Health ProfessionsTest + Skills

Physical Therapy

A 50-question test on the PT profession and the conditions it treats, then gait-belt, walker, cane, crutch, range-of-motion and transfer skills for the top scorers.

The AI judge does not score skill stations. Use the practice test for Round One.

About this event

Physical Therapy is a solo two-round event for the Secondary and Postsecondary/Collegiate divisions, sponsored by the American Physical Therapy Association. Round One is a 50-question multiple-choice test in 60 minutes written from Introduction to Physical Therapy (Pagliarulo), Principles and Techniques of Patient Care (Pierson and Fairchild) and DHO: Health Science. The test plan spreads fairly evenly across the profession, legal and ethical issues, and physical therapy for musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary and integumentary conditions and for pediatric and older-adult patients. Top scorers advance to Round Two, a secret scenario drawn from eight skills, with APTA skill videos available to practice: ambulating a patient with a gait belt (5 minutes, including what to do if the patient falls), with a standard walker (9), with a cane using a two- or three-point gait (8), and with crutches using a two-, three- or four-point gait (7); passive range of motion on one side from shoulder to toes (10); cold application with an ice bag or chemical pack (6); transferring a patient from supine to sitting (5); and donning and removing isolation garments (5). Bring a gown, two pairs of non-latex gloves and a mask; a gait belt is provided or you may bring your own. A 70 percent skill score is required to place; test and skill scores are added and ties go to the higher test score.

Test day

What to expect

Round One test, then skill stations

Round One is a 50-question test in 60 minutes; the top scorers advance to Round Two, the skill stations. Official format: 50-question test, 60 minutes, then Round Two skill scenarios of 5 to 10 minutes each for top scorers.

Written from the test plan

Questions follow the event's published test plan, section by section, and are written from the listed reference texts. Practice questions here are drawn in the same proportions.

How you advance

How many advance from regionals to states and on to the International Leadership Conference (ILC) depends on your association's rules. Study the official test plan: it lists each section and its share of the test.

What judges score

Skill I: Ambulating with a Transfer (Gait) Belt (5 minutes)Skill II: Ambulating with a Standard Walker (9 minutes)Skill III: Ambulating with a Cane (8 minutes)Skill IV: Ambulating with Crutches (7 minutes)Skill V: Passive Range of Motion, one side (10 minutes)Skill VI: Cold Application with Ice Bag (6 minutes)Skill VII: Transfer from Supine to Sitting Position (5 minutes)Skill VIII: Donning and Removing Transmission-Based Isolation Garments (5 minutes)

What's on the test

Profession of PT · 14%Legal and Ethical Considerations · 10%Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Conditions · 16%Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Conditions · 16%Physical Therapy for Cardiopulmonary Conditions · 14%Physical Therapy for Integumentary Conditions · 14%Physical Therapy for Pediatrics and Older Adults · 16%

Study resources

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