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. Which tissue type is considered most radiosensitive according to the law of Bergonié and Tribondeau? → Rapidly dividing stem cells
4. The half-value layer (HVL) of a material is defined as the thickness that reduces beam intensity by what fraction? → One-half
5. What is the purpose of the X-ray machine’s control panel? → To adjust exposure parameters and settings
6. What is the primary purpose of standardized procedures in Patient Positioning? → To ensure consistency, safety, and quality across all practitioners
7. What is the term for the unsharpness created by patient movement during exposure? → Motion unsharpness
8. 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
9. In a lateral elbow projection, correct positioning is confirmed when which structures are superimposed? → Medial and lateral epicondyles
10. Which unit is used to measure the absorbed dose of radiation in tissue? → Gray
11. 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
12. The Sthenic body habitus, which is the most common type, is characterized by: → An average build with the stomach and gallbladder at intermediate positions
13. 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
14. Which of the following would MOST effectively reduce quantum mottle (noise) in a digital radiographic image? → Increasing mAs
15. Using a grid with a higher grid ratio will: → More effectively remove scatter but require increased mAs
16. A radiograph of the hand shows small, round, dense opacities scattered throughout the soft tissues. What is the most likely interpretation? → Soft tissue calcifications
17. Which of the following patient positions places the left side of the body closest to the image receptor? → LPO
18. When using Automatic Exposure Control (AEC), the radiographer still manually selects: → kVp
19. The recommended SID (source-to-image distance) for a routine PA chest X-ray is: → 72 inches (183 cm)
20. A lateral decubitus chest projection is performed with the patient lying on their right side. This view is most useful for detecting: → Free pleural fluid on the right side
21. In digital radiography, exposure index (EI) values are used to: → Indicate the amount of radiation that reached the detector for a given exposure
22. Repeat analysis in a quality control program is performed to: → Identify common causes of repeat exposures and reduce patient dose
23. What unit is commonly used to measure radiation dose received by a person? → Sieverts
24. 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
25. Which exposure factor primarily controls the quality (penetrating power) of the x-ray beam? → kVp
26. 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
27. What is Bremsstrahlung radiation? → X-rays produced when high-speed electrons are slowed and deflected by the atomic nucleus
28. Which of the following contrast agents is water-soluble and preferred when bowel perforation is suspected? → Gastrografin (diatrizoate meglumine)
29. Which approach is most effective for problem-solving in Patient Positioning? → Systematic analysis followed by evidence-based decision making
30. 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