RTLE Radiologic Tech: Annual December Strategy 2026
The RTLE runs once a year in December. Here is how Filipino radiologic and X-ray tech reviewers should plan around the annual cycle, the five subjects and the 60% subject floor.
By Super Tutor Team
RTLE Radiologic Tech: The Once-a-Year PRC Board
Unlike the pharmacy, medtech and midwife boards, which PRC runs twice a year, the Radiologic Technology Licensure Exam (RTLE) is given once a year under RA 7431 — and it has been held in December in 2024, 2025 and 2026. PRC's 2026 schedule sets it for December 10–11, 2026 (filing deadline November 10; results targeted for December 16). About 4,400 examinees sat the December 2025 RadTech exam. Miss this cycle and you wait roughly a year for the next attempt. That single fact reshapes how Filipino radiologic and X-ray tech reviewers should plan. Here's the year-long strategy that respects the schedule reality.
Two Licences, One Exam Schedule
The December sitting actually covers two professional licences:
- Radiologic Technologist — for BS Radiologic Technology graduates
- X-Ray Technologist — for Associate in Radiologic Technology graduates (in 2026 this one is computer-based)
Both exams run on the same December dates. Subject coverage overlaps significantly, but radiologic technologists also have advanced imaging and radiation therapy content. Plan your review around the licence you're qualifying for.
The RadTech Subjects
PRC's programme for the RadTech exam has five subjects over two days, each worth 20% and each a 2.5-hour paper. You pass with a weighted average of 75% and no subject below 60%.
1. Radiologic Physics, Equipment, Radiobiology and Protection
- X-ray production (kVp, mAs, focal spot)
- Radiation interactions with matter (photoelectric, Compton)
- Equipment and detector technology (film, CR, DR)
- ALARA; time, distance, shielding; dosimetry and dose limits
2. Image Production and Evaluation
- Film and digital processing
- Image quality (contrast, density, sharpness, distortion)
- Quality control of equipment
3. Radiographic Positioning and Radiologic Procedures
- Standard projections per body part
- Patient positioning techniques
- Technical factors (kVp, mAs, SID, grids)
- Special procedures (contrast studies)
4. Patient Care and Management
- Anatomy and medical terminology
- Radiologic pathology — common imaging appearances
- Ethics and jurisprudence, including RA 7431 (Radiologic Technology Act)
5. Radiological Sciences
- Ultrasound, CT and MRI
- Interventional procedures, pharmacology and venipuncture
- Nuclear medicine and radiation therapy
The 8-Month Plan
For graduates aiming at a December sitting, here's a realistic ramp starting around April:
Months 1–2 (Foundation)
Cover the breadth — physics fundamentals, basic anatomy, positioning basics. Daily 45-min blocks. Don't rush; you have time. Focus on understanding, not cramming.
Months 3–4 (Subject Focus)
Pick your weakest subject (often physics for clinical-track graduates). Spend 4–6 weeks deep-diving. Build flashcards. Run weekly section-level practice sets.
Months 5–6 (Procedures and Positioning)
Positioning and procedures is a big, detail-heavy subject. Drill systematically by body part: skull, spine, chest, abdomen, extremities. Use anatomy-paired practice.
Final 2 Months (Mocks and Recall)
Full-length practice exams every weekend. Weekly subject rotations. Final 2 weeks: 2 practice exams per week. Last week: rest and light recall.
Why the Annual Cycle Reshapes Strategy
Lower Retake Tolerance
Twice-a-year exams (PhLE, MTLE, MLE) let underprepared reviewers retake within about 6 months. RTLE retakers wait roughly a year. That makes first-attempt success more financially and emotionally important. Over-prepare rather than under.
Longer Decay Windows
If you graduated in March/April and the exam is December, that's 8 months of potential knowledge decay. Active review through the entire window matters — don't 'rest' for 4 months and start cramming in August.
Single Cohort Effect
All examinees prep on the same December timeline, so many review programmes are timed around it. Book early if you're using a classroom programme.
Physics Is Where Many Reviewers Struggle
The physics subject is the most quantitative content on the RTLE — kVp/mAs relationships, exposure factors, inverse square law, beam attenuation — and many clinical-track graduates haven't done physics math since first year. With a 60% floor on every subject, a weak physics score can fail you on its own. Spend extra time here. If your physics is shaky, get a primer reviewer specifically for it. Don't try to absorb it from a general radiologic tech reviewer.
Patient Positioning Drilling
A detail-heavy subject. The pattern that works: drill by body region, one region per week.
- Week 1: Chest and abdomen
- Week 2: Upper extremity
- Week 3: Lower extremity
- Week 4: Skull and facial bones
- Week 5: Vertebral column
- Week 6: Mixed practice sets
For each projection, know: patient position, central ray angle, IR placement, technical factors, and what's demonstrated. That's the complete answer the board exam wants.
Radiation Safety Items Are Free Points
Radiation protection sits inside the physics subject, and it's very learnable. ALARA, dose limits (occupational vs public), shielding calculations, time-distance-shielding tradeoffs. Memorise the dose limits in mSv per year — those are direct recall items.
How RTLE Compares to Other Allied Health Boards
RTLE has the most physics and the strictest subject floor of the four (60%, against 50% for PhLE, MTLE and the midwife exam). PhLE and MTLE each have six subjects; RadTech and the midwife exam have five. Recent national pass rates: MTLE 74.62% (August 2026), RadTech 59.49% (December 2025), PhLE 57.26% (April 2026), midwives 42.42% (April 2026). RTLE penalises planning errors most heavily because of the annual cycle. See our allied health licensure comparison for the full breakdown.
Pacing on Exam Day
RTLE has computational items in physics and faster recall items in ethics, jurisprudence and radiation safety, with procedures items in between. PRC doesn't publish item counts, so check your pace at the halfway mark of each 2.5-hour paper. Two-day exam = energy management matters as much as item-level pacing.
Check the Official Dates
Confirm cycle dates, the filing deadline and the exam programme with the PRC.
FAQ
When is the next RTLE?
PRC's 2026 schedule sets the Radiologic and X-Ray Technologist exams for December 10–11, 2026, with a November 10 filing deadline. RA 7431 says the exam is given once a year; the 2027 date is expected around December 2027 but not yet announced.
How long should I prep for RTLE?
6–9 months of structured review for first-attempt takers. Working radiologic techs reviewing for advanced competence may need less; recent graduates need the full window.
Is the X-ray tech track easier?
Smaller content scope. Same difficulty per topic. Don't underestimate it.
What's a common reason RTLE reviewers fail?
Underestimating physics. The math is quantitative, clinical-track graduates often haven't refreshed the underlying physics in years, and every subject has a 60% floor.
See Also
Sources
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