Predicting Success for Student Physical Therapists on the National Physical Therapy Examination: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background In physical therapist education, the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) is the predominant measure of student success. Because the NPTE is a high-stakes examination, predicting NPTE performance is important for physical therapist students and programs. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between first-attempt NPTE performance and physical therapist applicant variables and physical therapist student variables. The 4 identified physical therapist applicant variables were undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA), undergraduate GPA for prerequisite courses, Graduate Record Examination verbal and quantitative subscale scores, and admission scores. The 4 identified physical therapist student variables were first- and third-year physical therapist student GPA, clinical performance scores (first and final clinical experiences), noncognitive student variables, and comprehensive examination scores. Data Sources A systematic search was performed with the databases PubMed and EBSCO (1966–2018). Study Selection Studies included in the review met the following criteria: the physical therapist education program offered an entry-level master’s or doctorate degree, pertinent data were available for each independent variable, the relationship between the independent variable and the NPTE was investigated, the NPTE was a continuous variable, the program was a US entry-level therapist education program, and the study was peer reviewed. Data Extraction Two independent reviewers completed data extraction and quality appraisal using the McMaster Appraisal Tool. Data Synthesis Random-effects meta-analyses using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient as the measure of effect size was used. Limitations Limitations of the review included a lack of homogeneity, high NPTE pass rates, modifications to the McMaster Appraisal Tool, small sample sizes, and publication bias. Conclusions No one physical therapist applicant variable should be used as an independent predictor of first-attempt NPTE performance. For physical therapist students, first- and third-year physical therapist student GPA had a strong relationship with first-attempt NPTE performance; clinical performance had a weak and nonsignificant relationship with first-attempt NPTE performance.

Which Motivational Behaviors Impact Success in a Foundational Anatomy Course for Entry Doctor of Physical Therapy Students?

“…However, reports have indicated that on average between 3.6-9.9% of students admitted into DPT programs in the United States since 2011 failed to meet the programs' academic standard and did not graduate (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 2018). While the admission criteria for students entering a DPT program are based upon markers that are suggestive of previous and future academic success, such as undergraduate GPA and GRE scores, the progression from undergraduate studies to a graduate professional DPT program can be daunting (Veld et al, 2018;Wolden et al, 2020). The curricula of United States DPT programs average 88 weeks of didactic work that begins with a combination of foundational and clinical science courses (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 2019).…”

A scoping review of predictors of speech-language pathology student success

“…Predictors of successful professional entry for students completing degrees in a range of health professions are known and include discipline understanding, academic skills and standardized test taking ability; students' demographic information is not consistently significantly predictive (Johnson, Purcell, Power, & Cumming, in preparation). For example, predictors for physiotherapy student success on the registration exam in the USA are also known and include: four entry variables (undergraduate overall and prerequisite grade point average (GPA), standardized testing, and admission scores comprising interview and other ratings); and four during-program variables, GPA in years 1 and 3, clinical performance in first and final placements, and comprehensive exam scores (Wolden, Hill, & Voorhees, 2020). It may be that SLP has entry or during-program predictors of outcomes that are similar to those identified in physiotherapy.…”

The relationship of non-cognitive factors to academic and clinical performance in graduate rehabilitation science students in the United States: a systematic review

“…In rehabilitation science programs, traditionally cognitive factors such as grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores, have been heavily weighted in admissions decisions [ 1 ] and used for matriculated students to predict academic performance in the didactic curriculum and licensure exam scores [ 2 ]. While these cognitive variables are generally considered good indicators of future academic performance, most studies show that they explain less than half of the variance in academic outcomes for speech-language pathology (SLP) [ 3 ] and physical therapy (PT) [ 4 ] students.…”

“…This is partially because “non-cognitive” has been used as an all-encompassing term in the literature to include any factor outside of GPA and standardized test scores [ 9 ]. Some authors consider interviews and/or letters of recommendation under the non-cognitive umbrella [ 10 ]; others include constructs such as critical thinking, clinical reasoning, or reflection [ 2 ]. This broad definition presents a great challenge when attempting to synthesize the literature and draw conclusions.…”