To read PT Rules §341.2. Continuing Competence Requirements and §341.3. Qualifying Continuing Competence Activities, click here.
Continuing competence (CC) is the ongoing acquisition and maintenance of the professional knowledge, skill, and ability of the PT or PTA through successful completion of educational and professional activities related to the physical therapy profession.
Continuing Education (CE), in the traditional classroom-based format, was once the only activity available to help licensees maintain their professional competence. It is now only one of a growing number of activities, such as specialty exams, residencies, and membership in the professional organization, that the Board recognizes as promoting continuing competence through ongoing involvement with the profession of physical therapy.
Texas PTs and PTAs are legally required to complete continuing competence (CC) activities to maintain professional licensure – for PTs, 30 units (CCUs) during each two-year renewal cycle, for PTAs, 20 units (CCUs). All licensees must complete the Jurisprudence Assessment Module (TX JAM) and an HHS-approved Human Trafficking Prevention Training course as part of their total continuing competence requirements.
The Board performs a quarterly CC audit of licenses renewed in the last quarter. This audit requires randomly selected licensees to send in copies of documentation showing completion of continuing competency activities used to meet license renewal requirements. If a license is renewed without the required CCUs, the licensee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including license suspension or revocation. For more information about the the audit, click on the Audit Reminders tab above.
Continuing competence (CC) is the ongoing acquisition and maintenance of the professional knowledge, skill, and ability of the PT or PTA through successful completion of educational and professional activities related to the physical therapy profession.
Continuing Education (CE), in the traditional classroom-based format, was once the only activity available to help licensees maintain their professional competence. It is now only one of a growing number of activities, such as specialty exams, residencies, and membership in the professional organization, that the Board recognizes as promoting continuing competence through ongoing involvement with the profession of physical therapy.
Texas PTs and PTAs are legally required to complete continuing competence (CC) activities to maintain professional licensure – for PTs, 30 units (CCUs) during each two-year renewal cycle, for PTAs, 20 units (CCUs). All licensees must complete the Jurisprudence Assessment Module (TX JAM) and an HHS-approved Human Trafficking Prevention Training course as part of their total continuing competence requirements.
The Board performs a quarterly CC audit of licenses renewed in the last quarter. This audit requires randomly selected licensees to send in copies of documentation showing completion of continuing competency activities used to meet license renewal requirements. If a license is renewed without the required CCUs, the licensee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including license suspension or revocation. For more information about the the audit, click on the Audit Reminders tab above.
Check for CC/CE Approval at TPTA
All activities used for renewal purposes must be approved through the Continuing Competence Approval Program (CCAP) administered by the Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA), the organization selected by the Board to review and approve courses and providers of continuing competence activities.
To submit a course for approval, or to see if a course has already been approved, click on the Check for CC/CE Approval at TPTA link at the top of this section.
A course may be submitted for approval after a licensee attends it, but must be approved prior to the date of the license renewal.
If a course has not already been submitted for approval by the provider or sponsor, it is the responsibility of the licensee to submit it for approval to TPTA prior to license renewal.
The Board has defined one contact hour as equal to 1 continuing competence unit (CCU). Continuing Education is one of the activities that a licensee may select to fulfill their continuing competence requirement for renewal. Some course providers are using the terms CCU and CEU interchangeably, while others are still calculating CEUs using the 10:1 relationship with 10 hours equal to 1 CEU.
All continuing education activities submitted on the Continuing Competence Activity Summary during the renewal process must be approved by the Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) or presented by an Accredited Provider. If you are confused about what a course is “worth,” you can verify how many CCUs have been awarded to a course/seminar/conference by doing an Approved CC Search.
No. The PT Board maintains a list of specialty examinations that are approved for CC credit. Check the Specialty Examination Pre-Approval List to determine if a specialty examination has been approved.
The Board audits a percentage of licensees who renewed in the last six months every quarter. Here are some tips for a successful audit:
1. CC used to renew must be approved by TPTA prior to the renewal of a license, and must be completed within the two years preceding the license expiration date.
2. Every course or activity must have an approval number assigned by the TPTA. There are three types of approval numbers:
3. ALL licensees are held responsible for making sure the approval numbers they enter on the CC Activity Report are valid for Texas.
4. If you do not have the approval number, you cannot get it from the Board or from TPTA. You must contact the sponsor or provider of the course for course approval numbers.
5. PASS/FAIL college courses do not meet the requirements for CC/CE. All college courses, including tDPT courses, must have a letter grade of C or higher to be acceptable.
6. Engagement activities – for example, membership in APTA/TPTA, or serving on specific boards and committees related to the profession – can count towards your CCU requirement.
ECPTOTE • 1801 Congress Ave Ste 10.900 • Austin, TX 78701 • Phone: (512) 305-6900
ptot.texas.gov • Contact Us • Sitemap
Texas.gov | Texas Homeland Security | TRAIL | Texas Veterans Portal | TX Occupations Code | Where the Money Goes
Search TX State Sites | SAO Fraud Reporting | Poison Control Center | Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities