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Visit the library
The key to doing well on any exam is to do as many practice exam as you can and go over the answers and figure out which ones you got wrong and why you got them wrong. With the ones that you got wrong, look at the structure of the questions, the choices, and the reasoning behind them. This will accomplish several goals. One it will teach you a subject matter or topic that you got wrong. Second, it will teach you force to understand how the NPTE sets up their questions and the tricks that they employ to confuse you.
The other main point of this post is to do as many practice exams as possible. So where can you find practice exams to do? You go to the library. Most library will have practice exams and books from years past. This will provide you with an endless source of practice exams to work through as you study and prepare to take the test.
Find the right school
After you take the NPTE exam, you need to start considering schools to apply to if you are to get started with becoming a physical therapist. Another thing that you will need to decide is whether you will study for a masters or doctorate degree.
There are several things that you should think about before you apply to school. First, you need to figure out what area of specialization you want to pursue in. A physical therapist can specialize in many different areas so it is important to figure your specialty so that you can apply for the right school that will help you pursue that profession.
Second, when you look through the schools, you will notice that there are accredited and unacreditted schools. It’s always best to attend a accredited school because they will provide you with the academic curriculum that you will need to help you get a job as soon as possible.
Third, you need to figure out where you want to live. Depending on the location, you need to look at the schools around that location.
Fourth, you need to look at the cost of tuition. Each school has different tuition. Some schools are private. Some are public institutions so the cost will vary for tuition, books, housing, and etc.
It’s important to examine all these factors so that you can pick the right school for your needs and desires.
Physical Therapist Duties
Physical therapists assist patients with debilitating conditions including lumbar pain, arthritis, fractures, ankle sprains, head injuries, strokes, and cerebral palsy. They offer therapeutic services to improve a patient’s mobility. Alleviating pain and enable patients to cope with permanent physical disabilities. They may use therapeutic equipment and techniques such as massage to improve muscle strength, whirlpool baths, ultrasonic machines, and ultraviolet and infrared lamps. They also teach patients different ways to exercise to improve their physical health.
Physical therapy has numerous specialties including cardiopulmonary, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics, and pediatrics. Physical therapists practice in a lot of areas that may include outpatient clinics or offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, private homes, education and research centers, schools, hospitals, industrial workplaces, occupational environments, fitness gyms, and sports training facilities. They can also teach patients as well as their families how to use such medical devices as wheelchairs, braces, canes and crutches, and artificial limbs. Typically their duties may include measuring a patient’s motor function, balance and coordination, muscle strength and performance, range of flexibility, creating and implementing treatment plans, assessing a patient’s ability to function independently, and writing progress reports for doctors.
According to the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, therapists are qualified and professionally necessary to:
- To experience a comprehensive examination/assessment/evaluation of the patient/client or needs of your client group
- Formulate a diagnosis, prognosis, and plan
- Provide consultation of their expertise and find out when patients/clients need to be referred to another medical fractioned
- Implement a physical therapist intervention/treatment programmed
- Determine the outcomes of any interventions/treatments
- Make strategies for self management.
Physical therapists need to have strong interpersonal skills to effectively educate patients regarding their physical therapy treatments and also to come together with the entire patient’s family. Therapists should also be compassionate and have a strong need to help individuals need.
Testing Information
The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) is charged with the task of protecting the public and promoting the safety and competency of the physical therapy practice. The board oversees and administrations the licensing examination for both physical therapist and physical therapist assistants.
Each state establishes their own criteria for eligibility to take the physical therapist and physical therapist assistants exam. So if you are planning to take the test, you need to check with the state where you plan to work in and to see if you met their requirements to take the test.
Both exams are administered by the FSBPT through Prometric. The computer based exam’s scores are transmitted to your state’s licensing authority. Again each state has their own eligibility requirements and criteria for what it takes to get certification. So the FSBPT designs and administer the test but the licensing authority in each state determines the necessary score for passage.
A you can take the exam just about anywhere. You do not need to take the test in the area that you plan to practice in. However, when you apply for the exam, you do have to designate the location that you are taking the exam for. And you can only select one state of certification per exam.
The cost to take the NPTE is $370. The fee will increase to $400 on January 1, 2013. So if you want to save some money you better take it before the year ends.
Becoming a Physical Therapist
The requirements of becoming a Physical Therapist varies with each states in the United States. Despites the different standards for certification to work and practice as a Physical Therapist, the one common requirement is that you must pass the NPTE exam.
The current cost to take the test is $370.00. The examination center will also charge you a $70.00 fee for administrating the test. You can take the exam at over 200 different location throughout the United States. You do not need to take the exam in the same states that you will be apply to get a license to practice in. The same exam is given nation wide
To gain admittance into the test center, you will need two forms of ID. One must be a driver license or a passport. The second is a credit card with your name and signature on it and the signature on both the credit card and driver license or passport must match.
You will also get fingerprinted and photographed when you enter the testing area and you will be photographed any time you leave the testing area for breaks. You will also be video taped while you are taking the exam so don’t try to cheat because these measures are designed to stop cheating.
About the NPTE Test
The NPTE (National Physical Therapy Examination) was created to: (1) provide examination services to regulatory entities in charge with regulating physical therapists and physical therapist assistants; (2) to establish a standard to compare physical therapist from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; and (3) to protect the public interest by making sure that physical therapist have the necessary skills to perform their duties.
There are actually two exams. One exam for Physical therapist and one for physical therapist assistant. Both are designed to test a candidates basic entry level competence and what they have learned after graduating from an accredited or non-accredited program.
In some areas, you have to pass both the NPTE exam as well as other testing requirements to get licensed.
The exam is a computer administered examination. There are five sections on the physical therapist exam – each with fifty (50) questions. So in total there are 250 multiple choice questions on the test. Only 200 of the 250 questions are scored. The other 50 questions are used for testing purpose and design to be used in future examinations.
The physical therapist assistant exam is only made up of four sections, each section with 50 questions. So there are only 200 questions on the exam and only 150 of those questions are scored.
You get one 15 minute break during the exam. You can also take up to three additional breaks during the exam but these breaks are considered unscheduled breaks and do not stop the clock or time period in which you need to complete the test.
To pass the exam you must score a minimum of 600 on either exam. The score ranges from 200 to 800. The cost to take the exam is $370.
Welcome to NPTE Exam!
So you must be getting ready to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) if you have found our blog. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy administers the NPTE exam for both physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
In the days to come we will be providing insightful information for those taking the exam. We hope you like our site.