Free NPTE Practice Questions

10 Free NPTE Practice Questions (2026)

10 free NPTE-PT-style practice questions written by a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy — covering the highest-weighted content areas from the official FSBPT blueprint. No login required. Instant scoring and full rationales for every correct answer included.

0 of 10 answered
Musculoskeletal
Question 1 of 10
A 55-year-old man is referred to physical therapy 8 weeks after a right rotator cuff repair (supraspinatus). He has been in a sling and reports stiffness but no pain at rest. Special tests confirm intact repair integrity. Passive range of motion is 110 degrees of flexion and 30 degrees of external rotation. Active range of motion is 85 degrees of flexion with substitution via shoulder hiking. Which orthopedic intervention is MOST appropriate at this stage of rehabilitation?
Neuromuscular & Nervous Systems
Question 2 of 10
A 42-year-old woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis reports increasing fatigue and difficulty with balance over the past month. She can ambulate independently but demonstrates a wide-based gait with intermittent loss of balance on turns. Her Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score is 4.0. Which exercise prescription is MOST appropriate?
Cardiovascular & Pulmonary
Question 3 of 10
A 58-year-old man is participating in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation 6 weeks after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The physical therapist reviews the plan of care established by the supervising cardiologist. The patient’s resting heart rate is 72 bpm in supine and his resting blood pressure is 128/78 mmHg. He is on metoprolol. During exercise on the cycle ergometer, his heart rate rises to only 88 bpm despite reporting a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 14 on the Borg 6–20 scale. Which is the MOST appropriate method to guide his exercise intensity?
Integumentary System
Question 4 of 10
A 70-year-old woman with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease presents with a wound on her left lateral malleolus. The wound bed is pale with minimal granulation tissue, and the periwound skin is shiny and hairless. Pedal pulses are diminished bilaterally. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) on the left is 0.5. Which wound management approach is MOST appropriate?
Metabolic & Endocrine
Question 5 of 10
A 62-year-old woman with a 15-year history of Type 2 diabetes mellitus is referred to physical therapy for a general conditioning program. During the initial evaluation, sensory testing reveals absent protective sensation in both feet using Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing (5.07 monofilament not detected). Which modification to the exercise program is MOST critical?
Equipment, Devices & Technologies
Question 6 of 10
A 74-year-old man with a recent left transtibial amputation secondary to peripheral vascular disease is being fitted for a definitive prosthesis. He has a conical-shaped residual limb with good soft tissue coverage and no edema. Prior to amputation, he was a limited community ambulator who used crutches intermittently for distance ambulation. Which prosthetic foot is MOST appropriate for his functional level?
Professional Responsibilities
Question 7 of 10
A physical therapist is reviewing the chart of a new patient and discovers that the referring physician’s diagnosis does not match the patient’s reported symptoms or the clinical presentation observed during the initial evaluation. The physical therapist suspects the diagnosis may be incorrect. What is the MOST appropriate course of action?
Research & Evidence-Based Practice
Question 8 of 10
A physical therapist is evaluating a new balance assessment tool for use in the geriatric falls clinic. The tool was tested on 200 older adults and compared against a force-plate posturography system (gold standard). The new tool correctly identified 85 of 90 individuals who had documented balance impairments and correctly identified 95 of 110 individuals who did not have impairments. What is the sensitivity of the new tool?
Safety & Protection
Question 9 of 10
A physical therapist is working with a 78-year-old patient in the ICU who has a central venous catheter in the right subclavian vein, a urinary catheter, and bilateral sequential compression devices on the lower extremities. The physician has ordered physical therapy for mobilization. During the initial session, what is the MOST important safety consideration?
Therapeutic Modalities
Question 10 of 10
A 35-year-old runner presents with chronic Achilles tendinopathy that has not responded to 6 weeks of eccentric exercise. Imaging confirms tendinosis without evidence of partial tear. The physical therapist considers adding a modality to the treatment plan. Which modality has the STRONGEST current evidence for chronic tendinopathy?
0/10
The NPTE-PT passing threshold is approximately 75% correct on scored items
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FAQ

NPTE Practice Questions — Common Questions

These 10 NPTE practice questions were written by Dr. Cara Dobbertin, PT, DPT, a licensed physical therapist, and formatted to mirror the patient scenario style of the actual NPTE-PT. They cover 10 of the 13 official FSBPT content areas. The questions are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. For official sample questions and full-length practice exams, visit fsbpt.org and consider the Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT). Physical therapist assistants preparing for the parallel PTA exam can find PTA-specific practice questions on our NPTE-PTA practice page.

The NPTE-PT uses a scaled scoring system with a passing threshold of 600 on a scale of 200 to 800. This roughly corresponds to answering approximately 75% of scored items correctly, though the exact raw score required varies between exam administrations because of how scaled scores are calculated. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the physical therapy exam — always attempt every multiple-choice question even when uncertain. Your scaled score is reported on your candidate score report alongside a performance profile by content area.

The NPTE-PT contains 225 total items — 180 scored and 45 unscored pretest items. You have 5 hours to complete the physical therapy exam, which works out to approximately 80 seconds per multiple-choice question. You cannot identify which items are scored questions, so treat every question as if it counts toward your final scaled score.

The NPTE covers 13 content areas per the official FSBPT blueprint: Musculoskeletal (44-54 items), Neuromuscular and Nervous Systems (39-48 items), Cardiovascular and Pulmonary (22-27 items), System Interactions (8-10), Integumentary (8-11), Safety and Protection (5-7), Equipment and Devices (5-6), Therapeutic Modalities (4-6), Professional Responsibilities (4-5), Lymphatic (4-7), Metabolic and Endocrine (4-6), Research and Evidence-Based Practice (3-5), Gastrointestinal (3-6), and Genitourinary (2-5).

Practitionr’s free 5-day trial gives you access to a full 30-question diagnostic assessment across all 13 NPTE content areas, plus a personalized AI study plan that adapts based on your performance. No credit card required. Start at practitionr.com/npte-exam-prep.

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