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United States · Licensing exam

NPTE exam dates and deadlines for 2027 and 2028

The National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) runs on fixed dates: four two-day windows a year, in January, April, July and October, with the physical therapist assistant (PTA) exam two to three weeks before the physical therapist (PT) exam each time. The 2026 sittings are over; the last were October 6‑7 for PTAs and October 27‑28 for PTs. The NPTE exam dates for 2027 come from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), and each one has its own registration and approval deadlines.

  • 4 a yearSittings in January, April, July and October
  • 2 daysLength of each sitting window
  • 11:59 p.m. EasternWhen every deadline closes
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

PT exam dates in 2027

SittingRegister and pay byApproval byScores sent
January 26‑27December 22, 2026January 5February 3
April 27‑28March 23March 30May 5
July 27‑28June 22June 29August 4
October 26‑27September 21September 28November 3

“Scores sent” is the day FSBPT reports results to jurisdictions. Your free score report follows on February 10, May 12, August 11 and November 10, and stays free to download for 30 days.

PTA exam dates in 2027

SittingRegister and pay byApproval byScores sent
January 5‑6December 1, 2026December 8, 2026January 13
April 6‑7March 2March 9April 14
July 7‑8June 2June 9July 15
October 5‑6August 31September 7October 14

The free PTA score reports go up on January 20, April 21, July 22 and October 21. FSBPT’s table also lists the date until which Prometric holds seats for NPTE candidates at each sitting.

When are the NPTE exam dates in 2028?

FSBPT has already posted them. PT sittings are January 25‑26, April 25‑26, July 25‑26 and October 24‑25, 2028. PTA sittings are January 4‑5, April 4‑5, July 11‑12 and October 3‑4, 2028. The first registration deadlines fall in late 2027: November 30 for the January PTA sitting and December 15 for the January PT sitting.

What each NPTE deadline means

  • Registration and payment: you must have registered and paid FSBPT by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. A registration that isn’t paid by then is closed, and you wait for the next sitting.
  • Jurisdiction approval: about a week later, the board in the state you chose, or the body it names, has to tell FSBPT you’re eligible. If it doesn’t, your registration is closed and FSBPT refunds the fee minus a processing fee.
  • Earlier state deadlines: FSBPT notes that some states have earlier application deadlines of their own, and state processing times vary, so send your board what it needs well before.
  • Scores sent: the date FSBPT reports results to jurisdictions, which is also when your pass or fail status appears on your dashboard.

If you can’t test on your scheduled day because of a problem at the Prometric center, such as a power cut or a computer fault, FSBPT asks you to call it as soon as possible to be rescheduled.

NPTE registration step by step →NPTE fees and refunds →

Why the NPTE has fixed dates

The NPTE used to be offered continuously; FSBPT’s research treats 2008 to 2010 as the last years before fixed-date testing. FSBPT says it settled on four windows spread evenly through the year, kept at about the same time each year so schools can plan graduation around them, and went from five testing days a year to eight, two each quarter.

Retake rules and attempt limits →
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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