How to register for the NBCOT, NPTE, and SLP exams
Each national exam has its own sequence. For the OTR and COTA exams you apply to NBCOT, NBCOT approves the application and sends an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter, and you schedule with Pearson. For the NPTE you register and pay with FSBPT, your jurisdiction (or FSBPT, in some jurisdictions) approves you, and you schedule with Prometric. For the national SLP exam, ASHA says candidates testing through December 26, 2026 register with ETS for the Praxis, and candidates testing from January 11, 2027 register through PSI. No fees are copied here.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
This page covers registration steps only. Eligibility, scoring, and exam-day rules are on NBCOT exam, NPTE, SLP exams, and exam day.
NBCOT (OTR and COTA)
NBCOT’s Certification Exam Handbook (PDF, ID 40 rev092526), checked November 10, 2026, lists the first step for first-time candidates: “Read the Certification Exam Handbook in full BEFORE applying for the exam.” It adds: “The handbook includes important information and instructions and is a required step in the application process.” The next steps are to create a MyNBCOT account and apply online. The handbook states: “The candidate must complete their exam application.” It also says applications completed or submitted by third parties, such as family members, recruiters, or professors, are not valid.
On timing, the handbook states: “Once submitted, the exam application is valid for 90 days.” And: “Plan ahead! Submit your application when you plan to test within 90 days of the submission date.” NBCOT’s Apply for the exam page puts it as “Exam applications are valid for three months”. It also states: “All application components must be fulfilled and approved (e.g., academic verification documentation, background check, testing accommodations if applicable) for the application to be processed and an Authorization to Test letter (ATT) generated”.
On transcripts, the Apply page states: “After you apply for the exam, you must have your school send your official final college/university transcript. It must include the degree date and degree title. The degree must have also been awarded.” It also states: “Sending documents to NBCOT before you have applied for the exam will delay your application.” If your school will not release the transcript in time, see testing before your final transcript.
After approval, the handbook states: “After NBCOT approves a candidate’s exam application, they will receive an ATT letter by email (and in their MyNBCOT account) within three (3) business days.” And: “The ATT letter is active for 90 days. Candidates must test during the date parameters outlined in the ATT letter.” On scheduling: “After receiving the ATT letter, candidates schedule their testing appointment directly with Pearson.” “Candidates SHOULD ONLY contact Pearson once they have received the ATT letter.” “Exams must be scheduled a minimum of one day before the appointment. Same-day appointments are not available.” NBCOT’s Schedule your exam page states: “The NBCOT exam is offered daily at hundreds of test centers.”
FSBPT (NPTE for PTs and PTAs)
FSBPT’s Registration Process page, checked November 10, 2026, lists five steps: find out what your jurisdiction requires, complete a state application form, register and pay for the exam, request testing accommodations if needed, and obtain jurisdiction approval. It states: “Taking the NPTE may be just one of the requirements for licensure. Some states require that you take a jurisprudence exam before you take the NPTE.” And: “The jurisdiction licensing authority, or their authorized designee, will approve your eligibility and notify FSBPT.”
FSBPT’s online NPTE Candidate Handbook: Exam Registration and Scheduling section states: “If you are graduating from a CAPTE-accredited program, your school will create your FSBPT profile for you.” It also states: “You will not be able to register for the NPTE prior to having your graduation validated by your school. FSBPT allows candidates to sit for the NPTE up to ninety days prior to their graduation date; however, jurisdictions may have more restrictive policies.” For other candidates: “If you did not attend a CAPTE-accredited program, you will be able to register for an exam at any time. Please note that every jurisdiction must approve candidates who did not attend a CAPTE-accredited program to take the exam.”
On approval, it describes Alternate Approval Pathway (AAP) jurisdictions: “AAP means that the jurisdiction allows CAPTE-accredited graduates to be approved for the NPTE by FSBPT.” It adds: “Please note that you will still need to submit a licensure application and all necessary supporting documentation to your jurisdiction in order to become licensed.” And: “You must be approved for the exam prior to the Jurisdiction Approval Deadline, which is approximately seven days after the registration and payment deadline.” FSBPT publishes those deadlines on its Dates and Deadlines page; they are not copied here.
FSBPT’s Understanding the NPTE section states: “Exams are administered on set dates four times per year in January, April, July, and October.” And: “You may take your exam at any Prometric center offering the NPTE, regardless of the jurisdiction you selected during your exam registration.” On scheduling after the ATT letter, the registration section states: “Prometric testing centers fill up quickly, so it is critical to schedule as soon as possible after receiving your ATT letter.”
Speech-language pathology (national SLP exam)
ASHA’s National Examination Registration page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “Registration procedures for the National Audiology Examination™ and the National Speech-Language Pathology Examination™ depend on when you plan to test.” Candidates testing through December 26, 2026 “should register for the Praxis Examination in Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology through the Educational Testing Service (ETS).” It states: “The Praxis Examinations are available through ETS test centers and live remote proctoring until December 26, 2026.”
For 2027 testing, ASHA’s national examinations page states: “Candidates testing in 2026 will take the Praxis examinations through ETS.” The registration page states that the national examinations are available to register and schedule through PSI “starting November 3, 2026”, with testing beginning January 11, 2027. It also states: “Are you already registered with ETS? If you're registered for the Praxis Examination but don't test in 2026, your eligibility will be transferred to PSI.”
On PSI scheduling, ASHA’s registration page states: “Candidates who complete the application process through PSI can select either in-person testing at a PSI test center or live online proctoring. Both in-person and online testing are available continuously with no defined testing windows.” It also states: “Candidates must submit documentation demonstrating current enrollment in or graduation from a graduate or doctoral program in audiology or speech-language pathology.” PSI’s own candidate page did not render in a plain read on November 10, 2026, so nothing is quoted from it.
On results, ASHA’s SLP national examination page states: “Results of the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology submitted for initial certification must come directly to ASHA from ETS.” For state licensure, check the board in the directory.
What this page does not do
It copies no exam, registration, scheduling, or processing fees, and no test dates. Fees and dates are on each organization’s site. If you need to change an appointment, see rescheduling and cancellations. For ADA requests, see testing accommodations.