How soon can I retake the NMTCB exam?

After a first or second failure you can apply to retake as soon as two weeks after the date of the failed attempt.

What happens after three failed NMTCB attempts?

You must complete at least 15 contact hours of coursework in each of radiopharmacy, nuclear medicine instrumentation and radiation safety before NMTCB allows three more attempts.

What score do you need to pass the NMTCB exam?

A scaled score of 375, according to NMTCB’s 2025 annual examination report.

What is the NMTCB repeat pass rate?

In 2025, 36.7% of repeat candidates passed, compared with 89.7% of first-time program graduates.

How much does it cost to retake the NMTCB?

You send a written reactivation request with the current processing fee; NMTCB lists the exam processing fee as $200.

NucMed Boards Prep

NMTCB (CNMT) · RETAKING THE EXAM

Didn’t pass the NMTCB? Here’s what to do next

A failed attempt is common and recoverable. These are NMTCB’s retake rules, what your score report tells you, and how to change your preparation so the next attempt goes differently.

Updated November 2026

You are not alone

In NMTCB’s 2025 annual examination report, 115 of 647 attempts did not pass. The number to take seriously is the repeat pass rate: 36.7% of repeat candidates passed, against 89.7% of first-time program graduates. Repeating the same preparation tends to repeat the result, so the plan below starts from what your score report says, not from page one.

Candidates (2025)	Sat	Passed	Pass rate
All examinees	647	532	82.2%
First-time program graduates	553	496	89.7%
Repeat examinees	90	33	36.7%

Source: NMTCB Annual Examination Report 2025.

The retake rules

After	What NMTCB requires
1st or 2nd failed attempt	You can apply again as soon as two weeks after the failure
3rd failed attempt	At least 15 contact hours of coursework in each of radiopharmacy, nuclear medicine instrumentation and radiation safety, from an accredited college or program or NMTCB-recognized CE. This opens three more attempts.
6th failed attempt	Completion of an approved nuclear medicine technology training program

To repeat, send NMTCB a written reactivation request with the current processing fee; the exam processing fee is listed as $200. Once approved you have three months to schedule and test, with a one-time three-month extension available for $100.

Source: NMTCB nuclear medicine exam information. Check the board’s page before you reapply — fees and policies change.

Use your score report

After an unsuccessful attempt NMTCB mails a score report with a ranking of your relative performance by content area. Your official results letter gives a scaled score, and the 2025 annual report states the scaled passing score is 375.

Rank the five content areas from the report and study in that order instead of starting over. If you believe there was a scoring error, manual rescoring costs $50 and must be requested in writing within two months of receiving the official score report.

A four-week retake plan

Week 1: Review the score report and take a timed diagnostic. For every question you miss, write down why: content gap, misread question or changed answer.
Weeks 2–3: Work your two weakest content areas by domain. Read every explanation, including those for questions you got right.
Week 4: Take timed mock exams, repair the gaps they show, and practise committing to an answer. The NMTCB exam is adaptive, so you cannot go back to a question.

Four weeks is a starting point. If your report shows wide gaps, follow the 8-week NMTCB study plan instead, ordered by your weakest areas.

Retaking PET or CT?

The NMTCB PET and CT specialty exams have a different limit: a maximum of two attempts within any 12-month period, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

Common questions

How soon can I retake the NMTCB exam?: After a first or second failure you can apply to retake as soon as two weeks after the date of the failed attempt.
What happens after three failed NMTCB attempts?: You must complete at least 15 contact hours of coursework in each of radiopharmacy, nuclear medicine instrumentation and radiation safety before NMTCB allows three more attempts.
What score do you need to pass the NMTCB exam?: A scaled score of 375, according to NMTCB’s 2025 annual examination report.
What is the NMTCB repeat pass rate?: In 2025, 36.7% of repeat candidates passed, compared with 89.7% of first-time program graduates.
How much does it cost to retake the NMTCB?: You send a written reactivation request with the current processing fee; NMTCB lists the exam processing fee as $200.