NPTE-PTA Professional Responsibilities and Research Practice Questions
2 areas of FSBPT’s content outline · 3–7 of the 140 scored questions
180 questions across the whole content outline in 4 hours, with a score for Professional Responsibilities so you know where you stand.
Free Professional Responsibilities drillWhich statement about informed consent is correct?
Professional Responsibilities and Research on the NPTE-PTA
Professional responsibilities (2–4 of the 140 scored questions) and research and evidence-based practice (1–3) are the two smallest areas on the NPTE-PTA. They cover what a PTA may and may not do under a PT’s supervision, documentation, ethics and law, and how to read the research behind interventions.
- Share of the exam
- Professional Responsibilities 2–4, Research & Evidence-Based Practice 1–3 of the 140 scored questions (FSBPT outline, effective January 2024)
- On our mock exam
- 5 scored questions, inside FSBPT’s range
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 31 professional responsibilities questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What Professional Responsibilities and Research questions test
- Roles: what the PT does (evaluation, plan of care, discharge) and what the PTA does (interventions within the plan, data collection, progression within the plan), and when to contact the PT
- Documentation and billing: SOAP notes, objective and measurable entries, corrections, and billing that matches the service given
- Ethics and law: the APTA Standards of Ethical Conduct for the PTA, HIPAA, ADA and IDEA, informed consent, and duties to report fraud, abuse and neglect
- Cultural and socioeconomic factors, health literacy and interpreters
- Research: levels of evidence, reliability and validity, sensitivity and specificity, and study designs
Sit the full exam under the real clock
180 questions across the whole content outline in 4 hours, with a score for Professional Responsibilities so you know where you stand.
Free Professional Responsibilities drillHow to study it
- When a question asks whether a PTA may do something, check whether it changes the plan of care, needs evaluation or interpretation, or is the PT’s decision.
- Learn the difference between reliability (consistency) and validity (measuring the right thing).
- Know the evidence ladder: systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials at the top, expert opinion at the bottom.
- Take the professional responsibilities drill until you score 90% or better.
Common questions
How many professional responsibilities questions are on the NPTE-PTA?
FSBPT’s outline assigns 2–4 of the 140 scored questions to professional responsibilities and 1–3 to research and evidence-based practice.
Are state supervision rules on the NPTE-PTA?
The NPTE is a national exam, so it tests general PT and PTA roles. State supervision rules differ, and many states test them in a separate jurisprudence exam.
180 questions across the whole content outline in 4 hours, with a score for Professional Responsibilities so you know where you stand.
Free Professional Responsibilities drillThe other NPTE-PTA content areas
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems
- Musculoskeletal System
- Neuromuscular and Nervous Systems
- Integumentary System
- Other Systems and System Interactions
- Equipment, Devices and Technologies
- Therapeutic Modalities
- Safety and Protection
- Vital signs and lab values drill
- NPTE-PTA practice exam (180 questions, 4 hours)
Sources
- FSBPT: NPTE Candidate Handbook (version 2025.02): format, timing, scoring, fees, testing limits, results
- FSBPT: NPTE-PTA Test Content Outline, effective January 2024
- FSBPT: NPTE Content (outlines in effect since January 2024)
- FSBPT: 2026 NPTE dates and deadlines
- FSBPT: Retake Exam
- FSBPT: Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT)
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the NPTE-PTA Test Content Outline (effective January 2024). They are not NPTE questions or recalled questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) or Prometric. NPTE is a registered trademark of FSBPT.