NPTE-PT Exam Requirements
To sit for the NPTE-PT, you have to meet every condition below. FSBPT, which owns the exam, sets most of them. The state or jurisdiction where you want your license can add more, and its licensing authority or authorized designee decides whether you're approved to test.
The requirements
| # | Requirement | Who checks it | If you don't meet it yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You are at least 18 years old. | FSBPT | Wait until you are. |
| 2 | You have a physical therapist degree from a CAPTE-accredited program, or a recognized credentialing agency has found your education substantially equivalent. | FSBPT, your school, your state | If you weren't in a CAPTE program, get a credentials evaluation. See If you weren't in a CAPTE program. |
| 3 | CAPTE students only: your school has validated that you're on track to graduate, and your test date is no more than 90 days before your graduation date. | Your school and FSBPT. Your state may be stricter. | Ask your program about validation, or choose a later test date. |
| 4 | You have registered and paid the FSBPT exam fee by the registration deadline (11:59 PM Eastern). | FSBPT | Register for the next test date. Unpaid registrations are closed. |
| 5 | You don't already have an open NPTE registration at the PT level. | FSBPT | Finish or withdraw the open registration first. |
| 6 | You have no open security investigation and no unfinished sanctions with FSBPT. | FSBPT | Resolve them with FSBPT. |
| 7 | You are approved to test by the licensing authority, or its authorized designee, in the jurisdiction where you plan to be licensed, by that test date's Jurisdiction Approval Deadline. | Your licensing authority. In Alternate Approval Pathway (AAP) jurisdictions, FSBPT approves eligible CAPTE graduates. | Ask the responsible authority what it still needs. If you miss the deadline, your registration closes and you get your fee back minus $50. |
| 8 | You are within FSBPT's attempt limits: no more than 3 attempts in a row within 12 months, no more than 6 lifetime attempts at the PT level, and not two earlier scores below 400. | FSBPT | See Attempt limits. 400 is included: see the attempt-limit clarification below. |
| 9 | On test day, you have your Authorization to Test (ATT) and two IDs whose first and last names exactly match the ATT. | Prometric | Fix your name in your FSBPT profile well before test day. |
The rules in rows 1, 2 and 4–8 come from FSBPT's Eligibility Requirements, Section 3 of the NPTE Candidate Handbook. Rows 3 and 7 add timing and approval rules from FSBPT's Exam Registration and Scheduling page. Row 9 is from its Test Day page.
Start with your licensing jurisdiction, not FSBPT. FSBPT says the NPTE may be just one of several requirements for a license, and some jurisdictions require a jurisprudence (law) exam before you take the NPTE (FSBPT Registration Process). Find your authority in FSBPT's licensing authorities directory and read its exam instructions before you register.
The order things happen
Registering, getting approved and scheduling a seat are three separate steps. Here's the sequence FSBPT lays out (Registration Process; Exam Registration and Scheduling):
- Check what your jurisdiction requires, including any jurisprudence exam or early-testing limits.
- Complete your jurisdiction's application. In AAP jurisdictions, CAPTE graduates still have to file a license application. They just don't wait on the licensing authority for exam approval.
- Get your FSBPT account ready. If you're in a CAPTE program, your school creates your profile and you finish it. Then your school validates that you're on track to graduate.
- Register and pay with FSBPT before the registration deadline. If you have a disability covered by the ADA, flag it here to start an accommodations request.
- Get approved by your licensing authority, or by FSBPT in an AAP jurisdiction, before the Jurisdiction Approval Deadline.
- Receive your ATT by email once you're approved. It also appears in your FSBPT dashboard.
- Schedule at Prometric right away through the links in your dashboard, and pay the $112 seat fee.
Can you take the NPTE-PT before you graduate?
Yes, if you're in a CAPTE-accredited program. FSBPT lets you test up to 90 days before your graduation date. This only works after your school has validated that you're on track to graduate, and your jurisdiction can be stricter (FSBPT).
Before you count on an early date, confirm three things:
- Your school will validate you in time to register.
- Your jurisdiction allows testing before graduation.
- You can meet that test date's registration deadline and approval deadline.
Non-CAPTE candidates, including PTs educated outside the U.S., have no school validation step. You can register at any time, but your licensing jurisdiction must approve you, and FSBPT says to contact it before you register.
Find your earliest test date
The NPTE-PT is given on fixed dates four times a year. To find your earliest option, count back 90 days from your graduation date. Any test day on or after that date falls within FSBPT's window.
Worked example: graduating May 15, 2027. Counting back 90 days lands on February 14, 2027.
| PT test date | Register & pay by | Jurisdiction approval by | Days before graduation | FSBPT timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26–27, 2027 | Dec 22, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | 109 / 108 | Too early |
| Apr 27–28, 2027 | Mar 23, 2027 | Mar 30, 2027 | 18 / 17 | Within the 90-day window |
| Jul 27–28, 2027 | Jun 22, 2027 | Jun 29, 2027 | After graduation | OK |
This candidate's earliest option is the April 27–28, 2027 window. To use it, they need school validation, registration and payment by March 23, and state approval by March 30.
If your test day falls on exactly day 90, check with your program and your board before registering. FSBPT says "up to ninety days" but doesn't explain how the days are counted.
2027 NPTE-PT dates and deadlines
All deadlines are 11:59 PM Eastern Time (FSBPT Future Test Dates).
| Test date | Register & pay by | Jurisdiction approval by |
|---|---|---|
| January 26–27, 2027 | December 22, 2026 | January 5, 2027 |
| April 27–28, 2027 | March 23, 2027 | March 30, 2027 |
| July 27–28, 2027 | June 22, 2027 | June 29, 2027 |
| October 26–27, 2027 | September 21, 2027 | September 28, 2027 |
Some jurisdictions set earlier application deadlines than these. The approval deadline is the last day your licensing authority or authorized designee can tell FSBPT you're eligible, so get your paperwork in well before it. FSBPT has also posted 2028 dates on the same page.
Who approves you to test?
It depends on where you went to school and which jurisdiction you're applying to.
| Your situation | Who approves you | What you still need |
|---|---|---|
| CAPTE graduate applying to an AAP jurisdiction (shown in green on FSBPT's AAP map) | FSBPT | A separate state license application with supporting documents |
| CAPTE graduate applying to a non-AAP jurisdiction | Your licensing authority | Whatever the authority requires first, often an application, academic records and a fee |
| Not from a CAPTE program | Your licensing authority, every time | The jurisdiction's requirements, which often include a credentials evaluation |
Your licensing authority can't approve you until FSBPT has your registration and your payment (FSBPT Dates and Deadlines).
What "Awaiting Eligibility" means
FSBPT's FAQ defines Awaiting Eligibility as waiting for the state where you applied for a license to approve you. If you've already submitted everything that state requires, the FAQ says you do not need to take further action with FSBPT; your ATT is sent after the state approves you (NPTE FAQs). If the approval deadline is getting close, contact the licensing authority and ask what it still needs. CAPTE graduates using an AAP jurisdiction follow a different approval path because FSBPT handles their exam approval (Alternate Approval Pathway).
| What you're seeing | Who to contact first |
|---|---|
| You can't register because your graduation isn't validated | Your PT program |
| Your registration is started but unpaid | FSBPT, through your dashboard |
| Awaiting Eligibility | Your licensing authority; CAPTE graduates using AAP should follow their FSBPT approval path |
| You have your ATT but no seat | Prometric, through the scheduling links in your dashboard |
| The name on your ATT doesn't match your ID | FSBPT Exam Services, (703) 739-9420 or examregistration@fsbpt.org |
Attempt limits
FSBPT applies three limits to everyone (Eligibility Requirements):
- No more than three attempts in a row within 12 months. After three in a row, you have to skip the next test date.
- No more than six attempts in your lifetime at the PT level. The PTA exam has its own separate limit of six, if you qualify for both.
- Two scores below 400 and you can't test again. If you've taken the exam twice and scored below 400 both times, FSBPT won't let you register.
Two counting rules surprise people (Test Day):
- Accessing your phone counts as an attempt. If you access your phone while testing, including on a break, your exam is immediately terminated and the attempt counts toward your six.
- An inadvertently skipped section gets special treatment if you don't pass. If you accidentally skip a section and do not achieve a passing score, FSBPT says that score does not count toward the lifetime limit. You still have to register and pay again.
Can you appeal a limit?
Only two limits can be appealed: the six-attempt lifetime limit and the two-scores-below-400 rule. The three-in-a-row rule can't be appealed.
You can't appeal to FSBPT yourself. You send FSBPT's appeal form to the board in the state where you're seeking a license, and the board decides whether to pass it on. FSBPT then decides within 60 days. If it approves, you get one more attempt and have one year to register for it (Appeals Process).
Jurisdictions can add their own retake or remediation rules, so check the current licensing-authority instructions where you are seeking licensure.
If you weren't in a CAPTE program
You need education that a recognized credentialing agency has found substantially equivalent to a CAPTE-accredited PT education. You also need your state's approval, every time (Eligibility Requirements). Each jurisdiction decides which evaluations it accepts. Ask your licensing authority whether it requires a credentials review and which agencies it uses before you pay for anything (Non-U.S. Candidates).
FSBPT lists:
- Agencies licensed to use FSBPT's Coursework Tool (CWT): the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT), International Consultants of Delaware (ICD), and International Education Research Foundation (IERF).
- USCIS-recognized issuers of healthcare worker certificates, which are often needed for a visa: FCCPT and TruMerit (formerly CGFNS).
Your FSBPT account is set up differently. Request one through the survey on FSBPT's Customer Login page. If you don't have a Social Security number, FSBPT assigns you an Alternate ID. Allow three business days (Exam Registration and Scheduling).
English proficiency: FSBPT's recommendation, not its rule
FSBPT recommends education found substantially equivalent under the current CWT (CWT 6). It also recommends these TOEFL minimums, earned in each section on a single attempt (Recommendations for Non-CAPTE):
| TOEFL section | FSBPT minimum (previous scale) | ETS mapping on the new 1–6 scale |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 22 | 4.5 |
| Listening | 21 | 4.5 |
| Writing | 22 | 4.5 |
| Speaking | 24 | 4.5 |
TOEFL switched to a 1–6 scale on January 21, 2026. Until FSBPT sets its own standard on that scale, it says to follow ETS's mapping. These are research-based recommendations. The English requirement you actually have to meet is your licensing jurisdiction's, and it may be different.
What it costs
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPTE-PT exam fee | $485 | FSBPT | At registration |
| Processing fee (1.6%, rounded up to the nearest dollar) | $8 | FSBPT | At registration |
| Seat fee | $112 | Prometric | When you schedule |
| FSBPT + Prometric total for one attempt | $605 | Excludes state/jurisdiction fees and other licensing costs | |
| State/jurisdiction application or license fees, and any jurisprudence exam | Varies | Your state, or FSBPT for some law exams | Set by your state |
Sources: FSBPT Exam Registration & Payment and Exam Registration and Scheduling. The processing fee is 1.6% of $485, which is $7.76, rounded up to $8.
FSBPT has said the $485 fee will stay the same through December 31, 2027 (FSBPT Faculty Newsletter, 2024 Q2). FSBPT takes Visa, MasterCard or Discover. Prometric takes Visa, MasterCard or a direct debit from a checking account.
What you need on test day
You'll test at a Prometric center. You can use any center that offers the NPTE, even one outside the state you registered through (Understanding the NPTE).
Bring two IDs. The first and last names on both must exactly match your ATT. If they don't, you won't be allowed to test, and FSBPT will treat you as a no-show (Test Day).
- Primary ID, such as a driver's license or passport. It must be government-issued, show your photo, have your name printed on it and include your signature. It must also be unexpired and not clipped, stamped "void" or otherwise marked invalid.
- Secondary ID, such as a credit card. It must be current and show your printed name and your signature.
Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Check-in includes a photo, a digital fingerprint and a metal-detector wand.
What it takes to pass
| Exam feature | NPTE-PT |
|---|---|
| Questions | 225 multiple-choice questions in 5 sections of 45. Of these, 180 are scored and 45 are unscored pretest questions. |
| Testing time | 5 hours (5 hours 30 minutes for the whole appointment) |
| Scheduled break | 15 minutes after section 2. Other breaks come out of your exam time. |
| Score scale | 200–800 |
| Passing score | 600 scaled (a scaled score, not a percentage) |
| Penalty for wrong answers | None, so answer every question |
| Content outline | PT Test Content Outline, in effect since January 2024 |
Sources: Understanding the NPTE and NPTE Content.
The NPTE is pass/fail, and every state uses the same 600 passing standard. FSBPT says the number of correct answers you need to reach 600 usually varies by only one or two questions between versions of the exam.
Passing isn't the same as being licensed
Passing the NPTE-PT meets the exam requirement. Your licensing authority still issues the license, and it decides whether you've met everything else, which may include the application, fees, a jurisprudence exam, background-check or documentation requirements, and a credentials evaluation if you were educated outside a CAPTE program. Your licensing authority's current instructions are the final word on your license application.
Quick answers
Can I take the NPTE-PT with a PTA degree? No. You need a degree for the exam level you're taking. A PTA degree qualifies you for the NPTE-PTA, not the PT exam (FSBPT).
Is there a GPA or clinical-hours requirement? Not from FSBPT. Its eligibility list has no GPA or hours rule. Your program sets its own graduation requirements, and your licensing jurisdiction may add conditions.
What happens if I miss a deadline? If you miss the registration-and-payment deadline, you'll have to wait for the next test date. If you miss the state approval deadline, your registration closes and your fee is refunded minus $50.
How do I request testing accommodations? Say that you have a disability covered by the ADA when you register. How you apply from there depends on the jurisdiction where you're seeking a license (FSBPT Testing Accommodations).
Sources
Consequential exam-administration facts on this page were checked against the sources below on November 3, 2026. The NPTE Candidate Handbook checked was Version 2025.02.
- FSBPT, Eligibility Requirements (Candidate Handbook, Section 3; PDF, p. 8)
- FSBPT, Exam Registration and Scheduling
- FSBPT, Registration Process
- FSBPT, Exam Registration & Payment
- FSBPT, NPTE FAQs
- FSBPT, Future Test Dates
- FSBPT, Appeals Process
- FSBPT, Understanding the NPTE and NPTE Content
- FSBPT, Test Day
- FSBPT, Non-U.S. Candidates and Recommendations for Non-CAPTE
- FSBPT, Faculty Newsletter, 2024 Q2
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), Prometric or any state licensing board. Exam and credential names are used only to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Your state board's rules govern your application.
Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified: November 3, 2026