PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool (PET) tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 150 multiple-choice questions, each with 4 options and one correct answer, about 37% at the Knows (recall) level and 63% at the Knows How (short clinical scenario) level |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 hours (72 seconds a question) |
| Passing score | No simple pass mark. Three outcomes: Comparable (eligible for the CPTE), Partially Comparable (targeted remediation first) or Not Comparable. Each question is worth one mark with nothing deducted for a wrong answer. Thresholds come from CAPR standard setting and the figures were not published when checked; confirm with CAPR |
| Format | Computer-based, multiple choice only, 150 equally weighted questions. CAPR's PET Day page was still marked information to follow when checked, so confirm permitted materials and breaks with CAPR |
| Certifying body | Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) |
| Test provider | Virtual and remotely proctored; there are no test centres |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
Read the complete PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool study notes for “Foundations: Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Pathophysiology”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 15 minutes of reading: Peripheral nerves versus nerve roots · Central nervous system · Vestibular and special systems · Healing and pathology, 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.
1. Foundations: Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Pathophysiology
Blueprint areas A.1 and A.2, within Domain A (Foundational Knowledge, 29-31% of the PET): regional anatomy, central and peripheral neuroanatomy, vestibular anatomy, inflammation, degeneration, regeneration and the stages of healing.
Key facts
- Peripheral nerve lesions follow a distribution, while root lesions follow a myotome and dermatome. Sort them by testing muscles that share a root but not a nerve.
- Upper motor neuron signs: spasticity, hyperreflexia, a positive Babinski response. Lower motor neuron signs: flaccidity, atrophy, fasciculations, reduced reflexes.
- The spinal cord usually ends near L1-L2 in adults; below it the cauda equina is made of nerve roots, so injury there gives a lower motor neuron pattern.
- Soft tissue healing runs through inflammation (days), proliferation (days to weeks, type III collagen) and remodelling (months, type I collagen).
- Bone heals through hematoma, soft callus, hard callus and remodelling, and it needs appropriate load, blood supply and nutrition.
- The anterior semicircular canals, posterior canals and horizontal canals detect angular acceleration; the utricle and saccule detect linear acceleration and head tilt.
- Pathology changes function: a demyelinated axon conducts slowly and can block with heat, which explains symptom worsening after a hot shower in multiple sclerosis.
Flashcards
Exam tip: The PET asks foundational science directly more often than clinical exams do. When a nerve question appears, list the muscles that share a root with the weak ones before choosing.
2. Foundations: Exercise Science, Pain and Pharmacology
Blueprint areas A.3, A.4 and A.5, within Domain A (29-31%): energy systems, conditioning and deconditioning, exercise prescription, the biopsychosocial model of pain, pain types and mechanisms, and medications commonly seen in physiotherapy.
Key facts
- Karvonen: target = ((maximum heart rate - resting heart rate) x intensity) + resting heart rate.
- The FITT principle sets frequency, intensity, time and type; progression should change one element at a time where possible.
- Bedrest reduces aerobic capacity, muscle mass and bone density and raises the risk of orthostatic hypotension and thrombosis.
- Pain types are nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic; a client can have more than one at once.
- Corticosteroids cause tissue fragility and osteopenia; anticoagulants raise bleeding risk with manual therapy or falls.
- Beta-blockers blunt heart rate; levodopa benefits are best timed for sessions during the on phase; opioids cause sedation, constipation and falls risk.
Flashcards
Exam tip: On calculations, work through each step in order. The trap answers are usually the result of skipping the final addition or using the wrong base value.
3. Assessment: Client Information, Clinical Flags, Tests and Measures
Blueprint areas B.1 and B.2, within Domain B (Assessment and Diagnosis, 22-24% of the PET): history, screening questions, lab tests and imaging, and the objective examination across systems.
Key facts
- History covers presenting condition, medications, medical and surgical history, social habits, function and living environment.
- Screen for clinical flags: unexplained weight loss, night pain, fever, bladder or bowel changes, saddle numbness, and abuse.
- Neurological exam combines dermatomes, myotomes, reflexes and cranial nerves; neurodynamic tests assess nerve mechanosensitivity.
- Know how to read normal vital signs, blood gases, hemoglobin and basic imaging reports.
- Examine above and below the painful joint, since referred pain is common, especially from the hip to the knee in children.
- Assess age-appropriate development, primitive reflexes and gross motor milestones in children.
Flashcards
Exam tip: If a child or teenager has knee pain, the answer often sits at the hip. If a limb is weak, ask whether the pattern is nerve, root or central before picking a diagnosis.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Assessment: Outcome Measures and Rating Scales
Blueprint area B.3, within Domain B (22-24%): choosing and administering the named tools, including walk tests, Berg, Borg, Chedoke-McMaster, DASH, GCS, GMFCS, LEFS, NDI, ODI, PSFS, TUG, UEFI, VAS/NPRS and WOMAC.
Key facts
- Match the tool to the level: impairment (Chedoke-McMaster), activity (Berg, TUG, 6MWT) or participation and self-report (LEFS, PSFS, UEFI).
- The Glasgow Coma Scale totals eye, verbal and motor scores from 3 to 15; 8 or below indicates severe impairment.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Questions often give a goal, then ask for the best tool. Identify whether the goal is about the body, an activity, or the client's own priority before reading the options.
5. Care Planning: Goals, Exercise, Soft Tissue and Devices
Blueprint areas C.1 to C.4, within Domain C (Care Planning, 22-24% of the PET): SMART goals, education, discharge planning, exercise interventions, manual techniques and assistive, protective and prosthetic devices.
Key facts
- Goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based, written from the client's perspective.
- Differentiate discharge of the client, discontinuation of service and transfer of care.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Check the question's wording for who is writing the goal. The best answer describes what the client will do, by when, under what conditions.
6. Care Planning: Electrophysical Agents, Airway Management and Wound Care
Blueprint areas C.5 to C.7, within Domain C (22-24%): TENS, NMES, IFC, ultrasound, heat, cold and laser; breathing strategies and airway devices; oxygen titration; pressure, dressing and scar management.
Key facts
- Know indications, precautions and contraindications for each agent, including pacemakers, active malignancy, impaired sensation and pregnancy.
- Superficial heat raises tissue temperature to shallow depth; do not apply it over areas of impaired sensation or active bleeding.
Flashcards
Exam tip: For EPA questions, check the client's history first. A single line about a pacemaker, sensation or a tumour usually decides the answer.
7. Client Safety and Client-Centred Care
Domain D (9-11% of the PET): client-centred approaches, positioning and draping, body mechanics, recognizing and responding to adverse effects, emergency protocols, first aid and CPR, and routine practices for infection control.
Key facts
- Client-centred care includes the knowledge, experiences, preferences and rights of the client and family.
- Recognize and respond to adverse effects: unusual pain, deterioration or fatigue means stop, reassess and escalate.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Safety questions reward the immediate protective action. Look for the option that stabilizes the client before any documentation or later review.
8. Professional Practice: Scholarship, Professionalism, Collaboration and Communication
Domain E (12-14% of the PET): levels of evidence, psychometric properties, research design, clinical practice guidelines, informed consent, conflict of interest, referral, teamwork and record keeping.
Key facts
- Sensitivity identifies those with the condition; specificity identifies those without it; likelihood ratios shift post-test probability.
- Systematic reviews of randomized trials are the top level of evidence for treatment questions.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Sketch a 2 x 2 table for evidence questions, even quick ones. Reversing the columns is the most common slip.
How to pass
- Foundational Knowledge is 29-31% of the PET, a far larger share of basic science than most clinicians expect. Review anatomy, pathophysiology, exercise science, pain and pharmacology before anything else.
- With 150 questions in 3 hours you have 72 seconds each. Answer every question: a wrong answer scores the same as a blank.
- Musculoskeletal content is 40-45%, neurological 25-30%, cardiovascular-respiratory 15-20% and other systems 10-15%. About 1 question in 5 involves a child and about 3 in 10 an older adult, so don't study adult cases only.
- The blueprint names outcome measures such as the Chedoke-McMaster, LEFS, UEFI, PSFS, GMFCS and Berg. Know what each measures, who it suits and how to read the result. The PET does not reflect the format or difficulty of the CPTE, so prepare for each separately.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool exam online?
Yes. The CPTE is only delivered online: it's a virtual, remotely proctored exam you take from a private room, in Canada or abroad, with a computer, webcam and microphone that meet CAPR's setup requirements. There are no test centres. Format: computer-based, multiple choice only, 150 equally weighted questions. capr's pet day page was still marked information to follow when checked, so confirm permitted materials and breaks with capr. Check CAPR's Candidate Guide and testing setup requirements for the rules.
What score do I need to pass the PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool exam?
No simple pass mark. Three outcomes: Comparable (eligible for the CPTE), Partially Comparable (targeted remediation first) or Not Comparable. Each question is worth one mark with nothing deducted for a wrong answer. Thresholds come from CAPR standard setting and the figures were not published when checked; confirm with CAPR. The exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, each with 4 options and one correct answer, about 37% at the knows (recall) level and 63% at the knows how (short clinical scenario) level and a time limit of 3 hours (72 seconds a question).
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers foundations: anatomy, neuroanatomy and pathophysiology, foundations: exercise science, pain and pharmacology, assessment: client information, clinical flags, tests and measures, assessment: outcome measures and rating scales, care planning: goals, exercise, soft tissue and devices, care planning: electrophysical agents, airway management and wound care, client safety and client-centred care, professional practice: scholarship, professionalism, collaboration and communication. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool study path
Premium PET Physiotherapy Evaluation Tool 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.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1Foundations: Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Pathophysiology8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Foundations: Exercise Science, Pain and Pharmacology8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Assessment: Client Information, Clinical Flags, Tests and Measures8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Assessment: Outcome Measures and Rating Scales8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Care Planning: Goals, Exercise, Soft Tissue and Devices7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Care Planning: Electrophysical Agents, Airway Management and Wound Care7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Client Safety and Client-Centred Care7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Professional Practice: Scholarship, Professionalism, Collaboration and Communication7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams150 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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- The CPTE: every area of the blueprint, both sections
- 3,000 practice questions + 6 full mock exams per exam
- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: clinical values and red flags sheet, special tests atlas, study planner and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
Renews once a year until you cancel. We email you before each renewal. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the year you've paid for.
Summarized from the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators' official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR).