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Physical Therapy Assistant: NPTE-PTA

Welcome to the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) learning guide. Use this guide to learning about Evidence-Based Practice, how to search for journal articles using the library databases, and much more.

What is the NPTE?

The National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for Physical Therapy Assistants (PTA) is a test that assesses the knowledge & skills needed to become a licensed PTA in the United States. 

What is on the NPTE?

NPTE-PTA Exam Outline

Exam Format

The NPTE-PTA exam contains 180 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 4 hours. When you take the exam, the questions will be split evenly into four sections, each containing 40 questions.

The questions are all presented in the form of patient scenarios, and you will be asked to select the correct answer out of four given answer choices. There will only be one correct answer per question.

Exam Contents

The questions are split into two domains: Body Systems and Non-systems.

BODY SYSTEMS
The questions in this domain cover various human body systems and their interactions. Below are the specific topics that are covered, as well as the range of how many scored questions will appear per system:

 

  • Cardiovascular and pulmonary systems (20-27 questions)
  • Musculoskeletal system (31-40 questions)
  • Neuromuscular and nervous systems (27-35 questions)
  • Integumentary system (3-8 questions)
  • Metabolic and endocrine systems (4-6 questions)
  • Gastrointestinal system (0-4 questions)
  • Genitourinary system (0-4 questions)
  • Lymphatic system (2-6 questions)
  • System interactions (5-7 questions)

All of these questions fall under one of three categories:

  1. Physical Therapy Data Collection
    The 23-34 questions in this category refer to knowledge of the types and applications of tests of each system, including outcome measures.
  2. Diseases/Conditions that Impact Effective Treatment
    The 35-53 questions in this category refer to the interpretation of knowledge about diseases/conditions of each system.
  3. Interventions
    The 34-50 questions in this category refer to the various interventions of each system, as well as the impact these interventions have on other systems.

NON-SYSTEMS
The questions in this domain are related to the different types of equipment and technology, contextual determinants, and use requirements. These questions are split into five categories:

  1. Equipment, Devices, and Technology (8-10 questions)
  2. Therapeutic Modalities (5-7 questions)
  3. Safety and Protection (6-8 questions)
  4. Professional Responsibilities (2-4 questions)
  5. Research and Evidence-Based Practice (1-3 questions)

NPTE Test Prep