NUCLEAR MEDICINE BOARD REVIEW EXAM TEST BANK 2026/2027 HIGH
YIELD PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE ACCURATE
EXAM
1. A patient is scheduled for a nuclear medicine study using a
radiopharmaceutical that emits gamma photons suitable for external
detection. Which physical characteristic of the radionuclide is most
important for producing useful planar scintigraphic images while limiting
unnecessary patient radiation exposure?
A. A very long physical half-life with predominantly alpha emission
B. A suitable gamma-photon energy with a practical physical half-life
C. Continuous beta-minus emission with no detectable photons
D. Extremely high linear energy transfer within soft tissue
Answer: B
2. During a nuclear medicine examination, a technologist explains that the
administered radiopharmaceutical must reach the target tissue, emit
radiation, and allow the detector to record the emitted photons. Which
term describes the radioactive substance administered for diagnostic
imaging?
A. Radiopharmaceutical
B. Collimator
C. Photomultiplier tube
D. Scintillation crystal
Answer: A
3. A radionuclide has a physical half-life of 6 hours. If a patient initially receives
80 mCi and no biological elimination occurs, approximately how much
activity remains after 18 hours?
A. 20 mCi
B. 5 mCi
C. 10 mCi
D. 40 mCi
Answer: C
pg. 1
, 4. A nuclear medicine department is selecting a radionuclide for routine SPECT
imaging. Which characteristic makes technetium-99m particularly useful for
diagnostic nuclear medicine?
A. It emits high-energy alpha particles
B. It has an approximately 6-hour physical half-life and a useful gamma
photon
C. It has a physical half-life measured in decades
D. It emits only positrons without accompanying detectable photons
Answer: B
5. A technologist receives a vial containing a radioactive material and must
determine the amount of activity before administration. Which instrument
is routinely used to measure the activity of radiopharmaceutical doses?
A. Dose calibrator
B. Survey meter
C. Well counter only
D. Gamma camera collimator
Answer: A
6. A dose calibrator displays activity based on ionization produced by radiation
within its chamber. Which detector principle is primarily used by a
radionuclide dose calibrator?
A. Photomultiplier amplification of scintillation light
B. Semiconductor fluorescence
C. Ionization chamber measurement
D. Geiger-Mueller proportional amplification only
Answer: C
7. A technologist is preparing a Tc-99m radiopharmaceutical from a generator
eluate. Which radionuclide is the parent of Tc-99m in a standard Mo-99/Tc-
99m generator?
A. I-131
B. Mo-99
C. F-18
pg. 2
, D. Xe-133
Answer: B
8. A patient receives Tc-99m MDP for a bone scan. The radiopharmaceutical
localizes preferentially in areas of increased osteoblastic activity and blood
flow. Which type of imaging study is being performed?
A. Hepatobiliary imaging
B. Renal cortical imaging
C. Skeletal scintigraphy
D. Pulmonary ventilation imaging
Answer: C
9. A patient undergoes a myocardial perfusion SPECT study with Tc-99m
sestamibi. Which physiologic property contributes to myocardial uptake of
this tracer?
A. Passive trapping based primarily on mitochondrial membrane potential
B. Exclusive filtration through renal glomeruli
C. Specific binding to thyroid colloid
D. Direct incorporation into bone mineral
Answer: A
10. A patient undergoing a thyroid scan receives a tracer that behaves similarly
to iodide and is concentrated by thyroid follicular cells. Which physiologic
mechanism is primarily responsible for this uptake?
A. Glomerular filtration
B. Sodium-iodide symporter-mediated transport
C. Hepatic conjugation
D. Pulmonary gas exchange
Answer: B
11. A nuclear medicine camera detects gamma photons emitted from a patient.
Which component is responsible for restricting the direction of incoming
photons before they reach the scintillation crystal?
A. Photomultiplier tube
B. Collimator
pg. 3
, C. Pulse-height analyzer
D. Positioning circuit
Answer: B
12. A technologist changes from a low-energy high-resolution collimator to a
low-energy high-sensitivity collimator. What is the expected imaging effect?
A. Improved sensitivity with some loss of spatial resolution
B. Improved spatial resolution with complete loss of sensitivity
C. Elimination of scatter
D. Elimination of attenuation
Answer: A
13. A patient is undergoing imaging with Tc-99m, whose principal gamma
emission is approximately 140 keV. Which collimator is generally
appropriate for routine planar and SPECT imaging with this radionuclide?
A. High-energy collimator
B. Medium-energy collimator only
C. Low-energy collimator
D. Pinhole collimator in every circumstance
Answer: C
14. A gamma camera uses a sodium iodide crystal activated with thallium.
What is the primary function of the scintillation crystal?
A. Convert gamma-ray energy into visible light
B. Produce the patient's radiopharmaceutical
C. Collimate the emitted photons
D. Calculate the patient's administered dose
Answer: A
15. Light generated in a gamma-camera scintillation crystal reaches an array of
photomultiplier tubes. What is the primary role of these tubes?
A. Absorb scattered photons before they reach the crystal
B. Convert light into electrical signals and amplify them
C. Produce gamma photons from electrons
pg. 4
YIELD PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND STUDY GUIDE COMPLETE ACCURATE
EXAM
1. A patient is scheduled for a nuclear medicine study using a
radiopharmaceutical that emits gamma photons suitable for external
detection. Which physical characteristic of the radionuclide is most
important for producing useful planar scintigraphic images while limiting
unnecessary patient radiation exposure?
A. A very long physical half-life with predominantly alpha emission
B. A suitable gamma-photon energy with a practical physical half-life
C. Continuous beta-minus emission with no detectable photons
D. Extremely high linear energy transfer within soft tissue
Answer: B
2. During a nuclear medicine examination, a technologist explains that the
administered radiopharmaceutical must reach the target tissue, emit
radiation, and allow the detector to record the emitted photons. Which
term describes the radioactive substance administered for diagnostic
imaging?
A. Radiopharmaceutical
B. Collimator
C. Photomultiplier tube
D. Scintillation crystal
Answer: A
3. A radionuclide has a physical half-life of 6 hours. If a patient initially receives
80 mCi and no biological elimination occurs, approximately how much
activity remains after 18 hours?
A. 20 mCi
B. 5 mCi
C. 10 mCi
D. 40 mCi
Answer: C
pg. 1
, 4. A nuclear medicine department is selecting a radionuclide for routine SPECT
imaging. Which characteristic makes technetium-99m particularly useful for
diagnostic nuclear medicine?
A. It emits high-energy alpha particles
B. It has an approximately 6-hour physical half-life and a useful gamma
photon
C. It has a physical half-life measured in decades
D. It emits only positrons without accompanying detectable photons
Answer: B
5. A technologist receives a vial containing a radioactive material and must
determine the amount of activity before administration. Which instrument
is routinely used to measure the activity of radiopharmaceutical doses?
A. Dose calibrator
B. Survey meter
C. Well counter only
D. Gamma camera collimator
Answer: A
6. A dose calibrator displays activity based on ionization produced by radiation
within its chamber. Which detector principle is primarily used by a
radionuclide dose calibrator?
A. Photomultiplier amplification of scintillation light
B. Semiconductor fluorescence
C. Ionization chamber measurement
D. Geiger-Mueller proportional amplification only
Answer: C
7. A technologist is preparing a Tc-99m radiopharmaceutical from a generator
eluate. Which radionuclide is the parent of Tc-99m in a standard Mo-99/Tc-
99m generator?
A. I-131
B. Mo-99
C. F-18
pg. 2
, D. Xe-133
Answer: B
8. A patient receives Tc-99m MDP for a bone scan. The radiopharmaceutical
localizes preferentially in areas of increased osteoblastic activity and blood
flow. Which type of imaging study is being performed?
A. Hepatobiliary imaging
B. Renal cortical imaging
C. Skeletal scintigraphy
D. Pulmonary ventilation imaging
Answer: C
9. A patient undergoes a myocardial perfusion SPECT study with Tc-99m
sestamibi. Which physiologic property contributes to myocardial uptake of
this tracer?
A. Passive trapping based primarily on mitochondrial membrane potential
B. Exclusive filtration through renal glomeruli
C. Specific binding to thyroid colloid
D. Direct incorporation into bone mineral
Answer: A
10. A patient undergoing a thyroid scan receives a tracer that behaves similarly
to iodide and is concentrated by thyroid follicular cells. Which physiologic
mechanism is primarily responsible for this uptake?
A. Glomerular filtration
B. Sodium-iodide symporter-mediated transport
C. Hepatic conjugation
D. Pulmonary gas exchange
Answer: B
11. A nuclear medicine camera detects gamma photons emitted from a patient.
Which component is responsible for restricting the direction of incoming
photons before they reach the scintillation crystal?
A. Photomultiplier tube
B. Collimator
pg. 3
, C. Pulse-height analyzer
D. Positioning circuit
Answer: B
12. A technologist changes from a low-energy high-resolution collimator to a
low-energy high-sensitivity collimator. What is the expected imaging effect?
A. Improved sensitivity with some loss of spatial resolution
B. Improved spatial resolution with complete loss of sensitivity
C. Elimination of scatter
D. Elimination of attenuation
Answer: A
13. A patient is undergoing imaging with Tc-99m, whose principal gamma
emission is approximately 140 keV. Which collimator is generally
appropriate for routine planar and SPECT imaging with this radionuclide?
A. High-energy collimator
B. Medium-energy collimator only
C. Low-energy collimator
D. Pinhole collimator in every circumstance
Answer: C
14. A gamma camera uses a sodium iodide crystal activated with thallium.
What is the primary function of the scintillation crystal?
A. Convert gamma-ray energy into visible light
B. Produce the patient's radiopharmaceutical
C. Collimate the emitted photons
D. Calculate the patient's administered dose
Answer: A
15. Light generated in a gamma-camera scintillation crystal reaches an array of
photomultiplier tubes. What is the primary role of these tubes?
A. Absorb scattered photons before they reach the crystal
B. Convert light into electrical signals and amplify them
C. Produce gamma photons from electrons
pg. 4
