In this issue:
FSBPT has an obligation to all stakeholders to support people with disabilities in getting access to the examination while balancing exam security and our public protection mission. Starting with the October 2022 examinations, candidates requesting test accommodations in states that use the Alternate Approval Pathway (AAP) will have a streamlined approval process.
Candidates who have received testing accommodations in their PT/PTA program and need accommodations on the NPTE will provide information from their school indicating which accommodations were given and how those accommodations will allow access to the examination. From there, FSBPT staff will work with the candidate to ensure the appropriate accommodations are given on the NPTE. If a candidate has not received accommodations in school but has a disability and requires accommodations, they will supply documentation from an appropriate professional as to how their disability impacts test taking and what accommodations are necessary to access the NPTE. Upon request, FSBPT can also provide testing accommodations to individuals who do not have disabilities covered by the ADA but who need courtesy accommodations to address temporary issues.
FSBPT will host the NPTE Workshop for Educators Friday through Sunday, October 7-9, 2022, in Alexandria, Virginia. Attendees will receive valuable insights on how the NPTE is developed and how to prepare students for the NPTE as well as hands-on assistance in writing test items similar to those on the NPTE. Registration is now open, and spots are filling up fast! Please contact npte@fsbpt.org to learn how to register.
As defined by PT Compact Commission Rules, a licensee’s home state means the person’s true, fixed, and permanent home and is the place where the person intends to remain indefinitely, and to which the person expects to return if absent without intending to establish domicile elsewhere. Special exceptions to this rule are provided for active duty military and their spouses. Watch the video below and visit ptcompact.org to learn more.
Physical therapy involves movement. Therefore, it only makes sense that the NPTE would test candidates’ observation and understanding of physical movement.
FSBPT will be introducing video items beginning with the October NPTE administrations. Video items are similar to the current graphic items, and this builds on our previous work adding graphics. The videos are very brief, typically ten seconds or less. The candidate will need to access the video to answer the question.
Consistent with this change, earlier this summer, we updated the current PT and PTA Academic and Individual PEAT forms to include several video items. Any PEAT purchased now will include these items. We also updated the NPTE Demonstration Exam on our public website to include video items.
Adding video items is a big step and will allow the NPTE to be an even stronger and more robust assessment tool, further promoting public protection.
All candidates are offered a break after each fifty-question section. The fifteen-minute break after the second section is considered a “scheduled” break, as the break time is not counted against the overall exam timer. The other breaks are “unscheduled,” and any time spent on these optional breaks will be deducted from the overall exam time. Candidates are only permitted to take a break when their exam is displaying the break screen.
When taking a break, candidates will be asked to sign out of the testing room and provide a digital fingerprint. They may open their assigned locker only to access a snack, a drink, or medication. Accessing study materials or electronic devices is strictly prohibited and will be investigated as a violation of FSBPT’s security policies.
Candidates should make sure to account for any check-in and check-out times when taking a break. If their scheduled break exceeds the allotted fifteen minutes, their exam timer will begin to run again.
Item writing for the NPTE is a great way to gain expertise in crafting multiple-choice questions, share your knowledge of the profession, work with and learn from colleagues, and have fun!
If you or someone you know would like to participate in an Item Writing Workshop, apply online or send an inquiry to volunteer@fsbpt.org.
Visit the FSBPT website for information on a range of topics.
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If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you! FSBPT (703) 299-3100 | FCCPT (703) 684-8406 (Call FSBPT unless otherwise noted after name)
Contact Person
Title
Topics
William A. Hatherill
Chief Executive Officer
FSBPT Issues
Susan Layton Rich Woolf
Chief Operating Officer Chief Professional Officer
General questions and feedback; research questions
Lorin Mueller, PhD
Managing Director of Assessment
Psychometrics, test development and construction
Christine Sousa
Managing Director of Exam Services
Exam administration issues, ADA
Jamie Nolan, FCCPT
Managing Director of the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT)
Foreign educated graduates
School reports: schoolreports@fsbpt.org
Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT): peat@fsbpt.org