NPTE cost: the $485 exam fee is not the whole bill
FSBPT charges $485 to register for the NPTE, and Prometric charges a separate seat fee of $112 for the PT exam or $92 for the PTA exam, plus $32.50 for a jurisprudence exam where one is required. Withdrawing costs $50 thirty or more days out and $120 inside thirty days, rescheduling with Prometric costs $60 within 5-29 days, and each score transfer to a jurisdiction is $90.
What you actually pay
| Item | Fee | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| NPTE registration | $485 | FSBPT |
| Seat fee, PT exam | $112.00 | Prometric |
| Seat fee, PTA exam | $92.00 | Prometric |
| Jurisprudence exam (where required) | $32.50 | Prometric |
| Score transfer to a jurisdiction | $90 | FSBPT |
A first PT attempt is therefore about $597 before any jurisdiction licensure application fee, which is set separately by your state board.
The fees that catch people out
- Withdrawing: $50 if you withdraw 30 days or more before exam day, $120 inside 30 days. You can withdraw up to the end of the testing window; after that you cannot.
- Rescheduling with Prometric: free 30 or more days out, $60 at 5–29 days for the NPTE, and the full sitting fee inside 5 days.
- Not being made eligible in time: if your jurisdiction does not approve you by the deadline, the registration closes and the exam fee is refunded minus a $50 processing fee.
Why the retake limits matter more than the money
FSBPT limits testing to three consecutive attempts in a 12-month period (after three you must skip the next date), six attempts in a lifetime at each exam level, and you cannot test again if two previous attempts scored below 400. That last rule is the reason to sit only when your practice results say you are ready: two badly prepared attempts can end the pathway.
Enter your exam date and weekly hours; we allocate time by blueprint weight × your weak spots.
Primary references
- NPTE Candidate Handbook (version 2025.02, PDF) — Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22