Section 2.01. Panel review of applications; examinations required.

 

(1)  All applicants shall complete written examinations. In addition, an applicant may be required to complete an oral examination if the applicant:

(a) Has a medical condition which in any way impairs or limits the applicant's ability to practice physical therapy with reasonable skill and safety.

(b) Uses chemical substances so as to impair in any way the applicant's ability to practice physical therapy with reasonable skill and safety.

(c) Has been diagnosed as suffering from pedophilia, exhibitionism or voyeurism.

(d) Has within the past 2 years engaged in the illegal use of controlled substances.

(e) Has been subject to adverse formal action during the course of physical therapy education, postgraduate training, hospital practice, or other physical therapy employment.

(f) Has been disciplined or had licensure denied by a licensing or regulatory authority in Wisconsin or another jurisdiction.

(g) Has been convicted of a crime the circumstances of which substantially relate to the practice of physical therapy.

(h) Has not practiced as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant for a period of 3 years prior to application, unless the applicant has been graduated from a school of physical therapy or a physical therapist assistant educational program within that period.

(i) Has been graduated from a physical therapy school or a physical therapist assistant educational program not approved by the board.

(j) Has voluntarily limited the scope of his or her practice as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant after being the subject of an investigation by a credentialing authority or employer.

(2)  An application filed under s. PT 1.03 shall be reviewed by an application review panel consisting of at least 2 board members designated by the chairperson of the board. The panel shall determine whether the applicant is eligible for a regular license without completing an oral examination.

(3)  All examinations shall be conducted in the English language.

(4)  Where both written and oral examinations are required, they shall be scored separately and the applicant shall achieve a passing grade on both examinations to qualify for a license.

(5)  The board shall notify each applicant for examination of the time and place scheduled for that applicant's examination. Failure of an applicant to appear for examination as scheduled will void the applicant's examination application and require the applicant to reapply for examination unless prior scheduling arrangements have been made with the board by the applicant.

(6)  

(a) The score required to pass each written physical therapy or physical therapist assistant examination shall be based on the board's determination of the level of examination performance required for minimum acceptable competence in the profession and on the reliability of the examination. The passing grade shall be established prior to giving the examination.

(b) The passing scores for the national physical therapy examination and the national physical therapist assistant examination are those scores recommended by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

(c) To pass the examination on statutes and rules, the applicant shall receive a score determined by the board to represent minimum competence to practice after consultation with subject matter experts who have received a representative sample of the examination questions and available candidate performance statistics.

(7)  Members of the board shall conduct oral examinations of each candidate and are scored as pass or fail.

(8)  Any applicant who is a graduate of a school for physical therapists or an educational program for physical therapist assistants in which English is not the primary language of communication shall take and pass each of the following in order to qualify for a license:

(a) The test of English as a foreign language as administered by the educational testing service.

(b) The test of written English as administered by the educational testing service.

(c) The test of spoken English as administered by the educational testing service.

Cr. Register, September, 1995, No. 477 , eff. 10-1-95; am. (6) (a), r. and recr. (6) (b) and (c), Register, June, 1998, No. 510 , eff. 7-1-98; am. (8) (intro.), cr. (8) (a) to (c); Register, April, 2000, No. 532 , eff. 5-1-00; CR 03-020 : am. (1) (h), (i), (6) (a), (b) and (8) (intro.) Register April 2004 No. 580 , eff. 5-1-04; CR 12-002 : cr. (1) (j) Register August 2012 No. 680 , eff. 9-1-12; CR 15-027 : am. (5) Register January 2016 No. 721 , eff. 2-1-16.

Note

Under 2001 Wisconsin Act 70 , physical therapist assistants are not required to be licensed until April 1, 2004. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1