United States · Licensing examNPTE study options compared
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 fee | No free version; the supplemental materials are included | |
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. | Free | The whole demo: tutorial, 30 sample questions and the answers | |
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. | Free | The full handbook, Version 2025.02, and the PT and PTA content outlines in effect since January 2024 | |
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 candidates | A questionnaire, an individual report, a coaching guide and a guided journal | |
| 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 without | Weekly online office hours for students who take the course | |
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 $399 | The NPTE Essentials course and a free question archive | |
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Do you need an NPTE prep course?
FSBPT doesn’t say you do. Its advice is to study from a broad range of textbooks and other materials and not to rely on PEAT or any single study tool. For candidates who have failed, it lists a credible NPTE preparation course as one option among several, next to working with a licensed physical therapist or a physical therapy educator, without naming any course.
FSBPT also warns against studying from questions of unknown origin; what it says about them is on the test questions page.
What to check before you pay for NPTE prep
- Whether a product’s practice exams follow the content outlines in effect since January 2024 and the current format: 45-question sections with scenario questions at the end.
- How many full-length timed exams you get. The real PT exam is 225 questions in 5 hours and the PTA exam 180 in 4.
- How long access lasts compared with your sitting. NPTE dates are fixed, so count back from yours.
- Whether the product is for physical therapists (PTs) or physical therapist assistants (PTAs). TherapyEd and PT Final Exam sell separate versions.
- The refund terms. PT Final Exam’s practice exams, for example, can be refunded within 7 days if you’ve used no more than 25% of the content.
NPTE review courses: on campus, online and for PTAs
TherapyEd’s NPTE prep courses are two-day review classes. Its course finder lists dates into 2027, on university campuses in states from California and Florida to Texas and Virginia, and online. It has a separate PTA course.
PT Final Exam’s courses are online. Its VIP(T) course for PTs is 10 weeks of live small-group coaching with 12 months of access, and VIP(TA) is the PTA version. Its self-paced Mastery Bundle has video lessons and practice exams without the live sessions.
Free NPTE prep
- PT Final Exam’s free question archive and NPTE Essentials course, for anyone who wants extra questions or a feel for that company’s teaching before paying for a course.
- TherapyEd’s weekly online office hours, Wednesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, for students who have taken its course and want questions answered afterward.
Sources: FSBPT · TherapyEd · PT Final Exam and 6 more. Checked October 2026.
- FSBPT: Prepare for Exam ↗
- FSBPT: Withheld Scores FAQs ↗
- FSBPT: Important Retake Information ↗
- FSBPT: FifthTheory Test Mastery ↗
- TherapyEd: NPTE Prep Courses ↗
- TherapyEd: PT Online Office Hours ↗
- PT Final Exam: VIP(T) NPTE Review Course ↗
- PT Final Exam: 6 Full NPTE Practice Exams ↗
- PT Final Exam: Free NPTE Essentials Course ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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