NPTE Exam Registration: How to Register, 2027 Deadlines, and Fees

You register and pay for the NPTE through FSBPT, get approved to test by your licensing jurisdiction (or by FSBPT if you're a CAPTE-accredited candidate using an Alternate Approval Pathway jurisdiction), then book a Prometric seat with your Authorization to Test. The process is the same for the PT and PTA exams, but the test dates are different.

Next deadlines (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time)

• PTA exam, January 5–6, 2027: register and pay by December 1, 2026. Jurisdiction approval deadline: December 8, 2026.
• PT exam, January 26–27, 2027: register and pay by December 22, 2026. Jurisdiction approval deadline: January 5, 2027.

Your state board may set an earlier application deadline than FSBPT's. Source: FSBPT future test dates.

How to register for the NPTE in 6 steps

1. Check your state's rules and build your Journey Map.

Your license comes from the state, so start there. Some states require a jurisprudence (law) exam before you take the NPTE (FSBPT Registration Process). FSBPT's Journey Map asks for your school and the state where you want to practice, then lays out each step and who is responsible for it. Find your board in FSBPT's licensing authorities directory.

2. Get your FSBPT account.

• CAPTE-accredited program: your school creates your FSBPT profile. You'll get an email asking you to finish it, and you can't use FSBPT services until you do.
• Not CAPTE-accredited (including foreign-educated): request a profile through the survey on FSBPT's Customer Login page. If you don't have a Social Security number, FSBPT assigns an Alternate ID. Allow three business days.

(FSBPT handbook: Exam Registration and Scheduling)

3. Wait for your school to validate your graduation (CAPTE students).

You can't register until your program confirms you're on track to graduate. FSBPT lets you sit for the NPTE up to 90 days before your graduation date, but your state can be stricter. Non-CAPTE candidates can register at any time, though FSBPT tells them to check with their state first (same handbook section).

4. Register and pay the exam fee.

Log in to your FSBPT dashboard and click NPTE in the green Services area. The exam fee is $485, plus FSBPT's 1.6% processing fee rounded up to the nearest dollar, which comes to $8. Pay by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover (FSBPT Exam Registration & Payment). Registering without paying doesn't count: if payment isn't in by the deadline, FSBPT closes the registration (Understanding the NPTE). If you need testing accommodations, flag it during registration.

5. Get approved to test. Your Authorization to Test (ATT) arrives when you are.

• CAPTE graduate in an Alternate Approval Pathway (AAP) state: FSBPT approves you itself, and candidates can typically schedule about one day after registering. Check FSBPT's AAP map (31 states currently participate). You still file your state license application separately.
• Any non-AAP jurisdiction, or any non-CAPTE candidate: your licensing jurisdiction approves you. Licensing authorities often want a license application, academic records, a fee, and other documents first. The jurisdiction can't approve you until FSBPT has your registration and payment (FSBPT Dates and Deadlines).

You must be approved by the Jurisdiction Approval Deadline for your test date. If you aren't, FSBPT closes your registration and refunds your exam fee minus $50. If your dashboard says "Awaiting Eligibility," FSBPT is waiting for the state where you applied for licensure to approve you. If you are not sure whether the state has everything it needs, contact the licensing authority directly (FSBPT NPTE FAQs).

Once you're approved (and any accommodations request has been reviewed), FSBPT emails your ATT and also makes it available under "Status of my Request" in your dashboard. Check that the first and last names on it exactly match the ID you'll bring on test day. If they don't, update your FSBPT profile now.

6. Schedule your Prometric appointment right away.

Use the Scheduling links in your FSBPT dashboard. Prometric's fee is due when you book: $112 for the PT exam, $92 for the PTA exam, by Visa, MasterCard, or checking-account debit. Seats are first come, first served. You can test at any Prometric center that offers the NPTE, even one outside the state you registered through (Understanding the NPTE). You must test on the dates in your ATT (FSBPT Schedule Exam).

Which registration path are you on?

Before you pay: quick check

Run through this before you click pay. It builds on FSBPT's own pre-registration checklist.

• I know whether I'm registering for the PT or PTA exam.
• I know which state I'm applying to for my license, and I've reviewed its application.
• I've checked whether that state has an application deadline earlier than FSBPT's.
• I've checked whether my state wants a jurisprudence exam before the NPTE.
• My FSBPT profile is complete (and, for CAPTE students, my school has validated my graduation).
• I've picked a test date and written down both its registration deadline and its state approval deadline.
• If I need accommodations, I know who reviews my request and have my documentation ready.
• I've budgeted for the FSBPT fee, Prometric's fee, and my state's fees.
• My FSBPT profile name matches my ID exactly.

2027 NPTE test dates and registration deadlines

All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Source: FSBPT future test dates.

PT exam (NPTE-PT)

PTA exam (NPTE-PTA)

What the columns mean

• Register & pay by: FSBPT must have both your registration and your payment. Miss this deadline and you must wait until the next scheduled NPTE administration.
• Jurisdiction approval by: the latest date your licensing jurisdiction can notify FSBPT that you're eligible. Some jurisdictions set earlier application deadlines, so get your paperwork in well before this date.
• Seats reserved for candidates until: FSBPT's published date through which seats are reserved for NPTE candidates. This is not a substitute for scheduling promptly; Prometric locations can fill, so book as soon as your ATT arrives.
• Free score report: available in your dashboard on that date and viewable for 30 days.

FSBPT has already posted 2028 dates on the same future test dates page.

How much NPTE registration costs

Sources: FSBPT Exam Registration & Payment, FSBPT Schedule Exam.

The national subtotal is not your total cost of licensure. It leaves out state fees and anything else your state requires, such as a credentials review if you were educated abroad. FSBPT has said the $485 exam fee will stay at that amount through December 31, 2027 (FSBPT Faculty Newsletter, Second Quarter 2024).

Changing your date, withdrawing, or missing the exam

Canceling takes two separate actions: cancel your Prometric appointment and withdraw your registration at FSBPT. Canceling with Prometric doesn't cancel your FSBPT registration. Rules below are from FSBPT's rescheduling and withdrawal policy.

Moving or canceling your Prometric appointment (only within the testing window on your ATT)

Withdrawing from the exam at FSBPT (Services menu → "Withdraw from an Exam"). You can take a refund or apply the fee to a future registration.

• Missed your appointment or turned away over ID? You lose the Prometric fee, but you can still withdraw for a partial FSBPT refund before the window closes. No-shows don't count against your attempt limits.
• Sick on exam day? FSBPT makes no illness exceptions. Withdraw before the window ends to get the partial refund.
• No seat within 250 miles? Keep checking Prometric, then contact FSBPT Exam Services. If they can't find you a seat in that radius and you withdraw, FSBPT waives the processing fee (handbook).
• Prometric problem on test day (power outage, computer failure)? Call FSBPT to be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Testing accommodations: start when you register

Indicate during registration that you have a disability covered by the ADA. Who reviews your request depends on your state (FSBPT Testing Accommodations):

• FSBPT reviews requests for candidates seeking licensure in these 30 states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.
• Any other state: send your request to your state board, not to FSBPT.

For the FSBPT route, upload the request form and documentation by the registration and payment deadline for your test date. Anything later is considered for a future exam. Decisions take about ten business days and can't be expedited. If you're approved, your ATT with the accommodations arrives within two business days. Appeals are due within seven calendar days of the decision.

Who is eligible to register

FSBPT requires that you (Eligibility Requirements):

1. Are at least 18.
2. Register online and pay the exam fee.
3. Don't already have an open registration for the same exam level.
4. Hold a degree for that level from a CAPTE-accredited program, or education a recognized credentialing agency has found substantially equivalent.
5. Have no open security investigation or unfinished sanctions.
6. Are approved by the licensing authority (or its designee) in the state where you plan to be licensed.

Your state can add requirements. FSBPT also caps attempts. You can't test more than three consecutive times in 12 months; after three, you skip the next date. You get six lifetime attempts per exam level. After two scores below 400, you can't test again. If you're registering again, see FSBPT's retake information.

If you were educated outside the United States

You need a license from each state where you'll practice. Many states require a credentials review, which compares your education with U.S. standards, before they approve you for the NPTE. Ask your state board what it requires before anything else.

FSBPT lists two kinds of organizations (Non-U.S. Candidates):

• Licensed to use its coursework tool: the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT), International Consultants of Delaware (ICD), and the International Education Research Foundation (IERF).
• USCIS-recognized issuers of healthcare worker certificates: FCCPT and TruMerit (formerly CGFNS).

You can register for the NPTE at any time, but your state must approve you by the jurisdiction approval deadline for the date you choose.

Fixes for common registration problems

• I can't find the NPTE button. First check that your FSBPT profile is complete. For CAPTE students, also confirm that your school has validated that you're on track to graduate; FSBPT says you can't register before that validation.
• My status has said "Awaiting Eligibility" for days. Your state hasn't approved you yet. Call the board and ask what's missing, well before the approval deadline. FSBPT can't approve you on the state's behalf unless your state uses AAP.
• The name on my ATT doesn't match my ID. Update your FSBPT profile and contact FSBPT Exam Services well before test day.
• I missed the registration deadline. FSBPT says candidates who miss a registration deadline must wait until the next scheduled exam date. Use the extra time to get your jurisdiction paperwork in early.
• Every nearby test center is full. Book what you can, keep checking for openings, and remember you can test in another state. Contact FSBPT if nothing is available within 250 miles.

FSBPT Exam Services: (703) 739-9420 · examregistration@fsbpt.org (contact details)

Quick answers

Do I register with FSBPT or my state? Usually both. You always register and pay at FSBPT. You also follow your licensing jurisdiction's application requirements; outside the AAP route, the jurisdiction is what approves you to test.

Can I take the NPTE before I graduate? Yes, up to 90 days before your graduation date, once your school validates you. Some states don't allow it, so check yours.

Can I register through two states at once? No. You can't hold two open registrations for the same exam level. FSBPT reports your score to the state you registered through, so ask any additional state how it wants your score sent.

Do I have to test in the state where I'm getting licensed? No. You can use any Prometric center that offers the NPTE.

Is there an online or at-home NPTE? No. The NPTE is given at Prometric test centers on the dates in your ATT.

What should I do after I register? Book Prometric the day your ATT arrives. Then study against FSBPT's NPTE content outline. FSBPT's official practice exam, the PEAT, is available through the same FSBPT account.

Sources

Last verified: November 3, 2026. Dates, fees, registration steps, rescheduling and withdrawal rules, eligibility, and accommodations were checked against these FSBPT pages:

• Exam Registration and Scheduling (NPTE Candidate Handbook)
• Understanding the NPTE (NPTE Candidate Handbook)
• Exam Registration & Payment
• Dates and Deadlines and Future Test Dates
• Schedule Exam
• Rescheduling, Withdrawing, and No-Shows
• Eligibility Requirements
• Registration Process
• Alternate Approval Pathway
• Testing Accommodations
• Non-U.S. Candidates
• FSBPT Faculty Newsletter, Second Quarter 2024 — NPTE fees through 2027

Fees, dates, Alternate Approval Pathway participation, and accommodation-review routes can change. Confirm current requirements in your FSBPT dashboard and with your licensing jurisdiction before you pay.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) or Prometric. NPTE and other exam and credential names are used for identification, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page explains FSBPT's published process. Your state board decides your eligibility and licensure.

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team.