PrepTerminal

Beat the TSA X-Ray ORT With the World’s Most Accurate Practice Tests

Pass the TSA X-Ray ORT Test With the Biggest & Best Practice Course On the Market
Bestseller
4.6
1589 Reviews|8876 Students|Last Updated: Jul 12, 2024

Most TSA applicants are tripped up by the TSA X-Ray ORT, with only around 30% of test-takers ever passing this stage of their application. Only the best-prepared applicants stand a good chance of success.

  • Length: 30 minutes
  • Number of questions: 100 questions

Those who don’t achieve a high score on the TSA ORT either do not progress in their application at all or are put on extremely long waiting lists as ‘reserve’ candidates – that’s for those who even passed the test at all. Simply passing is not enough to secure a quick transition into a career with the TSA. If you want to be at the top of the list and get on the job as soon as possible, you need to achieve a higher score than your peers.

If you want to pass your TSA X-Ray ORT, the only proven route to success is Prepterminal’s TSA CBT Prep Course. Within a day of study, you can be 100% prepared for anything the TSA CBT can throw at you, whether that’s in the ORT or English assessment.

Take the TSA X-Ray ORT

The TSA X-Ray Test, frequently referred to as the Object Recognition Test (or ORT), is a core component of the TSA’s candidate screening process.

TSA Prep Booster™ Course

What is the TSA CBT X-Ray Object Recognition Test

The TSA X-Ray Test, frequently referred to as the Object Recognition Test (or ORT), is a core component of the TSA’s candidate screening process. This test deals with the candidate’s ability to quickly and accurately assess TSA x-ray images to identify potentially dangerous items within a hypothetical passenger’s baggage. Any applicant looking to become a Transport Security Officer can expect to take this test during their application.

Careers with the TSA are highly lucrative, with great benefits, compensation, and progression opportunities. As a result, competition for these positions can be extremely fierce. To this end, the TSA has implemented a rigorous series of screening procedures and assessments to select the best candidates from a large pool of applicants.

Prepterminal’s TSA CBT Test Prep Course is the single most comprehensive preparation course available online for TSO applicants. Our course features in-depth modules for every step of your application as well as over 40 TSA X-Ray Image practice tests, covering everything you need to succeed in this challenging exam, and has already helped hundreds of applicants secure their careers with the TSA.

Let’s take a look at what you can expect to encounter in your TSA X-Ray Test.

TSA X-Ray ORT Color Codes

The TSA X-Ray Test revolves entirely around color recognition. TSA x-ray images represent baggage scans in a series of colors, which represent the density of the materials being scanned, with darker hues representing dense items. We can see an example of such a scan below:

As you can see, the scan shown displays a range of colors predominantly including blues, oranges, and greens. This typically represents the spectrum of what you can expect to encounter in a TSA x-ray image baggage scan.

While candidates will be given full baggage scanner training once accepted into a TSA position, they are still expected to sit the TSA ORT Test in order to prove an adequate level of proficiency with which to undergo said training. This will be administered in tandem with the Farnsworth D-15 Color Vision Test, which is a medical examination designed to ensure that candidates have the appropriate eyesight to effectively distinguish between colors.

Being able to identify color combinations and what they mean in a baggage scan is key to succeeding in the TSA X-Ray Test: many contraband items will contain a combination of different hues on account of being made of mixed materials. For example, many firearms will be made up of a range of blue and green shapes on account of parts being a combination of hard metals and plastics. Other harmful items such as knives, however, are likely to be predominantly dark. Because of the varied color combinations, it’s crucial to also pay attention to the shape in a TSA x-ray image in order to judge whether any given color combination constitutes the presence of contraband or dangerous items.

TSA X-Ray ORT Exam Format

Duration 30 minutes
Number of questions 100 questions
Sections 5 or 6 (varies by state)
Questions per section 18 questions
Time limit 15 seconds per question

The TSA X-Ray ORT Exam imposes a highly restrictive time limit so that candidates are pushed to perform to their utmost ability in a highly pressured environment. This manner of pressure is a key component in selecting the best candidates, who will consistently and quickly identify scans correctly in a timely manner, just as they will be expected to do in a busy airport environment where thousands of passengers pass through baggage scans every hour.

Prepterminal’s TSA Prep Course comes with over 40 TSA x-ray practice tests which will fully prepare you to take on any scan in the real thing, with focused exercises that will train you to seek out specific items in baggage scans so that you can intuitively identify any item based on their color combination and shape. In the real test, the 5 or 6 sections you’ll sit will each provide a specific item to search for, which are selected from a wide range of possible items. Be sure to prepare thoroughly by using every single practice test provided in our course, so nothing will take you by surprise.

TSA X-Ray ORT Sample Questions

Let’s take a look at 4 different possible TSA X-Ray Test questions and how to solve them based on color and shape. Every image in the following 5 questions will contain the target item, but in the real test, you will also need to determine when scans do not contain the target item.

Sample Question 1:

Question: Does the following x-ray image contain a wallet?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 1

Explanation: Yes

Sample Question 2:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain a firearm?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 1

Explanation: Yes

Sample Question 3:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain a knife?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 1

Explanation: Yes

Sample Question 4:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain liquids?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 2

Explanation:

There are no liquids in the given x-ray image. The answer is No.

Sample Question 5:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain a can?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 1

Explanation: Yes

Sample Question 6:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain a firearm?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 2

Explanation:

There is no firearm present in the x-ray scan. The answer is No.

 

Sample Question 7:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain cosmetic items?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 2

Explanation:

There are no cosmetics present in the x-ray image. The answer is No.

 

Sample Question 8:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain a pen?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 1

Explanation: Yes

Sample Question 9:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain a bottle?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 2

Explanation:

There is no bottle in the given x-ray scan. The answer is No.

 

Sample Question 10:

Question: Does the x-ray image of a passenger’s luggage below contain shoes?
Options:
  • 1:
    Yes
  • 2:
    No
Answer: 1

Explanation: Yes

How to prepare for TSA X-Ray ORT

As we’ve seen, TSA x-ray images can come in a wide variety of shapes and color combinations. There’s a multitude of different items you might be asked to identify in your own TSA CBT Test, and you’ll be pitted against a wide pool of competitors. The single best way to get exam-ready is with Prepterminal’s TSA Test Prep course, which covers every step of your application process and includes the single largest set of TSA x-ray practice tests, which currently includes 40 tests with more being added regularly. Having reviewed the TSA test in-depth with our in-house experts, we found that the TSA ORT Test is where most candidates struggle, and so we have gone to great lengths to provide such an enormous practice resource for our students, alongside our comprehensive Written Skills Assessment modules.

Ready to get started and prepare for test success? Get started now and get on track to secure a career with the TSA!

Michael Lerner

Created by: Michael Lerner

BSc, Psychometric Tutor, Prepterminal Test Expert

8876 students,
4.6
, 1589 Reviews

Hey, welcome to our TSA CBT Test Prep Course. I’m Michael, I am here to assist you with any queries you may have about the TSA CBT Exam Preparation. Don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

Success Stories

Discover what 1589 students said about us:
Ethan Montgomery

I used three different courses, and I took the test recently. These guys did an awesome job explaining the 2D to 3D folding section, which was really helpful. However, the feedback on wrong answers only appears after you complete all the practice quiz. Immediate feedback would make it much easier to understand and learn from mistakes on the spot. Overall, they've covered the toughest section in depth, which is impressive.

Ethan Montgomery

The x-ray section has way too many questions and feels really disorganized. It was overwhelming to get through. I took the test a few days ago and, while practicing was helpful, a better structure would have made the prep much easier to handle.

Olivia Harrison

I took the new TSA CBT recently, and this prep material was a lifesaver. It breaks down the the complex 2D -to 3D questions in a way that's easy to understand. I was much less anxious on test day thanks to this prep. If you're getting ready for the TSA CBT, I can't recommend this enough. It’s seriously a game-changer!

Emily Dawson

I felt well-prepared for the test and was happy with my results. One thing that would have made it easier to understand was if the animation videos were a bit slower. Sometimes they were a bit too fast for me to follow, but overall, I would still recommend this course to anyone looking to prepare for the TSA CBT 40 minutes test.

Jeff Huggett

The practice quizzes were really helpful, and I felt more prepared on test day. I was happy with my results and would recommend this course to anyone struggling with the 2D to 3D section

Shannon O'Donnell

It covers both the old and new formats of the test. If you're taking the new format, you can skip the connect the dots, match the images, and shapes folding shapes questions and focus on the rest of the material.

Mina Wagih

I was looking for a prep course that would help me improve my understanding of the folding shapes questions - everyone said they were too complex. This course is great. The 2D-to-3D section was particularly helpful, as it taught me how to approach complex shapes in a logical way. I felt more prepared on test day and was happy I bought this course.

Gary Wilkerson

The 2D-to-3D section was particularly helpful, as it broke down complex concepts into manageable chunks.

Mahmoud A.

This course is pretty solid, It’s definitely one of the best one out there. They cover everything in detail and explain things real clear. But man, if only they’d slow down a bit with those 2D to 3D folding shape videos , I’d be giving this a solid 5 stars. Anyway, got my exam coming up next week, so hoping for some good results!

Carlos R.

I took the test in late May and passed my CBT test. PrepTerminal’s prep course was a big help with the new test format. They have this cool "connect the dots" feature where you can actually practice by connecting dots, which was really useful. The "match the images" section wasn’t exactly like the actual exam since the exam had mostly stick figures, but that part was the easiest in the new TSO format, so it didn’t bother me much. Overall, great material!

George T

TSA Prep Booster™ Course
Bestseller
4.6
| 1589 Reviews |8876 Students