PTA Licensure Exam Study 2025
Questions and Answers
A physical therapist assistant notes that a two-year-old child exhibits muscle pseudohypertrophy in
the lower extremities. The child has been reluctant to ambulate recently and exhibits difficulty rising
from the floor. Which medical condition is MOST consistent with the described clinical
presentation?
1. Cerebral palsy
2. Duchenne muscular dystrophy
3. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
4. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy - ANSWER✔✔-2. Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) typically present with symptoms between the
ages of 2 and 5. Gastrocnemius pseudohypertrophy is common with early symptoms including
clumsiness, toe walking, frequent falls, difficult rising from the floor, and a reluctance to walk or run
at appropriate developmental ages. The pseudohypertrophy is caused by muscle tissue being
replaced with fat and connective tissue.
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,A patient recently diagnosed with anemia asks the physical therapist assistant what effect this
condition will have on their ability to participate in an exercise program. Which of the following
responses is the MOST appropriate for the assistant to give to the patient?
1. You may feel as though your muscles are weak
2. You may experience frequent nausea
3. Your aerobic capacity may be reduced
4. You may have a tendency to become fatigued - ANSWER✔✔-4. You may have a tendency to
become fatigued
Anemia is a common cause of fatigue. Fatigue often results since there are an inadequate number of
red blood cells available to transport oxygen to the tissues of the body.
A physical therapist assistant treats a patient diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in an acute
care hospital. Based on the condition's typical clinical presentation, what should the assistant
anticipate that the patient will demonstrate?
1. Cognitive dysfunction
2. Hyperflexia
3. Incoordination
4. Normal sensation - ANSWER✔✔-3. Incoordination
Patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome will typically present with muscle weakness,
clumsiness, and dyskinesia
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,A patient receives surgical discharge instructions that include the use of an incentive spirometer and
lower extremity compression stockings. Which of the following surgical procedures would be
MOST likely to necessitate the use of this type of medical equipment?
1. Achilles tendon repair
2. Lateral ankle ligament reconstruction
3. Knee meniscectomy
4. Total knee arthroplasty - ANSWER✔✔-4. Total knee arthroplasty
The destruction of articular cartilage secondary to osteoarthritis is the most common indication for
total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Due to the magnitude of the surgery, the use of compression
stockings and incentive spirometry are typically included in the post-operative management of
patients post TKA
A patient who has cerebral palsy exhibits slow, involuntary, continuous writhing movements of the
upper and lower extremities. Which of the following motor impairments is MOST representative of
this type of motor disturbance?
1. Spasticity
2. Ataxia
3. Hypotonia
4. Athetosis - ANSWER✔✔-4. Athetosis
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, Athetosis refers to involuntary movements characterized as slow, irregular, and twisting. Peripheral
movements occur without central stability. This type of motor disturbance makes it extremely
difficult to maintain a static body position.
A patient diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome reports difficulty with managing flare-ups of their
symptoms. Which of the following interventions should the physical therapist assistant MOST
emphasize in order to address the patient's complaint?
1. Lumbar stabilization exercises
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Instruction in pacing activities
4. General flexibility training - ANSWER✔✔-3. Instruction in pacing activities
Instruction in pacing activities, so as not to push too hard or too little, is a key component of the
management of FMS in an attempt to avoid fluctuations or flare-ups of symptoms. Individuals with
FMA often cycle their activity around their pain on "good" and "bad" days, with typically lower
tolerance for activities and exercise. Learning to pace activities throughout the day is an important
strategy to break up the vicious cycle of pain leading to decreased activity, which leads to
deconditioning and more pain.
A physical therapist assistant administers the Thomas test to a patient rehabilitating from a lower
extremity injury. Which of the following findings would represent the MOST significant shortening
of the right iliopsoas?
1. In supine with the left hip flexed to the chest, the right hip exhibits 5 degrees of flexion
2. In supine with the left hip flexed to the chest, the right hip exhibits 15 degrees of flexion
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Questions and Answers
A physical therapist assistant notes that a two-year-old child exhibits muscle pseudohypertrophy in
the lower extremities. The child has been reluctant to ambulate recently and exhibits difficulty rising
from the floor. Which medical condition is MOST consistent with the described clinical
presentation?
1. Cerebral palsy
2. Duchenne muscular dystrophy
3. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
4. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy - ANSWER✔✔-2. Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) typically present with symptoms between the
ages of 2 and 5. Gastrocnemius pseudohypertrophy is common with early symptoms including
clumsiness, toe walking, frequent falls, difficult rising from the floor, and a reluctance to walk or run
at appropriate developmental ages. The pseudohypertrophy is caused by muscle tissue being
replaced with fat and connective tissue.
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,A patient recently diagnosed with anemia asks the physical therapist assistant what effect this
condition will have on their ability to participate in an exercise program. Which of the following
responses is the MOST appropriate for the assistant to give to the patient?
1. You may feel as though your muscles are weak
2. You may experience frequent nausea
3. Your aerobic capacity may be reduced
4. You may have a tendency to become fatigued - ANSWER✔✔-4. You may have a tendency to
become fatigued
Anemia is a common cause of fatigue. Fatigue often results since there are an inadequate number of
red blood cells available to transport oxygen to the tissues of the body.
A physical therapist assistant treats a patient diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in an acute
care hospital. Based on the condition's typical clinical presentation, what should the assistant
anticipate that the patient will demonstrate?
1. Cognitive dysfunction
2. Hyperflexia
3. Incoordination
4. Normal sensation - ANSWER✔✔-3. Incoordination
Patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome will typically present with muscle weakness,
clumsiness, and dyskinesia
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,A patient receives surgical discharge instructions that include the use of an incentive spirometer and
lower extremity compression stockings. Which of the following surgical procedures would be
MOST likely to necessitate the use of this type of medical equipment?
1. Achilles tendon repair
2. Lateral ankle ligament reconstruction
3. Knee meniscectomy
4. Total knee arthroplasty - ANSWER✔✔-4. Total knee arthroplasty
The destruction of articular cartilage secondary to osteoarthritis is the most common indication for
total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Due to the magnitude of the surgery, the use of compression
stockings and incentive spirometry are typically included in the post-operative management of
patients post TKA
A patient who has cerebral palsy exhibits slow, involuntary, continuous writhing movements of the
upper and lower extremities. Which of the following motor impairments is MOST representative of
this type of motor disturbance?
1. Spasticity
2. Ataxia
3. Hypotonia
4. Athetosis - ANSWER✔✔-4. Athetosis
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, Athetosis refers to involuntary movements characterized as slow, irregular, and twisting. Peripheral
movements occur without central stability. This type of motor disturbance makes it extremely
difficult to maintain a static body position.
A patient diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome reports difficulty with managing flare-ups of their
symptoms. Which of the following interventions should the physical therapist assistant MOST
emphasize in order to address the patient's complaint?
1. Lumbar stabilization exercises
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Instruction in pacing activities
4. General flexibility training - ANSWER✔✔-3. Instruction in pacing activities
Instruction in pacing activities, so as not to push too hard or too little, is a key component of the
management of FMS in an attempt to avoid fluctuations or flare-ups of symptoms. Individuals with
FMA often cycle their activity around their pain on "good" and "bad" days, with typically lower
tolerance for activities and exercise. Learning to pace activities throughout the day is an important
strategy to break up the vicious cycle of pain leading to decreased activity, which leads to
deconditioning and more pain.
A physical therapist assistant administers the Thomas test to a patient rehabilitating from a lower
extremity injury. Which of the following findings would represent the MOST significant shortening
of the right iliopsoas?
1. In supine with the left hip flexed to the chest, the right hip exhibits 5 degrees of flexion
2. In supine with the left hip flexed to the chest, the right hip exhibits 15 degrees of flexion
FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY COPYRIGHT © 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
