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United States · Licensing exam

NPTE exam: the physical therapy licensing exam

You pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) to be licensed as a physical therapist (PT) or physical therapist assistant (PTA) in the US. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) writes it, and you take it on a computer at a Prometric test center on fixed dates four times a year. The PT version of the NPTE exam has 225 multiple-choice questions in 5 hours, and the PTA version has 180 in 4 hours. Both are scored from 200 to 800, and every jurisdiction treats 600 as a pass.

  • 225 in 5 hoursPT exam: questions and testing time
  • 180 in 4 hoursPTA exam: questions and testing time
  • 600Scaled score to pass
  • 4 a yearFixed test windows, two days each
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated October 2026 · Written from the FSBPT NPTE Candidate Handbook (Version 2025.02)

Key facts

At a glance

Run by
FSBPT, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
To pass
A scaled score of 600 on a 200 to 800 scale
When
Fixed two-day windows in January, April, July and October
Fees
$485 to FSBPT, plus $112 (PT) or $92 (PTA) to Prometric
Attempts
Up to 6 per exam level, never more than 3 in a row in 12 months

How it works

How the NPTE exam works: 45-question sections on one clock

NPTE scaled score, PT and PTA
200 to 599: fail600 to 800: pass
FSBPT’s passing standard is a scaled score of 600 in every jurisdiction.
  1. You sit the NPTE on a computer at a Prometric test center, and you can use any Prometric center that offers it, whichever jurisdiction you registered for.
  2. Each section has 45 questions: five sections on the PT exam and four on the PTA exam.
  3. Every question is multiple choice with one correct answer. Some include a graphic or a video, and some come in sets that share one clinical scenario.
  4. Some questions are unscored pretest items: 45 on the PT exam and 40 on the PTA exam. You can’t tell which ones they are.
  5. Your time is one block for the whole exam, not a clock per section. Within a section you can move around and mark questions, but once you end a section you can’t go back to it.
  6. There’s a scheduled 15-minute break after the second section that doesn’t use exam time. You can also break after the other sections, but that time comes off your clock.
  7. You get an erasable note board and markers, and you may write on it only during the timed sections.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

Cardiovascular and pulmonary systems

Tests and measures, conditions and interventions for the heart, blood vessels and lungs, a large share of both exams.

Key points (4)
  • The PT content outline gives this system 22 to 27 items and the PTA outline 20 to 27 (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT and NPTE-PTA Test Content Outlines).
  • PT items cover examination, foundations for evaluation, differential diagnosis and prognosis, and interventions (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • Movement analysis here includes rib cage excursion and breathing pattern (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • Items include the impact of the drugs used for these conditions on physical therapy management (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
02

Musculoskeletal system

The biggest content area on both exams: tests and measures, joint biomechanics, conditions, regenerative medicine and interventions.

Key points (4)
  • The musculoskeletal system has more items than any other area: up to 54 on the PT exam and 31 to 40 on the PTA exam (FSBPT 2024 Test Content Outlines).
  • PT items include connective tissue diseases and their differential diagnosis (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • The 2024 PT outline added the impact of regenerative medicine, such as platelet rich plasma and stem cells, on prognosis and interventions (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • Items on medical management include diagnostic imaging, laboratory values, other medical tests and surgical procedures (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
03

Neuromuscular and nervous systems

Neurological tests and measures, conditions and interventions, the second largest area on both exams.

Key points (3)
  • The PT outline gives this area 39 to 48 items and the PTA outline 27 to 35 (FSBPT 2024 Test Content Outlines).
  • For 2024 the PT task force cut neuromuscular intervention items from 15 to 17 down to 13 to 16 (FSBPT NPTE Content page).
  • FSBPT asks item writers not to test the theory of neurodevelopmental training (NDT) or Bobath techniques, which it calls outdated (FSBPT NPTE Content page).
04

Other body systems and system interactions

The integumentary, metabolic and endocrine, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and lymphatic systems, plus questions on how conditions in several systems interact.

Key points (4)
  • On the PT exam the integumentary system has 8 to 11 items, metabolic and endocrine 4 to 6, gastrointestinal 3 to 6, genitourinary 2 to 5 and lymphatic 4 to 7 (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • System interactions has 8 to 10 PT items and 5 to 7 PTA items (FSBPT 2024 Test Content Outlines).
  • Integumentary movement analysis includes friction, shear and pressure (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • FSBPT says it generally doesn’t give reference ranges for typical lab values in NPTE items (FSBPT NPTE Content page).
05

Equipment, devices and therapeutic modalities

Assistive, prosthetic and orthotic devices, and the indications, contraindications and precautions of thermal, electrical, ultrasound and mechanical modalities.

Key points (4)
  • Equipment, devices and technologies has 5 to 6 PT items and 8 to 10 PTA items; therapeutic modalities has 4 to 6 PT items and 5 to 7 PTA items (FSBPT 2024 Test Content Outlines).
  • Device examples in the PT outline include walkers, wheelchairs, mechanical lifts, braces, compression garments, serial casts and splints (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • Electrotherapy examples include NMES, TENS, functional electrical stimulation, interferential therapy and high-voltage pulsed current (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • For PTAs, FSBPT says the exam can test the knowledge behind iontophoresis and intermittent pneumatic compression, such as indications and precautions, but not necessarily how to apply them (FSBPT NPTE Content page).
06

Safety, professional duties and research

Patient safety and protection, professional responsibilities such as documentation, ethics and law, and research and evidence-based practice.

Key points (4)
  • Safety and protection has 5 to 7 PT items and 6 to 8 PTA items (FSBPT 2024 Test Content Outlines).
  • Professional responsibilities has 4 to 5 PT items; research and evidence-based practice has 3 to 5 (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • Safety items include fall prevention, safe patient handling, CPR and first aid, infection control and signs of abuse and neglect (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).
  • Research items include reliability and validity, levels of evidence and statistics such as the t-test, chi-square and confidence intervals (FSBPT 2024 NPTE-PT Test Content Outline).

Test day

What to bring to your Prometric test center

  • A primary ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, that’s government issued, unexpired, and shows your photo, printed name and signature
  • A secondary ID with your printed name and signature, such as a credit card, ATM card or school ID
  • Both IDs with first and last names that exactly match your Authorization to Test (ATT) letter
  • Soft earplugs if you want them (staff inspect them, and the center also has headphones)
  • Water in a clear container with a lid and every label removed
  • Layers of clothing, since room temperatures vary (heavy jackets stay out of the testing room)

Before you go

  1. Send your state board everything it needs well before the Jurisdiction Approval Deadline, since processing times vary by state.
  2. Book with Prometric as soon as your ATT letter arrives. Seats go first come, first served.
  3. Check your IDs against your ATT letter. A Social Security card, a temporary ID or an expired passport or license won’t be accepted, and FSBPT asks you to raise ID questions at least 5 days before your exam.
  4. Try FSBPT’s free NPTE Demonstration Examination so the screens and navigation are familiar.
  5. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Check-in includes a photo, a fingerprint scan, your signature and a metal-detector wand.
  6. Leave your phone in the car, or switch it off before it goes in your locker. Using it at any point, even on a break, ends your exam, and the attempt still counts.
FSBPT: Exam Registration and PaymentYou register and pay FSBPT in your Customer Dashboard, then book your Prometric seat once your jurisdiction approves you. Miss a deadline and you wait for the next sitting.

Study options

Where to study

FSBPT’s own material comes first: the free Candidate Handbook and content outlines, a free demo exam with 30 sample questions, and its Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT), $99 for two timed exams, one of them a retired NPTE form. Paid review books, courses and question banks follow, each with what it costs and what you get.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official and free
FSBPT PEAT (Practice Exam and Assessment Tool)Official practice examFSBPT’s own practice tool: two timed exams for your level, one a retired NPTE form, scored straight away with rationales and a report by content area, body system and section. Access lasts 90 days from your first exam, or until you pass.
$99 for the PT or PTA version, plus a 1.6% processing feeNo free version; the supplemental materials are included
FSBPT: Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT) ↗
FSBPT NPTE Demonstration ExaminationOfficial demo examRuns on the same kind of screens as the real exam, with 12 PTA questions, 12 PT questions and one PTA and one PT scenario of three questions each. It isn’t scored.
FreeThe whole demo: tutorial, 30 sample questions and the answers
FSBPT: NPTE Demo Exam ↗
FSBPT Candidate Handbook and content outlinesOfficial guide (PDF)The rules, registration, test day and scoring, with abridged outlines, approved abbreviations and sample questions. The full outlines list how many items each area gets.
FreeThe full handbook, Version 2025.02, and the PT and PTA content outlines in effect since January 2024
FSBPT: NPTE Candidate Handbook (PDF) ↗FSBPT: NPTE Content ↗
FifthTheory Test Mastery (through FSBPT)Test-taking skills programFSBPT offers this to every NPTE candidate to work on test-taking skills and exam nerves. It has no physical therapy content, and FSBPT doesn’t see your answers.
Free for NPTE candidatesA questionnaire, an individual report, a coaching guide and a guided journal
FSBPT: FifthTheory Test Mastery ↗
Books and courses
TherapyEdReview books, study app and two-day coursesThe 29th edition PT guide has a content review, 675 questions and 3 full 5-hour online practice exams of 225 questions. Courses run on university campuses and online, and TherapyEd says you can retake the course free if you don’t pass.
NPTE Review and Study Guide $99 (PTA guide $89); guide plus PT Study Pack app $148.99; two-day course $350 with the guide, $265 withoutWeekly online office hours for students who take the course
TherapyEd: NPTE Review and Study Guide ↗TherapyEd: NPTE Prep Courses ↗TherapyEd: PTA Review and Study Guide ↗
PT Final ExamOnline courses and practice examsIts practice exams have 1,350 questions in 6 exams of 5 sections of 45, with scenario questions, and can be refunded within 7 days if you’ve used no more than 25%. VIP(T) adds 10 weeks of live small-group coaching and 12 months of access.
6 practice exams from $99 (6 months) or $149 (12 months); Mastery Bundle from $299; VIP(T) live course $997, or 4 payments of $399; VIP(TA) for PTAs $399The NPTE Essentials course and a free question archive
PT Final Exam: 6 Full NPTE Practice Exams ↗PT Final Exam: VIP(T) NPTE Review Course ↗PT Final Exam: Free NPTE Essentials Course ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

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More about the exam

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FAQ

Common questions

What is the NPTE exam?

It’s the national licensing exam for physical therapy in the US. FSBPT develops and runs it for two reasons it states: to make sure only people with the knowledge of an entry-level PT or PTA get licensed, and to give state boards a standard they can compare across jurisdictions. Passing is one step. Your state board decides who gets a license and may ask for more.

How long is the NPTE?

The PT exam has 5 hours of testing time and the PTA exam has 4. Your appointment runs longer because it includes a tutorial, the scheduled break and a survey at the end, so plan on 5 hours 30 minutes for the PT exam and 4 hours 30 minutes for the PTA exam.

Do I take the PT or the PTA exam?

The one that matches your degree. FSBPT requires a degree appropriate for the exam level from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), or an education a recognized credentialing agency has found substantially equivalent. If you qualify for both levels, you can take each one up to six times.

Is the NPTE the same in every state?

Yes. Every jurisdiction uses the same exam and has adopted the same passing standard, and you can test at any Prometric center that offers the NPTE, wherever you’re applying. The rest of licensing is up to each board: its own application, fees and deadlines. FSBPT says 29 states also require a jurisprudence exam, a test of that state’s physical therapy laws and rules.

Can I take the NPTE if I studied outside the US?

Yes, once a recognized credentialing agency finds your education substantially equivalent and the board where you want a license approves you. If you aren’t a US citizen, FSBPT points you to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for permission to work in the US, which may call for a healthcare worker certificate from one of the two organizations USCIS recognizes: the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) or TruMerit. FSBPT also warns that the NPTE might be a challenge if you’re not fully proficient in English, and suggests taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) first to see whether you meet the English standard for licensure.

Can I take the NPTE online?

FSBPT gives the NPTE on computers at Prometric test centers and doesn’t describe an at-home version. What you can do online is register, check your status, see your score and use FSBPT’s practice tools: the free demo exam and PEAT.

Sources: FSBPT and 12 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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