Physical Therapy Board of California

US-Educated PT/PTA Applicant — New Graduate

Examination Information


The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (Federation) is the PTBC’s examination vendor. You will register, pay, receive your Authorization to Test (ATT) letter, schedule your exam date and location, and receive your examination scores from the Federation (not the PTBC) through email and/or your Federation account.

To be made eligible for the NPTE and CAL-Law, you must:

  1. Be within 90 days of graduation.
  2. Have registered and paid for the NPTE and CAL-Law through the Federation.

The Federation’s Examination Deadline Calendar


National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE)

Physical Therapist

The PT NPTE is 225 questions, and you have five hours to complete it. You may take the NPTE three times in a 12-month period.

Cost: $485.00 to the Federation; $100.30 to the Prometric testing center. No examination fees are paid to PTBC.

Physical Therapist Assistant

The PTA NPTE is 180 questions, and you have four hours to complete it. You may take the NPTE three times in a 12-month period.

Cost: $485.00 to the Federation; $82.60 to the Prometric testing center. No examination fees are paid to PTBC.

California Jurisprudence Assessment Module (CAL-JAM)

The CAL-JAM tests applicants’ knowledge of the laws and regulations related to the practice of physical therapy in California. It is the same for both physical therapist and physical therapist assistant applicants. The CAL-JAM consists of 50 questions, and you have one hour to complete it. The CAL-JAM is an online, off-site examination and can be taken on your personal desktop or laptop computer. You do not need to be in California to sit for the CAL-JAM. Upon receipt of the Authorization to Test (ATT) letter, the applicant has 96 hours to take the CAL-JAM.

Cost: $50 to the Federation. No examination fees are paid to PTBC.

The CAL-JAM study materials are compiled by PTBC in the California Laws and Regulations Related to the Practice of Physical Therapy publication. In addition, a CAL-JAM content outline is available on the Federation’s website.

If you are unsuccessful at a CAL-JAM exam attempt, you may register with the Federation again 15 days after the last exam date. You do not need to submit a new application to PTBC if your application is still active and has not reached its expiration date.


Additional Information

For information regarding examination preparation, day-of expectations, and more, please visit the Federation’s website.