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National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapists (NPTE-PT)
The NPTE-PT is the national licensure examination for physical therapists in the United States, developed and administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) and delivered at Prometric test centers; it assesses the entry-level competence of graduates of accredited PT programs on behalf of state licensing authorities.
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Questions225 questions in five sections of 45 multiple-choice items; 45 of the items are unscored pretest questions (180 scored)
Testing time5 hours of testing time (sections not individually timed; total appointment time 5 hours 30 minutes including the scheduled 15-minute break, pre-exam tutorial, and post-exam survey)
ScoringUniform criterion-referenced passing standard adopted by all licensing jurisdictions: passing requires a scaled score of 600 or higher (pass/fail exam)
Exam feeUSD 485.00 FSBPT exam registration fee for the NPTE-PT (same fee as the PTA level; paid at registration by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover, plus a 1.6% processing fee rounded up to the nearest dollar) plus a separate USD 112.00 Prometric appointment fee for the NPTE-PT paid at scheduling; exam fees are for the examination only and state licensure application fees are additional
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- FSBPT
- Category
- Physical Therapy
- Current version
- NPTE-PT Test Content Outline, effective January 2024 (content updates from FSBPT's 2022 practice analysis cycle; current five-section, 225-item format)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- 200–800 (scaled)
- Testing provider
- Prometric
- Format
- Computer-based, multiple choice (one best answer; no penalty for incorrect answers); delivered in sections at Prometric test centers, with a scheduled 15-minute break after the second section; unscheduled breaks are deducted from overall exam time
- Availability
- Fixed administration dates four times per year (January, April, July, and October), with registration and jurisdiction-approval deadlines ahead of each date; the appointment is scheduled with Prometric for the fixed date indicated on the ATT letter
Exam structure
One computer-based exam of 225 multiple-choice items (180 scored) in five sections of 45 items. Items are stand-alone multiple choice (some with a graphic or video) plus scenario-based sets that appear at the end of each section, with two to five questions per shared clinical scenario. Scored content spans the major areas of physical therapy per the NPTE-PT Test Content Outline effective January 2024 (including body-system content such as the neuromuscular and nervous system interventions range of 13–16 items).
Where rules vary
Single national exam used by U.S. state and territorial licensing jurisdictions; candidates register through FSBPT and are approved by the jurisdiction where they seek licensure
Eligibility
At least 18 years old; a degree appropriate to the PT level from a CAPTE-accredited institution (or education determined substantially equivalent by a recognized credentialing agency); approval by the licensing authority in the jurisdiction of intended licensure; no open registration at the same exam level and no open security investigation or incomplete sanctions; jurisdictions may add requirements
Retake policy
No more than three consecutive attempts in any 12-month period (must skip the next exam date after three consecutive attempts); no more than six lifetime attempts at either exam level (PT and PTA counted separately); ineligible after previously receiving two scores below 400; re-registration opens approximately 15 days after an unsuccessful attempt (per FSBPT's After Test Day page); attempt limits can vary by jurisdiction