Nervous About the NPTE?

Are you nervous for the NPTE?

One of the challenges of being a physical therapist is acquiring a license to work for the United States of America. To be able to practice your profession, it is important to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). The NPTE is an exam that should not be taken lightly by any physical therapist. As a matter of fact, a lot of physical therapists study religiously for this examination. However, there are still some that feels nervous and anxious during the examination. What could be the possible reasons for this?

Are you nervous for the NPTE?

One of the challenges of being a physical therapist is acquiring a license to work for the United States of America. To be able to practice your profession, it is important to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). The NPTE is an exam that should not be taken lightly by any physical therapist. As a matter of fact, a lot of physical therapists religiously study for this exam. However, there are still some that feels nervous and anxious during the examination. What could be the possible reasons for this?

When you feel anxious, there could be things that you have done in your review that makes you feel uneasy for the examination. Here are some possible reasons of your anxiety.

Steps in Taking the NPTE or National Physical Therapy Exam

Any person always dream of a better life. This is the reason many work hard on their jobs to earn money and provide what their family needs. One profession that has been gaining more and more demand overseas is physical therapy. To find growth in their career and better paying jobs, these Filipino physical therapists find a greener pasture overseas, particularly in the land of milk and honey, the United States of America.

Many Filipinos are hunting for jobs in the USA for many reasons. For starters, they pay much better and work benefits are more promising. Second, immigrant workers can possibly bring their families to the United States depending on their visa type. Finally, it is a good opportunity to work while also exploring the country. For Filipino physical therapists, working in the US starts off by preparing for the NPTE or the National Physical Therapist Examination. The NPTE is their licensure exam. Once they pass, they can practice their profession in the US. The NPTE has five different sections containing fifty questions in five different sections. Fifty of these are pretested materials while the other two hundred is scored.

For Filipino physical therapists, this is a guide in taking the NPTE.

1. Know the requirements of the state (jurisdiction).
Some state may require a jurisprudence exam before an applicant can take the NPTE. The purpose for this test is to act as an evaluation whether the applicant has sufficient knowledge on the practice acts in the state they are applying. Once he or she passes this exam, the applicant can move forward to the next step.

2. Fill out the State Application Form. 
Complete this form. This form is from the licensing authority of the jurisdiction the applicant is applying for. Read all the necessary information in this form. Make sure that there are no erasures.

3. Registration 
Complete all the requirements for the registration. Credentialing is one of these. This is when the applicant’s education on physical therapy is compared and levelled with the current standards in the US. This is to make sure that the knowledge a Filipino physical therapist has is the same with that in the US. Moreover, the Test of English as a Foreign Language should be taken. Candidates should have at least a score of 26 in the speaking test and an overall score of at least 63 in the reading, listening, and writing tests. Payment for the NPTE should be addressed to the FSBPT or the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Online payment is done at www.fsbpt.org.

4. Special Accommodations
Applicants who have special needs should notify the test center for any special requests. This should be done months before the scheduled exam.

5. Approval from the jurisdiction
Once all is done, the licensing authority will notify the applicant on the approval of their eligibility and the FSBPT.

The process can take months and even years, so candidates need to work as early as possible to comply with the requirements.

NPTE Scores - Did You Make or Fail it?

Is my score good enough to pass the exam?

The NPTE or the National Physical Therapist Examination is a gateway to a brighter future for Filipino physical therapists. As one acquires a license from this examination, more advantages and opportunities are to be available on its candidates. A license on the NPTE is required in different states before a Filipino physical therapist can practice their profession. Here in the Philippines, more and more physical therapists are taking review classes on NPTE and at the same time, preparing their requirements for the said examination.

The NPTE is divided into two different kinds: physical therapist and physical therapist assistant exams. It is a computer-based examination. The PT licensure exam has five sections containing fifty different questions. However, the PTA licensure test is composed of four different sections with a total of two hundred multiple choice questions. The NPTE is scored from 200 to 800 – 200 as the lowest one can get and 800 as the highest. The minimum passing score of 600 is set on both PT and PTA exams. However, it is best for candidates to double check on the passing score set by the institutions they have applied for. Candidates should always think that they have to meet all the eligibility requirement the state requires before their application can be processed and approved.

 How is the NPTE scored?

The NPTE scale score is an arithmetic conversion of raw scores (the number of questions a candidate answers correctly) to a scale that ranges from 200 to 800. The reason for converting the raw scores to scaled scores is that the exam is most of the time revised basing on the level of difficulty. To ensure that scores on different forms of examination have the same meaning, raw scores are to be converted to scaled scores that represent equivalent levels of achievement regardless of the examination form taken. The passing score of the said examination is said to be 600. If a candidate gets 600 or higher, he or she passed. Any score below 600 is considered failing score.

The examination results are to be released about 10 business days after the examination date. This free score reports can be viewed on the website pt.fsbt.net. The scores can be viewed for a month. After a month, the report may be acquired by paying a standard fee for an Individual Score Report.

For more information on the NPTE scoring system and other information regarding the examination, please visit http://www.fsbpt.org/Portals/0/documents/free-resources/CandidateHandbook20131028.pdf.

Get more NPTE tips here: http://nptephilippines.wordpress.com/

What is the NPTE?

The National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) is a licensing examination for physical therapist and PT assistance of the United States. The exam is provided by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) in order to ensure the competency of PTs who wish to practice in the United States. Safe practice is important and the NPTE gauges the ability of PTs to render safe care. Basic competencies are looked into, so that that only those PTs with sufficient skills and knowledge can render service. This protects public interest.

The NPTE is developed and written by the FSBPT’s examination committee. Writers of the exam come from a variety of backgrounds in order to ensure that the examination is comprehensive.

The NPTE is administered through the computer, by Prometric. Everything is done through the computer, even registration. You can visit the FSBPT website to do this. An easier method, though, is to ask your review center to help you with the registration.

When you are ready to make the appointment for the test, you will have to be in contact with Prometric. This is the company that provides the actual examination. You must be ready to provide them with the following information:

Name of the examination (Physical Therapist NPTE, Physical Therapist Assistant NPTE)

•Where and when you would like to test (location of Prometric Center and approved test date)

•Your name

•Social Security Number or Alternate Identification Number

•Daytime telephone number

•Type of payment: credit card or direct debit

Preparing for the NPTE is not easy. You should make sure to check out the content outline, which tells you what topics will be covered by the exam. This is available online. Here is the link:

www.fsbpt.org/ForCandidatesAndLicensees/NPTE/ExamDevelopment

Despite having an outline to guide your review, it is not enough to ensure that you pass the NPTE, especially if you are not trained and educated in the United States. Remember that standards of care in the Philippines may be different from that of the US. Familiarization with what they considered the norm in terms of knowledge and skills is also important. Review and prepare for the NPTE well. 

The examination is multiple choice and computerized, so candidates must be the comfortable as well as knowledgeable in answering this question type.

Once you are done with the test, the FSBPT scores the examination and transmits the score to the licensing authority. Your final score is released by the FSBPT.

Good luck!