RTBD Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

The Headline Number: 66.7% in 2025

If you are searching for the Registered Technologist - Bone Densitometry pass rate, here is the only figure the data supports with confidence: according to the ARRT Annual Exam Report - 2025 (pages 3 and 26), 66.7% of first-time candidates passed the Bone Densitometry examination, out of 303 candidates. That means roughly one in three first-time test-takers did not pass on their first sitting.

This credential is the ARRT postprimary Bone Densitometry (BD) certification. It is not the ISCD CBDT credential and it is not a state-level Bone Densitometry Equipment Operator exam, so pass-rate numbers floating around for those programs do not apply here. When you compare statistics, make sure the certifying body is the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

For a broader look at difficulty beyond one statistic, see our companion guide, How Hard Is the RTBD Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

How to Read the Data Responsibly

A single-year pass rate invites over-interpretation. Here is what the 66.7% does and does not tell you.

What the number does tell you

• The exam is not a formality. A first-time failure rate near one-third means candidates who assume their supporting credential makes this easy are sometimes caught off guard.
• The sample is meaningful. With 303 first-time candidates, the figure is based on a real cohort rather than a handful of test-takers.
• The population is already screened. Everyone sitting for the exam has already held a supporting credential, completed structured education, and documented clinical procedures.

What the number does not tell you

• It does not predict 2026 results. Year-to-year variation, candidate mix, and form changes all matter.
• It does not break down by domain. We cannot say which of the three domains caused failures, so any claim about "the domain people fail most" would be speculation.
• It covers first-time candidates only. Repeat-attempt outcomes are a separate population, and we do not have a published figure for them here.

Our dedicated page, RTBD Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, tracks this topic, and the key discipline is the same everywhere: cite the number, name the year, and refuse to extrapolate.

Why 75 Is Not 75% Correct

One of the most common misunderstandings about this exam involves the passing score. ARRT reports results on a 1-99 scaled-score system, and 75 is the passing scaled score. It does not mean you need to answer 75% of questions correctly.

Scaled scoring exists so that results remain comparable across different versions of the exam. Different forms can vary slightly in difficulty, and the scaling process accounts for that. The practical takeaway: do not try to reverse-engineer a raw number of questions you can afford to miss. Instead, aim for broad mastery, with extra depth in the heaviest content area. For the full explanation, read RTBD Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

The Exam Behind the Statistic

Understanding how the exam is built helps explain why a screened candidate pool still produces a meaningful failure rate.

Two details deserve attention. First, 30 of the 105 questions are unscored pilots, and you cannot tell which ones they are, so every question deserves full effort. Second, the 105 minutes of testing time is distinct from the 125-minute appointment; the extra time covers check-in and administrative steps rather than additional answering time. At roughly one minute per question, pacing is comfortable for prepared candidates but unforgiving for anyone who stalls on calculation-style items.

The exam logistics are drawn from the 2026 Postprimary Eligibility Pathway Handbook. For scheduling specifics, see RTBD Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

Where the Points Live: Three Domains

The official content specifications (board approved July 2021, effective July 1, 2022, applicable through December 31, 2026) organize the exam into three major categories. The published scored-question allocations are below.

Because the specifications publish question counts rather than official percentages, we present counts only. The important structural fact is plain: Procedures is the largest domain by a wide margin, accounting for 38 scored questions, which is more than the other two domains combined (37).

Note that ARRT structured-education boilerplate mentions "Safety," but the education table and the examination blueprint both contain three major categories. Do not treat Safety as a fourth domain; safety content is woven into the three official categories. For a deeper walk-through, see RTBD Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 3 Content Areas.

Pre-Exam Hurdles That Shape the Candidate Pool

The 66.7% rate applies to people who have already cleared substantial gatekeeping. That context matters when you compare this exam to others with open enrollment.

Eligibility and education

• Supporting credential: a current Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, or Radiation Therapy credential. Nuclear Medicine Technology may be held through NMTCB.
• Ethics compliance: ARRT ethics requirements must be satisfied.
• Structured education: 16 approved hours completed within the 24 months before application, with at least one credit in each major category.

Clinical experience

Within the qualifying 24-month window, you must complete 125 mandatory procedures: 25 daily quality-control activities, 50 lumbar-spine scans, and 50 femur scans. On top of that, you must complete at least three elective activity types at their specified repetitions. The electives are activity types, not simply three extra scans, so read the requirements document carefully. Actual scanning must be performed physically onsite.

Full prerequisites are laid out in RTBD Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Attempts, Fees, and the Cost of Failing

A one-in-three first-time miss rate makes the retake rules worth understanding before you apply.

The financial math is straightforward: a failed first attempt means paying the $200 reapplication fee on top of what you already spent, plus the time cost of rescheduling and re-preparing. Because you get three attempts within three years before needing to requalify, a miss is recoverable, but it is also avoidable. For the complete financial picture, see RTBD Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

The 2027 Content Change

If you are planning around timing, there is a version boundary you should know about. The content specifications you will be tested on in 2026 (version 2021.07.28, effective July 1, 2022) apply through December 31, 2026. A replacement specification takes effect January 1, 2027, and it changes both the topic coverage and the scored-question allocations to 19 / 19 / 37 across the three domains.

Practically, this means:

• Study materials for a 2026 sitting should align with the current specification, not the 2027 one.
• If you test in 2027 or later, you need materials built to the new blueprint.
• Do not blend the two versions. The 2027 shift moves weight slightly away from Procedures and toward Patient Care and Image Production, and the topic changes are real, not cosmetic.

This is also a reason not to assume that a 2025 pass rate carries cleanly into 2027. The exam content itself is changing. Check the specifications on the ARRT Bone Densitometry credential page before you commit to a study resource.

Turning the Data Into a Domain-Weighted Plan

The pass-rate data suggests one actionable principle: allocate time in proportion to where the scored questions are, then shore up weak spots. Here is how that looks for a candidate with several weeks of runway, assuming a 2026 sitting under the current specification.

Procedures gets two passes in this layout because it is the largest domain. For a fuller roadmap, see RTBD Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and for last-minute review, RTBD Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts. When you want exam-style repetition, our RTBD practice tests let you drill each domain under realistic conditions.

After You Pass: Renewal and Job Market

Passing is the start of a maintenance cycle, not the end of one. Annual ARRT registration renewal is $65 regardless of how many ARRT credentials you hold. Ordinarily, 24 approved continuing education credits are required per two-year biennium. Credentials earned on or after January 1, 2011 also require Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) every ten years.

On the employment side, bone densitometry technologists typically work in settings such as hospitals, imaging centers, and physician practices that perform osteoporosis screening and monitoring. For what the credential can do for your career and income, explore RTBD Jobs, RTBD Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis, and Is the RTBD Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026. If you are still orienting yourself to the credential itself, start with What Is RTBD Certification?

Frequently Asked Questions