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FSBPT (USA) · Last updated November 2026

National Physical Therapy Examination, PTA level (NPTE-PTA): free practice test

The national exam for physical therapist assistants in the United States, testing the knowledge needed to carry out care under a physical therapist's supervision. It has 180 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours, of which 140 are scored, across data collection, conditions that affect treatment, and interventions. The current content outline took effect in January 2024.

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About the NPTE-PTA exam

The national exam for physical therapist assistants in the United States, testing the knowledge needed to carry out care under a physical therapist's supervision. It has 180 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours, of which 140 are scored, across data collection, conditions that affect treatment, and interventions. The current content outline took effect in January 2024.

What's on the exam

NPTE-PTA
Musculoskeletal System
6 key facts
Neuromuscular and Nervous Systems
6 key facts
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems
6 key facts
Integumentary and Lymphatic Systems
6 key facts
Metabolic, Endocrine, GI, Genitourinary and System Interactions
6 key facts
Equipment, Devices and Technologies
6 key facts
Therapeutic Modalities
6 key facts
Safety, Professional Roles and Evidence
6 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the NPTE-PTA exam

  • Musculoskeletal (31-40 items) and neuromuscular (27-35) lead the 140 scored items, followed by cardiovascular and pulmonary (20-27). Equipment and devices (8-10) carries more weight than on the PT exam.
  • Questions test carrying out the plan of care. When findings change or goals are met, the right answer is usually to stop or hold and contact the supervising PT, not to redesign the plan.
  • You have 80 seconds a question and no penalty for guessing, so answer every one. Finish each section before ending it, since you can't return.
  • You may test at most six times in a lifetime at this level and three consecutive times in 12 months, and two scores below 400 bar further testing. PTA test dates differ from PT dates, so check FSBPT's deadlines.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the Clinical Values & Red Flags Sheet.

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What's in the premium NPTE-PTA prep

Premium NPTE-PTA prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 180 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 8 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    Musculoskeletal System8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Neuromuscular and Nervous Systems8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  3. 3
    Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Integumentary and Lymphatic Systems8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Metabolic, Endocrine, GI, Genitourinary and System Interactions7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Equipment, Devices and Technologies7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Therapeutic Modalities7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. 8
    Safety, Professional Roles and Evidence7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25
    Premium
  9. Final step: 6 full mock exams180 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete NPTE-PTA study notes for “Musculoskeletal System”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 15 minutes of reading: Data collection · Weight-bearing and precautions · Conditions that change treatment · Interventions within the plan of care, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. During data collection, a patient moves the arm through full shoulder abduction against gravity but cannot tolerate any added resistance. Which manual muscle test grade should the PTA record?
Answer: 3/5. Grade 3/5 means full available range against gravity with no added resistance. Grade 2/5 is full range with gravity eliminated, and 4/5 holds against moderate resistance. Record what you observed and keep the test position consistent so the PT can compare results.
2. A 160-lb patient's plan of care specifies partial weight-bearing of 25% on the left lower extremity. What maximum reading should the patient see on a scale under the left foot?
Answer: 40 lb. Partial weight-bearing is a percentage of body weight: 160 lb x 0.25 = 40 lb. Reading 25 lb confuses the percentage with pounds, and 120 lb is the share carried by the other limb and the device. A bathroom scale gives the patient a practical training target.
3. The plan of care for a patient with a grade I L5 spondylolisthesis includes trunk stabilization. Which exercise should the PTA avoid and question with the supervising PT?
Answer: Repeated prone press-ups into lumbar extension. Repeated lumbar extension increases shear and load across the slipped segment, so it is generally avoided in spondylolisthesis. Abdominal bracing, posterior pelvic tilt and gentle flexion-biased stretching are typical. If a listed activity seems unsafe for the diagnosis, the PTA clarifies it with the PT before proceeding.
4. A patient with rheumatoid arthritis arrives with hot, swollen wrists and fatigue. The plan includes resistive grip strengthening. What should the PTA do?
Answer: Hold the resistive work, use gentle range of motion and notify the PT. A hot, swollen joint signals an acute flare, when resistive exercise and deep pressure can aggravate synovitis. Gentle range of motion within tolerance protects mobility, and the PT should know about the change in status. The PTA adjusts within the plan and reports rather than continuing unchanged.
5. A patient with Parkinson disease freezes when approaching doorways. Which technique in the plan of care is MOST likely to help the patient?
Answer: Rhythmic auditory cues or lines on the floor. External cues such as a metronome or visual floor lines can bypass impaired internal movement generation and help break freezing episodes. Pulling a patient forward or encouraging hurrying increases the risk of festination and falls. Doorways and turns are common triggers, so practice cueing in those settings.
6. A patient with complete C6 tetraplegia uses a tenodesis grasp. How should the PTA perform finger range of motion to preserve this function?
Answer: Extend the fingers only while the wrist is flexed. Tenodesis relies on some shortening of the finger flexors, so that active wrist extension closes the fingers. Extending the fingers only with the wrist flexed preserves that tension. Stretching the fingers and wrist into extension together overstretches the flexors and can lose the grasp.
7. After a left hemisphere stroke, a patient understands most speech but has great difficulty producing words. Which approach is BEST during transfer training?
Answer: Use short phrases, demonstrate, and allow extra time. This pattern fits expressive (Broca) aphasia, where comprehension is relatively preserved. Short phrases, demonstration, gestures and extra response time support participation. Speaking louder does not help because hearing is not the problem, and finishing sentences reduces practice and frustrates the patient.
8. A patient with COPD on oxygen at 2 L/min has an order to keep SpO2 at 90% or higher. During gait training, SpO2 falls to 86%. What should the PTA do?
Answer: Stop and seat the patient, check tubing, and notify the PT or nurse. Stopping the activity and resting addresses the demand, and checking for a disconnected or kinked line finds simple causes. The PTA reports the change so that the team can respond, and oxygen is adjusted only under an order or protocol. Pursed-lip breathing and pacing can help recovery.
9. Four days after coronary artery bypass surgery through a median sternotomy, a patient stands from a chair. Which instruction is consistent with sternal precautions?
Answer: Hug a pillow to the chest and rise using the legs. Sternal precautions limit loading through the arms while the sternum heals, so patients use their legs to rise and may hug a pillow for comfort and support. Pushing through the armrests or pulling on a walker places stress across the incision. Always follow the specific restrictions given by the surgeon.
10. The PT's plan includes multilayer short-stretch compression bandaging for arm lymphedema. Which pressure pattern should the PTA apply?
Answer: Greatest at the hand, decreasing toward the shoulder. Compression should be graded, highest distally and decreasing proximally, to encourage lymph to move toward working drainage areas. Reversing the gradient can trap fluid in the distal arm. Check fingers for color, warmth and sensation after bandaging.
11. A patient who is 30 weeks pregnant becomes dizzy and nauseated while lying supine during lower extremity exercises. What should the PTA do FIRST?
Answer: Reposition the patient on the left side and monitor. Lying supine late in pregnancy can compress the inferior vena cava and reduce venous return, causing supine hypotensive syndrome. Left side-lying relieves the compression and is the first step. Monitor symptoms and report the event to the PT so the exercise positions can be changed.
12. A patient is non-weight-bearing on the right lower extremity and is going up stairs with axillary crutches and no railing. Which sequence should the PTA teach?
Answer: Left leg first, then the crutches and right leg. Going up, the uninvolved leg leads because it lifts the body, followed by the crutches and the involved limb. Going down, the crutches and involved limb go first. The memory aid is up with the good, down with the bad, and the PTA stands below the patient on the stairs for guarding.
13. The plan of care includes a cold pack for hand pain. Before treatment, the patient says their fingers turn white and blue in cold weather. What should the PTA do?
Answer: Withhold cold and contact the PT about alternatives. This history suggests Raynaud phenomenon, a contraindication to cold because it can trigger vasospasm. The PTA withholds the agent and contacts the supervising PT, who decides on an alternative. Screening for cold hypersensitivity comes before every application.
14. A patient has met all goals in the plan of care and asks the PTA to stop coming. What is the MOST appropriate action?
Answer: Inform the supervising PT, who determines discharge. Discharge decisions and changes to the plan belong to the PT, while the PTA provides data on the patient's progress and status. Writing a discharge summary as the deciding clinician or setting new goals exceeds PTA scope. Report the patient's request promptly.
15. While walking a patient who has an indwelling urinary catheter, where should the PTA keep the drainage bag?
Answer: Below the level of the bladder, off the floor. Keeping the bag below the bladder lets urine drain by gravity and prevents backflow, which reduces infection risk. Keeping it off the floor limits contamination. Disconnecting a closed system breaks sterility and adds risk, so the line stays connected during mobility.

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NPTE-PTA exam FAQ

How many questions are on the NPTE-PTA exam?

180 multiple-choice questions in 4 sections of 45: 140 scored and 40 unscored pretest items, mixed together. Some questions use a graphic or video, and shared-scenario sets of 2 to 5 questions come at the end of each section, with a time limit of 4 hours of testing (80 seconds a question) within a 4 hour 30 minute appointment, with a scheduled 15-minute break after section 2. Format: closed book, computer-based, one correct answer per question, no penalty for wrong answers. an erasable note board is provided. once you end a section you cannot return to it.

What is the passing score for NPTE-PTA?

Scaled score of 600 on a 200-800 scale, a criterion-referenced standard used by all US jurisdictions. The number of correct answers needed changes slightly from form to form.

How much does the NPTE-PTA exam cost?

US$485 FSBPT exam fee plus US$92 Prometric sitting fee; FSBPT adds a 1.6% processing fee, rounded up to the nearest dollar. State license fees are separate. CAPR sets the fee per exam date and charges for rescheduling, so confirm the current fee on the CAPR website before you apply.

Which languages is the NPTE-PTA exam offered in?

FSBPT's Candidate Handbook does not list a language option; materials are in English. Confirm with FSBPT.

Where do I take the NPTE-PTA exam?

Prometric test centers in the United States, on fixed dates in January, April, July and October.

Is this NPTE-PTA practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full NPTE-PTA prep is Premium at C$207 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium NPTE-PTA prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (Musculoskeletal System: 375; Neuromuscular and Nervous Systems: 375; Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems: 375; Integumentary and Lymphatic Systems: 375; Metabolic, Endocrine, GI, Genitourinary and System Interactions: 375; Equipment, Devices and Technologies: 375; Therapeutic Modalities: 375; Safety, Professional Roles and Evidence: 375), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 180 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 8 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

Related practice tests

FSBPT (USA)

National Physical Therapy Examination, PT level (NPTE-PT)

The national licensing exam for physical therapists in the United States, covering examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis and intervention across body systems.

15 free questions3,000 premium Qs · 6 mocks · 800 flashcards · 60 key notes
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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators changes formats and fees, so confirm with Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) before you book. CPTEExamPrep is not affiliated with the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators.

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