After the NPTE, FSBPT can give you three different documents about your result, and they're easy to mix up. Only one of them tells you where you lost points. Here's what each one shows and how to use them, especially if you're planning a retake.
What does the NPTE score report show?
The free NPTE score report shows your scaled score (from 200 to 800) and your status, pass or fail, with 600 needed to pass. It's posted to your FSBPT dashboard about ten business days after the exam and stays free for 30 days. It doesn't break your score down by topic; for that you need the separate Performance Feedback Report.
That's from FSBPT's NPTE Candidate Handbook and After Exam page. FSBPT also notes that it "does not release examination questions or answers," so no report shows which questions you missed.
The three NPTE reports compared
| Report | What it shows | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free score report | Scaled score and pass/fail status | Free | ~10 business days after the exam, for 30 days |
| Individual Score Report | A personal copy of your score (for your records, not for licensure) | $90 + 1.6% | Any time after scores are released |
| Performance Feedback Report | Your performance by content area, body system and section, with a retake range and on-track-to-pass targets | $100 + 1.6% | Usually immediately after you order it |
Prices are from FSBPT's Individual Score Report and Performance Feedback Report pages; the 1.6% processing fee is rounded up to the nearest dollar. Neither report is a score transfer. Licensing boards accept only an official FSBPT score transfer ($90).
What's in the Performance Feedback Report?
The Performance Feedback Report (PFR) is FSBPT's diagnostic report, available to PT and PTA candidates for exams taken after January 1, 2013. It shows your results three ways:
- Professional Work Activities (content area): your performance on items grouped by the work activities and treatment processes of your profession.
- Body Systems: your performance in each major body system.
- Sections: your performance in each exam section.
The report also includes example items from each area, so you can see what those questions look like. Every report shows total items, the number you got right, and your percent correct. The content-area and body-system reports add four more measures, which are the most useful part.
Scale score, retake range and on-track-to-pass explained
- Scale score: your score in that area on the same 200–800 scale as the whole exam. According to FSBPT, 600 or higher means you were "on track to pass in this area," although you can't pass or fail an individual area.
- Retake range: the range you'd likely score in if you retook the exam with the same preparation. FSBPT's PFR FAQ says it covers about 65% of your possible scores. A top end above 600 doesn't mean you would have passed on a different form.
- On track to pass, number of items: how many items you'd need to get right in that area for your score there to be consistent with passing overall.
- On track to pass, percent correct: the same target as a percentage.
In the charts, each area is green, yellow or red. Green means you can be fairly confident you're on track in that area, yellow means you're close to the standard, and red means you're not on track. FSBPT suggests spending more study time on red and yellow areas. The report also includes a retake section showing how candidates who scored similarly did on their next attempt.
Why percent correct can mislead you
Areas vary in difficulty. FSBPT explains that if an area's questions are very hard, you can earn a higher scale score there with a lower percent correct, and the reverse for easy areas. Compare areas by scale score and color, not by percent correct.
Small areas also have wide retake ranges. With only a few items, one or two questions can swing the result, so treat small-area scores as a rough signal.
How to turn your PFR into a retake plan
- List every red and yellow area in the content-area and body-system reports.
- Weight them by size. A yellow in musculoskeletal (44–54 scored PT items) costs far more than a red in genitourinary (2–5). Use the NPTE-PT content outline or the NPTE-PTA content outline to see each area's weight.
- Check the section report. If one section is very low but the areas show no pattern, FSBPT says it may be chance, or a sign you lost concentration. Its advice is about test-day energy: normal sleep, a sensible meal, moderate caffeine, and practicing timed sets under exam-like conditions.
- Close the "on track" gaps. The items-correct targets tell you roughly how many more questions you need in each area.
- Re-test the same way. FSBPT's PEAT practice exam gives a PFR-style report, so you can check whether the gaps have closed before test day.
For a full step-by-step plan, see what happens if you fail the NPTE and the NPTE retake rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does the NPTE score report show which questions I got wrong?
No. FSBPT does not release exam questions or answers. The Performance Feedback Report shows how you did by content area, body system and section, not by individual question.
How much is the NPTE Performance Feedback Report?
$100 plus a 1.6% processing fee, rounded up to the nearest dollar. It's usually viewable on your dashboard immediately after you order it.
Can I find out the cut score for my NPTE form?
FSBPT doesn't disclose cut scores for specific forms. Its FAQ says that if you add together the on-track-to-pass scores for each content area, getting that total would mean you pass.
Can I combine area scores from different attempts to pass?
No. FSBPT doesn't allow scores from different administrations to be combined, and you can't pass the NPTE one area or section at a time.
Should I buy the Performance Feedback Report if I passed?
It's mainly designed for retakes. If you passed, your score goes to your state automatically, and you don't need the report for licensure.
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Every figure on this page comes from the primary sources below, checked on September 27, 2026. If an official source changes, it overrides this page.
- NPTE Candidate Handbook, Version 2025.02 — Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
- After Exam — FSBPT
- Individual Score Report — FSBPT
- NPTE Performance Feedback Report — FSBPT
- Performance Feedback Report Frequently Asked Questions — FSBPT