Free download
OCS CPG Cheat Sheets
Every major orthopaedic CPG boiled down to the grades, the tests and the traps the OCS actually asks about. One page per region, built to print and tape to the wall.
What is inside
- Neck pain. 2017 JOSPT revision: classification, acute and chronic care.
- TMJ. 2023 BMJ guideline for chronic TMD: what to do and what to skip.
- Shoulder. 2025 rotator cuff CPG and the adhesive capsulitis CPG.
- Elbow, wrist and hand. Lateral elbow 2022, distal radius fracture 2024 and the 2026 carpal tunnel revision.
- Low back. 2021 JOSPT revision for acute and chronic LBP.
- Hip. 2025 hip OA revision, nonarthritic hip pain 2023 and hip fracture 2021.
- Knee. Ligament, meniscus and cartilage, and patellofemoral pain.
- Ankle and foot. Lateral ankle sprain 2021 and heel pain 2023.
How each sheet works
- Grade badges on every line. A through F, exactly as the guideline publishes them, so you know what is strong and what is shaky.
- Do and skip boxes. The board loves asking what a CPG says not to do. Those get their own box.
- A Board Pearl. The wrong answer that looks right, called out at the bottom of every sheet.
- Sources cited. Each sheet lists the guideline it came from.
The cheat sheets come with the free OCS study plan. Sign up once and you get both.
Questions
Are the cheat sheets free?
Yes. Enter your email and you get the cheat sheets and the study plan as printable PDFs.
Are they current?
They are built from the current JOSPT guidelines, including the 2025 hip OA and rotator cuff guidelines and the 2026 carpal tunnel revision.
Do they replace reading the CPGs?
No. They are a fast review. Read the full guideline for dosing and context, then use the sheets to lock in the grades.
How should I use them with practice questions?
Read the sheet for a region, then answer questions on that region the same day. The practice exams score you by body region so you can see which sheets to reread.
Rehearse test day
Practice with 50 question blocks on a real pace timer. Start with 5 free questions.
Pass the OCS is not affiliated with ABPTS or APTA.