The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) administers the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), the examination that every graduate of a physical therapy or physical therapist assistant education program must pass to become a licensed physical therapist or licensed/certified physical therapist assistant (or to regain licensure/certification if lapsed) in the United States (US). Foreign-educated candidates who wish to become licensed in the US must also take and pass this examination.

The NPTE is a computer-administered examination. The physical therapist licensure examination has five sections each with 50 questions. Of the 250 multiple choice questions, only 200 are scored. The other 50 questions are being pretested to see if they meet the standards to be included in future exams.

Pass Rates

Physical Therapist Licensure Disclosure 

Graduates of the DPT program are eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) administered by The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). All US States, territories, and the District of Columbia have legislation governing the qualifications or practice of physical therapist (PTs) in their jurisdictions. All jurisdictions require PTs to pass the NPTE. Only those successfully completing the examination are eligible for licensure. 

Licensure as a Physical Therapist is dependent on many factors including, but not limited to, educational requirements, examination requirements, and personal requirements. As a result, Marist College cannot determine whether completion of this program would be sufficient to meet all the licensure or limited permit requirements outside of New York State for the PT occupation. We advise you to contact the state licensing board or appropriate licensing entity to determine whether the program meets requirements for professional licensure in the state in which you reside or intend to pursue licensure.  

https://www.fsbpt.org/Free-Resources/Licensing-Authorities-Contact-Information