An arthritic patient who cannot bend her knees, a war-veteran whose left arm is paralyzed, a young man due to muscle pull in the neck cannot look right or a spondylitis patient whose movement is hindered; all need a physical therapist to cure them so that their physical mobility is restored as a normal person does. A physical therapist clinic may include weights, mats, and treadmills where they can perform a variety of exercises with the patients to improve sensory perception, muscle strength and motor skills.
Association Group Responsible for providing license
In North Carolina, the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy is responsible to issue license to physical therapists. The application process is dependent on whether you are new student, a licensed physical therapist in another state or country.
Board Address:
18 West Colony Place
Suite 140
Durham NC 27705
Phone: (919) 490-6393, (800) 800-8982 Fax: (919) 490-5106
E-Mail: NCPTBOARD@NCPTBOARD.ORG
WEB PAGE: www.ncptboard.org
Application process
For people from United States
PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY EXAMINATION
Eligibility: If an applicant for physical therapy licensure, has been graduated from a physical therapy program accredited by an agency recognized by either the U.S. Office of Education or the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation
Foreign Trained Applicants: If the applicant has received education outside US at a school which is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), the applicant must submit a credential evaluation. The candidate’s qualification should be equivalent to a Post-Baccalaureate degree from a CAPTE approved physical therapy educational program The evaluation must be prepared by a Board approved agency.
Board approved agencies are:
International Credentialing Associates (ICA) – www.icaworld.com
International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF) – www.ierf.org
Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) – www.fccpt.org (Preferred Agency)
International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD) – www.icdeval.com
English competency: An applicant whose physical therapy education program was taught in a language other than English should satisfactorily complete the TOEFL, TWE and TSE with a passing score or above.
Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations
North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy is using the FSBT website to allow candidates to register online for NPTE. The website the candidate will follow to get registered is https://www.fsbpt.net/pt . The examination lasts for one day for a period of approximately 5.0 hours. The exam consists of approximately 250 multiple-choice questions. The National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) is a computer-based examination given at Prometric Testing Centers.
Once the North Carolina Board determines the eligibility based on the educational qualification and other guidelines it will be intimated that candidate can appear for the online examination. The FSBT will send the candidate an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter.
The ATT letter would contain the all important information about the exam schedules
Where to give the exam: The Prometric Testing Center fee must be paid directly to the Prometric Testing Center at the time of scheduling. Please visit www.prometric.com for further details for place and fees.
FSBPT Score Transfer Service is available on the Internet at: http://www.fsbpt.org . This is done to transfer the score directly to the Board.
PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY ENDORSEMENT
For applicants from other states who hold a current license in another jurisdiction.
An active license in another state or territory
Official verification of graduation from an accredited physical therapy or physical therapist assistant program.
Request your NPTE score transfer from the FSBPT at www.fsbpt.net/pt.
North Carolina Law (Jurisprudence) exam: This exam is mandatory for all the candidates to get a license of physical therapist in North Carolina. The candidates should use the following website for the law exam www.ncptboard.org
Other Information
FEES:
Applying for licensure by endorsement $150.00
Applying for licensure by examination in another state $150.00
Applying for licensure by examination in North Carolina: $150.00
NPTE – Payment of $370.00
Prometric Testing Center – $70.60
Temporary License
There is no temporary licensure in North Carolina for physical therapists
Q: What happens if the candidate fails the exam?
Yes, the candidate can retake the exam. The testing service will allow the use of the examination by a candidate up to three times a year.
Verify North Carolina Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website https://www.ncptboard.org/OnlineServices/Secure/VerifyTherapist/VerifyTherapist.php
Information about jobs and salary
Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 5,010 jobs in North CarolinaState.
Salary: The average mean wage is $76,740. The bottom 10% is at $58,780 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $98,840.
Links for reference
Official Website: http://www.ncptboard.org
Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org , www.prometric.com/fsbpt