Many physical therapy requirements are in place to ensure that aspiring physical therapists are at the top of their game in their field. While specific licensing requirements vary from state to state, most states follow some general rules. Therapists must take an exam in order to practice, and each state has a regulatory board that oversees all practicing physical therapists.
National Physical Therapy Exams
Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who want to obtain a license must take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). The test is administered in all 50 states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Aspiring physical therapists can take the test again for an unlimited number of times, but they cannot exceed three exams per year.
State Exams
With a passing score on that test, the physical therapist must also take any state required tests as mandated by the state's regulatory board. For example, those in California must pass the California Law Exam, while Utah physical therapists must pass the Utah Physical Therapy Law and Rule Exam. Many states require a jurisprudence exam for physical therapy licensing. Any applicants who are foreign-born or trained abroad must pass an English proficiency test, depending on the state, before a physical therapy certification can be issued.
Credentials
To get a license, a physical therapist graduate must also prove that certain credentials have been obtained. All states require a degree from an accredited physical therapy program to ensure a certain quality and standard of physical therapy training. These credentials are always evaluated and approved by a state-appointed credentialing agency.
License Without Exam
A state board can license someone without her taking an exam, as long as the state' requirements for such are met. Many states will issue a license for a licensed physical therapist from another state if the licensing requirements are equal to or exceed their own. This is known as reciprocity, but not all states will do this. New Hampshire, New York and Minnesota are among the states whose requirements are mandatory for any applicant, regardless of her previous status.
 | Want to know how to become a physical therapist? Get ready to go to school because the work calls for a deep knowledge of the human body. Physical therapists assist patients in recovery and rehabilitation from a variety of ailments. |
 | To ask "What is physical therapy?" is to invite a range of answers because the profession encompasses so many facets. In brief, physical therapy maximizes movement and function for people who have either permanently or temporarily lost the ability. |
The history of physical therapy is linked to the earliest recorded medical studies performed in ancient Greece. Physical therapy is the ability to rehabilitate interactive components of the body, such as muscles, joints, bones and tendons. |
Pediatric physical therapy is one of the many subcategories of physical and occupational therapy. A pediatric physical therapist works with children exclusively and sets up physical therapy rehabilitation programs for a variety of conditions. |
An emerging profession is animal physical therapy, designed to assist animals in regaining function and rehabilitation due to disease, accident or surgery. |
