1. The National Physical Therapy Exam
Presented by Courtney Woytovich PT, DPT, ATC

2. Objectives Following this session, participants will be able to:
Identify the requirements of the state in which they wish to practice and complete their NPTE registration process 
Choose study materials that best suit their needs
Create a realistic timeline for studying 
Pass the exam “on the first try”

3. Step 1: Pick your date Test Date Registration & Payment Deadline
Jurisdiction Approval Deadline
Seats are reserved for candidates until:
Scores Reported to Jurisdictions
Free Candidate Report Available Online
January 28
December 23
January 2
January 14
February 4
February 11
April 29
March 25
April 1
April 15
May 6
May 13
July 21 & 22
June 16
June 23
July 7
July 29
August 5
October 28
September 23
September 30
October 14
November 4
November 12

4. Step 2: Register 1. Go to fsbpt.org
2. Click “National Exam” under “Register Now” on right side of the screen
3. Complete steps 1-6 to register and pay for the exam ($400)
4. Go to your state licensing authority website to print, fill out, and return your licensure application to the state board. You may be required to send a portion of the application to your school. Some states also require you to register for a jurisprudence exam.
5. Receive the Authorization to Test Letter from fsbpt.org (this will take a few weeks)
6. Follow the link through the ATT letter to pick your date and testing site

5. Step 3: Now what?

6. NPTE Study Materials ScoreBuilders: PTEXAM, The Complete Study Guide
O’Sullivan: National Physical Therapy Examination: Review & Study Guide 2014
NPTE Exam Prep Team: NPTE Secrets Study Guide

7. Timeline Aim for 10-12 weeks of studying
ScoreBuilders PT Exam: Complete Study guide
~45 pages of introductory material regarding the exam format
~645 pages of studying content
3 full practice exams
645 pages / 70 days = ~9 pages of material per day for 10 weeks
This leaves two weeks for intro material, practice exams, and review of problem areas

8. Study vs Review
Consider the difference between studying/learning and reviewing material
Time constraints + Amount of material = Pick your battles

9. Exam Set-Up
5 sections of 50 questions = 250 questions in a five-hour time period
50 are randomly dropped
Each question will fit into two categories
System Specific Summary
Content Outline Summary
One scheduled break after section 2
Additional breaks at the end of sections will not stop the exam clock

12. Systems Percentage Question Range
Musculoskeletal
30.5
59-63
Neuromuscular & Nervous
25.0
48-52
Cardio/Pulm & Lymphatic
16.5
32-35
Integumentary
5.0
9-12
Metabolic and Endocrine
3.5
7-9
Gastrointestinal
1.5
3-5
Genitourinary
2.0
3-6
System Interactions
6-8
Equipment and Devices
2.5
5-6
Therapeutic Modalities
Safety and Protection
4-5
Professional Responsibilities
3-4
Research and EBP

13. Example
A 22yo male s/p TBI receives PT services in a rehabilitation hospital. The patient is presently functioning at Rancho Los Amigos level VI. The patient has progressed well in therapy, however, has been bothered by diplopia. Which treatment strategy would be the MOST effective to address diplopia?
1. provide non-verbal instructions within the patient’s direct line of sight
2. place a patch over one of the patient’s eyes
3. ask the patient to turn his head to one side when he experiences diplopia
4. instruct the patient to carefully focus on a single object

14. Pick the relevant information
A 22yo male s/p TBI receives PT services in a rehabilitation hospital. The patient is presently functioning at Rancho Los Amigos level VI. The patient has progressed well in therapy, however, has been bothered by diplopia. Which treatment strategy would be the MOST effective to address diplopia?

15. Eliminate 1-2 answers
1. provide non-verbal instructions within the patient’s direct line of sight
2. place a patch over one of the patient’s eyes
3. ask the patient to turn his head to one side when he experiences diplopia
4. instruct the patient to carefully focus on a single object

16. 1. provide non-verbal instructions within the patient’s direct line of sight
2. place a patch over one of the patient’s eyes
3. ask the patient to turn his head to one side when he experiences diplopia
4. instruct the patient to carefully focus on a single object
System specific: Neuromuscular and nervous systems
Content outline: Interventions
*ScoreBuilders also provides an explanation for why each answer is correct or incorrect

17. On the day of the exam… Arrive ~15 minutes early
Bring your driver’s license and another form of signed ID
Metal detector, fingerprint scanner, locker for belongings
Seated in a cubicle with optional headphones
Proctors monitor testing site
Must sign out/in each time you leave testing room

18. And now you wait…
After you take the exam, scores are reported to your state in ~1 week
You can go to fsbpt.org and view the “status of your registration”
About 1 week after the exam, you will see that your status has changed to “scores received”
Depending on your state, your screen will say “scores received, passed” or just “scores received”. If it says “scores received”, you must wait until you receive your actual test score from the state which can take an addition 1-2 weeks

19. After you find out that you passed…
Obtain your NPI Number
National Provider Identifier Number
Follow the steps to create a login and register as an individual
Receive an with your NPI number. Print this form as this number will stay with you for your entire career

20. Resources www.fsbpt.org
PTEXAM The Complete Study Guide by Scott M. Giles

21. Questions?