Physical therapy assistant Exam
2025 Questions and Answers
Yergason test - ✔✔Standing, elbow 90 degree in pronation at the side. Pt must supinate
and ex. Rotate. Pain= transverse ligament instability/bicep tendonitis
Speed test - ✔✔Standing. Arm ext. in and supinate. Pt must resist shoulder flex.
Pain=bicepital tendonitis
Neer's impingement test - ✔✔Siting. PT hand on scapular. Internal rotate arm and bring
it into flex. Anterior pain= supraspinatus
Posterior = internal impingement
Supraspinatus test * empty can - ✔✔Sit/ stand. Pt arm full ext with 90 degree abd. In
supination. Have pt pronate arm (like emptying a can). Pain=Tear/impinge
supraspinatus tendon or Supra-scapular nerve neuropathy
Clunk test - ✔✔Pt in supine. PT place fist under scapular. Move arm in full ext. positive
test = snapping or clunk soup # glenoid labrum tear
Ant. Apprehension test - ✔✔Pt in supine, elbow flex and abd. PT does ext. rotation.
Pain= ant. Shoulder dislocation
Posterior apprehension test - ✔✔Pt in supine, elbow flex and abd. PT does horizontal
add. Along with medial rotation. Pain= post shoulder dislocation
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Adson test - ✔✔Pt siting arm in ext. PT find radial pulse. Have pt ext. neck and turn
head away. Then look back. Positive test= decreased pulse when pt looks back
Tinel sign - ✔✔Pt in siting. Hand in ext on table. PT tabs along the transverse carpal
ligament and distal wrist. Pt numb/ tingling in first 3 1/2 digits. Means positive for
carpal tunnel
Pronator teres syndrome test - ✔✔Pt elbow is flex. PT tries to supinate pt hand. Tell pt
don't let me move it (keeping arm probated) while doing that ext. arm putting pronator
teres on stretch. Pain in median area of hand= median nerve entrapment not carpal
tunnel
Finkelstein test - ✔✔Pt must put thumb in palm, wrap their 4 fingers around it, put
elbow in flex. And wrist in neutral. PT have pt slowly go into ulnar deviation. Pain over
abductor polis long us and extensor polis brevity tendon. Positive for deQuervains
tenosynovitis
Cozen test "lateral epicondylitis" - ✔✔Stabilize elbow palmate lateral epicondyle with
thumb. Pt make fist pronate and radial deviate and ext wrist. PT gives resistance. Pain
at last seal epicondyle = tennis elbow
Medial epicondylitis - ✔✔Pt stand with elbow flex then supinate forearm ext pt wrist
and move elbow into ext. pain along medial epicondyle .golf elbow
Phalen test - ✔✔Pt does full wrist flex. Hold dorsal side together for 1 minute. Positive
test = tingling in thumb index finger middle finger and lateral half ring finger indicate
carpal tunnel
Allen test - ✔✔Open and close hand quick as possible then squeeze hand tightly. Then
compress the radial & ulnar artery with thumb. Then ask pt to open hand and release
radial. See if blood streams back quick. Repeat with ulnar. Check for vascular
compromise
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, Thomas test - ✔✔Pt in supine at the edge of table. Have pt ext on leg over the edge of
table and hold the opposite leg with both hands with knee in flex. Positive test is
extended knee lifting off table = tight hip flexor ( illiopsoas. If pt abd then tight IT band
Ober test - ✔✔Pt in sideline with knee slightly flex. PT brings leg into abd and ext while
stablizing the hip. Lower leg back to table. If leg stays in the air = positive for tight
tensor fascia latte/ IT band
Ely test - ✔✔Pt in prone. Stabilize hip. Flex knee max. If pt hip flex then positive
tightness of rectus femoris
Patrick faber - ✔✔Pt supine. Place affected hip into foot just above knee allowing hip to
rotate. Apply gentle pressure. Positive test pain laterally internal or SI
Piriformis test - ✔✔Pt in supine. Pt hip is passively moved into 90 degree of flex and
knee over towards the opposite shoulder. Pt will complain of pain
Craig test - ✔✔Pt in prone with knee flex. Palpate greater trochanter. Int/ external
rotate the hip. This checks for retro (a lot external rotation) and anteversion (a lot
internal rotation)
Lachman test - ✔✔Pt in supine bring test leg into 30 degree knee flex. Fixate femur then
slight ext rotate of tibia. Then translate tibia anterior. Soft end feel = ACL rupture
Anterior draw test - ✔✔Pt in supine. Pt affect leg in knee flex 90 and hip 45. Sit on pt
leg. Feel for joint line on knee then move tibia anteriorly explosivly. Test positive if tibia
move more 6 mm or soft end feel
Pivot test - ✔✔Pt in supine leg ext. slight internal rotation of tibia. Move leg from ext to
flex. If tibia reduce or jump back or a click sound= positive acl tear
Posterior sag test - ✔✔Pt in supine hips flex 45 knee flex 90 test
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
2025 Questions and Answers
Yergason test - ✔✔Standing, elbow 90 degree in pronation at the side. Pt must supinate
and ex. Rotate. Pain= transverse ligament instability/bicep tendonitis
Speed test - ✔✔Standing. Arm ext. in and supinate. Pt must resist shoulder flex.
Pain=bicepital tendonitis
Neer's impingement test - ✔✔Siting. PT hand on scapular. Internal rotate arm and bring
it into flex. Anterior pain= supraspinatus
Posterior = internal impingement
Supraspinatus test * empty can - ✔✔Sit/ stand. Pt arm full ext with 90 degree abd. In
supination. Have pt pronate arm (like emptying a can). Pain=Tear/impinge
supraspinatus tendon or Supra-scapular nerve neuropathy
Clunk test - ✔✔Pt in supine. PT place fist under scapular. Move arm in full ext. positive
test = snapping or clunk soup # glenoid labrum tear
Ant. Apprehension test - ✔✔Pt in supine, elbow flex and abd. PT does ext. rotation.
Pain= ant. Shoulder dislocation
Posterior apprehension test - ✔✔Pt in supine, elbow flex and abd. PT does horizontal
add. Along with medial rotation. Pain= post shoulder dislocation
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Adson test - ✔✔Pt siting arm in ext. PT find radial pulse. Have pt ext. neck and turn
head away. Then look back. Positive test= decreased pulse when pt looks back
Tinel sign - ✔✔Pt in siting. Hand in ext on table. PT tabs along the transverse carpal
ligament and distal wrist. Pt numb/ tingling in first 3 1/2 digits. Means positive for
carpal tunnel
Pronator teres syndrome test - ✔✔Pt elbow is flex. PT tries to supinate pt hand. Tell pt
don't let me move it (keeping arm probated) while doing that ext. arm putting pronator
teres on stretch. Pain in median area of hand= median nerve entrapment not carpal
tunnel
Finkelstein test - ✔✔Pt must put thumb in palm, wrap their 4 fingers around it, put
elbow in flex. And wrist in neutral. PT have pt slowly go into ulnar deviation. Pain over
abductor polis long us and extensor polis brevity tendon. Positive for deQuervains
tenosynovitis
Cozen test "lateral epicondylitis" - ✔✔Stabilize elbow palmate lateral epicondyle with
thumb. Pt make fist pronate and radial deviate and ext wrist. PT gives resistance. Pain
at last seal epicondyle = tennis elbow
Medial epicondylitis - ✔✔Pt stand with elbow flex then supinate forearm ext pt wrist
and move elbow into ext. pain along medial epicondyle .golf elbow
Phalen test - ✔✔Pt does full wrist flex. Hold dorsal side together for 1 minute. Positive
test = tingling in thumb index finger middle finger and lateral half ring finger indicate
carpal tunnel
Allen test - ✔✔Open and close hand quick as possible then squeeze hand tightly. Then
compress the radial & ulnar artery with thumb. Then ask pt to open hand and release
radial. See if blood streams back quick. Repeat with ulnar. Check for vascular
compromise
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, Thomas test - ✔✔Pt in supine at the edge of table. Have pt ext on leg over the edge of
table and hold the opposite leg with both hands with knee in flex. Positive test is
extended knee lifting off table = tight hip flexor ( illiopsoas. If pt abd then tight IT band
Ober test - ✔✔Pt in sideline with knee slightly flex. PT brings leg into abd and ext while
stablizing the hip. Lower leg back to table. If leg stays in the air = positive for tight
tensor fascia latte/ IT band
Ely test - ✔✔Pt in prone. Stabilize hip. Flex knee max. If pt hip flex then positive
tightness of rectus femoris
Patrick faber - ✔✔Pt supine. Place affected hip into foot just above knee allowing hip to
rotate. Apply gentle pressure. Positive test pain laterally internal or SI
Piriformis test - ✔✔Pt in supine. Pt hip is passively moved into 90 degree of flex and
knee over towards the opposite shoulder. Pt will complain of pain
Craig test - ✔✔Pt in prone with knee flex. Palpate greater trochanter. Int/ external
rotate the hip. This checks for retro (a lot external rotation) and anteversion (a lot
internal rotation)
Lachman test - ✔✔Pt in supine bring test leg into 30 degree knee flex. Fixate femur then
slight ext rotate of tibia. Then translate tibia anterior. Soft end feel = ACL rupture
Anterior draw test - ✔✔Pt in supine. Pt affect leg in knee flex 90 and hip 45. Sit on pt
leg. Feel for joint line on knee then move tibia anteriorly explosivly. Test positive if tibia
move more 6 mm or soft end feel
Pivot test - ✔✔Pt in supine leg ext. slight internal rotation of tibia. Move leg from ext to
flex. If tibia reduce or jump back or a click sound= positive acl tear
Posterior sag test - ✔✔Pt in supine hips flex 45 knee flex 90 test
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
