PEAT Practice Test

PEAT is the online practice tool that the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy sells to NPTE candidates. The PT version has 2 timed exams of 225 questions each. The PTA version has 2 timed exams of 180 questions each. This page gives you free practice sets sorted by NPTE content area, worked explanations, the PEAT rules that matter and a plan for using both before test day.

PEAT Exam at a Glance

What changed for PEAT in 2026

• Oct 25, 2026: Retake policy changed to Each practice exam once; repurchase gives different forms (previously Each practice exam once; repurchase gives a different version).^[2]

What the PEAT is and how it works

According to Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, “two timed (four-hour) 180-question physical therapist assistant (PTA) practice exams”^[1]

PEAT (Practice Exam & Assessment Tool) is sold by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), the organization behind the NPTE. It gives you timed practice exams so you can check your timing and find weak content areas before the real exam.

• PT PEAT: 2 timed practice exams, 225 questions each, 5 hours per exam.
• PTA PEAT: 2 timed practice exams, 180 questions each, 4 hours per exam.
• Delivery: online only. FSBPT does not offer a paper or test-center version.
• Scoring: immediate and automatic when you finish.
• Retakes: each practice exam can be taken one time. FSBPT says that if you buy PEAT again, you get different exam forms.
• Access: 90 days or until you pass the NPTE, whichever comes first.

PEAT is meant for NPTE candidates. Educators can buy it at a discount for their programs. This page does not list the price, the purchase steps or the technical requirements because they can change. Check the PEAT page on fsbpt.org for the current details. A PEAT score is practice feedback, not an NPTE result. Licensure rules are set by each state board, so confirm anything about your own license with your state board and with FSBPT.

PEAT content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official PEAT content outline published by Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through PEAT questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the significance of documentation in Musculoskeletal Assessment?

1. It provides a record for accountability, quality assurance, and legal compliance
2. Documentation is unnecessary busy work
3. Only required during audits
4. Only management needs to document

Answer: A. It provides a record for accountability, quality assurance, and legal compliance

Explanation:

A is correct. Documentation of a musculoskeletal assessment records what you found, what you decided and why. That record holds the clinician accountable for their care. It lets others review quality and outcomes, and it meets legal and payer requirements.

• B is wrong: documentation is part of patient care, not busy work. The next clinician depends on it.
• C is wrong: every patient needs a record, not only those whose charts are audited.
• D is wrong: every clinician who examines or treats a patient documents their own findings.

Rule to remember: in questions like this, distrust answers that use only or call a core professional duty unnecessary. Documentation supports accountability, quality review and legal compliance all at once.

Example 2

Question: What type of question format is most likely to elicit a detailed understanding of a topic?

1. Multiple Choice
2. True/False
3. Essay
4. Fill in the Blank

Answer: C. Essay

Explanation:

C is correct. An essay asks you to explain, connect and defend ideas in your own words. That shows how deeply you understand a topic and how you reason through it.

• A is wrong: multiple choice asks you to recognize the best answer among the options given. It can test reasoning, but it does not show your full chain of thought.
• B is wrong: true/false asks for a single yes-or-no judgement, and guessing can pay off.
• D is wrong: fill in the blank usually targets a single term or fact.

Rule to remember: the more a format makes you produce and explain an answer, the more it shows what you understand. When you practice with recognition formats, read why each option is right or wrong, not just the answer key.

Example 3

Question: What makes a professional competent in Neuromuscular Conditions?

1. A combination of education, practical experience, ongoing learning, and adherence to professional standards
2. Only formal education matters
3. Only experience matters
4. Only certifications matter

Answer: A. A combination of education, practical experience, ongoing learning, and adherence to professional standards

Explanation:

A is correct. Competence in neuromuscular care comes from several sources working together. Formal education gives you the knowledge base. Clinical practice turns that knowledge into skill. Ongoing learning keeps it current as evidence changes, and professional standards guide safe, ethical decisions.

• B is wrong: education without clinical practice does not build hands-on judgement.
• C is wrong: experience without ongoing study can drift away from current evidence.
• D is wrong: a certification shows that you met a standard at a single point in time. It does not keep your skills current by itself.

Rule to remember: when a question asks what makes someone competent or safe, and the options set a single factor against a combination, the combined answer is usually right. Treat any answer built on only with suspicion.

How to use these practice tests

Use our free sets to find your gaps cheaply, and save PEAT for when you can learn the most from it.

1. Map your weak areas first. Work through the sets in the table above, starting with musculoskeletal assessment, neuromuscular conditions and cardiovascular and pulmonary. Write down every miss and the content area it belongs to.
2. Study from your notes. Go back to your course material for the topics you missed. Areas without a set here, such as the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, lymphatic, and metabolic and endocrine systems, need their own review.
3. Take your first PEAT exam under real conditions. Sit the whole timed exam in one sitting without notes: 5 hours for PT, 4 hours for PTA. Each exam can be taken one time, so do not open it casually.
4. Review the result the same day. Scoring is immediate. Compare the result with your notes, and use the score interpretation and study strategies set to plan your next block of study.
5. Take the second exam later in your prep. Use it to check whether your weak areas improved. Access ends after 90 days or when you pass the NPTE, so buy PEAT when you are ready to use both exams within that window.

Sources & last verified

1. Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy — number of questions, time limit, validity, delivery (official source). “two timed (four-hour) 180-question physical therapist assistant (PTA) practice exams” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 24, 2026.
2. Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy — retake policy (official source). “Each practice exam can be taken one time.” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 24, 2026.
3. Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy — other (official source). “cardiovascular & pulmonary systems” Verified Oct 28, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.