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Program Predictors of First-Time NPTE Pass Rates in Physical Therapist Education
Sean McBride1,2,3, Thomas Gus Almonroeder1,2,3, Megan Donaldson1,2,3
1Sean McBride Sean McBride is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina. 151-B Rutledge Avenue, MSC 339 Charleston, SC 29425, USA. (mcbridse@musc.edu). Please address all correspondence to Sean McBride.
Introduction:
The National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) pass rate is widely regarded as a key outcome measure for assessing the effectiveness of physical therapist education programs. As program expansion continues and first-time pass rates have declined nationally, identifying factors associated with NPTE outcomes has become increasingly important. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that are associated with first-time NPTE pass rates among physical therapist education programs in the United States.
Review Of Literature:
Prior research has linked student-level characteristics to NPTE success, but there is limited recent data on predictors related to institutional, programmatic structure, clinical education, faculty, and student cohort characteristics across multiple institutions, particularly as the educational landscape has evolved.
Subjects:
Two hundred sixty-eight accredited physical therapist education programs for which 2022-2023 first-time 2-year pass rates were available.
Methods:
Institutional, program, clinical education, faculty, and student related variables were extracted from the 2023 Annual Accreditation Reports submitted to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Pass-rate data were dichotomized using a median split. Univariate analyses identified candidate variables, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of an above-median pass rate.
Results:
Four variables were significantly associated with above-median pass rates: decreased length of the terminal clinical experience, increased undergraduate grade point average, greater number of part-time core faculty, and the use of a nonholistic admissions process.
Discussion And Conclusion:
These findings suggest that both program structure and admissions strategies are linked to NPTE outcomes. Shorter terminal clinical experiences, stronger undergraduate academic performance, and strategic faculty composition may contribute to higher pass rates. Programs employing holistic admissions may need to enhance academic support infrastructure to maintain NPTE performance. These results can inform program development, curricular planning, and admissions practices in entry-level physical therapist education.
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