Testing center closures are preventing administration of the National Physical Therapy Examination. 

[Editor's note: an earlier version of this story reported the webinar date as May 15; that session is intended for faculty only. The May 18 session is open to students and others.]

For thousands of would-be PTs and PTAs, the National Physical Therapy Examination stands between them and licensure. Amid COVID-19, the hardest part isn’t passing the exam – it’s having the opportunity to take it.

The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, which oversees the NPTE process, uses Prometric to administer the exam in testing facilities across the country. In normal circumstances, Prometric supports millions of test takers annually around the world. But the COVID-19 pandemic has closed buildings where exams are usually conducted and made it unsafe for test-takers to sit near each other – problems not unique to the NPTE.

Aware of the challenge, FSBPT is hosting a free webinar on Monday, May 18, at 3:10 pm ET, to provide updates and answer questions. Advance registration is required.

Last week Prometric sent a letter acknowledging the challenges and confusion: “We recognize that our communications to your test takers and other stakeholders has at times been inadequate and may have caused unnecessary confusion and frustration,” the letter said. Prometric also includes status information on a special COVID-19 webpage.