NPTE-PTA Practice Questions 2026: 8 Exam-Style Items Explained

Answer: A — Spin

In pronation and supination the radial head rotates in place on the capitulum around a fixed axis, so one point on the capitulum stays in contact with a rotating radial surface. That is the definition of spin. Roll and glide at the humeroradial joint happen during elbow flexion and extension, not forearm rotation.

• B. Roll means new points on one surface meet new points on the other, as when the radial head moves along the capitulum during elbow flexion and extension. It does not describe rotation in place.
• C. Glide (slide) means one point on the moving surface contacts new points on the other. It accompanies roll during elbow flexion and extension, not pronation and supination.
• D. Distraction is an accessory movement a clinician applies by separating joint surfaces. It is not a motion that happens during active forearm rotation.

Answer: A — Rotator cuff tendinopathy

Pain and weakness on resisted testing point to a contractile tissue, and the painful arc plus tenderness at the supraspinatus insertion localize it to the rotator cuff. Full passive range of motion argues against a capsular problem. This pattern is typical of rotator cuff tendinopathy in a middle-aged overhead athlete.

• B. Adhesive capsulitis limits passive range of motion in a capsular pattern, with external rotation most restricted. Here passive motion is full, and resisted tests are usually strong in a frozen shoulder.
• C. Atraumatic instability usually affects younger people and presents with apprehension or a feeling of slipping. Resisted rotation is typically strong and the tendon is not focally tender.
• D. Cervical radiculopathy is reproduced by neck movement and follows a dermatome or myotome, often with reflex changes. It does not cause local tenderness at the rotator cuff insertion or a painful arc.

Answer: A — Flaccid (areflexic) bowel and bladder

The cauda equina is made of lumbosacral nerve roots below the end of the spinal cord, so damage there is a lower motor neuron lesion. LMN lesions cause flaccidity and lost reflexes, including an areflexic bowel and bladder, along with saddle sensory loss.

• B. A spastic, reflexic bowel and bladder comes from an upper motor neuron lesion above the sacral reflex center, such as a spinal cord injury above the conus. It is not caused by root compression.
• C. Hyperreflexia is an upper motor neuron sign. Compression of the S1 root in cauda equina syndrome reduces or abolishes the Achilles reflex.
• D. The Babinski sign reflects corticospinal tract (UMN) damage. It does not appear with a lesion of the nerve roots.

Answer: A — Blurred vision and new leg weakness that started 2 days ago and have not improved

New or worsening neurological symptoms lasting more than 24 hours, without fever or infection, suggest an acute MS relapse. Exercise should not be progressed during a relapse, and the change in status needs the PT to re-examine the patient and update the plan.

• B. A cool environment is recommended for people with MS, because heat can temporarily worsen symptoms (Uhthoff phenomenon). It is not a reason to stop.
• C. Fatigue that resolves with rest is an expected response in MS. It calls for rest breaks and energy conservation, not stopping the program.
• D. A finding already documented at the initial evaluation is the patient's baseline, not a change in status that needs the PT.

Answer: A — Stop the exercise, have the patient rest, and take vital signs

Breathlessness out of proportion to the workload, heavy sweating and nausea that do not settle when the load is reduced can be signs of myocardial ischemia even without chest pain. These are reasons to stop exercise right away. The PTA then monitors vital signs, notifies the PT, and activates the emergency response if the symptoms persist or worsen.

• B. The resistance was already lowered and the symptoms continued. Continuing at any intensity ignores an abnormal response that requires stopping.
• C. Treating the symptoms as thirst or ordinary fatigue delays assessment. Resuming exercise before the cause is known is unsafe.
• D. Waiting until the next visit is too late. Possible cardiac warning signs must be acted on and reported to the PT during the session.

Answer: A — Proliferative phase

In the proliferative phase, from a few days to about 3 weeks after injury, fibroblasts produce collagen to form granulation tissue, new blood vessels grow, epithelial cells migrate, and myofibroblasts contract the wound. Positioning and range-of-motion work matter most here to limit contracture.

• B. The inflammatory phase covers the first few days. White blood cells clear debris and there is redness and swelling, but little collagen is laid down.
• C. The maturation phase starts around 3 weeks and can last a year or more. Collagen is reorganized and the scar gains strength; the wound is not being contracted by new fibroblast activity.
• D. Hemostasis is the immediate response in the first minutes, with vasoconstriction and clotting. It comes before any collagen is produced.

Answer: A — Tilt-in-space frame

A tilt-in-space chair rotates the seat and backrest together, so the hip and knee angles stay the same while the patient's position changes. That allows pressure relief and rest without opening the hip angle, which helps control extensor spasms and sliding.

• B. A reclining backrest opens the hip angle, which can trigger extensor spasms. It also causes shear and sliding when the back is raised again.
• C. A hemi-height frame lowers the seat so a patient with hemiplegia can propel with one foot. It does nothing to control extensor tone.
• D. Desk-length armrests let the user get closer to a table. They do not affect spasms or sitting position.

Answer: A — One step below the patient, in front and slightly to her left

When a patient descends stairs, the clinician guards from below, because a fall will go forward and down. Standing slightly toward the weak side puts the clinician where the left knee is most likely to buckle as the quadriceps fails to control lowering.

• B. Guarding from behind and above is the position for going UP stairs. From there the PTA cannot stop a forward fall on the way down.
• C. The step level is right, but standing at the midline puts the PTA away from the side most likely to give way and can block the patient's view of the steps.
• D. The guard belongs below the patient and on the weak side. Standing beside her on a stair gives no room to move, and pulling on the sound arm can tip her off balance.