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Academic difficulty and program-level variables predict performance on the National Physical Therapy Examination for
Daniel L Riddle1, Ralph R Utzman, Dianne V Jewell
1Department of Physical Therapy, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 E Broad St, West Hospital Basement, Room 100, Richmond, VA 23298-0224, USA. dlriddle@vcu.edu
Physical Therapy
|September 19, 2009
Summary
Students experiencing academic difficulty face significantly higher odds of failing the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). This finding highlights academic challenges as a key, modifiable risk factor for NPTE success.
Area of Science:
- Physical Therapy Education
- Professional Licensure Examinations
Background:
- Factors influencing first-time pass rates on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) are known.
- The impact of academic difficulty on NPTE pass rates remains unclear.
- The influence of institutional factors like public/private status and Carnegie Classification on NPTE outcomes is also unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the odds of NPTE failure associated with academic difficulty.
- To examine the relationship between institutional status and NPTE pass rates.
- To investigate the impact of Carnegie Classification on NPTE performance.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, population-based cohort study design.
- Quota sampling of 20 physical therapist education programs across the U.S.
- Generalized linear mixed-effects logistic regression to analyze academic difficulty, institutional status, Carnegie Classification, and NPTE performance, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- Academic difficulty during training independently predicted NPTE failure, with 5.89 times higher odds of failure.
- The odds of NPTE failure were also influenced by institutional status (public vs. private).
- Carnegie Classification was also found to be a factor in NPTE failure rates.
Conclusions:
- Academic difficulty is a significant, potentially modifiable risk factor for poor NPTE performance.
- Findings regarding Carnegie Classification and institutional status require further investigation and should be considered preliminary.
- Multiple factors influence student performance on the NPTE.
