8.3 Exam Day Logistics & After the Exam

What to Bring

Arrive at the Prometric testing center about 30 minutes early with:

• Two forms of identification — both valid and unexpired, both matching the exact name on your registration. One must be a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license or passport).
• Confirmation of your Authorization to Test (ATT) and your scheduled Prometric appointment. Your jurisdiction approves your eligibility before the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) issues the ATT, which defines the window in which you may test.

Name mismatches are the most common check-in failure. If your ID name differs from your registration name, resolve it well before exam day.

What NOT to Bring

The testing room is a secure environment. Do not plan to use:

• Notes, books, scratch paper, or any study material
• Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, earbuds, or any electronic device
• Food, drinks, gum, or bags

Personal items are placed in a secure locker before you enter. You may not access the locker during a section; access during a break is limited and the room is monitored. The center provides any permitted on-screen tools and erasable note materials.

Check-In and Biometric Re-Entry

Prometric check-in includes identity verification and biometric capture, which commonly includes a palm vein scan in addition to a photo and signature. You will be scanned out and back in every time you leave and re-enter the testing room — including for the optional break. Build the biometric re-entry time into your break: the 15-minute optional break clock continues running during scanning.

Break Rules

The NPTE-PTA offers one optional 15-minute break after section 2. Unscheduled breaks (for example, a restroom trip mid-section) are permitted but the section clock keeps running and you must complete biometric re-entry. Plan to use only the scheduled break unless necessary.

Getting Your Score

Unofficial results are typically posted to your FSBPT account about three business days after your test date. FSBPT then transmits the official result to your jurisdiction's licensing board, which makes the final licensure decision and issues the license. The passing standard is a scaled score of 600 on a 200-800 scale; you receive a pass/fail outcome rather than a raw item count.

Retake Rules

If you do not pass, retake limits vary by jurisdiction, but the FSBPT lifetime cap is the governing standard. It works alongside limits on consecutive attempts within a 12-month period and a mandatory waiting period (often around 60 days) between attempts.

Some jurisdictions impose lower lifetime caps or additional remediation requirements, and candidates with repeated low scores at the same exam level may lose further eligibility. Always confirm the exact rule with your specific licensing board and the current NPTE Candidate Handbook before scheduling — do not assume the most permissive limit applies to you.

Using the Performance Feedback Report

Candidates who do not pass can obtain a Performance Feedback Report through their FSBPT account (a fee may apply). It breaks down performance by content area, showing relative strength and weakness across the body-system and non-system domains. Use it to rank your remediation priorities: invest your retake study time first in the lowest-scoring areas, then re-run full timed 180-item practice cycles before testing again. A targeted retake plan built from the report is far more effective than re-studying everything equally.