How I scored a 757 on the NPTE
NPTE stands for the National Physical Therapy Examination. It is a standardized test that you must pass if you desire to be licensed and practice physical therapy legally in the United States. If you are a third-year physical therapy student, this test stands between you and the career that you have been working towards for the past seven years.
The NPTE is a beast and should not be underestimated. But it should also not be feared. The purpose of the test is not to classify the intellectual capabilities of the licensee, but rather to determine if the licensee in question can objectively practice physical therapy safely and do no harm.
The maximum score is 800. Any score above 600 is passing. Any score below 600 is failing. FYI: nobody cares where your score falls between 600 and 800. The Transparent Truth is: I put my score in the title because I knew it would make you click on this post. But in reality it doesn't matter. A pass is a pass. If you score 600 or higher — you earned it and you are QUALIFIED to be a doctor of physical therapy. Remember that when you're studying, while you take the exam, while you wait for your results, when you finally receive your results, and on your first day at work. Don't be like me, sitting in the parking lot of the testing center after my exam balling my eyes out after frantically looking up the answers to all the questions that I could remember and seeing that all of them were WRONG. I felt like I completely bombed that exam. But alas, feelings can be deceiving!
Now onto why you're really here: to learn about the best tips and tricks to efficiently study for this exam.
Make a study plan in advance (before graduation) but don't get married to it.
Your study habits, patterns, and methods may change over time. Be flexible and willing to adapt!
Take a break after graduation and just chill. Because you won't get another real break again until after the exam is over.
Register for an NPTE prep course.
I personally took The Osullivan prep course twice and found it to be very helpful. The focus of their course is to teach you how to think about exam questions and understand the psychology of the exam.
Purchase both O'Sullivan and Scorebuilders exam books if you can.
Choose one to be your primary study book, but by purchasing both books you will have access to a total of 6 practice exams. The more practice the better!
Take a pre-test (O'Sullivan) to know where you stand and identify weak areas so you can prioritize study topics.
I personally recommend taking either a PEAT exam or an O'Sullivan practice exam as your “pre-test” because they are the most similar to the NPTE.
Schedule a practice exam in equal intervals throughout your study schedule.
Chose one of your exam books and take the tests in that book first. Then, progress to the other exam book and repeat. (I personally took O’Sullivan exams first and then Scorebuilders. In hindsight, I would have started with Scorebuilders and the O’Sullivan exams.)
When you take your practice exam - act like it's the real thing. Put away your cell phone, don’t have snacks or water nearby, take the scheduled breaks, and just practice being in the zone. Doing this 6 times before the real thing will definitely take the edge off.
Analyze your results and adjust your study/reading plan based on weak areas.
Review all missed questions and understand why the right answer is the right answer.
Choose one book as your primary study tool and make plans to read every single page.
I choose O’Sullivan because it is more detailed. It is definitely much harder to read but it forced me to dig deeper into concepts. I read the Scorebuilders books about topics that were too dense to read about in the O'Sullivan book.
DO NOT SELL, GIVE AWAY, OR THROW AWAY YOUR TEXTBOOKS IF YOU BOUGHT THEM.
The NPTE is not based on Scorebuilders or on O’Sullivan. The questions are based on the standard textbooks that the majority of PT schools use. Keep the following in your library and use them to clarify tough topics or to memorize specific details.
Kisner and Kolby — Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques
O’Sullivan — Physical Rehabilitation
Hillegass — Essentials of Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy
Magee — Orthopedic Physical Assessment
LISTEN TO EVERY EPISODE OF NPTE CLINICAL FILES BY KYLE RICE. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE.
His podcast is not only very insightful, engaging, and fun to listen to - but it also makes for great discussion in study groups if you're into that.
Don't study all day.
6-8 hours per day, 5-6 days per week, for 6-8 weeks should be more than enough. Make sure you have a complete rest day and DO OTHER THINGS. I had a job as a babysitter while studying and it was the perfect study break. I exercised daily and also ate healthy food. NPTE study time is the perfect time to also focus on healthy habits that will keep your brain fresh!
BONUS TIP: PRAY EVERY SINGLE DAY. PRAY BEFORE EVERY PRACTICE EXAM AND BEFORE THE REAL EXAM. PRAY DURING THE REAL EXAM. PRAY AFTER THE EXAM. AND THANK GOD FOR YOUR TEST RESULTS NO MATTER THE OUTCOME!
I specifically prayed for the following:
supernatural recall
superior deductive reasoning skills
discernment about difficult questions
peace of mind
to be free from anxiety
to be free from distractions
for God's will to be done on this exam.
I hope these tips were helpful! If so, please comment below and SHARE WITH ALL YOUR FUTURE DPT FRIENDS!
