If You Don't Pass Your Board Exam the First Time
Your first contract waits, because without a passed exam there is no home-state license, no compact privilege and no start date, and how long it waits is set by your exam's retake rules: the next scheduled NPTE date for PTs and PTAs, at least 30 days for a second NBCOT attempt and 28 days for a Praxis retake. Tell your recruiter as soon as you have the result, keep the rest of your paperwork moving, and book the retake the moment the rules allow.
How long until I can retake the NPTE?
FSBPT does not run the NPTE every week. It runs fixed test dates, and its retake page says that after a failed attempt "You must wait until the next available scheduled test date." In 2026 the PT exam runs in 4 windows, in January, April, July and October, and the PTA exam runs in the same months on different days. The dates and deadlines page lists each date with its registration deadline and the day scores go to the boards.
FSBPT also caps attempts. It allows no more than 3 attempts in any 12-month period and 6 in a lifetime, and it notes that how often you can sit the exam "varies by jurisdiction," so your state board's own rules may be tighter. The retake page is written for candidates who scored lower than 600.
Book the retake as soon as you know the result. Each date has a registration and payment deadline well ahead of the exam, and a separate deadline by which your state board must tell FSBPT you are eligible to sit; FSBPT notes that some states have earlier application deadlines of their own. For the October 27-28 PT exam in 2026 the registration and payment deadline was September 22, and scores go to the boards on November 4.
How long until I can retake the NBCOT exam or the Praxis?
NBCOT sets a waiting period instead. Its exam handbook sets these waits from the date of your last exam:
- Attempts 2 to 4: 30 days.
- Attempts 5 to 7: 60 days.
- Attempt 8 and later: 90 days.
You must submit a new exam application to retest, and you can apply 30 days before your next eligible date. If a board needs your new score, the Score Transfer is a separate service with its own fee.
For SLPs, ETS says on its Praxis appointment page that you must wait at least 28 days before scheduling a new appointment for the same test, and that the wait applies even if you canceled your scores.
What should I tell my recruiter and the facility?
Tell your recruiter the day you get the result. A facility can hold a start date for a candidate it likes, but you cannot treat there without a license or permit, so the only useful conversation is an early one.
- Give the retake date you can book, and the date scores reach the board.
- Ask whether the start date can move, or whether the facility would rather reopen the search.
- Do not agree to a new start date that assumes a pass before your new exam date.
If you have not signed yet, keep talking to agencies. The conversations, references and credentialing file you have built still count when you pass.
When your retake is booked and you want a start date planned around it, ask a ProTherapy recruiter: Find my next contract.
What happens to a temporary license or permit if I fail?
Some states let a new graduate work under supervision while waiting for results. Those permits are built around the exam, so a failed attempt usually ends them. Texas is explicit. Its temporary license page says: "If the applicant fails the exam, the Temporary License is void and must be returned to the Board when notification of failure is received."
Other states word it differently, and some have no temporary route at all. Read your board's rule before you rely on one, and see our sister site's page on working before your license is issued.
How do I use the wait?
Treat the gap as the second half of your preparation, not dead time.
- Use your score report. NBCOT's feedback report shows performance by domain, and FSBPT points retakers to its Practice Exam and Assessment Tool.
- Keep your license application open. Ask the board what it needs from you before the next attempt, so the license can post soon after you pass.
- Keep documents current. BLS, immunization records and references expire or go stale; renew them now rather than in the week you sign.
- Keep the contract plan realistic. Pick a start date that leaves room for scores to reach the board and the license to post. Our month-by-month timeline shows the steps that follow a pass.
Frequently asked questions
How many times can I take the NPTE?
FSBPT allows no more than 3 attempts in any 12-month period and 6 in a lifetime. Your state board may set its own, tighter limits.
How soon can I retake the NBCOT exam?
For attempts 2 to 4 NBCOT sets a 30-day wait from the date of your last exam, and you must submit a new exam application to retest.
Can I keep working on a Texas temporary license after failing?
No. The Texas board says the temporary license is void if you fail the exam and must be returned when you receive the notice of failure.
Sources
- FSBPT, Retake Exam (NPTE), read October 22, 2026
- FSBPT, 2026 Dates & Deadlines for PTs and PTAs, read October 22, 2026
- NBCOT Certification Exam Handbook, Retaking the Exam, read October 22, 2026
- ETS Praxis, Reschedule, Retake, or Cancel Test, read October 22, 2026
- Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (ECPTOTE), PT Temporary License, read October 6, 2026