Free NPTE Practice Test (Physical Therapist Exam)
Physical therapist licensing exam practice questions written to FSBPT’s NPTE-PT content outline, with an explanation for every answer.
Which instruction supports long-term lymphedema self-management?
590 original questions · 183 differential diagnosis and prognosis questions · 35 special tests questions in their own drill
NPTE practice questions by content area
FSBPT’s content outline sets an item range for each body system and nonsystem area of the 180 scored questions. Each area has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer.
Cardiopulmonary
22–27 of 180 scored questions
Vital signs and exercise testing, heart sounds and breath sounds, ECG rhythms, heart failure, COPD and restrictive disease, pulmonary embolism, cardiac and pulmonary rehab, airway clearance, and when exercise must stop.
Musculoskeletal
44–54 of 180 scored questions
Special tests and their accuracy, goniometry and joint mechanics, differential diagnosis of joint and spine pain, red flags, fractures and post-operative protocols, arthritis, joint mobilization, exercise prescription and spine management.
Neuromuscular
39–48 of 180 scored questions
Cranial nerves, reflexes, dermatomes and myotomes, stroke syndromes, spinal cord injury levels, brain injury, Parkinson disease, MS, ALS, vestibular disorders, peripheral nerve lesions, motor control and motor learning, and pediatric development.
Integumentary
8–11 of 180 scored questions
Wound examination and pressure injury staging, arterial, venous and neuropathic ulcers, burns and the rule of nines, skin lesions, debridement and dressing choice, scar management and positioning.
Other Systems
21–34 of 180 scored questions
Diabetes and thyroid disease, gastrointestinal and genitourinary referral patterns, pelvic floor dysfunction, lymphedema, cancer, pregnancy, autoimmune disease, polypharmacy, psychological conditions and pain.
Equipment and Devices
5–6 of 180 scored questions
Gait aids and gait patterns, wheelchair prescription and seating, prosthetic gait deviations and their causes, orthoses, braces, taping and compression garments.
Therapeutic Modalities
4–6 of 180 scored questions
Thermal agents, ultrasound parameters, TENS, NMES and FES settings, iontophoresis, traction forces, biofeedback and intermittent compression: indications, contraindications and dosing.
Safety and Protection
5–7 of 180 scored questions
Safe patient handling, fall prevention, lines, tubes and monitors in acute care, lab values that hold therapy, emergency response, infection control and isolation, and signs of abuse and neglect.
Professional Responsibilities
7–10 of 180 scored questions
Supervision of PTAs and aides, documentation, ethics, HIPAA, ADA and IDEA, Medicare rules, reporting duties, telehealth, and research: study designs, reliability and validity, sensitivity and specificity, likelihood ratios and statistics.
Special Tests
35 questions across the body systems
Orthopedic and neurological special tests: what a positive Lachman, Hawkins-Kennedy, Spurling, slump or Dix-Hallpike test means, how each is performed, and which tests rule a condition in or out.
Lab Values and Vital Signs
26 questions from every area
Normal vital signs and exercise responses, and the lab values that change or hold treatment: hemoglobin, platelets, INR, potassium, glucose, troponin and white blood cells.
Full Practice Exam
225 questions · 5 hours
180 scored questions drawn inside FSBPT’s range for every outline area and category plus 45 unscored pretest questions, with mark for review and a score for every area.
Short on time? Take the free mixed drill: ten questions from all nine areas.
Ready for the full exam?
225 questions in 5 hours, drawn in FSBPT’s item range for each outline area and category, scored on the 180 that count, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe NPTE-PT at a glance
Answer NPTE practice questions written to FSBPT’s content outline, read the explanation for every answer, then take a timed 225-question, 5-hour practice exam in the real length with a score for every area.
The NPTE-PT is the licensing exam for physical therapists in the United States. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) writes and runs it at Prometric test centers, and each state licensing board uses the result. The content outline in force took effect in January 2024, after FSBPT’s 2022 practice analysis; FSBPT has not announced a new outline (checked November 2026).
- Exam
- National Physical Therapy Examination for physical therapists (NPTE-PT), developed and administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Every US licensing jurisdiction uses it and the same passing standard
- Format
- 225 multiple-choice questions in five sections of 45: 180 scored and 45 unscored pretest questions, which you cannot tell apart. Each question has one correct answer; some include a graphic or video. Up to 40 questions are scenario based, grouped at the end of a section
- Time
- 5 hours of testing time in one block (sections are not timed separately); the 5 hour 30 minute appointment includes a scheduled 15-minute break after the second section, a tutorial and a survey
- Content
- Outline effective January 2024: body systems (cardiovascular and pulmonary 22–27 items, musculoskeletal 44–54, neuromuscular and nervous 39–48, integumentary 8–11, metabolic and endocrine 4–6, gastrointestinal 3–6, genitourinary 2–5, lymphatic 4–7, system interactions 8–10) and nonsystem areas (equipment, devices and technologies 5–6, therapeutic modalities 4–6, safety and protection 5–7, professional responsibilities 4–5, research and evidence-based practice 3–5), out of 180 scored items
- Passing score
- A scaled score of 600 on a 200–800 scale, criterion referenced and the same in every jurisdiction. The number correct needed for 600 varies by one or two questions from form to form. FSBPT does not publish a percentage. There is no penalty for wrong answers
- Fees
- $485 exam fee to FSBPT, plus the Prometric seat fee paid when you schedule ($112 for the PT exam in the 2025 handbook; FSBPT’s scheduling page lists $100.30)
- When and where
- Prometric test centers on fixed dates four times a year. 2027 PT dates: January 26–27, April 27–28, July 27–28 and October 26–27
- Retakes
- You test on the next available date. No more than three consecutive attempts in 12 months, six attempts per exam level in your lifetime, and no further attempts after two scores below 400
- Eligibility
- A physical therapy degree from a CAPTE-accredited program (or an education found substantially equivalent by a recognized credentialing agency) and approval by the jurisdiction where you seek a license. FSBPT lets you test up to 90 days before graduation; your jurisdiction may be stricter
- Results
- Your pass or fail status is posted about five business days after the testing window ends; a free score report with your scaled score follows ten business days after your exam date
Where the exam fits in becoming a licensed physical therapist
- Complete a physical therapist program accredited by CAPTE (the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education). Your school validates that you are on track to graduate.
- Apply for a license to the board in the state where you want to work and check its own requirements, such as a jurisprudence exam.
- Register with FSBPT and pay the $485 exam fee by the registration deadline for a test date.
- Once your state (or FSBPT, in states that let FSBPT approve CAPTE graduates) approves you, schedule your seat with Prometric using your Authorization to Test letter.
- Test on your scheduled date. Your pass or fail status reaches your state about five business days after the testing window ends.
How to use this NPTE prep
- Take the free mixed drill to see where you stand across all nine areas.
- Drill the three largest body systems first: musculoskeletal (44–54 items), neuromuscular (39–48) and cardiovascular and pulmonary (22–27) make up most of the scored questions.
- Take the special tests drill and the lab values drill: special tests and the values that hold treatment come up across every system.
- Clear the smaller areas next: other systems, safety, equipment and modalities are learnable points.
- Take the full 225-question practice exam under the 5-hour clock, then drill your two lowest areas and take it again. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the NPTE for physical therapists?
225 multiple-choice questions in five sections of 45. 180 are scored; the other 45 are unscored pretest questions that FSBPT is trying out. They look like the rest, so answer every question as if it counts.
How long is the NPTE-PT?
Five hours of testing time, used as one block: the sections are not timed separately. The appointment is 5 hours 30 minutes, which includes a scheduled 15-minute break after the second section, a tutorial and a survey. Time on any other break comes out of your five hours.
What score do you need to pass the NPTE?
A scaled score of 600 on FSBPT’s 200–800 scale. Every jurisdiction uses the same criterion-referenced standard. FSBPT converts your number correct to the scale, and the number needed for 600 changes by one or two questions from form to form. FSBPT does not publish a percentage pass mark.
How much does the NPTE cost?
The exam fee is $485, paid to FSBPT when you register. You also pay Prometric a seat fee when you schedule: the 2025 handbook lists $112 for the PT exam and FSBPT’s scheduling page lists $100.30. Your state may charge its own license fee and require a jurisprudence exam.
When can I take the NPTE-PT?
On fixed dates four times a year. The 2027 PT dates are January 26–27, April 27–28, July 27–28 and October 26–27, each with a registration and payment deadline about five weeks earlier. FSBPT lets you test up to 90 days before graduation; your jurisdiction may be stricter.
How many times can you take the NPTE?
Up to six times in your lifetime at the PT level, and no more than three consecutive times in 12 months. After two scores below 400 you cannot test again. After a failed attempt you register for the next available date.
What is on the NPTE-PT?
FSBPT’s outline, in force since January 2024, splits the 180 scored questions across nine body systems and five nonsystem areas. Musculoskeletal (44–54), neuromuscular (39–48) and cardiovascular and pulmonary (22–27) carry the most. Each body system is tested on examination, on foundations for evaluation, differential diagnosis and prognosis, and on interventions.
Does FSBPT have an official NPTE practice exam?
Yes. FSBPT sells the Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT) for $99: two timed five-hour, 225-question PT exams (a retired NPTE form and a practice form) with access for 90 days. FSBPT also has a free demonstration exam with sample questions. The questions on this site are original practice written to FSBPT’s content outline; they are not NPTE or PEAT questions.
Are these real NPTE questions?
No. Every question here is original, written to the published NPTE-PT content outline. The NPTE is protected by contract, trade secret and federal copyright law, and FSBPT states that sharing, or asking for, questions recalled from the exam is illegal. Practice the content, not remembered items.
Is this NPTE practice exam the same format as the real exam?
It matches the length and timing: 225 four-option questions in 5 hours, 180 scored inside each outline area’s range and each category’s range, plus 45 unscored pretest questions mixed in. You can skip, go back and mark questions for review. Our clinical vignettes are stand-alone questions rather than shared scenarios, and there are no photograph or video questions. The result shows your score on the 180 scored questions and in each section, not a scaled score, because FSBPT does not publish how raw scores convert.
Taking the physical therapist assistant exam instead? NPTE-PTA practice test.
Ready for test day?
225 questions in 5 hours, drawn in FSBPT’s item range for each outline area and category, scored on the 180 that count, with an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
- FSBPT: NPTE Candidate Handbook (version 2025.02): format, timing, scoring, fees, testing limits, results
- FSBPT: NPTE-PT Test Content Outline, effective January 2024
- FSBPT: NPTE Content (outlines in effect since January 2024)
- FSBPT: Future test dates (2027 PT dates)
- FSBPT: Retake Exam
- FSBPT: Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT)
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the NPTE-PT Test Content Outline (effective January 2024). They are not NPTE questions, recalled questions or PEAT questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) or Prometric. NPTE and PEAT are registered trademarks of FSBPT. Follow your state’s practice act and current clinical guidelines in practice.