Radiography Interview Guide: X-ray & CT Radiographer Interview Questions & Guide
From image critique to contrast reactions — the questions general X-ray and CT departments actually ask, and how strong candidates answer them.
- Typical format
- Panel + image critique
- Length
- 30–45 min
- Core themes
- Dose, adaptation, image quality
- Classic test
- Critique a suboptimal CXR live
Clinical & Technical
Critique this chest X-ray. (You will usually be shown a deliberately imperfect one.)
What they’re testing: Structured image evaluation — the most common practical element in radiographer interviews.
A strong answer covers
- Use a system: ID/markers → area covered → rotation (medial clavicle ends) → inspiration (rib count) → penetration/exposure → artifacts
- State what’s acceptable vs what you’d repeat, and justify the repeat decision against extra dose
- Suggest the correction (positioning, exposure, timing) not just the fault
- Stay decisive — waffling on ‘would you repeat?’ scores poorly
How do you adapt exposure factors for a bariatric patient vs a paediatric patient?
What they’re testing: Practical exposure manipulation rather than recited numbers.
A strong answer covers
- kV controls penetration/contrast; mAs controls quantity/noise — explain the trade
- Bariatric: higher kV strategy, grid use, AEC caveats; paediatric: drop kV/mAs per charts, fastest exposure time, no grid for small parts
- Mention exposure charts / vendor protocols as the anchor, adjusted with judgement
- Tie every choice back to dose optimisation
What are CTDIvol and DLP, and how do you use them day to day?
What they’re testing: CT dose literacy — expected even for rotational posts touching CT.
A strong answer covers
- CTDIvol: standardised output per slice (mGy); DLP: CTDIvol × length (mGy·cm)
- Compare against diagnostic reference levels; investigate outliers
- They’re scanner output metrics, not patient dose — but the practical lever you watch
- Levers: scan length discipline, mA modulation, kV selection, iterative recon
Safety
Take me through your pregnancy-checking procedure.
What they’re testing: Bread-and-butter governance; must be word-perfect.
A strong answer covers
- Who: applicable patients within the locally defined age range, before exams irradiating the pelvis/abdomen
- How: direct question, documented answer, LMP where used; sensitive, private phrasing
- If pregnant or unsure: justify with the referrer/radiologist — imaging that’s clinically necessary can still proceed with optimisation
- Know your local rule set (e.g. 28-day rule) and its exceptions
A referral comes through that doesn’t seem justified. What do you do?
What they’re testing: Understanding of justification duties (IR(ME)R or local equivalent) and professional courage.
A strong answer covers
- Radiographers are legally part of the justification chain — you may not just ‘do what’s ordered’
- Check clinical details, previous imaging, and query the referrer professionally
- Escalate to the radiologist where disagreement persists
- Document the conversation; frame it as patient protection, not obstruction
A CT contrast patient becomes flushed, itchy, then wheezy. What do you do?
What they’re testing: Emergency response — expect this in any CT-facing interview.
A strong answer covers
- Stop injection, call for help immediately, stay with the patient
- ABC assessment; position, oxygen per local protocol; get the resus trolley and radiologist
- Know where adrenaline/epinephrine and the anaphylaxis algorithm live — administration per local scope and protocol
- Document, incident-report, and flag the allergy on the record
Patient Care
You’re doing a mobile CXR on a confused patient who won’t keep still. Talk me through it.
What they’re testing: Real-world adaptability plus consent nuance in impaired capacity.
A strong answer covers
- Assess capacity; involve nursing staff and family; best-interests pathway where capacity is lacking
- Practical technique: fastest exposure, timing the exposure with cooperation, aids and support devices, extra staff (with radiation protection)
- Never restrain for a non-urgent image — defer and rebook is a legitimate answer
- Document adaptations and limitations for the reporter
How do you handle a patient who refuses an examination?
What they’re testing: Consent fundamentals under time pressure.
A strong answer covers
- A capacitous adult can refuse — full stop; explore concerns without coercion
- Inform the referrer; document the refusal and the conversation
- Distinguish refusal from fear or misinformation you can fix in two minutes
- Capacity assessment when refusal seems driven by impairment
Behavioural
Tell me about a time you made, or nearly made, an error at work. What did you do?
What they’re testing: Honesty, insight and safety culture — not whether you’re error-free.
A strong answer covers
- Pick a real, low-drama example and own it plainly
- Walk through disclosure: who you told, how fast, what the incident report said
- Finish with the system change or personal habit that came out of it
- Never claim you’ve never made a mistake — that reads as unsafe
Describe a conflict with a colleague and how you resolved it.
What they’re testing: Teamworking under pressure; whether you escalate appropriately rather than personally.
A strong answer covers
- Use STAR: the situation, your specific actions, the outcome
- Show you addressed the issue directly and early, not via gossip
- Acknowledge the other person’s perspective credibly
- End with the working relationship intact or improved
The list is overrunning, an inpatient add-on arrives, and an outpatient is complaining about the wait. What do you do?
What they’re testing: Prioritisation, communication and knowing when to call for help.
A strong answer covers
- Triage on clinical urgency first, not on who is loudest
- Communicate revised expectations to everyone waiting
- Escalate to the coordinator/senior early rather than silently absorbing it
- Mention protecting scan quality — rushing is where errors happen
Why radiography, and why this department?
What they’re testing: Genuine motivation and whether you’ve done your homework on them.
A strong answer covers
- Tie your interest to concrete experience (placement, cases, a mentor)
- Name something specific about their service — equipment, specialties, research, reputation
- Connect their needs to what you bring
- Avoid generic answers that would fit any hospital
Questions to Ask Them
Interviews end with “any questions for us?” — and a flat “no” wastes free marks. Pick two or three:
What does the first six months look like for someone joining this team?
Why it lands: Shows you think about onboarding and fit, and surfaces how structured their support actually is.
How is out-of-hours / on-call structured, and how is it staffed?
Why it lands: Practical, and interviewers respect candidates who ask; vague answers are a flag.
What CPD or postgraduate study does the department support?
Why it lands: Signals ambition; most radiography interviews score commitment to development.
What’s the equipment fleet and is any replacement planned?
Why it lands: Shows technical curiosity and tells you what you’d actually be working on.
How does the team handle incident reporting and learning from errors?
Why it lands: A safety-culture question — asking it marks you as a mature clinical professional.
The full guide is free
Everything above is the complete X-ray and CT interview guide — no section is locked. When Pro opens, it adds the full question banks and the advanced courses across the rest of the site.
Sources & further reading
- IR(ME)R 2017 guidance (gov.uk) / equivalent local regulations.
- HCPC Standards of Proficiency — Radiographers (hcpc-uk.org); ARRT Radiography content specs (arrt.org).
- UK National Diagnostic Reference Levels (gov.uk).
- Ring & Messmer / RCR–SoR guidance on contrast media and anaphylaxis response (rcr.ac.uk).
Educational interview preparation only. Clinical procedures, dose thresholds and legal duties vary by country and employer — always follow your local protocols, regulations and the primary guidance cited above. Not affiliated with any regulator or certification body.
More in Interview guides
Everything on Careers: Careers hub. Or search the whole reference.
Educational reference for imaging professionals. It does not replace local policy, manufacturer labelling or clinical judgement.