This post has been SUPER requested, so I am excited to finally share with you guys what I did to successfully PASS the NPTE (after failing my 1st attempt)! I will outline what I did for each of my attempts, and then end the post with a Q&A of things YOU asked on Instagram!
Overview of my 1st attempt
When I began studying for the July NPTE, I will admit that failing was not on my radar AT ALL. Most of my classmates had already taken (and passed!) the exam in April after studying during our final clinical, so I figured that I would be fine as well (especially because I would have 2 uninterrupted months to study); I definitely felt a little “cocky”. Additionally, according to FSBPT (the creators of the exam), 91% of students pass the NPTE on their first try, so I expected to easily fall into this category. After all, I had spent 3 years learning all of this information! I did well in PT school, so I thought that studying for the NPTE would consist of mostly review. Man, was I wrong!
I spent so much time making a study schedule that I believed would be easy to stick to, but looking back, my schedule was waaaay too broad. I used the 8-week study plan template from My Road to PT, and my goal was to study for roughly 4 hours/day Monday through Friday and take 7 practice exams. I prioritized the “big three” (MSK, cardiopulm, and neuro), but also made sure to dedicate time to other systems and non-systems:
As you can see, my schedule didn’t outline what I would actually do every day, it only directed me to the general subject to study. This was one of my major mistakes, as I spent most of my days doing random things to hit my “4 hours of studying a day”. Once I hit that 4 hours, I was done! I failed to assess myself while studying to see if I was actually learning and retaining information along the way; I was essentially just checking a box and going through the motions.
My PT program provided us with Basecamp from Scorebuilders, so that and the Scorebuilders review book was what I mainly used to study for my 1st attempt (and reach that “4 hours a day” study goal”). I supplemented this with practice questions here and there from a few apps (PT365 and NPTE Final Frontier), and videos from Picmonic. Lastly, I listened to episodes of the NPTE Clinical Files Podcast by Kyle Rice. In my opinion, the Scorebuilders resources (including their practice exams) were not challenging enough (especially Basecamp). I feel like the information and questions were very surface level (they involved a lot of straight recall and less clinical reasoning), and didn’t prepare me personally for the rigor of the actual NPTE. On my 2nd attempt, I used practice exams from the TherapyEd review book, and even though they were more challenging, these exams better prepared me for the NPTE.
Another big mistake I made was taking a bunch of practice exams just for the heck of it. So many people encouraged me to take as many practice exams as I could so that I could familiarize myself with the exam format and see as many questions as possible. While this wasn’t bad advice, I found myself taking the exams solely to see the score at the end. I took a few hours to review each exam, but I didn’t really get anything out of the review. I didn’t track whether or not I was improving in the areas I was actually studying, and I didn’t adjust my studying based on my scores. My practice exam scores are below (for reference, passing on the NPTE is typically 135-137/200 questions or 67.5% for a 600 scaled score):
- Scorebuilders 1 (baseline): 96/200 (48%)
- Scorebuilders 2: 100/200 (50%)
- Scorebuilders 3: 111/200 (55%)
- Practice PEAT: 113/200 (56%), 492 scaled
- Retired PEAT: 121/200 (61%), 524 scaled
- Practice PEAT: 120/200 (60%) 546 scaled
- Retired PEAT: 143/200 (72%), 554 scaled
As you can see, my practice exam scores weren’t improving much between each exam despite the fact that I was spending at least 4-5 days studying. I took my final exam 5 days before the NPTE, and it definitely inflated my confidence. Passing for that exam was 154/200 (77%), but I thought I was fine because I was above the typical 135-137 question range required for the NPTE. This is a reminder to take that number with a grain of salt because at the end of the day, you must have at least a 600/800 scaled score on the NPTE to pass (and the number of questions required for this score will always vary depending on the exam). Check out the FSBPT website for more information on scoring.
Overall, the practice exams are meant to be hard (sometimes harder than the actual NPTE!) and most people don’t pass them, so I wasn’t too worried that I hadn’t passed a single exam when it came time to take the NPTE. Looking back, that was a huge red flag.
What I changed for my 2nd attempt
Invested in a course
Investing in Kyle Rice’s NPTE Coaching Program was definitely the best decision I made when it came to studying for the NPTE! I will say that it is NOT cheap, but it was a worthwhile investment for me to know that I would have the tools needed to successfully crush the NPTE. After paying for the exam (and the Prometric sitting fee) TWICE, I was willing to invest in my study material so that I wouldn’t have to A, spend money later if I didn’t pass my 2nd attempt, and B, be confident in my ability to pass so that I could start my career (and finally start making money). I also had a few friends who had taken the course and passed the NPTE (and I was in Kyle’s free Facebook group where multiple people left testimonials for the course), and they all had great things to say.
Kyle’s program walks you through literally EVERYTHING needed for the exam, and included 100+ hours of lectures (I watched almost every lecture), weekly live coaching, a private Facebook group, and lots of motivation and accountability. Additionally, it includes his PASS System, which focuses on test strategy and mindset for the exam which is SO SO important. I actually purchased the PASS system initially when I was ~4 weeks out from my 1st attempt, and it was extremely helpful. The PASS system helped me break out of the 120s on practice exams, which is why I did so well on my final exam. He teaches you a systematic way to attack each practice question, and also a lot about confidence and reducing your anxiety. During my 1st NPTE attempt I abandoned this systematic approach after section 1 or 2 (hello anxiety!), but during my 2nd attempt, I made sure to keep with it throughout the entire exam.
If you can swing it, I 1000% recommend Kyle’s course. He is an incredible teacher and motivator, and his lectures were super easy to digest and really helped me retain more information. He made studying for the NPTE fun, and I actually looked forward to watching his lectures and learning every day. Ultimately there are many courses out there, so just be sure to find one that is going to work for YOU if you decide to invest in one!
Outlined each day
Like I mentioned earlier, my study plan for my 1st attempt only directed me to what general subject I was going to study each day. For my 2nd attempt, in addition to the general subject, I also added in 4-6 specific topics I planned to study for the day (and did not exceed 5-6 hours of studying) so that I knew EXACTLY what my plan was. This helped me avoid a lot of wasted time, especially because I typically created this specific outline a week or 2 in advance. I used a big desk calendar for my study schedule and created checkboxes to check things off as I went:
Used OneNote to organize content
During my 1st attempt, I only utilized flashcards and a poorly-organized 13-page word document with concepts I missed on practice exams and a few “big ideas”. I used OneNote all throughout PT school and loved it, so I decided to utilize it to organize my content for my 2nd attempt. I created a “section” for each body system on the NPTE and a “page” for each individual topic/group of topics for each system. Because my content was organized properly, it was easy to find specific topics, and/or search my entire notebook for a word or concept. Within my notes, I highlighted major points/things that were most likely to show up on the NPTE in red, and this was helpful to focus on if I wanted to do a quick review of a topic. I even added helpful pictures, screenshots from Kyle’s lectures, drawings, and charts to better help visualize and organize the information.
Addressed my environment
I studied any and everywhere during my 1st attempt: at my desk, in bed, at Jon’s house, at random coffee shops, etc. Because I didn’t have a designated study area that I stuck to, it was definitely hard to “get in the groove” of things and remain focused. For my 2nd attempt, I ONLY studied at my desk in my room (of course I deviated from this a few times, I’m human), and this definitely helped me stay on track. I didn’t have any distractors, and once I was focused, I typically remained that way. We all know how frustrating it is when a coffee shop gets loud or crowded, we can’t find an outlet, we get hungry, etc. Although I love a good coffee shop study day, I decided that for me personally, it was more productive for me to stay at home (and I did NOT miss packing up my study materials and transporting them all around town). This also saved me some money, as I didn’t have the temptation to buy food or coffee while I was out. Both of my parents were also working from home, so my mom typically made lunch for us which was a nice perk!
Confidence
The NPTE is kinda like a game you have to learn how to master: if you want to succeed, you MUST trust your gut and remain confident throughout the ENTIRE exam. I missed the mark on my 1st attempt by ~4-5 questions, and I know for a FACT that if I hadn’t changed some of my answers (due to anxiety, not trusting my knowledge, etc.), I would have passed. I kept a few affirmations/mantras above my study area that I read aloud every morning before I began studying, and they really helped improve my confidence and lower my anxiety:
Study group/Accountability Partners
This was probably one of the MOST important changes I made for my 2nd attempt. I studied alone for my 1st attempt, which is something I don’t recommend. I enjoyed studying in groups in PT school, so I honestly don’t know why I didn’t consider that this would also be beneficial for the NPTE. I met up (virtually) with 2 of my friends on Tuesdays and Fridays/Sundays, and another friend on Thursdays of EVERY week. We kept this schedule pretty consistent and tried to meet at the same time each week. All of my study partners had also previously failed the NPTE (and were all in Kyle Rice’s course as well), so we all had A LOT in common. We understood each others’ struggles and knew how it felt to fail the NPTE despite working so hard. During our sessions (that lasted ~2-3 hours), we would each typically present on a topic we had learned/reviewed that week, and we would also discuss things we had been struggling with. We sprinkled in a few practice questions here and there, and we also took the time to just check in on each other, rant, and decompress. We are not meant to go through this NPTE process alone, so if you don’t do anything else I’ve recommended, I HIGHLY suggest you find 2-3 other people that are also taking the exam to hold you accountable, hype you up, and teach you things! I can’t tell you how many mnemonics and concepts my partners taught me that I wasn’t aware of!
Less Practice Exams
I took 7 practice exams for the 1st attempt, and 4 for my 2nd attempt. As I stated earlier, during my 1st attempt I feel like I was taking practice exams just because I knew I “had” to. I wasn’t assessing and addressing my strengths and weakness after each exam, so I wasn’t keeping track of what information I was actually retaining, and what I needed to improve on. I didn’t pass a SINGLE practice exam during my 1st attempt, and I passed all but my baseline exam during my 2nd attempt (again for reference, passing on the NPTE is typically 135-137/200 questions or 67.5% for a 600 scaled score):
- TherapyEd A: 130/200 (65%) which is what I scored on my 1st NPTE
- Practice PEAT: 157/200 (79%), 657 scaled; this was a repeat PEAT from my 1st attempt*
- TherapyEd C: 145/200 (73%)
- Retired PEAT: 163/200 (82%), 699 scaled; this was a repeat PEAT from my 1st attempt*
As you can see, my practice exam scores were MUCH higher the 2nd time around. In my opinion, I feel like TherapyEd’s exams better prepared me for the NPTE in comparison to the Scorebuilders exams I took during my 1st attempt. My advice is to stick to TherapyEds and PEATs (which are created by FSBPT and are going to mimic the NPTE the best) when it comes to practice exams. On the NPTE you will see a lot of questions/topics that you haven’t studied or learned, and the TherapyEd exams really helped me get accustomed to this.
I also made sure to keep the conditions of my practice exams consistent and as close to the real NPTE as possible: I took each exam at my desk without access to my phone and took breaks how I planned to do during the real thing. I ate the exact lunch I planned to eat and only used the bathroom/drank water during the breaks. I kept a note on my door to let my family know that I was taking a practice exam to make sure that there weren’t any interruptions.
Daily Review + Practice Questions
For my 1st attempt, the only review I did was a few days out from my NPTE test date. For my 2nd attempt, I began each day reviewing the concepts I studied the previous day and ended each day with ~10 practice questions from TrueLearn + a review of everything I covered. I also dedicated ~2 weeks at the end of my studying to almost every topic.
I purchased TrueLearn’s 3-month subscription for $149 which gave me access to 950+ practice questions. I felt that the difficulty of their questions was comparable to the NPTE, and I really liked that you could create mini “tests” and select the specific topics/areas you wanted to include on those tests. For example, if I were studying the shoulder and the foot, I would search those terms (or specific pathologies) and choose questions that pertained to those topics. This was a great way for me to see if I was retaining the information I spent all day studying while giving me insight into what I needed to focus on more. I am also a big fan of the functionality of TrueLearn (you can strike out answers and highlight within the question, just like on the NPTE), and their dashboard provided me with data and tools to track how I was doing in certain topics. Additionally, the rationale for the questions and answers was super helpful.
I definitely fell off the wagon with practice questions during the last month of studying, but I still recommend purchasing TrueLearn’s question bank! You can even see if a friend would want to split the price with you to save a bit!
Q&A (questions that weren’t answered above)
What’s the best place to start? I’m feeling overwhelmed when it comes to creating a plan. Should I start with a practice exam before studying?
I would definitely start with a baseline practice exam! Then you know where you stand (regarding your strengths and weaknesses), and you can tailor your studying based on that! I wish I would have invested in a course the 1st time around because I feel like that would have given me the structure that I was missing, so if this is feasible for you, I suggest purchasing a course as well.
When would you suggest to start studying?
Most people give themselves between ~6-12 weeks to study, which is what I would recommend. I studied for both attempts for ~8-10 weeks, and that was enough time for me to learn all the content AND have time for a thorough review without becoming burnt out. If you want to sit for the April exam, that probably means you will have to begin studying during a clinical rotation. It all boils down to how much time each day you can dedicate to studying. If you can only study for 2 hours/day, then you may need a longer study plan; if you can study for 4-6 hours/day, then you can probably get away with a shorter study plan. Regardless, I would give yourself more time than you think you need to be on the safe side!
Is it possible to study for the NPTE while on a full-time clinical rotation?
Definitely! Most of my classmates studied during our final 12-week clinical rotation and sat for the April exam. You just have to make sure you have a solid plan: most people study 2-3 hours after clinic and longer on the weekends. It’s all about what YOU personally can handle. Don’t feel pressured to take the April exam just because that’s what most people do. I definitely felt that pressure and I’m so glad I went with what was best for me, which was studying after graduation so I could dedicate my full attention to it.
What is the best way to start preparing early as a student?
Honestly, I’d say just make sure you are taking good notes in school because you will most likely want to refer back to them. Try to actually learn the information vs. memorizing it so that you will have a solid foundation by the time NPTE studying rolls around.
What study materials did you use?
- Kyle Rice’s course ($2497; included lectures for just about every NPTE topic)
- TherapyEd exams (review book is $90)
- PEAT exams ($99 for a Practice NPTE and a Retired NPTE)
- Truelearn’s NPTE question bank ($149 for a 3-month subscription)
- FREE iPhone apps (PT365 and NPTE Final Frontier)
Best study material to invest in?
1000% a course if you can afford it, a question bank, the TherapyEd book, and the PEAT exams (basically everything mentioned above).
Did you actually read through the entire review book? Did you purchase flash cards as well?
I did not (for either attempt). I don’t do well solely reading out of a book (I tried this for the Practice PEAT we had to take in PT school and it did not work out well). I didn’t retain any of the information, and I was just going through the motions. Because I had lectures from Kyle’s course for my 2nd attempt, that’s where I got most of my information; I mainly used the TherapyEd review book to look up things quickly or supplement the information I already had.
What was included in the program you purchased this time around?
This is what Kyle Rice’s Coaching Program includes (taken straight from his website):
- Pre-recorded online coaching program with Dr. Rice
- Step-by-step instruction through entire NPTE process (from Day 1 of prep to NPTE Exam Date)
- 100+ hours of pre-recorded lectures
- 4 hour time commitment per day recommended (if 12 weeks out from NPTE)
- Specific timelines available for students up to 9 months out from taking the NPTE exam
- Access to the NPTE Pass System included to teach you how to develop a consistent winning test strategy that will allow you to answer questions with confidence
- Test-taking focus areas include: accountability, developing a solid study plan, and overcoming anxiety
- 24/7 access to the online platform (until you pass)
- Access to private Facebook group for support and guidance
- Includes access to: NPTE Prep Secrets Hitlist, NPTE Prep Calendar, NPTE Cheatsheet Google Drive, & Mini Practice Test
How does studying look with a coach/program?
The main difference is that you have STRUCTURE. You know exactly what you need to do each day, which will increase your success. It was also nice to have someone that was rooting for you the entire time, and to know that you could go to them with any questions or concerns that came up! A reminder that it is totally possible to pass the NPTE without a coach/program, this is just what worked well for ME!
General overview of how you studied? Tips to get concepts to stick?
For each topic, I would start by watching the lecture in my course and taking my own notes in OneNote on EVERYTHING (Kyle provided PowerPoint PDFs, but I preferred formatting the information in a way that made sense to me personally). I then would complete ~10 TrueLearn practice questions on the topic (this was the goal but it didn’t always happen every day) to see if I was retaining the information. I would thoroughly review each question (right or wrong) so that I really understood why the correct answer was correct, and why the other answers were incorrect (making sure to add to my notes as I did this). I then ended my day (typically after dinner and before I went to bed) by reviewing what I went over that day.
Tips to get concepts to stick:
- Repetition (reading my notes multiple times was helfpul for this)
- Talking things out/teaching it to someone else (whether that be a parent, a friend, or a study partner)
- Organizing the information in a different way (creating charts, diagrams, drawings, one-pagers to condense the information, etc.)
- Practice questions to test your knowledge and build your confidence
What was your study schedule?
For my 1st attempt: I studied for ~8 weeks, 4 hours/day Monday through Friday. I created a schedule (which I discuss in more detail above) that allowed me to address each subject area for ~4-5 days. I didn’t revisit any topics after I saw them once, and this was not a good idea. For my 2nd attempt, I made sure to do this!
For my 2nd attempt: My study plan was 11 weeks, but only ~9 of those were spent doing hardcore studying (and I spent way more time on each subject area, hitting them twice):
How much of the content did you actually learn in school but forget about until studying for the NPTE?
You learn almost everything you need to know for the NPTE in school, but of course, you aren’t going to remember it all! Most things were a review, but a lot of things I had to spend extra time on to make sure that I really understood them (especially because the NPTE is very specific, so some of the information in school can kinda contradict what the NPTE wants).
What do you think the biggest game-changer was from round 1 to round 2?
Definitely outlining my days (with only 4-6 topics and not deviating from that, I talk about this more above) so I knew EXACTLY what to do each day. During my 1st attempt I didn’t have much structure, and this definitely affected my NPTE score. Having the lectures from Kyle’s Course was another game-changer for me, especially because I am a visual learner. It was nice to have someone else teaching me the information instead of just reading from a book. If I was confused or wanted to review something again, I could easily refer back to the video if needed.
How did you answer questions that you were unsure of?
I started by focusing on the information that I did know and then ruled out answers that I knew were incorrect. Having a good test strategy is imperative, along with trusting your gut! You aren’t meant to know the answer to EVERY SINGLE QUESTION on the NPTE, it’s impossible! This is where your clinical reasoning skills and knowledge base will carry you.
Did you utilize Basecamp from Scorebuilders?
I did for my 1st attempt but as I mentioned above, I felt like the information was very low-level and not challenging at all. I only used it because my program purchased it for me, but I don’t recommend it as your sole source of studying. I think it would be something nice to do for light NPTE studying (like during a clinical rotation), but in my opinion, the information was VERY basic (and didn’t require much clinical reasoning).
What was your biggest struggle? Test endurance, material, anxiety, etc?
My biggest struggles were definitely anxiety/confidence and test fatigue. The NPTE is a 5-hour exam, and it is so easy to go into “autopilot” mode and just start clicking answers so you can get it over with. Additionally, it is easy to second-guess yourself and your knowledge and end up changing your answers. By having a more solid foundation of the material the 2nd time around, I automatically had more confidence and less anxiety (so I didn’t second-guess myself as much).
How did you address your weaknesses?
After reviewing a practice exam, I would write out the topics that I missed, and then make sure to review them the next day. I also would share my weaknesses with my study group, and typically someone would then present/teach something from that topic during our next study session. I also would do more practice questions from TrueLearn in my weak areas.
How did you feel about the time aspect? Rushed? Enough time?
When taking my practice exams, I never felt rushed, always finishing with at least an hour remaining. On my 1st NPTE attempt, I finished with about an hour and a half remaining (honestly, I rushed through the last 2 sections because I was over it and ready to go home). On my 2nd attempt, I only finished with about 15 or so minutes remaining. I didn’t feel rushed until the final 2 sections, but I was still able to complete every question with enough time. Throughout the exam I reminded myself to slow down, taking breaks after every 10-20 questions and getting up in between every section except between the last 2.
And that’s it! I really hope this post was helpful. If you have any additional questions about my experience or the NPTE in general, please leave a comment below, send me an email (hello@thecurlyclinician.com), or leave me a message on Instagram! Now go CRUSH that NPTE friend!
Brooke says
Hello! Would you be able to share your onenote notes with me? I really appreciate your post and what it has to offer for studying habits!
thecurlyclinician says
Hi Brooke, I’m so glad this post was helpful! Since my notes were based on videos from Kyle Rice’s Program, I don’t feel comfortable sharing them due to copyright issues. Good luck with the NPTE!