For ARRT Radiography candidates

The ARRT Radiography exam changes on March 1, 2027. Here is what is different.

ARRT announced the updated Radiography Content Specifications on May 1, 2026. The 2027 version takes effect March 1, 2027. Below is a plain-English summary of ARRT's overview of major changes, by section. The outline itself has the full list.

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We map our content to the official ARRT specifications. Only some parts of the app switch by date, and none by your exam date, so check which version applies to you.

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Mar 1 2027 effective date

2027 Content Specifications

4 content categories changed

CR removed entirely

Testing before 1 March 2027? The 2022 content specification still applies to you. The changes below describe the 2027 version. See which parts of the app follow which version.

The passing standard also changes on March 1, 2027 (note dated November 1, 2026). ARRT announced on August 27, 2026 that an updated standard applies to all candidates testing on or after that date. ARRT's Standard Setting Report compares the two standards on one study form: about 129 of 200 items for the current standard, 130 of 200 for the new one. ARRT says raw scores change between exam forms because forms differ in difficulty, so neither number is a score to aim for. ARRT staff expect a first-time pass rate around 83%, against a current operational pass rate of 84%, and ARRT says the purpose isn't to raise or lower pass rates. The report doesn't call the 84% a first-time rate, and it differs from the 85.8% first-time rate in ARRT's 2025 report. The report and news item don't say whether the scaled passing score of 75 changes, so ask ARRT if you test after that date.

What changed in the ARRT 2027 Radiography specifications

Grouped by ARRT section. From ARRT's overview of major changes, May 1, 2026, checked against the 2027 documents. Scored questions by category: Patient Care 33 to 31, Safety 50 to 46, Image Production 51, Procedures 66 to 72. Effective March 1, 2027.

Image Production

All content on computed radiography (CR) is removed.
Virtual grids are added. Compensating filters are removed.
Image contrast and subject contrast are added to the factors affecting radiographic quality.
Security and confidentiality and teleradiology are added to the informatics section. ARRT's notice says "teleradiography", and the 2027 outline says "teleradiology".

Procedures

Myelography adds lumbar puncture and epidural injections.
Arthrography adds joint injections and aspirations.
ARRT's notice says foreign body (airway or ingested), line placement with a C-arm, and nasogastric/enteric and orogastric/enteric tube placement were added to the thorax section. The 2027 outline lists foreign body (airway or ingested) and line placement under Thorax, but it lists tube placement under Abdomen and GI Studies, along with foreign body, ingested. Study the topics either way, and use the outline to find where each one sits.
GU studies remove intravenous urography. Retrograde urography stays on the 2027 outline.
Attachment A drops some less common positions and projections and adds more common ones. Attachment B is removed.

Safety

The term morbid obesity is replaced with body habitus to cover all body types.
Pregnancy and resources such as Image Wisely and Image Gently are added to minimizing patient exposure and repeats.
Image receptors change to digital detectors (for example DQE and exposure latitude).

Patient Care

Patient scheduling is added to interpersonal communications.
IV supplies are added to the disposal of contaminated materials.

Clinical Competency Requirements

CPR/BLS certified changes to BLS or ACLS certified.
Vital signs temperature and venipuncture are removed, so mandatory general patient care procedures go from 10 to 8.
Mandatory imaging procedures go from 36 to 35. Elective imaging procedures go from 15 to 17. Ten simulations are still allowed.
Thoracolumbar spine and nasogastric/enteric or orogastric/enteric tube placement are added as electives. Intravenous urography is removed.
All pediatric patient procedures (age 6 or younger) are elective and may not be simulated.
The date rule differs from the exam: candidates who complete their program during 2027 or 2028 may use either the 2022 or the 2027 requirements. Candidates who complete it after February 28, 2029 must use the 2027 requirements.

Source: ARRT, Updated Radiography Documents (May 1, 2026), effective March 1, 2027. Summary as of November 1, 2026. Always confirm against the official ARRT Content Specifications for your exam date.

How Radtechprepper keeps you current

Built from the official specs

Our 28 chapters and question bank map to the ARRT Content Specifications, not a years-old print edition that ages between revisions.

Work done for 2027 so far

Mock quotas, tags on 80 questions that leave generated mocks and trap drills on 1 March 2027, and labels in the study guide. Flashcards are not updated for 2027 yet. There is no new book to buy and no companion code to renew.

Which version you see

Nothing here follows your exam date. By calendar: generated mocks and trap drills use the 2022 content specification today, and the 2027 content specification from 1 March 2027. Not by date: the free sample exam already uses the 2027 split. The study guide is one text that marks items leaving the exam as "2022 outline only". Category drills and flashcards have no date switch, so they keep showing content ARRT removes, such as computed radiography and intravenous urography, until we change them.

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ARRT 2027 changes: frequently asked questions

When do the ARRT 2027 Radiography changes take effect?

The ARRT 2027 Radiography Content Specifications take effect March 1, 2027. ARRT announced the updated documents on May 1, 2026. If your exam date is before March 1, 2027, the current specification still applies.

What are the biggest changes in the 2027 ARRT Radiography specs?

ARRT does not rank its changes. By scored questions, Procedures goes from 66 to 72, Safety from 50 to 46, Patient Care from 33 to 31, and Image Production stays at 51. In content, all computed radiography (CR) is removed, virtual grids are added, compensating filters are removed, and myelography, arthrography, and thorax gain new topics.

Which content specifications apply to my exam?

The version in effect on your exam date. Candidates testing before 1 March 2027 are examined on the 2022 content specification. Candidates testing on or after it are examined on the 2027 content specification. The competency requirements follow a different rule, based on when you complete your program.

Is Radtechprepper updated for the 2027 ARRT specifications?

In part. Generated mocks and trap drills follow the calendar, not your exam date: the 2022 content specification today and the 2027 content specification from 1 March 2027. The free sample exam already uses the 2027 split. The study guide is one text that marks items leaving the exam. Category drills and flashcards do not switch by date, so they can still show content ARRT removes, such as computed radiography. If you study before the change and test after it, use the list on this page and ARRT's 2027 outline alongside the app.

Does the passing standard change too?

Yes. ARRT announced on August 27, 2026 that an updated passing standard applies to all candidates testing on or after March 1, 2027. ARRT says raw scores change between exam forms, so no raw number is a score to aim for. Its report and news item do not say whether the scaled passing score of 75 changes, so ask ARRT if you test after that date.

Where can I read the official ARRT 2027 Radiography specifications?

ARRT publishes the Radiography Content Specifications on its Examination Content Specifications page at arrt.org. The 2027 document is the Radiography Content Specifications 2027, effective March 1, 2027.