Does anyone know what states allow you to attempt the NPTE exam prior to officially graduating and getting your DPT diploma? Any help would be great, thanks!
NPTE Exam b4 Graduating
- Thread starter DPTinUTAH
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None. One of the qualifications to sit for the exam is graduation from an accredited PT program.
I think FL does or did. It was an option when I graduated in 2011. You just need a letter from your director saying you are in good standing. But remember that you still won't get your PT license until after graduation.
Utah. I took it April 30th when i was still in at the end of my last clinical. Our dept chair sends a letter of good standing on our behalf, so I'm not sure what out of state students do (although I know a number of students who applied through Utah to take it early, so I know it can be done).
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Some states allow this. Utah and AZ are the 2 I know of, but I am sure there are others. I know AZ requires the student to be fairly well along (our students took NPTE April 30th and graduated in May). And the Dept Chair must certify the fact that they will graduate.
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This website has the official information: Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy; Jurisdiction Licensure Reference Guide; Topic: Taking the NPTE before Graduation
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I'm in the most recent graduating class, so this is untrue. You apply for your license through Utah, but can register to take it at any state. We only have a few testing sites, so they were most likely full?
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Florida is very strict and students were told it is not happening there. You can take the test at any registered testing center but you must apply for your license through a state that will allow you to sit for the boards. My friend said her classmates are sitting for a Virginia license and then plan to transfer it later.
Texas will also allow you to apply for the boards during your last year. You have to send in a pre-completion letter signed by your school and additional paperwor (unless you go to school in texas i believe).
Texas will also allow you to apply for the boards during your last year. You have to send in a pre-completion letter signed by your school and additional paperwor (unless you go to school in texas i believe).
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Ohio. My program lets students take it in the spring before graduating, pending they pass our programs Comp exams in the fall (all the 3rd years were able to take it this year).
You can apply for a temp license and work right away even without taking the test (in Utah anyway). However, if you fail, you obviously have to be let go from any job you land. For me, it was more peace of mind. I couldn't imagine studying anymore after graduation lol. I also wanted to feel confident searching for jobs and being able to say I could invest myself 100% instead of being preoccupied with by boards.
Life sucked for a while doing full time clinical, assignments for school and studying for the biggest exam of my life. It was 100% worth it for me though.
Huh, cool. I guess I'll have to look up if AZ allows that or not...
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Utah just changed their rule May 2013. Lost the license fee. Had already paid for July exam. Texas got me approved to test....I applied exactly 6 weeks before the July 23rd date. They have a great online web site for your application,juri exam, and tool checklist. Made the Jurisdiction approval about 4 days before deadline. They seem very efficient. Able to change my Jurisdiction with NPTE by a simple phone call.
I also did not want to study after Aug. 4th grad and wait until end of Oct. to test. And make my job hunt easier than with a temp license. Then can just transfer to license to my home state.
I also did not want to study after Aug. 4th grad and wait until end of Oct. to test. And make my job hunt easier than with a temp license. Then can just transfer to license to my home state.
Several people in my class (myself included) sat for the April 30th NPTE, when we had just graduated April 20, 2013. We had to go through states that allow you to register before graduation since it takes 6+ weeks to get all of the paperwork in order. I know that most of the jurisdictions that allow it simply require a letter from the PT program stating that you have completed your didactic curriculum, are within a certain number of credits/time from graduation, or something similar. States that I know of include Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and I think New York.
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