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 General information about evaluations
Application process
After the review is completed
FCCPT general information
General information about evaluations
How will my reports and certificates be sent when they are completed? All reports and certificates are sent regular United States Postal Services (mail). If the applicant wishes to have these sent in a trackable form, the applicant may submit a Federal Express Account Number and we will send them via FedEx, and will send a tracking number to the applicant when it is sent. Please send a fax (703-684-8715) or an email help@fccpt.org with the account number and intended use for the account.
What's the difference between a Type I, Type II, and Educational Credentials Review? The Type I Certification Process, is a comprehensive credentials review to determine substantial equivalency to the first professional degree in physical therapy in the United States, plus we certify the requirements for a Healthcare Worker Certificate as specified in Section 212(a)(5)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act as specified in Title 8, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 212.15 for the profession of physical therapy.The Type I process is intended for those inidviduals who have never been licensed in the U.S. and need to apply for both licensure and the Healthcare Worker Certificate. A small number of jurisdictions also require the Type I certification for licensure. The Type II Certificate is intended for foreign-educated physical therapists who do not already hold a Type I certificate, but do hold a current license to practice in the U.S. To be eligible for a Type II Certificate, we must verify that you have graduated from a recognized program, that your credentials are authentic, and that you meet the English language proficiency and licensure requirements set forth in the federal regulations specified above. The Type II service does not include a credentials evaluation and it cannot be used to apply for a license in the U.S. An Educational Credentials Review compares the educational records that you provide to the requirements for the first professional degree in physical therapy in the U.S. It determines if your education is substantially equivalent to an accredited physical therapy degree program in the U.S. This may be used for licensure purposes or for entry to some U.S. post professional programs in P.T. education.
How long does it take to complete a review? FCCPT does not begin a service until all of the required documents are in the office, verified, and all outstanding fees are paid. After all of the documents are in our office and verified, the
On what basis does FCCPT determine substantial equivalence? Equivalence is determined based current educational standards in the U.S. The FCCPT uses a Coursework Evaluation Tool established by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy that has been studied and determined to be a reliable, valid tool. The Coursework Evaluation Tool has been validated against the Commission on Accreditation of P.T. Education (CAPTE) criteria.
Please Note:
Does FCCPT apply current standards to graduates of previous years? Yes and no. If FCCPT previously deemed you as substantially equivalent, this does not change based on current standards because the education was equivalent during the time of FCCPT's initial evaluation. However, if you apply to FCCPT for an educational credentials review, we will use current educational standards, even if another agency found you to be substantially equivalent in the past.A jurisdiction may require a re-evaluation on any new standards or on jurisdiction specified criteria for licensure purposes.
What is the policy on Reevaluation? An applicant who's education is found to be not equivalent may provide additional information for a re-evaluation. The same standard for the review will be used for 24 months from the time of the final report. If there has been more than 24 months and a new standard has been adopted the re-evaluation will take place on the new standard. A jurisdiction may require a transfer to any new standards within their regulations and then the FCCPT will follow the jurisdictional directive. How often are changes made to the Coursework Evaluation Tool (CWT)? The Coursework Evaluation Tool is reviewed each time CAPTE issues new standards. The minimum credit requirements are reviewed annually based upon CAPTE reports on U.S. standards. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy has adopted a change in the Coursework Evaluation Tool effective April 1, 2008. General education minimum credits will be 60 semester credits, professional education minimum credits will be 90 semester credits, and the total minimum semester credits will be 150 credit units. There are no changes in the required content.
How long will FCCPT keep my documents on file? If you have applied for our service, we will keep the records indefinitely, either as hard copies or electronically. If you have sent in documents before applying, they are kept for six months. If you do not apply within six months of receipt of the documents, they will be destroyed, due to a limited space for storage.
I have been trained as a physical therapist assistant (PTA) outside the U.S. Will FCCPT evaluate my educational credentials? No. FCCPT does not evaluate physical therapist assistant credentials.
Application process
What are the application policies of the FCCPT?
I need a Healthcare Worker Certificate for my visa. What should I apply for? If you do not hold a U.S. license you must apply for the Type I, Comprehensive Credentials Evaluation process. If you hold a current and active U.S. license you may apply for the Type II, Visa Credentials Certification process. Can I submit my transcripts, course syllabi, verification of licensure, and test scores in sealed envelopes along with my application? NO. Transcripts, course syllabi, verifications of licensure, and test scores must be sent from the issuing institution directly to FCCPT to be considered official. FCCPT will not review documents that it considers unofficial.
My education was in English. Do I still have to take the English Language Tests? The federal regulation lists the following exemptions based on country of education:
Can I substitute IELTS for TOEFL, TWE, and TSE? No. Current federal regulations specify TOEFL, TWE, TSE, or TOEFL iBT as the only acceptable English Language Proficiency Tests for physical therapy visa certification.
What are the minimum passing scores for the new Internet-Based TOEFL that was introduced in September 2005? Federal regulations require the following minimum passing scores for the Internet-Based TOEFL.
What are the minimum passing scores for the TOEFL, TWE, and TSE? Federal regulations require the following minimum passing scores for the TOEFL, TWE, and TSE.
If I passed TOEFL and TWE on the old test but did not pass the TSE, can I substitute a passing score on the speaking section of the new Internet-Based TOEFL? Yes. You may substitute a passing IBT Speaking score for TSE. You may also substitute a passing IBT composite of Reading + Writing + Listening for the TOEFL or TWE, if all three tests are passed in the same examination.
After the review has been completed
How long is an evaluation valid? Type I and Type II Certificates must be used within five years of the date of issue. Educational Credentials Reviews have no final date of validity. It is up to the jurisdiction if they will accept the report.
How long is a Type 1 or Type 2 Certificate valid? Type 1 and Type 2 Certificates must be used to apply for a change of status with USCIS within five years of the date of issue.
How long is an Educational Credential Review valid? Educational Credentials Reviews have no final date of validity. It is up to the jurisdiction whether or not to accept a report.Can I get a copy of my certificate? We do not issue duplicates of certificates unless there is a signed affidavit stating what happened to the first certificate. If the original certificate is damaged it must be returned, and a replacement will be made. If there is an error on the original certificate, such as in name, date of birth, you may return the first certificate and the corrections will be made and the certificate will be re-issued.
If FCCPT determines that my education is not substantially equivalent to current U.S. standards, does this mean that I will not be given a license even if I am already licensed in another jurisdiction? The decision to grant a license is at the discretion of the jurisdiction. FCCPT's educational credentials review is only an advisory report. The report indicates the deficiencies in the educational comparison. You may choose to supplement the educational documents based upon the review, and apply for a re-evaluation.
Would I benefit from the new service PLAN? Candidates who have completed an Educational Credentials Review for licensure purposes or a Comprehensive Credentials Review (Type I), who were not found to be substantially equivalent to the first professional degree in the US, and feel that they need assistance in meeting the US standards for PT education may benefit. Candidates who feel they need more information to understand the US educational system, and are unsure of where to turn next may benefit. Candidates who have their education evaluated by another agency that used the Coursework Evaluation Tool (CWT) licensed by the FSBPT, if these candidates feel they need assistance to understand the US educational systems, to meet their identified deficiencies may benefit. (These candidates may ONLY apply for hourly services, to help to identify educational programs, as the FCCPT cannot pre-approve coursework for another agency.)
New York State Credentials Verification
How does the New York State Credentials Verification Service work? New York State licensure regulations require that the educational and licensure documents be collected and verified by an independent agency. The applicant cannot be involved in the process. Our process follows procedures set forth by New York State Education Department (NYSED). If you are seeking licensure in New York, fill out the application for the New York Credentials Verification Service and all of the forms included with it. Send it to FCCPT along with payment. When FCCPT receives your application, we will send the forms that you have filled out to the school(s) attended and to the appropriate licensing or registration authority. The schools must return the forms we send to them with official transcripts and course descriptions according to the NY specifications. Similarly, the licensing or registration authority must return our forms along with official verification of your license or registration. When all of the appropriate documents have been received, FCCPT sends a copy of all documents and a notice of verification to the NYSED. The applicant is notified when these have been sent.I applied for the New York Credentials Verification Service. Should I write to my school and ask them send documents directly to FCCPT? No. You may notify your school to expect a letter from FCCPT requesting official transcripts. You can arrange for payment of any fee that your school has for issuing official transcripts. You may explain to your school that it must return our request forms with the documents that they send to us. If the documents arrive without the forms we send to the school, New York State Education Department will not accept them.
FCCPT evaluated my credentials previously and I would like the evaluation sent to New York. Can you do that? No. New York does its own evaluations. You must follow the procedures for New York Credentials Verification.
FCCPT evaluated my credentials for New York State. Can you send the evaluation to another jurisdiction? No. FCCPT does not evaluate the educational records as part of our service for New York; we only verify that the documents are authentic, and prepare them for NYSED review. For this reason, we do not have an evaluation to forward to another jurisdiction. If we have verified your credentials for New York and you want an evaluation done for another jurisdiction, you will need to apply for a Educational Credentials Review or a Type I Comprehensive Credential Evaluation.
FCCPT general information
Does every jurisdiction in the U.S. recognize an FCCPT educational credentials review? No. This is subject to change without notice. You should check the requirements for licensure in the applications provided by the jurisdiction to which you are applying.
Which jurisdictions do NOT recognize FCCPT to perform educational credentials reviews? (Note this is subject to change without notice, based upon jurisdiction regulations.)
Does FCCPT have the authority to grant licenses? No. Only the jurisdictions have the authority to grant licenses.
What is the role of FCCPT in licensure? FCCPT has no direct role. When FCCPT completes an educational credentials review, a recommendation is made to the jurisdiction licensing authority as to whether your credentials are considered equivalent to U.S. education only.What jurisdictions require a Type I Comprehensive Credentials Evaluation?
What jurisdictions recognize FCCPT as a credentialing agency? |
