GXMO Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield GXMO facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the primary purpose of standardized procedures in Image Quality? → To ensure consistency, safety, and quality across all practitioners
2. For a PA chest X-ray, the patient's hands should be placed: → On the hips with elbows rotated forward
3. What is the purpose of the X-ray machine’s control panel? → To adjust exposure parameters and settings
4. What is the primary purpose of standardized procedures in Patient Positioning? → To ensure consistency, safety, and quality across all practitioners
5. What is the term for the unsharpness created by patient movement during exposure? → Motion unsharpness
6. Which type of grid is designed to be used at a specific SID range and will produce grid cutoff if used outside that range? → Focused grid
7. In a lateral elbow projection, correct positioning is confirmed when which structures are superimposed? → Medial and lateral epicondyles
8. What should be done if a patient is unable to lie flat on the examination table for an X-ray? → Use a portable X-ray machine if available
9. When reviewing an image for diagnostic quality, which criterion confirms adequate penetration on a lateral thoracic spine radiograph? → Intervertebral disc spaces are visible through the superimposed shoulders
10. Which of the following would MOST effectively reduce quantum mottle (noise) in a digital radiographic image? → Increasing mAs
11. A radiograph of the hand shows small, round, dense opacities scattered throughout the soft tissues. What is the most likely interpretation? → Soft tissue calcifications
12. The recommended SID (source-to-image distance) for a routine PA chest X-ray is: → 72 inches (183 cm)
13. In digital radiography, exposure index (EI) values are used to: → Indicate the amount of radiation that reached the detector for a given exposure
14. Repeat analysis in a quality control program is performed to: → Identify common causes of repeat exposures and reduce patient dose
15. What unit is commonly used to measure radiation dose received by a person? → Sieverts
16. Which artifact appears as a grid-like pattern overlaid on the radiographic image when the grid is not properly aligned with the X-ray beam? → Moiré pattern
17. Which exposure factor primarily controls the quality (penetrating power) of the x-ray beam? → kVp
18. What should be done if an X-ray image shows inadequate detail or blurring? → Check and adjust the patient’s positioning and ensure they remain still
19. Which approach is most effective for problem-solving in Patient Positioning? → Systematic analysis followed by evidence-based decision making
20. What is the primary effect of increasing the kVp (kilovoltage peak) setting on an X-ray image? → Decreases the contrast and increases the penetration of the X-ray beam
21. What does "quantum mottle" in an X-ray image indicate? → An uneven distribution of X-ray photons reaching the detector
22. What is the main disadvantage of using a very high grid ratio (e.g., 16:1) compared to a lower ratio (e.g., 8:1)? → It requires significantly more patient dose to maintain adequate image density
23. What does a step-wedge (penetrometer) image primarily evaluate? → The exposure latitude and contrast scale of the imaging system
24. What is the recommended position for an X-ray of the abdomen to ensure proper imaging? → Supine position with the arms at the sides
25. The Waters projection is most commonly used to evaluate which anatomical structures? → Maxillary sinuses and orbital floors
26. The trachea bifurcates into the right and left mainstem bronchi at a structure called the: → Carina
27. Which bone forms the posterior portion of the hard palate and is demonstrated on a Waters (parietoacanthial) projection? → Palatine bone
28. Processor quality control temperature for the developer in a film processor should typically be maintained at approximately: → 95°F (35°C)
29. For a lateral wrist projection, the wrist is positioned so that the ulna and radius are: → Superimposed
30. A sensitometer is used in radiographic quality control to: → Expose film/CR plates to a standardized series of light steps for processing evaluation