MPT Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the MPT exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 MPT Exam Format at a Glance
📚 MPT Topics to Study (38)
✍️ Sample MPT Questions & Answers
1. Which scale is commonly used to rate perceived exertion during cardiopulmonary rehabilitation?
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale (6–20) allows patients to self-rate exercise intensity, aiding exercise prescription in cardiac rehab.
2. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) is most appropriately used to assess:
ICC quantifies reliability (test-retest or inter-rater) for continuous data, with values approaching 1.0 indicating excellent reliability.
3. What is 'foot drop' and which nerve is most commonly affected?
Foot drop is the inability to dorsiflex the foot due to weakness of the tibialis anterior, most commonly caused by common peroneal nerve injury.
4. Which nerve innervates the diaphragm?
The phrenic nerve (C3, C4, C5) provides motor innervation to the diaphragm. The mnemonic 'C3, 4, 5 keeps the diaphragm alive' is widely used.
5. A patient presents with shoulder pain reproduced by the Hawkins-Kennedy test. This test most specifically assesses for:
The Hawkins-Kennedy test (shoulder flexion to 90 degrees plus internal rotation) compresses the supraspinatus and subacromial bursa under the coracoacromial arch, reproducing impingement pain.
6. A patient's resting heart rate is 95 bpm and target training zone is 60–80% of heart rate reserve using the Karvonen formula. If their maximum HR is 170 bpm, what is the lower training HR?
HRR = 170 − 95 = 75; lower target = 95 + (0.60 × 75) = 95 + 45 = 140 bpm — wait, let me recalculate: 95 + 45 = 140... actually 95 + 0.60×75 = 95+45=140. The correct answer is 140 bpm (option B).