequence, and it is tied directly to the content category counts above. If you want fuller study methodology, see our RTT study guide.

Why this order? Procedures dominates the scored content, and its calculation and localization material is the kind that improves with repetition. Patient Care comes last because it leans on clinical experience you are already accumulating. You can test your readiness with timed sets on our RTT practice test site, and keep a condensed reference handy with the RTT cheat sheet.

Use clinical experience as score insurance

The clinical competency requirements are not just an eligibility hurdle; they are a built-in study aid. Candidates complete dose calculations for six treatment plans, six treatment-simulation procedures, five quality-control activities, three accessory devices, and 16 radiation treatment procedures (at least 13 on patients and no more than three simulated). These map directly onto exam content, so revisiting your own competency work is a practical way to reinforce Procedures and Safety material. Program directors or designees verify competency through in-person direct observation; remote or virtual observation is not accepted.

Attempts, Fees, and the Three-Year Clock

The passing score is only part of the picture; you should also understand the attempt limits and costs so a first miss does not catch you off guard.

• Attempts: three examination attempts within three years of the opening of the initial examination window.
• Initial application fee: $225 USD.
• Examination reapplication fee: $200 USD.
• Eligibility basics: an associate degree or higher (any major) from an ARRT-recognized accredited institution, conferred before the exam; completion of an ARRT-verified radiation therapy educational program with its didactic and clinical competencies; and compliance with ethics requirements.

An existing Radiography credential is not a universal prerequisite for this primary pathway. For a full eligibility walkthrough, read our RTT requirements guide, and for a line-by-line fee view see the RTT certification cost breakdown.

After You Pass: Renewal and Continuing Qualifications

Earning a passing score is the start of an ongoing obligation. To maintain certification and registration, you renew annually at $65 (regardless of the number of ARRT credentials you hold), remain in compliance with ethics requirements, and complete 24 approved CE credits per two-year biennium. That CE requirement is per biennium, not per credential.

Credentials earned on or after January 1, 2011 also require Continuing Qualifications Requirements every 10 years: 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 investment pays off, our ROI analysis and salary guide put the credential in career context, and you can explore openings in our RTT jobs overview.

Frequently Asked Questions