Limited Scope Exam Passing Scores by State (and What's Known About Pass Rates)
Every state that licenses limited X-ray operators sets its own pass mark. Here's what each state publishes, how states apply it to the core and modules, and what's actually known about pass rates.
Updated November 7, 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the ARRT.
There's no single limited scope passing score
The ARRT writes and delivers the Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography exam, but it does so for state licensing agencies, and each state decides what score it accepts. Of the 31 states in our research that test limited operators, 18 publish a percentage, ranging from 65% to 75%. The rest say the board sets it, or we couldn't find a number on an official page.
How the mark is applied matters as much as the number. Most states require it on the core and on each module separately. Texas, for example, says all sections must be passed at 75%. A few states do it differently:
- Colorado requires 75% on the core and an average of 75% across its four modules.
- Nebraska requires 70 on the core and at least 65% on each section for the license you're seeking.
- Illinois sets 65% for any combination of exam sections.
- Arkansas uses a scaled score of 70, set by the State Board of Health.
- Arizona sets 67% for the CPTR in rule (one school handout cites 68%), and 70% for its podiatry and bone densitometry certificates.
Passing scores by state
The table lists every state with a limited scope exam in our research, the credential, the exam and the pass mark as the state states it. Rows we couldn't fully confirm on an official page are marked; check those with your state board.
| State | Credential | Exam | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Certified Practical Technologist in Radiology (CPTR) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 67% (Arizona rule R9-16-603); 70% for the podiatry and bone densitometry certificatesCheck with your state board |
| Arkansas | Limited Licensed Technologist | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70 (scaled), set by the Arkansas State Board of Health |
| California | Limited Permit X-Ray Technician | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Colorado | Limited Scope Operator (LSO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 75% on Core, and an average of 75% across the four procedure modules |
| Delaware | Medical Radiation Technician, Limited Scope | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Florida | Basic X-Ray Machine Operator (BXMO and BXMO-PM) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 65% per Rule 64E-3.005 (last amended 1998; may be outdated)Check with your state board |
| Illinois | Limited Diagnostic Radiographer | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 65% for any combination of exam sections |
| Indiana | Chest, Podiatric or Chiropractic Radiographer | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Iowa | Limited Radiologic Technologist (LRT) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70% on the ARRT core and 70% on each category |
| Kentucky | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Louisiana | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Maine | Limited Radiographer | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Maryland | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | At least 75% on each module (Core, Chest, Spine and Extremities) |
| Massachusetts | Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Set by the Commonwealth; no number published. We prep you to 75% on every section |
| Minnesota | Limited Scope X-Ray Operator (LSXO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70% on Core and on each procedure module |
| Montana | Limited Permit Holder | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70% on the ARRT core, each module and the state combined exam |
| Nebraska | Limited Radiographer | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70 on the Core and at least 65% on each section for the license you're seeking |
| Nevada | Limited License (Radiologic Imaging) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every section |
| New Hampshire | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| New Jersey | Limited Radiologic Technologist (Chest, Orthopedic, Podiatric or Urologic) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 75%Check with your state board |
| New Mexico | Limited Practice Radiographer (LPR) | State exam | 75% on the core and on each body-area section you attemptCheck with your state board |
| North Dakota | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Not published; we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Ohio | General X-Ray Machine Operator (GXMO) | State exam | Set by the ODH director (not published in rule); we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Oregon | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70% on each section (Core and each module) |
| Pennsylvania | Auxiliary Personnel, Limited Radiography | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 70 or higher, as determined by ARRT (49 Pa. Code 18.202)Check with your state board |
| Tennessee | Limited Radiologic Imaging Professional | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 65% of all questions under the older rule (last amended 2007); not confirmed under the current rulesCheck with your state board |
| Texas | Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist (LMRT) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 75% on the core and on each module |
| Utah | Radiology Practical Technician (RPT) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 75% (Core and each module) |
| Virginia | Radiologic Technologist-Limited (RT-L) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | As determined by the board (18VAC85-101-60); no number published. We prep you to 75% on every section |
| Wisconsin | Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | Set by the board (no numeric cut in rule); we prep you to 75% on every sectionCheck with your state board |
| Wyoming | Radiologic Technician (Restricted License) | ARRT Limited Scope exam | 75% on Core and 75% on each body-area exam; 6-month wait after a failure |
States with no limited license exam (such as Alabama, Georgia, New York and Washington) aren't listed; see all states.
What about pass rates?
We haven't found a published national pass rate for the limited scope exam, and we won't make one up. Because each state sets its own cut score and module mix, a single national figure wouldn't mean much anyway: passing the core plus one module at 65% isn't the same test as passing the core plus four modules at 75%.
The one public source we know of is California. Its Department of Public Health publishes a pass-rate report for California X-ray schools, which labels the exams the Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography Examination. If you're choosing a limited program in California, it's worth reading. Elsewhere, ask the programs you're considering for their students' first-attempt results, and ask your state board whether it publishes any.
What the pass mark means for how you study
- Your weakest section decides. Where every section must pass on its own, a 90% core won't rescue a 60% spine module. Track each section separately.
- Aim above the line. A practice score that just clears the pass mark leaves no margin for test-day nerves or unfamiliar questions. We coach every student to 75% on every section, whatever their state publishes.
- Know your retake rules. Colorado allows three attempts within 2 years and you retake only failed sections; Wyoming has a 6-month wait after a failure; Texas requires 60 hours of remedial work after 3 attempts; Wisconsin allows 3 attempts in 12 months. Check your state's page.
For the exam's structure, read what's on the ARRT Limited Scope exam; to plan your prep, use the 6-week study plan.
Prep for your state's limited scope exam
Pick your state and Limited X-Ray Prep matches your practice questions, micro lessons and timed mock exams to its modules and pass mark. Free to start, no card needed.
Questions
What is the passing score for the ARRT Limited Scope exam?
There isn't one national passing score. Each state sets its own. Among states that publish one, pass marks range from 65% to 75%, and most apply the mark to the core and each module separately.
What is the pass rate for the limited scope exam?
We haven't found a published national pass rate. California's Department of Public Health publishes a pass-rate report for California X-ray schools, which is the best source we know of for that state; for other states, ask your program or state board.
If I pass the core but fail a module, do I retake everything?
Usually not. Several states let you retake only the sections you failed; Colorado, for example, uses your highest section scores. Check your state's retake rules.