Evaluation Templates: 9 Free, Fillable PDFs for Physical Therapy Evaluations
Stop starting every evaluation from a blank page. This free download gives you nine clean, ready-to-use evaluation templates that walk you through the full exam, from subjective history to assessment and goals.
What's Included:
Cervicothoracic
Shoulder
Elbow
Wrist / Hand
Lumbar
Hip
Knee
Foot / Ankle
Balance
Each Template Covers:
Subjective history with pain ratings
A safety screening checklist for spotting red flags
Region-specific objective exam: posture, palpation, joint mobility, sensation and reflexes
ROM and MMT tables with normative ranges
Special tests
A ready-to-complete assessment and a set of measurable goals
The Balance template also includes the 4-stage balance test, 30-second sit-to-stand, TUG, the Modified C-TSIB, and a space to record the Tinetti, Berg, FGA, DGI and ABC.
How to Use Them
Type directly into the fillable fields on your computer or tablet, or print them and write by hand. The templates use checkboxes for common findings, so you can complete an evaluation quickly.
Who It's For
PT students, new grads and clinicians who want a simple, organized starting point for their documentation.
Whether you’re a student learning to structure your first evaluations, a new grad building efficiency, or a clinician refining your workflow, this framework helps your knowledge show up clearly and consistently.
These templates will help you build a system that eventually becomes second nature.
Templates are for educational use and are not a substitute for clinical judgment. Always follow your facility's documentation requirements.
Most students know the facts. Fewer know how to think through a patient.
Learning to Think Clinically - Volume 1: The Lumbar Spine is a clinical reasoning field guide for physical therapy students and new graduates. It walks through the reasoning behind low back pain evaluation and treatment, not just the facts, so you can connect what you know to real patients in real time.
Inside this field guide:
Step-by-step clinical reasoning for the lumbar spine, from the first question to the treatment plan
Examination and evaluation, with the “why” behind each decision
Differential diagnosis and red flags, including when to refer
Clinical Notes, Clinical Pearls, and Reasoning Points that show how experienced clinicians think
Evaluation templates and links to supporting resources, with QR codes in the print edition
Written by Kara Marks, PT, DPT, an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist, clinical instructor, and educator, this book is designed to be used on clinical rotations, in lab, and or on your first job.
Perfect for:
DPT and PTA students heading into clinical rotations
New grads building confidence in their first year
Clinical instructors who want a teaching framework
Stop memorizing. Start thinking clinically.