- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- Exam Facts at a Glance
- Registration and Test-Day Mechanics
- The Six Domains and Their Published Counts
- Domain-by-Domain Must-Knows
- The Training-Hours Conflict You Must Resolve First
- QAP Supervision, RMS, and ARL Roles
- Application Routes and Fees
- Renewal and Continuing Education Rules
- A Domain-Ordered Review Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The NRSB Radon Measurement Technician exam has 75 single-best-answer questions, 90 minutes, and a 70% passing score.
- Registration costs USD 120, is nonrefundable, and requires a personal desktop or laptop, not a work computer or mobile device.
- Performance of Tests carries the largest published subject count (36), followed by Report of Findings (16).
- Training hours conflict across NRSB sources (8 versus 16); confirm course acceptance with NRSB before enrolling.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page condenses the facts a candidate needs to hold in their head before sitting for the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) Radon Measurement Technician exam. "RMT" here means Radon Measurement Technician and nothing else. It is not the NRPP measurement credential, it is not a state-specific technician exam, and it has no connection to the massage-therapy credential that shares the acronym. If you want the foundational definition first, start with What Is RMT? or What Does RMT Stand For?.
The facts below come from NRSB's own materials, principally the NRSB Certification Exams Study Guide (cover dated March 2026, running footer April 2026 v1.1), the digital exam information page, the initial application form, and the NRSB fee list. Where those sources disagree, this sheet says so rather than picking a winner.
Exam Facts at a Glance
| Item | What NRSB Publishes |
|---|---|
| Issuer | National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) |
| Question count | 75 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Exam fee | USD 120, nonrefundable |
| Delivery | Prolydian online delivery with a live virtual proctor and linked Proctor360 system requirements |
| Retake wait | You may register again after 14 days |
| Result validity | A passing result remains valid for certification application for one year |
Two practical notes. First, "single-best-answer" means several options may look plausible and you must pick the most defensible one, which rewards precise knowledge of measurement protocol over vague familiarity. Second, a legacy NRSB course page (revised July 1, 2001) uses closed-book wording and a 53-of-75 passing criterion. Treat that as historical. The current exam-delivery rules and the live 70% passing-score statement are what govern your attempt. For a deeper look at scoring, see RMT Passing Score 2026.
Registration and Test-Day Mechanics
Candidates lose points before the first question appears more often than they expect, usually through avoidable logistics problems. The rules that matter:
- Device: You need a personal desktop or laptop. A work computer or a mobile device is not acceptable.
- System check: The Proctor360 system requirements are linked from the exam logistics page; run the check well before your appointment.
- Permitted materials: One sheet of scrap paper and a pen or pencil, plus the on-screen calculator, formula sheet, and digital notepad.
- Scheduling lock: Appointments cannot be cancelled or changed within 24 hours of the start time.
- Fee: USD 120, nonrefundable, so a missed appointment is a full loss.
- Retakes: After a failed attempt you can register again after 14 days, which is a fresh fee.
For testing windows and scheduling strategy, see RMT Exam Dates 2026. For the full fee picture beyond the exam itself, see RMT Certification Cost 2026.
The Six Domains and Their Published Counts
The study guide's printed page 3 lists six subject areas with published counts. These counts reproduce NRSB's official RMT exam subject-area table. They are not percentage weights, and they are not an unscored-item breakdown.
| Domain | Published Count |
|---|---|
| Domain 1: Problem Evaluation | 5 |
| Domain 2: Performance of Tests | 36 |
| Domain 3: Analysis of Measurements | 8 |
| Domain 4: Interpretation of Results | 10 |
| Domain 5: Report of Findings | 16 |
| Domain 6: Professional Standards of Conduct and Ethics | 2 |
The counts total 77 classifications across 75 questions. The extra two exist because some questions cover more than one subject. That is why you should not divide 36 by 75 and call the result a percentage. The takeaway is directional: Performance of Tests dominates, and Report of Findings is a clear second. Together they account for more than two thirds of the listed classifications.
One caution on a common mistake. The guide also includes a separate ten-part course-provider syllabus on pages 3 to 6. Those are unweighted preparation topics. They do not establish exhaustive exam coverage, and they do not create an official ten-domain exam. When you plan study time, anchor to the six domains above. The full breakdown is in RMT Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.
Domain-by-Domain Must-Knows
Domain 1: Problem Evaluation
The smallest-count domain on paper, but it frames everything that follows. Expect scenario-style questions about what a client is actually asking for and whether a measurement approach fits the situation.
- Identify the purpose of the measurement before selecting a method
- Recognize when a situation calls for something outside a technician's scope
- Understand how building conditions affect what you can reasonably conclude
Domain 2: Performance of Tests
The heart of the exam, with the largest published count at 36. This is where an RMT's day-to-day work lives: placing and retrieving devices under an active quality-assurance program.
- Device placement and retrieval procedures, including location selection and documentation
- Conditions that compromise a test and how to recognize and record them
- Quality-assurance steps that accompany field work, supervised by an RMS or ARL
- Chain-of-custody and handling details that protect result integrity
Domain 3: Analysis of Measurements
Count of 8. Here the formula sheet and calculator earn their place. Questions test whether you can work with measurement data and understand what the numbers do and do not support.
- Applying the provided formulas to given values
- Understanding how analysis is performed by an RMS or Accredited Radon Laboratory (ARL)
- Recognizing that a technician's role does not include RMS analysis authority
Domain 4: Interpretation of Results
Count of 10. These questions ask what a result means in context and what follow-up is appropriate, which makes careful reading essential on single-best-answer items.
- Relating measurement outcomes to recommended next steps
- Distinguishing a sound conclusion from an overreach
- Understanding limitations of a single result
Domain 5: Report of Findings
Count of 16, the second-largest. Reporting is where technical work becomes a client deliverable, so completeness and accuracy matter.
- What a report must contain and how information is presented
- Accurate documentation of conditions, device details, and results
- Who is authorized to sign reports, and what the technician's role is
Domain 6: Professional Standards of Conduct and Ethics
Count of 2, but do not dismiss it. The application itself requires a signed ethics agreement, so the exam's ethics content echoes real obligations you will carry as a certified professional.
- Honesty in representing qualifications and scope
- Acting within the limits of your certification
- Responsibilities to clients and to the integrity of measurement data
The Training-Hours Conflict You Must Resolve First
This is the single most important logistics trap for new candidates. NRSB's own materials disagree about how much initial measurement training is required:
| Source | Stated Training Requirement |
|---|---|
| Current NRSB homepage and Types of Certifications page | 8 hours |
| April 2026 study guide, printed page 2 | 16 hours |
Key Takeaway
Neither threshold is presented as uncontested. Before you pay for any course, confirm with NRSB that the specific course you are considering will be accepted for the technician application. A passing exam score does not rescue an application that lacks approved initial measurement training.
For the broader picture of what qualifies a candidate, read RMT Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify and RMT Training.
QAP Supervision, RMS, and ARL Roles
Questions in Performance of Tests and Report of Findings often hinge on who is allowed to do what. Keep the role boundaries clear:
- RMT: Places and retrieves devices under an active quality-assurance program (QAP) supervised by an RMS or ARL.
- RMS or ARL: Performs analysis and signs reports. The application requires you to identify which RMS or Accredited Radon Laboratory is performing that analysis and report signing.
- Self-provided services exception: The guide permits QAP oversight for self-provided measurement services only. It does not extend to other measurement, laboratory, or chamber services. The initial application still requires an RMS-designed QA plan.
Application Routes and Fees
Standard route
The standard entry path requires approved initial measurement training, a passing exam result, a signed application and ethics agreement, affiliation with an NRSB-registered business, approved device details, and identification of the RMS or ARL performing analysis and report signing. The application also requires an RMS-designed QA plan. Because a passing result stays valid for certification application for one year, avoid taking the exam until the rest of your package is realistically within reach.
Alternate route
Candidates holding a current state radon license or an NRPP certificate may use an alternate application route. It accepts that credential plus CE certificates from the current renewal period in place of the initial course and exam. Other application requirements remain, and this is not automatic reciprocity. Do not assume your existing credential transfers without paperwork.
Certification fees
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | USD 120 (nonrefundable) |
| Initial certification or renewal, one year | USD 125 |
| Initial certification or renewal, two years | USD 200 |
The certification fee is separate from both examination and training costs. For a full budget view, see RMT Certification Cost 2026, and for return-on-investment thinking, Is the RMT Certification Worth It? and RMT Salary Guide 2026.
Renewal and Continuing Education Rules
- Standard requirement: 4 approved CE credits annually.
- Long-tenure reduction: After at least 10 years of NRSB certification, the requirement drops to 2 credits annually.
- Category II cap: Category II credits cannot exceed 50% of the requirement.
Plan CE early in each cycle rather than at the end, since the Category II cap means you cannot fill the entire requirement with that category alone. If you are weighing the career side of certification, RMT Jobs covers where technicians typically work, and since the application requires affiliation with an NRSB-registered business, hiring relationships matter even before you apply.
A Domain-Ordered Review Sequence
Because published counts are heavily skewed, review time should be too. This is the only generic-methodology section in this sheet, and it is tied directly to the domain counts. For a fuller method, see RMT Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Performance of Tests, Part One
- Device placement, retrieval, and documentation procedures
- Conditions that compromise a test
Performance of Tests, Part Two and QAP Roles
- Quality-assurance steps and RMS or ARL supervision boundaries
- Timed practice on scenario questions
Report of Findings and Analysis of Measurements
- Report contents, signing authority, and technician scope
- Formula-sheet and on-screen calculator drills
Interpretation, Problem Evaluation, Ethics, and Full Mock
- Interpretation scenarios and scope-of-work judgment calls
- Ethics agreement obligations
- One full 75-question, 90-minute timed run on the practice test platform
Understanding the difficulty profile can also help calibrate effort; see How Hard Is the RMT Exam? and RMT Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows. Remember that a study-guide version label such as v1.1 does not by itself prove a separately released 2026 exam form, so rely on the guide as your scope reference rather than assuming hidden revisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 75 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit. The passing score is 70%.
No. The exam requires a personal desktop or laptop. A work computer or mobile device is not permitted. Delivery runs through Prolydian with a live virtual proctor and linked Proctor360 system requirements.
You may use one sheet of scrap paper and a pen or pencil, along with the on-screen calculator, formula sheet, and digital notepad. Older NRSB pages describing closed-book rules are legacy wording and should not replace the current delivery rules.
NRSB sources conflict. The homepage and Types of Certifications page state 8 hours, while the April 2026 study guide states 16 hours. Confirm course acceptance with NRSB before enrolling, since neither figure is presented as uncontested.
You may register again after 14 days, paying the USD 120 fee again. Appointments cannot be cancelled or changed within 24 hours of the scheduled time, so plan your retake date carefully.
An alternate application route accepts a current state radon license or NRPP certificate plus CE certificates from the current renewal period in place of the initial course and exam. Other application requirements still apply, and it is not automatic reciprocity.