Predicting Academic Difficulties and National Physical Therapy Examination Success in a Doctor of Physical Therapy...

The rise in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs has coincided with a decrease in applicants, creating challenges in maintaining admissions standards while ensuring student success. This study aimed to determine whether admissions variables predict academic difficulty and to assess their relationship with National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) outcomes.

A literature review suggests that undergraduate grade point average (GPA), particularly prerequisite GPA, can predict DPT performance and NPTE success, although findings are inconsistent. This study extends the literature by examining additional predictors, such as demographic factors and course content-specific GPAs.

Data were analyzed from 141 DPT students across 3 cohorts from 1 institution.

Undergraduate academic performance (overall GPA, combined science-and-math GPA, prerequisite course GPA, and last-45-credit-hour GPA), demographic factors, and DPT program GPAs were analyzed. Academic difficulties were defined as receiving a B- or lower in any course. Regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted to evaluate academic and NPTE performance predictors.

No admissions factors significantly predicted early academic difficulty. However, science and math GPA, as well as demographic variables, were associated with first-year DPT GPA. Clinical Management coursework GPA was the strongest predictor of NPTE success, with optimal GPA cut-offs of 3.52 for second-year coursework and 3.61 for Clinical Management coursework predicting first-attempt NPTE passing scores.

Although admissions variables, such as science and math GPA, predicted early academic performance, they did not forecast academic difficulties. Clinical Management coursework GPA was the most significant predictor of NPTE success, highlighting the importance of course-specific performance in DPT programs. These findings suggest that beyond admissions criteria, targeted academic support may be necessary to address students at risk for academic difficulty, ultimately enhancing outcomes in physical therapy education.