P-09 Using Student Scores on Commercial Preparatory Examinations as a Predictor of Success on the National Physical Therapy Examination

Ryan Orrison

Co-Investigator

Sozina Katuli, DrPH

Daniela Duvra, SPT

Kenneth Espenorio, SPT

Andrew Kelly, SPT

Presentation Abstract

Purpose/Hypothesis: Comprehensive examinations (CE) have been used in physical therapy education as an indication of competency and as a preparatory tool with the goal of first-time success for students on the National Physical Therapy Board Exam (NPTE). The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a commercially produced CE at indicating NPTE performance after evaluating for significant confounders and adjusting for variables that have been previously identified as potential indicators of success.

Methods: Participants included 301 students from the DPT classes of 2006-2015 at Andrews University. Scorebuilders PT exam scores, scores on the NPTE, academic and demographic data were collected for each subject. The likelihood of passing the NPTE exam based on the CE score was controlled for age at enrollment, class year, vGRE, qGRE, uGPA and pGPA. Logistical regression was performed with SPSS 23.0 to determine which of the collected variables can be a predictor for success.

Results: Four variables were found to be significant when modeling passing the NPTE on the first attempt: vGRE, qGRE, pGPA after the first semester and CE score. Students that scored 71% on the CE were 6.7 (OR= 6.72, p= 0.001) times more likely than the reference group to pass the NPTE on the first attempt. Students with a first semester GPA ≥ 3.41 were 4.58 (OR= 4.58, p=0.003) times more likely than the reference group to pass.

Conclusions: After adjusting for vGRE, qGRE, uGPA, and pGPA, Scorebuilders CE predicts first time NPTE success. Independently, GRE scores and first semester pGPA were also predictive of first time NPTE success.

 
Nov 3rd, 2:00 PM Nov 3rd, 3:00 PM

P-09 Using Student Scores on Commercial Preparatory Examinations as a Predictor of Success on the National Physical Therapy Examination

Buller Hall

Purpose/Hypothesis: Comprehensive examinations (CE) have been used in physical therapy education as an indication of competency and as a preparatory tool with the goal of first-time success for students on the National Physical Therapy Board Exam (NPTE). The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a commercially produced CE at indicating NPTE performance after evaluating for significant confounders and adjusting for variables that have been previously identified as potential indicators of success.

Methods: Participants included 301 students from the DPT classes of 2006-2015 at Andrews University. Scorebuilders PT exam scores, scores on the NPTE, academic and demographic data were collected for each subject. The likelihood of passing the NPTE exam based on the CE score was controlled for age at enrollment, class year, vGRE, qGRE, uGPA and pGPA. Logistical regression was performed with SPSS 23.0 to determine which of the collected variables can be a predictor for success.

Results: Four variables were found to be significant when modeling passing the NPTE on the first attempt: vGRE, qGRE, pGPA after the first semester and CE score. Students that scored 71% on the CE were 6.7 (OR= 6.72, p= 0.001) times more likely than the reference group to pass the NPTE on the first attempt. Students with a first semester GPA ≥ 3.41 were 4.58 (OR= 4.58, p=0.003) times more likely than the reference group to pass.

Conclusions: After adjusting for vGRE, qGRE, uGPA, and pGPA, Scorebuilders CE predicts first time NPTE success. Independently, GRE scores and first semester pGPA were also predictive of first time NPTE success.