The blueprint is the document the exam is built from: what is tested, in what proportions, in which section. Read properly, it is a study plan. Here is what each number means and how to use it.
From CAPR's CPTE Blueprint 2025 as summarised in the Candidate Guide (November 2025). Download the blueprint and its Companion Guide from alliancept.org.
| Section | Weight | Points | Item types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 60% | 150 (10 cases × 15) | Structured cases, three questions each, answered aloud |
| Written | 40% | 100 | 75–80% traditional multiple-choice, 20–25% enhanced (image, video or audio); 80% vignette-based in sets of four, 20% stand-alone |
Seven domains, each with entry-to-practice milestones. The split between sections is the part most candidates never look at.
| Domain | Total | Written | Oral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment and Diagnosis | 20% ± 3 | 12% | 8% |
| Care Planning | 20% ± 3 | 12% | 8% |
| Client Safety and Client-Centred Care | 15% ± 3 | 5% | 8% |
| Professional Responsibilities | 15% ± 3 | 3% | 14% |
| Collaboration | 12% ± 2 | 4% | 7% |
| Communication | 10% ± 2 | 2% | 7% |
| Practice Management | 8% ± 2 | 2% | 7% |
| Total | 100% | 40% | 60% |
Figures as published in Table 2 of CAPR's CPTE Blueprint 2025. The Written and Oral columns are shares of the total exam score, and CAPR marks them as approximate values, so some rows don't add exactly to their total and the Oral column sums to 59%.
The same weights expressed as a share of each section, from the milestone lists later in CAPR's Blueprint. This is the view to use when you plan practice for one section.
| Domain | % of the written section | % of the oral section |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment and Diagnosis | 30% | 13% |
| Care Planning | 30% | 13% |
| Client Safety and Client-Centred Care | 13% | 13% |
| Professional Responsibilities | 7% | 24% |
| Collaboration | 10% | 12% |
| Communication | 5% | 12% |
| Practice Management | 5% | 12% |
| Area | Share of exam content |
|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal | 50% ± 5 |
| Neurological | 20% ± 2 |
| Cardiovascular-Respiratory | 15% ± 2 |
| Other Systems | 15% ± 2 |
Each area contains condition categories with expected depth. Not every item is tagged to an area — non-clinical questions sit outside these percentages.
PT StudyBuddy's CPTE program is built on this split — 64 written lectures in blueprint order, 34 oral sessions from the start, an ethics and professional-responsibilities module, and mocks in the vignette-plus-stand-alone format.
CAPR publishes the CPTE Blueprint 2025 and a Companion Guide as PDFs under Preparing for the CPTE → CAPR Resources → General Overview. The Companion Guide describes what each content area is meant to include; read both.
No. CAPR says some items assess non-clinical competencies that don't need a specific condition, so the Areas of Practice percentages don't cover every item.
Professional Responsibilities: about 7% of the written section but 24% of the oral section (3% and 14% of the total exam score). Candidates who prepared for the old written exam alone routinely under-prepare it.
No. It sets the content and weights. The passing standard is set separately for each section by criterion-referenced standard setting and combined 60/40 into one result.
