The secret to passing the NPTE is to study. The guides I have found to work are the most current O’sullivan guide called IER’s National Physical Therapy Review and Study guide found here http://www.therapyed.com/nptexamreview.htm and the infamous Blue book by the IER studying course.
What hardly helped was the yellow NPTE Study secrets guide by Mo-media– if you just read this, you will definitely not pass.
Typically, register for the examination and give yourself at least two months to first read through the O’sullivan guide. After the first read through, read it again. After that, read it one more time and now jot down important notes on either a notebook or index cards. Know your anatomy, all your muscles, nerves, dermatomes, myotomes. Know the special tests and how different impairments present as– such as winging of the scapular– how does that look like? what nerve/muscle is involved. And how would you fix this problem? *which type of exercise*
The exam may not be exactly straightforward. It will require you to think and recall– sometimes the exam will be multi-leveled, meaning you must know some facts and draw some conclusions and make the very best choice, as a PT.
Know your physiology, wound care, modalities, medications, differential diagnosis, research, prosthetics and orthotics, ethics, rules and regulations, and equipment, such as strategies to maneuver a wheelchair, and guidelines for wheelchair measurements– as well as what wheelchair would you give different patients with different impairments/diagnoses, such as a child with cerebral palsy or an adult with hemiplegia.
Take as many practice exams as you can and read through the explanations. Don’t just memorize the questions and answers, try to understand why the answers are correct and why the other answers aren’t correct. Typically, the PEAT and O’Sullivan exams are harder than the Scorebuilder’s exams. As for the O’sullivans, each year, the new versions have slightly different examinations, but the differences are minimal. I do suggest you spend the money and buy the latest version.
After studying for a month or two, and gaining confidence, schedule for an examination with fsbpt and then prometrics. The night before the exam, it might be hard for you to sleep *happened to me* so make sure you have no caffeine and don’t study that day *i watched top model all day* because your thoughts will be jumbled. In the morning, leave early and make sure you have two forms of ID with you, driver’s license, and a credit card, your glasses if you need them, and dress in comfortable layers.
Take the scheduled breaks during the exam and make sure you do all the pooping and peeing you need to before the exam. Eat a breakfast prior to the exam, you won’t be able to eat during the exam. And don’t take any caffeine or medications– they will jumble your thoughts.
Finally, make sure you don’t get nervous and pace yourself during the exam. Mark every question you have trouble with. When you are done with the first 50 questions, go back and check your exam and answers. Make sure you answer every question. If you get stuck, use the scratch board they give you and brainstorm on the answers. Make sure you read every question and answer carefully. If you give each question some thought, you will realize the exam is easier than you think. AS LONG AS you put the time into studying. There are no real secrets, just diligence and a little bit of luck. *like 0.0001 percent* And please, don’t even think about cheating or asking people who had passed to recall questions for you– that’s illegal and it won’t help anyway because every exam is different.
Using these strategies, hopefully you can pass your NPTE in one shot. Good luck fellow future physical therapists!