Free NPTE-PTA Practice Test 2026
200 original PTA board questions on the FSBPT content outline: body systems, interventions, modalities, equipment, safety and your role under the PT's plan of care. Four 50-question mock exams. Tuned for mobile. No account needed.
Train on mobile
Test on desktop
The NPTE-PTA exam at a glance
The NPTE-PTA is the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants, developed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) and used by state boards to license PTAs. It has 180 multiple-choice questions in four sections of 45, with 4 hours of testing time; 140 are scored and 40 are unscored pretest items. The content outline in effect since January 2024 weights musculoskeletal (31 to 40 scored items), neuromuscular and nervous (27 to 35) and cardiovascular and pulmonary (20 to 27) most. Scores are scaled from 200 to 800, and the passing standard in every jurisdiction is 600.
Tigertest has 200 NPTE-PTA practice questions with explanations, all free with no account required.
- Questions
- 180 multiple choice (140 scored, 40 pretest)
- Time
- 4 hours of testing, 4 sections of 45
- Pass mark
- Scaled score of 600 (200 to 800)
- Biggest areas
- Musculoskeletal 31-40, neuromuscular 27-35, cardiopulmonary 20-27
- Test dates
- Fixed dates in January, April, July and October
- Where
- Computer-based at Prometric test centers
- Run by
- Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow The FSBPT NPTE-PTA Test Content Outline (effective January 2024) and the NPTE Candidate Handbook (version 2025.02), checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with FSBPT: NPTE Content.
How It Works
Train by Content Area
Five training sets follow the content outline: cardiovascular and pulmonary; musculoskeletal; neuromuscular and nervous; the other body systems and system interactions; and equipment, modalities, safety and professional practice. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
Weighted Mock Exams
Four mock exams of 50 questions, each weighted like the 140 scored questions on the real exam. Aim for 70% or better. No question appears in more than one test, and every one comes with an explanation.
Built on the FSBPT Content Outline
FSBPT publishes a range of scored questions for each body system and topic, and every mock exam here keeps the midpoint of each range, scaled to 50 questions. Musculoskeletal and neuromuscular content make up about half the exam. Questions are written for the PTA's role: carrying out and adjusting interventions within the physical therapist's plan of care and knowing when to stop and report to the PT. PTA program instructors can set Tigertest as board review at tigertest.io/teach and see which topics the class misses most.
Help Make Tigertest Better
Have an idea, a topic you'd like covered, or a question that could be clearer? We read every message and use it to improve every test.
Share FeedbackHow to Pass the NPTE-PTA
1. Start with musculoskeletal and neuro
Together they are about half the scored questions. Know post-operative precautions, weight-bearing levels, gait patterns, stroke and spinal cord injury levels, and the conditions that change how you treat.
2. Know when to stop and report
Many questions ask what the PTA should do next. Learn the vital sign limits for exercise, the signs of DVT, autonomic dysreflexia, hypoglycemia and red flags, and which changes go back to the supervising PT.
3. Learn modalities and devices by their contraindications
For ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat, cold, traction and compression, know the parameters and when not to use them. Fit walkers, canes, crutches and wheelchairs until the measurements are automatic.
4. Fix your misses, then retest
Tigertest tracks your accuracy by content area. Aim for 70% or better on every mock exam before your test date. After each test, drill the questions you missed and retrain the weakest area.
NPTE-PTA Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NPTE-PTA?
The NPTE-PTA is the National Physical Therapy Examination for Physical Therapist Assistants, developed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). State licensing boards use it to decide whether a graduate of an accredited PTA program has the entry-level knowledge to work as a physical therapist assistant under the supervision of a physical therapist. Each state also sets its own licensing and supervision rules.
How many questions are on the NPTE-PTA?
The exam has 180 multiple-choice questions in four sections of 45, with 4 hours of testing time and a total appointment of 4 hours 30 minutes including a scheduled 15-minute break after the second section. 40 of the questions are unscored pretest items. It is given by computer at Prometric centers on fixed dates four times a year, in January, April, July and October.
What score do you need to pass the NPTE-PTA?
FSBPT reports scaled scores from 200 to 800, and the passing standard in every jurisdiction is a scaled score of 600. The number of correct answers needed changes slightly from form to form, so the 70 percent line on these practice tests is a readiness target, not the official standard. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so answer every question.
What is on the NPTE-PTA?
Under the content outline in effect since January 2024, the 140 scored questions cover body systems (musculoskeletal 31 to 40, neuromuscular and nervous 27 to 35, cardiovascular and pulmonary 20 to 27, and smaller counts for integumentary, metabolic and endocrine, lymphatic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and system interactions) plus equipment and devices 8 to 10, therapeutic modalities 5 to 7, safety and protection 6 to 8, professional responsibilities 2 to 4 and research 1 to 3. Each 50-question practice test here keeps that balance.
Are these the real NPTE-PTA questions?
No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from FSBPT's published content outline, so it covers the same knowledge without copying the exam. The real exam includes some questions with a graphic or video and some that share a clinical scenario; here those are written as text scenarios. Tigertest is not affiliated with FSBPT, and this free practice does not replace your PTA program's board review.
I teach a PTA program. Can my students use Tigertest?
Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.
Related practice tests
Every test on Tigertest is free and needs no account to start.
Ready to Pass the NPTE-PTA?
Free to start. No account required. 200 questions across every area of the FSBPT content outline.
Start practicing