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United States · Licensing exam

NPTE pass rates for PTs and PTAs

In 2025, 85% of first-time physical therapist (PT) candidates from US-accredited programs passed the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), and so did 79% of first-time physical therapist assistant (PTA) candidates. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) publishes the NPTE pass rate each May for the year before, split by exam level and by where candidates trained, and it publishes rates for every school too.

  • 85%First-time PT pass rate, US programs, 2025
  • 79%First-time PTA pass rate, 2025
  • March 4, 2026Date of the latest school data
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What is the NPTE pass rate each year?

YearPT, USPT, non-USPTA
202585%39%79%
202486%39%76%
202384%40%81%
202285%41%79%
202189%45%80%

All figures are for first-time candidates in each exam year, January to December. “US” means graduates of US-accredited programs. FSBPT marks the PTA rate for non-US graduates as not reported, so the PTA column is first-time candidates from US-accredited PTA programs.

All PT first-time takers combined, US and non-US: 2025 82%, 2024 82%, 2023 80%, 2022 82% and 2021 87%.

FSBPT’s 2026 Forum article on fixed-date testing says first-time pass rates dropped significantly after the 2020 pandemic shutdown, as they did in many other professional exams.

NPTE pass rates by school

FSBPT lists each accredited program’s two-year pass rates by state, for PT and PTA programs. The first-time report shows the share of a program’s graduates who passed on their first attempt; the latest, with data current as of March 4, 2026, covers students who graduated in 2024 and 2025. The ultimate report shows the share who passed in any number of attempts.

FSBPT lists programs by state, not by pass rate, and it warns against reading too much into differences in first-time rates. It says they may be driven by individual students’ preparation, academic record and circumstances, such as life events that delay the exam, rather than being strong indicators of the quality of teaching.

FSBPT: Two-Year First-Time Pass Rate by School ↗FSBPT: Two-Year Ultimate Pass Rates by School ↗

What FSBPT’s data says about passing the NPTE

FSBPT compared first-time PT results by how long after graduation people tested, for 2023 to 2025. Those who tested before graduating did best.

When PTs testedShare of candidatesPassed
Before graduation33.2%92.7%
0 to 90 days after60.7%83.8%
91 to 180 days after5.2%69.2%
More than 180 days after0.9%50.0%

FSBPT doesn’t read this as proof that waiting hurts. It says much of the gap likely comes from schools not approving less-prepared students to test early, and from students who feel less prepared choosing to wait. For PTAs over the same years, about 14% tested before graduation and 87% of them passed first time, against 77% of those who tested after.

FSBPT’s own advice on passing is in its preparation tools: the content outlines, its Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT) and the demo exam.

NPTE prep courses and study options →NPTE passing score →
Sources: FSBPT and 4 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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