Buy a Windows 11 laptop (not in S mode) or a MacBook Air with 16 GB of RAM, then add an external webcam if your program asks for one. Two of the six Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs we checked require 16 GB or more, two require an external webcam, and three rule out an iPad as your laptop or test device. Our pick for most PT students is the 16 GB Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16, on sale for under $1,000 at lenovo.com on October 22, 2026; at BGSU, budget for a 24 GB MacBook Air 15 ($1,699) or a Core Ultra 7 Windows laptop.
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What your laptop has to pass
ExamSoft sets the floor, and some PT programs go far beyond it. Three of the six programs we read name ExamSoft; Baylor’s online tests use Proctorio, which its page says needs a Chromium-based browser.
| Rule | ExamSoft (checked October 2026) | What DPT programs add |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | 64-bit Windows 11 (certified 24H2, 25H2, 26H2), or macOS Sequoia, Tahoe or Golden Gate | South Alabama still lists Windows 10 |
| S mode | “S mode is not compatible with Examplify.” | None relax it |
| Chromebooks | “Examplify will not run on Chromebooks, Android, or Linux operating systems.” | BGSU asks for a PC or Mac; South Alabama repeats ExamSoft’s line |
| Processor | x86, or ARM: “ARM Processors are only supported on Windows 11 24H2 and higher using Examplify version 3.10.0 or higher.” Mac: Intel, A18 or M series | BGSU: 13th-gen Core i7 “or equivalent”, or a 15-inch M-series MacBook Air. Baylor: Core i5 or Apple M2 “or faster” |
| RAM | 4 GB; 8 GB recommended with ExamID or ExamMonitor | BGSU: 16 GB Windows, 24 GB Mac. Baylor: 16 GB |
| Storage | 4 GB free | BGSU prefers 1 TB on Windows; Baylor recommends 512 GB |
| Touchscreen | “Examplify does not support touchscreen input on Mac or Windows laptops.” | None relax it |
| Tablets | None supported except Surface Pro | BGSU and Baylor count a Surface Pro as a laptop; three programs rule out an iPad |
| Webcam | For ExamID or ExamMonitor: built-in or external USB, no virtual cameras | BGSU and Baylor require an external webcam; BGSU adds a tripod with a phone mount |
ExamSoft rules from its minimum system requirements page, checked October 18, 2026; re-check it before you buy, because it changes each term. Program rules from the six pages in the survey table below, read the same day.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick for | Laptop | Why it’s here | Key specs | Examplify fit | Price (source, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest with 16 GB | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15 (15ARP10) | 16 GB for under $600 | Ryzen 7 170, 16 GB, 512 GB, 15.3 in | Runs with limits (check S mode) | $599.99, Best Buy, Oct 22, 2026 (sale) |
| Best for most PT students | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 10 | Big screen, room to upgrade | Core 5 210H, 16 GB, 512 GB, 16 in | Runs | $929.99, lenovo.com, Oct 22, 2026 (sale) |
| BGSU’s Windows line | Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 8 (Intel) | Core Ultra 7 chip, two memory slots | Core Ultra 7 355, 16 GB, 512 GB, 14 in | Runs | $1,909, lenovo.com, Oct 21, 2026 |
| Best Mac | Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5) | The model BGSU names for Macs | M5, 16 GB (24 GB option), 512 GB | Runs | $1,499; $1,699 with 24 GB, apple.com, Oct 18, 2026 |
| Pen notes | Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 14 Gen 11 | Pen-ready and Intel | Core Ultra 5 322, 16 GB, 14 in OLED touch | Runs with limits (no pen or touch in exams) | $849.99, Best Buy, Oct 21, 2026 |
| External webcam | Logitech Brio 300 | USB-C plug fits every laptop here | 1080p, shutter, mic | External USB webcams allowed | $59.99, logitech.com, Oct 18, 2026 |
| Tripod with phone mount | JOBY GorillaPod 1K Gen 2 | Magnetic phone mount built in | 1 kg payload, 315 g | Not a laptop | $45.99, joby.com, Oct 18, 2026 |
Cheapest with 16 GB: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15 (15ARP10)
It’s the cheapest laptop on our list with 16 GB, plus two USB-A ports for a webcam and a second SSD slot for BGSU’s 1 TB preference. Best Buy’s price was a sale, so it may move.
The catch is S mode: Lenovo lists an “in S mode” option for this family, so check the listing says Windows 11 Home without “in S mode”, or switch out free in Settings > System > Activation. The 16 GB is also its maximum (Lenovo PSREF). BGSU asks for a 13th-gen Core i7 “or equivalent” and Baylor a Core i5 “or faster”, and neither page says how an AMD Ryzen compares, so email the model number first.
Best for most PT students: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 10
If we were starting a DPT program in January with $1,000, we’d buy this. The 16-inch screen clears the 14-inch display Baylor lists and gives anatomy apps such as Complete Anatomy, which BGSU and Allen College list, more room. Memory sits in two slots (up to 32 GB) and there’s a spare SSD slot for BGSU’s 1 TB preference.
Drawbacks: it weighs about 4.08 lb, PCMag said the screen lacks punch next to Dell’s 16 Plus (via Notebookcheck), and the touchscreen can’t be used in exams. Its Core 5 210H isn’t a Core i7, so BGSU students should ask first.
For BGSU’s Windows line: Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 8 (Intel)
It’s the only Windows pick on this page with a Core Ultra 7 chip, and it has two memory slots, a second SSD slot, two USB-A ports, Ethernet and Windows 11 Pro, from 2.95 lb.
The drawback is price: $1,909 for the pre-built 21Y6001HUS on lenovo.com on October 21, 2026, while the series page’s $1,419 isn’t tied to a configuration. Notebookcheck’s review of the AMD version praised the keyboard and battery but measured the panel at about 45% NTSC color.
Best Mac: Apple MacBook Air 15 (M5)
BGSU’s processor line for Macs names a 15-inch M-series MacBook Air, and its RAM line asks for 24 GB. That configuration (MGPD4LL/A in Midnight) was $1,699 on apple.com on October 18, 2026, against $1,499 for the 16 GB base, and Mac memory can’t be added later. At Baylor, which asks for an M2 “or faster”, 16 GB and a 14-inch display, the base model is enough; the 13.6-inch Air 13 falls short.
Drawbacks: it weighs 3.3 lb and has no USB-A port, so the webcam needs a USB-C plug. Notebookcheck’s review of the 13-inch M5 found it slows under long multi-core loads and listed the 60 Hz display among its drawbacks.
Pen notes: Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 14 Gen 11
To write on lecture slides, this is the 2-in-1 we’d pick over a Surface Pro: it’s Intel x86 rather than ARM, with a 14-inch OLED touch screen, a 5MP webcam and USB-A.
Drawbacks: the pen costs extra, pen and touch can’t be used in Examplify, and its Core Ultra 5 is another BGSU question. Best Buy showed it at $849.99, marked “Top Deal”, on October 21, 2026.
What 6 DPT programs actually require
Five of the six want a laptop or computer (Binghamton also accepts an iPad), and minimum RAM runs from ExamSoft’s 4 GB to BGSU’s 24 GB. We read each program’s own page on October 18, 2026: four public, two private, in six states.
| Program | OS on the page | RAM | Processor | Webcam | iPad rule | Page date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGSU (public, OH) | Windows 11; macOS 15+ | 16 GB Win, 24 GB Mac | Core i7 13th gen or equivalent; 15″ M-series Air | External, plus tripod | Can’t count as a laptop | Sept 3, 2026 |
| Baylor (private, TX) | Windows 11+; macOS 13+ | 16 GB | Core i5 or M2 “or faster” | External USB | Not for online tests | Nov 29, 2022 (page data) |
| UNC-Chapel Hill (public, NC) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Laptop with webcam | “Not sufficient” | No date |
| South Alabama (public, AL) | Windows 10 or 11; macOS Ventura to Sequoia | 4 GB | Non-ARM; Intel or M-series | Not stated | Only if the school enables it | No date |
| Binghamton (public, NY) | Follows ExamSoft | Follows ExamSoft | Follows ExamSoft | Not stated | “Laptop or iPad” | Nov 7, 2025 |
| Allen College (private, IA) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Webcam, mic, headphones | “Laptop” required | No date |
Program pages lag the software. South Alabama’s page copies an older ExamSoft list that still includes Windows 10, which lost Microsoft support on October 14, 2025. When your page and ExamSoft’s current list disagree, follow the stricter one and ask the program.
BGSU’s hybrid DPT: the strictest list we found
At BGSU, buy to the program’s page, not ExamSoft’s. The curriculum is hybrid, with remote ExamSoft assessments, and your ExamSoft laptop has to come to every in-person lab immersion.
On top of the laptop rules above, BGSU requires a phone or tablet (Android 14 or iOS 18 or newer) and “a tripod with mount” for it, all ready by orientation. It says “An iPad cannot be considered a laptop computer,” while a “Microsoft Surface Pro can be considered under both laptop and mobile device categories.” It suggests a home lab with room for a treatment table in the camera frame, and supplies the table itself.
External webcam and tripod: what to buy
A 1080p USB webcam and a small tripod with a phone mount cover what BGSU and Baylor ask for, for $71 to $106. ExamSoft’s ExamID and ExamMonitor accept an external USB camera, but not a virtual one.
Our webcam pick is the Logitech Brio 300 ($59.99 on logitech.com): 1080p, a USB-C plug that fits every laptop on this page, a privacy shutter and a noise-reducing mic. The cheaper Brio 100 ($24.99, marked down from $39.99) is also 1080p with a shutter and mic, but Logitech lists a USB-A plug, so a MacBook needs an adapter.
For BGSU’s tripod, we’d buy the JOBY GorillaPod 1K Gen 2 ($45.99 on joby.com). JOBY says you flip its magnetic ring up to mount a phone, and an adapter ring is in the box, but its page doesn’t list compatible phones, so test yours early. We’d skip the cheaper HandyPod Clip Extend for now: its page shows a phone clamp, but the box list doesn’t.
Not every health program wants an external camera: one PA program in our PA school laptop guide bans them outright.
Can I use an iPad for PT school?
Not as your only computer at most programs. BGSU says an iPad can’t count as a laptop, UNC calls a tablet like an iPad “not sufficient”, and Baylor bars tablets and iPads from online testing. Binghamton is the exception: it asks students to “own a laptop or iPad” and to meet ExamSoft’s requirements.
Even there, iPad support moves: ExamSoft’s iPad app version 5.4.1 is retiring in October 2026, and iPadOS 18 is retiring pending iPadOS 27 certification. On Student Doctor Network’s PT forum in 2020, one poster reported using an iPad Pro with a cheap keyboard for classes and an older laptop for papers. That’s the setup we’d copy: laptop first, iPad as an optional extra.
MacBook or Windows for health-science school?
Either works with ExamSoft, so let your program’s page decide. At BGSU, a Mac must be a 24 GB, 15-inch MacBook Air ($1,699), while Windows needs 16 GB and a Core i7-class chip. At Baylor, the 16 GB MacBook Air 15 ($1,499) or a 16 GB, 14-inch Windows laptop with a Core i5 “or faster” qualifies. Windows reaches 16 GB for less: under $600 on our list (October 22, 2026), against $1,299 for the cheapest 16 GB Mac. More cross-program picks are in our best laptop for ExamSoft guide.
Laptops to stay away from for PT school
- Anything sold “in S mode”, unless you switch out before your first exam.
- Chromebooks. Examplify won’t run on them.
- 8 GB laptops at BGSU or Baylor, which both require 16 GB.
- An iPad as your only device, unless your program says so in writing.
- Snapdragon laptops if your program’s processor line names Intel, as BGSU’s does, until the program confirms ARM is fine.
How we chose
We started with ExamSoft’s current requirements and six DPT programs’ own pages, and kept only laptops that pass ExamSoft and the 16 GB lines at BGSU and Baylor. Then we compared maker specs and prices (checked October 18 to 22, 2026) and read independent reviews, mainly Notebookcheck. We haven’t tested these laptops or accessories ourselves; how we work explains the method.
Who we wouldn’t shortlist (yet)
- Microsoft Surface Pro 12th Edition. BGSU and Baylor count a Surface Pro as a laptop, but every consumer Surface Pro sold in the US as of October 2026 is Snapdragon (ARM), BGSU’s processor line names an Intel Core i7, and the keyboard is extra.
- Apple MacBook Neo ($699). ExamSoft supports it as of October 2026, but its 8 GB can’t be upgraded, which fails BGSU’s and Baylor’s 16 GB lines. Our Examplify compatibility page has the full timeline.
- Dell 15 base ($699.99). It ships with 8 GB; 16 GB costs $200 more.
- Dell XPS 13. It passes ExamSoft, but its 13.4-inch screen is under the 14-inch display Baylor lists.
FAQ
What laptop do I need for DPT school?
A Windows 11 laptop (not in S mode) or a MacBook Air with 16 GB of RAM covers most programs we read. BGSU adds a processor line and 24 GB on a Mac, Baylor lists a 14-inch screen, and both want an external webcam. For nursing, see what nursing programs ask for.
Do I need an external webcam for PT school?
At BGSU and Baylor, yes: both pages require one. UNC and Allen College ask for a webcam but don’t say external. A $24.99 to $59.99 Logitech Brio covers it.
How much RAM do I need for physical therapy school?
16 GB. It’s the minimum at BGSU (Windows) and Baylor, and double ExamSoft’s 8 GB recommendation for ExamMonitor. BGSU asks Mac users for 24 GB.
Can I use a Chromebook for PT school?
No, not for ExamSoft exams: “Examplify will not run on Chromebooks, Android, or Linux operating systems.” BGSU asks for a PC or Mac. Check any model in our Will it run? checker.
What to do next
- Open your program’s technology page and note the RAM, processor, webcam, tripod and iPad lines, plus the page’s date.
- Compare it with ExamSoft’s requirements; if they disagree, follow the stricter one and email the program.
- At BGSU, email the model number of any Windows laptop without a Core i7 or Core Ultra 7 chip before you buy.
- Order the webcam and tripod with the laptop and test both before orientation.
- On day one, confirm Windows isn’t in S mode (Settings > System > Activation), then take the first mock exam as soon as it opens.
Sources
- ExamSoft, Minimum System Requirements, checked October 18, 2026.
- ExamSoft, Legacy Upcoming Features Releases (updated October 13, 2026), via our ExamSoft fact sheet, checked October 18, 2026.
- Bowling Green State University, DPT Technology requirements/recommendations (updated September 3, 2026), read October 18, 2026.
- Baylor University, DPT Computer Requirements, read October 18, 2026.
- UNC-Chapel Hill Division of Physical Therapy, Know these requirements before enrolling in the DPT program, read October 18, 2026.
- University of South Alabama, Technology Requirements, Physical Therapy, read October 18, 2026.
- Binghamton University Decker College, DPT Health/Clinical Practice Requirements (last updated November 7, 2025), read October 18, 2026.
- Allen College, DPT Tech Requirements, read October 18, 2026.
- Student Doctor Network, PT School Laptop Requirements (thread from September to December 2020), read October 18, 2026.
- Microsoft, End of support for Windows 10, read October 18, 2026.
- Microsoft, Windows 10 and Windows 11 in S mode FAQ, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 18, 2026.
- Apple, MacBook Air store, 15-inch MacBook Air with 24 GB (MGPD4LL/A) and MacBook Air specs, prices checked October 18, 2026.
- Notebookcheck, MacBook Air 13 M5 review (March 7, 2026).
- Lenovo, IdeaPad Slim 3 15ARP10 PSREF, model 83K700TUUS; Best Buy, IdeaPad Slim 3 listing, SKU 6674708, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 22, 2026.
- Lenovo, IdeaPad Slim 5 16IRH10R PSREF spec sheet; lenovo.com, IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 listing, checked October 22, 2026; Notebookcheck, IdeaPad Slim 5 16IRH10 roundup (citing PCMag, March 27, 2026).
- Lenovo, ThinkPad E14 Gen 8 21Y6001HUS and PSREF spec sheet, checked October 18, 2026; Notebookcheck, ThinkPad E14 G8 (AMD) review (August 4, 2026).
- Lenovo, Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IPH11 PSREF spec sheet; Best Buy, Yoga 7i 2-in-1 listing, checked October 18, 2026.
- Logitech, Brio 300 and Brio 100, checked October 18, 2026 (Brio 100 plug type October 22, 2026, via our shortlist).
- JOBY, GorillaPod 1K Gen 2 and HandyPod Clip Extend, read October 18, 2026.
- Microsoft, Surface Pro, via our laptop shortlist, checked October 18, 2026.
- Dell, Dell 15 and XPS 13, checked October 18, 2026.
- Apple, MacBook Neo store, checked October 18, 2026.