National Physical Therapy Examination

The Arizona Department of Administration State Procurement Office is conducting a sole source procurement for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) through the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy. The procurement will secure licensure and certification examination administration and maintenance services from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), the exclusive provider of this examination since 1993. The NPTE is the only psychometrically sound licensure examination required for physical therapist and physical therapist assistant (PT/PTA) certification across all 53 U.S. jurisdictions. The contract term is specified from October 1, 2023, through October 1, 2028, with no renewal options indicated. Key submission deadlines included an initial response date of September 12, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Arizona local time, with a final submission deadline of September 15, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. through the State of Arizona's online e-procurement system (BPM005701). No site visits, bidder conferences, or formal bidding meetings were scheduled for this procurement.

The procurement is a sole source contract with no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. FSBPT has been designated as the sole source supplier due to its unique statutory authorization under Arizona statutes (A.R.S. 32-2003(A)(2)) and administrative rules (A.A.C. R4-24-101(25)). The justification for sole source procurement is based on FSBPT being the only organization authorized to administer the NPTE and the absence of alternative examination providers. The estimated annual cost of this procurement is $190,000 per year, with a total contract value of approximately $950,000 over the five-year contract period. The procurement ensures that Arizona can fulfill its statutory duty to license qualified PT and PTA applicants while protecting public safety through a standardized, scientifically validated examination process.