Academic performance of mature-age and other students in a physiotherapy program

Students enrolled in the physiotherapy undergraduate program of the University of Sydney comprise school leavers (students who have completed secondary school-category A) and non-school leavers (category B), including mature-age students (23 years and older). Student selection is based upon academic performance (categories A and B) and personal interview (category B only). Statistical evaluations of the academic performance of 799 students who commenced the undergraduate course between 1982 and 1986 revealed a) no significant difference between the time taken to complete the undergraduate program; b) in 26 of 31 compulsory subjects, category A and category B students performed equally well; in one subject category, B students performed significantly better; in three subjects, the mature-age students performed significantly better; and only in one subject did mature-age students perform less well; c) no difference in the academic performance of male and female students; d) the Higher School Certificate aggregate provided a poor to moderate indicator of academic performance. The results justify both the reservation of places offered to nonschool leavers and the system used for their selection.