In order to address security concerns and protect the integrity of the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), while complying with the recent order entered in Georgia, the FSBPT will cease continuous testing and begin fixed-date administration for ALL candidates for the NPTE for PTs. (You can view the Georgia order by going to www.fsbpt.org/NPTE-i and selecting "Latest Updates.")

Continuous testing until June 30, 2011
Continuous testing will be available for PT graduates until June 30, 2011.

2011 testing dates beginning July 1, 2011
Beginning July 1, 2011, all PT NPTE candidates will be able to schedule their test on one of three dates in 2011.

• September 7, 2011 (Wednesday)
• October 20, 2011 (Thursday)
• December 5, 2011 (Monday)

2012 testing dates
There will be five testing dates in 2012 for the PT NPTE. We are working with Prometric to determine best dates for accommodating candidate volume.

Purpose of fixed-date testing
By offering the NPTE on a limited number of fixed dates, the FSBPT will be able to ensure that the NPTE given on a particular date will not contain previously compromised items. This change in procedure is designed to substantially reduce or eliminate candidates’ ability to gain a score advantage by having advance access to NPTE questions. The new procedure’s purpose is to ensure the validity of scores on the NPTE and fulfill the member boards’ and FSBPT’s shared responsibility of protecting the public.

PTA students are not affected
Note that this does not affect PTA graduates; continuous testing continues for PTA graduates.

Background:
As you may know, Georgia candidates had initiated a lawsuit challenging the Federation’s decision to develop a version of the NPTE for graduates of physical therapy schools from Egypt, India, Pakistan and the Philippines (the NPTE-i). The Federation’s decision to develop the NPTE-i was made in response to objective, compelling evidence of pervasive sharing of recalled items by and among graduates of these programs.

On February 9, 2011, a Georgia Superior Court judge granted an injunction to three graduates of physical therapy programs in the Philippines against the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy and the FSBPT. The injunction prohibits the Georgia Board and the FSBPT from enforcing in Georgia a July 2010 security measure implemented by the FSBPT that requires graduates receiving their first physical therapy degree from programs in Egypt, India, Pakistan and the Philippines to take an NPTE-i form of the National Physical Therapy Examination.

The judge’s ruling was based upon the plaintiffs’ argument that the Georgia Board failed to follow the formal “rule making” requirements of the Georgia Administrative Procedures Act and exceeded its statutory authority by adopting the FSBPT security measure. The judge’s ruling was limited to these two issues and does not address the plaintiffs’ additional arguments, including their assertion that the security measure violates their Due Process and Equal Protection rights under the Georgia Constitution.