NPTE-PTA Safety and Protection Practice Questions
One area of FSBPT’s content outline · 6–8 of the 140 scored questions
180 questions across the whole content outline in 4 hours, with a score for Safety and Protection so you know where you stand.
Free Safety and Protection drillA patient on home oxygen wants to smoke during a break. What should the PTA say?
Safety and Protection on the NPTE-PTA
Safety and protection carries 6–8 of the 140 scored questions on the NPTE-PTA. It covers keeping patients and staff safe during treatment: handling and fall prevention, working around lines, tubes and monitors, responding to emergencies, controlling infection and recognizing abuse.
- Share of the exam
- Safety & Protection 6–8 of the 140 scored questions (FSBPT outline, effective January 2024)
- On our mock exam
- 7 scored questions, inside FSBPT’s range
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 30 safety and protection questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What Safety and Protection questions test
- Safe patient handling, body mechanics, guarding and fall prevention
- Lines, tubes and monitors: IV lines, urinary catheters, nasogastric tubes, chest tubes, arterial lines, telemetry and mechanical ventilators, and oxygen delivery devices
- Emergencies: CPR and AED use, choking, seizures, fainting, hypoglycemia and falls
- Infection control: hand hygiene, standard precautions, contact, droplet and airborne isolation, PPE order and sterile technique
- Abuse and neglect: physical, sexual and psychological signs and the duty to report
Sit the full exam under the real clock
180 questions across the whole content outline in 4 hours, with a score for Safety and Protection so you know where you stand.
Free Safety and Protection drillHow to study it
- Learn the PPE order: put on gown, mask or respirator, goggles or face shield, gloves; take off gloves, goggles or face shield, gown, mask or respirator.
- Match each isolation type to an example: contact (C. difficile, MRSA), droplet (influenza), airborne (tuberculosis, measles).
- Keep IV bags above the insertion site and urinary drainage bags below the bladder.
- Take the safety and protection drill until you score 90% or better.
Common questions
How many safety questions are on the NPTE-PTA?
FSBPT’s outline assigns 6–8 of the 140 scored questions to safety and protection.
Are lines and tubes on the PTA exam?
Yes. The outline lists the function, implications and precautions of intravenous lines, tubes, catheters, monitoring devices, and mechanical ventilators and oxygen delivery devices.
180 questions across the whole content outline in 4 hours, with a score for Safety and Protection so you know where you stand.
Free Safety and Protection 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
- Professional Responsibilities and Research
- 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.