Methods and systems for controlling x-ray exposure during a dynamic pitch helical scan using a translatable table are provided. The system includes a collimator positioned between an x-ray source and an object to be scanned configured to shutter an x-ray fan beam generated by the x-ray source to at least one of translate the x-ray fan beam along a z-axis of the scan and vary the width of the x-ray beam along the z-axis, and a collimator controller configured to dynamically position the collimator using at least one of predetermined trajectory of the translatable table and a current position of the translatable table.