If you have searched for "CPTE sample questions" or "CAPR sample questions," you are almost certainly looking for one thing: real practice questions you can actually attempt, not another article telling you to practice. So let's start there.
Below are six free CPTE sample questions written in the style of the 2026 Canadian Physiotherapy Examination, spanning the main areas of the CAPR competency profile — musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiorespiratory, and professional practice. Each one includes the correct answer and a full rationale so you can check your reasoning, not just your recall.
These are pulled directly from the CAPR-aligned question bank at PhysioExamPrep — the same questions Internationally Educated Physiotherapists (IEPTs) use to prepare every day.
How to use these sample questions
Don't just read them. For each one:
- Cover the answer and commit to a choice before you reveal it.
- Articulate why the other options are wrong — on the real exam, distractors are designed to be plausible.
- Read the rationale even when you get it right. The reasoning is the transferable skill, not the fact.
Question 1 — Musculoskeletal (arthrokinematics)
According to the convex-concave rule, when the humeral head (convex) moves superiorly during shoulder abduction, the direction of therapeutic joint glide should be:
- A. Superior (same as bone motion)
- B. Inferior (opposite to bone motion)
- C. Anterior
- D. Posterior
Answer: B — Inferior (opposite to bone motion).
Convex on concave: the joint glide occurs in the opposite direction to bone movement. During abduction (superior bone motion), the humeral head must glide inferiorly on the glenoid. Loss of this inferior glide is the primary cause of subacromial impingement.
Question 2 — Musculoskeletal (end-feel)
A patient's shoulder ROM stops abruptly before end of range due to severe pain, with no tissue resistance felt. This end-feel is classified as:
- A. Tissue stretch — normal
- B. Muscle guarding — abnormal
- C. Empty — abnormal
- D. Bone-to-bone — normal
Answer: C — Empty (abnormal).
An empty end-feel occurs when the patient voluntarily stops motion due to pain before the examiner encounters any tissue resistance. This is always abnormal and suggests serious pathology: fracture, malignancy, acute bursitis with high pressure, or septic joint. Urgent investigation is warranted.
Question 3 — Neurological (stroke localization)
A patient presents with right-sided arm and face weakness, expressive aphasia, and right homonymous hemianopia. Which artery is most likely occluded?
- A. Right middle cerebral artery
- B. Left middle cerebral artery
- C. Left anterior cerebral artery
- D. Left posterior cerebral artery
Answer: B — Left middle cerebral artery.
The left MCA supplies the lateral dominant hemisphere. Left MCA occlusion causes right-sided hemiplegia (arm > leg), expressive aphasia (Broca area), and right homonymous hemianopia (optic radiation).
Question 4 — Cardiorespiratory (spirometry interpretation)
A patient's FEV1/FVC ratio is 55%. This indicates:
- A. Normal lung function
- B. Restrictive lung disease
- C. Obstructive lung disease
- D. Both restrictive and obstructive disease
Answer: C — Obstructive lung disease.
An FEV1/FVC ratio below 70% (0.70) indicates obstructive lung disease (e.g., COPD, asthma), where airflow is limited on expiration. Restrictive disease shows a reduced total lung capacity with a normal or increased FEV1/FVC ratio.
Question 5 — Professional practice (red flags & scope)
A physiotherapist in BC has been treating a patient with chronic low back pain for 6 weeks. The patient now presents with bilateral leg weakness, saddle anaesthesia, and new bladder dysfunction. The MOST appropriate immediate action is:
- A. Continue the current treatment plan and reassess in 2 weeks
- B. Add a core stabilisation program to address the neurological symptoms
- C. Refer urgently to the emergency department — this presentation is outside PT scope to manage
- D. Consult with a colleague before making any changes to the treatment plan
Answer: C — Refer urgently to the emergency department.
Bilateral leg weakness, saddle anaesthesia, and bladder/bowel dysfunction are the hallmark red flags of Cauda Equina Syndrome — a surgical emergency. This presentation is outside the management scope of physiotherapy and requires immediate referral. Continuing treatment or delaying referral would be a serious scope-of-practice violation and could cause permanent harm.
Question 6 — Professional practice (delegation to a PTA)
A physiotherapist asks a PTA to independently reassess a patient's ROM, document findings, and adjust the treatment plan accordingly. Which component of this instruction MOST clearly exceeds appropriate delegation?
- A. Measuring ROM
- B. Documenting the findings
- C. Adjusting the treatment plan
- D. Conducting the treatment session
Answer: C — Adjusting the treatment plan.
PTAs can be delegated selected technical tasks such as measuring ROM and documenting objective findings under PT supervision. However, clinical reasoning and modifying the treatment plan require professional judgment that cannot be delegated. The PT must retain responsibility for assessment, reassessment interpretation, and treatment planning — adjusting the plan is a non-delegable function.
How these map to the 2026 CPTE blueprint
Notice the spread: two MSK questions, one neuro, one cardioresp, and two professional-practice scenarios. That is deliberate. The 2026 CPTE is not a pure knowledge-recall test — even the multiple-choice Written Section leans heavily on clinical reasoning and professional judgment, and the Oral Section (worth 150 of the 250 total points) is built entirely around it. If you want the bigger picture of how the exam is structured, see What's Different About the 2026 CPTE and CPTE Pass Rate and Passing Score, Explained.
A handful of sample questions tells you where you stand today. Sustained, spaced practice across all competency areas is what moves the needle — and that is exactly what the question bank is built for.
Keep practising
Six questions is a warm-up. The full PhysioExamPrep question bank is CAPR-aligned for the 2026 exam and covers every competency area with the same answer-and-rationale format you just used. You can start practising for free — a daily allowance of questions, no card required — and track your accuracy by topic to find your weak spots. Premium (a one-time CA$49, valid for two years) unlocks unlimited practice, full Written-section mock exams, and Oral-section case practice.