PTA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield PTA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. The carotid pulse is most reliably palpated in which cervical region? → Anterior cervical triangle
2. A therapist adds 50 mL of water to 200 mL of concentrate to make a solution. What percentage of the final solution is concentrate? → 80%
3. What does 'infer' mean in reading comprehension? → To draw a conclusion based on evidence
4. The principle of torque in biomechanics is defined as: → The product of force and the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation
5. Which connective tissue structure connects muscle to bone? → Tendon
6. Convert a patient's height of 5 feet 8 inches to centimeters. (1 inch = 2.54 cm) → 172.7 cm
7. Which memory technique involves creating a vivid mental story linking anatomical structures in sequence to help PTA students memorize nerve pathways? → Method of loci
8. A bar chart shows monthly rainfall. If June had 4 inches and July had 6 inches, by what percent did rainfall increase? → 50%
9. A therapist treats 6 patients daily, each session lasting 40 minutes. How many total minutes of therapy are delivered in a 5-day week? → 1,200
10. Flexion is to extension as abduction is to ___? → Adduction
11. A table shows a school enrollment declined from 500 to 400 students. What is the percent decrease? → 20%
12. On the NPTE-PTA, when a student reads a question and does not immediately know the answer, the BEST first strategy is to: → Eliminate clearly wrong answer choices to improve selection probability
13. What is the difference between their, there, and they're? → Their = possessive, there = location/existence, they're = they are
14. What are the three main parts of an essay? → Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion
15. In a PTA exam question about patient communication, which answer is MOST likely correct? → The response demonstrating empathy and providing accurate, patient-centered information
16. What is active recall in studying? → Actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing notes
17. The 14th Amendment's equal protection clause is most directly relevant in healthcare contexts involving: → Discrimination against patients based on race or disability
18. A PTA wants the best evidence for treating shoulder impingement. Which source provides the HIGHEST level of evidence? → A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
19. What does the word 'ambiguous' mean? → Open to more than one interpretation
20. When a test-taker spends too long on a difficult question during a timed PTA exam, the BEST strategy is to: → Mark it and return after completing easier questions first
21. Which joint is formed by the articulation of the first metatarsal and the medial cuneiform? → Tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
22. A PTA documents that a patient achieved 68% of their range of motion goal of 150°. What angle did the patient achieve? → 102°
23. A PTA student notices two answer choices on an exam appear nearly identical. What is the best approach? → Carefully identify the subtle difference and determine which fits the question stem
24. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote? → 19th Amendment
25. How do context clues help with unfamiliar vocabulary? → Surrounding words and sentences provide hints about the unknown word's meaning
26. If a data set has values 10, 20, 20, 30, 100, which measure best represents the 'typical' value? → Median
27. What exactly is the purpose of amortization? → To distribute the cost of the intangible non-current asset across its useful life.
28. When should a semicolon be used in clinical writing? → To join two independent clauses that are closely related
29. Which body system is primarily responsible for regulating blood pH? → Renal and respiratory systems
30. The popliteal region corresponds to which body area? → Back of the knee