Cona Physical Therapy (2025)

FAQs

Is the physical therapy exam hard? ›

The NPTE has 250 questions that you must answer within five hours. That means you'll have to answer a question every 72 seconds to complete the exam. The NPTE is a tough and detailed exam, so you won't have a lot of time to think through your answers.

Physical therapy students often find themselves overwhelmed by the rigorous demands of subjects like anatomy, physiology, and other foundational courses. These disciplines, while essential for their future careers, require a significant amount of memorization and understanding of complex systems and processes.

Emotional Stress

Connecting with individuals in this way through the treatment process can often place a significant emotional strain on the physical therapist. The patient might also be in pain while trying to complete their physical therapy, placing additional strain on the relationship between you and the patient.

Your physical therapist will collaborate with you in determining what works best for both your schedule and body type. Usually, patients begin with one or two sessions per week; however, if you're in pain or on a long road to recovery, your therapist may recommend three visits per week.

Physical therapy is typically regarded as the more challenging option for the education level required to begin a career in these two fields. Generally, to become a physical therapist, you must complete various degrees, including a doctoral one.

The NPTE is graded on a scale ranging from 200 to 800 with 600 as the cutoff for a passing score. While you'll see 250 questions on this 5-hour exam, only 200 questions are scored and 50 questions are considered 'experimental'.

Physical therapy is a field that involves a lot of math. For example, physical therapists use math to calculate the range of motion in a patient's joints and determine the optimal angle for movement. This helps them create treatment plans that are tailored to the specific needs of each patient.

Medical students spend most of their last two years in a hospital working in different areas of medicine. Meanwhile, physical therapy is mostly in the classroom, doing lab work, and gaining some clinical experience. As a result, it is fair to say that medical school is harder than physical therapy school.

* The “hardest” personal trainer certification: The NCSA-CPT is the most difficult of the three, as its content is relatively technical and assumes a solid background in the subjects of anatomy, physiology and physics.

Because of this, and other reasons, many people end up discontinuing physical therapy. In fact, only 35% of physical therapy patients follow through with their entire plan of care. When you're right in the thick of it, sticking to your physical therapy plan can be difficult.

What is the lowest degree for physical therapy? ›

The entry level DPT open_in_new is currently the standard for those looking to become physical therapists.

Patients cry. It happens to all of us. Sometimes because they are happy, but other times because they just can't handle what's going on. When a physical therapy patient cries, don't panic.

If the physical therapist's efforts and in-clinic processes don't facilitate tracking and progressing your exercises over time, that should be a red flag. One thing we hope all of our readers intuitively understand is that a physical therapy treatment plan, at its core, is a highly specialized exercise program.

If you have reached a pre-injury level of fitness, you've achieved all your physical rehabilitation goals and your physical therapist grants you clearance to return to full athletic activities, it may be their recommendation that you discontinue seeking out physical therapy services.

The PE exam is one of the most difficult exams for engineers, but with thorough preparation and the right resources, passing is achievable.

Some physical therapy students may be able to study for the exam in a few weeks, while others may need several months to feel prepared. We have found that most students start studying at least 4-6 months in advance of the exam to allow enough time to thoroughly review all of the necessary material.

Each question is then scaled into the perfect 800 score. The FSBPT then tweaks the passing score of 600 up or down to give some leeway for a test that is “too easy,” or “too hard.” Above 600 and you pass the NPTE. Below 600 and you fail the NPTE.

Did you embark on this journey as a physical therapist to be average? Of course not. A passing score for the NPTE is 600, but if you aim just to pass, you'll have a more difficult time passing. In times of stress, you don't rise to the occasion, you fall to your highest level of preparation.