Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

What Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy does

The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) is a private non-profit federation headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, comprising the 53 physical therapy licensing authorities across the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Its principal function is developing, maintaining, and administering the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) — the standardized licensing examination required for both physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) across all U.S. jurisdictions. The organization emerged following the 1955 transition of physical therapy education oversight from the AMA to APTA and has subsequently evolved its credentialing and regulatory infrastructure through multiple generations of validated Coursework Tools (CWT 1–6 and PTA Tool 2007) used to assess foreign-educated candidates against U.S. CAPTE-accredited equivalents.

FSBPT's product surface centers on the NPTE and a tightly integrated suite of candidate, licensee, and member-board services. Candidates use a self-service portal (pt.fsbpt.net) for registration, the timed Practice Exam & Assessment Tool (PEAT), the NPTE Demo Exam, the Performance Feedback Report, and the Score Transfer Service for inter-jurisdictional endorsement. Licensees access the Jurisprudence Assessment Module (JAM), currently deployed across twelve states (Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas), and the Continuing Competence Program. Member boards use the Board Assessment Resource (BAR), regulatory resources including telehealth, scope-of-practice, and dry-needling guidance, and the Model Practice Act for legislative modernization. The Physical Therapy Licensure Compact enables multi-state practice for participating jurisdictions, while School Reports deliver pass-rate analytics to PT/PTA educational programs.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: recurring membership dues from the 53 state licensing boards, fee-based candidate services (exam registration, PEAT, Score Transfer, Performance Feedback), and educational/training programs for member boards and external bodies. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and FSBPT does not publish revenue. Distribution is direct-to-user via three dedicated web portals, with state licensing boards serving as eligibility-approval channels and the Licensure Compact acting as a multi-state endorsement framework.

Name

Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

Legal name

Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy

Website

https://fsbpt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) develops and administers the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for 53 U.S. state and territorial licensing boards, serving PT and PTA candidates, licensed practitioners, educators, and member boards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Licensing and Credentialing Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Rehabilitation Support (PT/OT Aide) (EDAOAJAI)

Keywords

• Physical therapy licensing
• National licensing examination
• Credential evaluation services
• Healthcare regulatory compliance
• Physiotherapy certification

Headquarters

HQ city

West Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Exam Registration and Administration: FSBPT administers the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for PT and PTA candidates, collecting registration fees for exam administration, score reports, and related candidate services.
2. Candidate Services: Fees for services including Score Transfer Service, Practice Exam & Assessment Tool (PEAT), NPTE Performance Feedback Report, Individual Score Report, Exam Withdrawal Request, and Alternate Identification Number.
3. Membership Dues: State licensing boards pay membership dues to be part of FSBPT, providing access to resources, training, and collaborative regulatory frameworks.
4. Educational Programs: FSBPT develops educational programs for member boards and other bodies regarding effective licensure, regulation and enforcement in the practice of healthcare professions.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FSBPT develops, maintains, and administers the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) across all U.S. jurisdictions. It additionally provides supplementary candidate services (PEAT, Score Transfer, JAM, Performance Feedback Reports), credential evaluation tools (CWT) for foreign-educated PTs/PTAs, regulatory resources for member state licensing boards, and the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact for interstate practice mobility.

Product overview

FSBPT offers a unified platform centered on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for licensing physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The core product is supplemented by preparation tools (PEAT practice exam, NPTE Demo Exam, Performance Feedback Report), state-specific services (Jurisprudence Assessment Module for multiple states, Score Transfer Service), and professional development offerings (Continuing Competence Program, Physical Therapy Licensure Compact). For regulatory boards and foreign-educated candidates, FSBPT provides specialized tools including Coursework Tools (CWT) for credential evaluation, the Board Assessment Resource (BAR) for strategic planning, and the Model Practice Act for legislative modernization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NPTE (National Physical Therapy Examination): The standardized examination for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants developed, maintained, and administered by FSBPT.
• PEAT (Practice Exam & Assessment Tool)
• JAM (Jurisprudence Assessment Module)
• CWT (Coursework Tools)

Products and services

• National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) Standardized national licensing examination required for physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) licensure across all U.S. jurisdictions. Administered to graduating PT and PTA candidates seeking licensure.
• Practice Exam & Assessment Tool (PEAT) A timed practice exam that simulates the NPTE experience to help candidates assess readiness and prepare for the actual licensure examination.
• Score Transfer Service Service allowing licensed physical therapists to transfer their NPTE scores to another jurisdiction for licensure endorsement purposes.
• Jurisprudence Assessment Module (JAM) State-specific online assessment tool that tests knowledge of physical therapy laws and rules. Available for multiple states including Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas.
• Coursework Tools (CWT) Validated evaluation tools (CWT 1-6 and PTA Tool 2007) used to assess whether foreign-educated PTs and PTAs have education substantially equivalent to U.S. CAPTE-accredited programs.
• Board Assessment Resource (BAR) Strategic planning tool for state licensing boards to assess their organizational performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Physical Therapy Licensure Compact Multi-state compact that enables physical therapists to practice across participating states without obtaining separate licenses in each jurisdiction.
• NPTE Performance Feedback Report Detailed performance analysis report providing candidates with section-by-section feedback on their NPTE results to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
• NPTE Demo Exam Free demonstration version of the NPTE exam format that allows candidates to familiarize themselves with the testing interface before the actual exam.
• Model Practice Act A tool developed by FSBPT for jurisdictions to review and update their physical therapy practice acts, rules, and regulations to ensure strong foundations of laws and regulatory standards.
• School Reports Reports and analytics provided to physical therapy and PTA educational programs regarding their graduates' NPTE pass rates and performance metrics.
• Continuing Competence Program Guidelines for continuing professional development offered to PT and PTA licensees with three primary components: Jurisprudence & Ethics Assessment, Practice/Work Self-Inventory, and Healthy Practice Self-Inventory.

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC): Certifies respiratory therapists through national examinations and credentialing programs. Comparable to FSBPT as a national allied-health certification body with proprietary assessment content and continuing competency frameworks.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): Federation of state nursing regulatory bodies that develops the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN examinations and operates the Nurse Licensure Compact. Highly comparable to FSBPT in structure, examination administration, interstate compact operation, and member-board model.
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): Certifies radiologic technologists through a national examination and ongoing continuing education requirements. Comparable to FSBPT as a national allied health certification body with proprietary exam content, recertification, and ethics enforcement functions.
• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): Certifies physician assistants through a national certification exam and maintains certification through continuing medical education. Comparable to FSBPT as a national allied-health certification body with proprietary exam content and ongoing competence requirements.
• Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB): Federation of state medical and osteopathic licensing boards that develops and administers the USMLE examination and provides similar regulatory coordination for physicians. Most structurally and operationally analogous to FSBPT, serving as the central licensing examination and regulatory body for the medical profession.
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT): Certifies occupational therapy professionals through a standardized national examination and is closely tied to the OT regulatory ecosystem. Comparable to FSBPT as the national certification body for the OT profession, with overlapping alliance through FSBPT's PT/OT scope of practice work.
• Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Develops and administers standardized examination for social work licensure across U.S. jurisdictions and supports member boards. Comparable to FSBPT in operating a national licensure exam for an allied health profession and coordinating multi-state regulatory frameworks.

Regional players

• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE): The accreditation body for U.S. PT and PTA education programs, functioning as the educational counterpart to FSBPT's licensure role. Directly referenced in FSBPT's history and CWT materials, and tightly coupled to FSBPT through the standard that CWT evaluates against.
• International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA): International federation of medical regulatory authorities that supports collaboration on physician licensure standards globally. Represents an international analog of FSBPT's federation model, though operating internationally rather than within the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Develops and administers medical licensing examinations (USMLE) and health professions assessments. Comparable to FSBPT in developing high-stakes health-profession examinations, though NBME operates more broadly across multiple health professions and is a larger, more established incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thefsbpt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy