Date
7-22-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Jeffrey S. Savage
Keywords
accreditation, predictive, practice examination, preparation, self-efficacy
Disciplines
Health and Physical Education | Higher Education
Recommended Citation
McNall, Wendy Renee Powers, "Predicting Success on the National Physical Therapy Examination for Graduates of a Physical Therapist Assistant Program: A Correlational, Logistic Regression Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7227.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7227
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative, predictive, correlational study was to assess if practice examinations and self-efficacy influence first-attempt passing scores on the National Physical Therapist Examination for physical therapist assistants. This study is important because, upon graduation from an accredited program, graduates must pass a rigorous national examination to obtain licensure to practice. Concurrently, accreditation standards require physical therapist assistant programs to maintain licensure examination pass rates of 85% for program graduates. With the high-stakes examination affecting the future of graduates and program accreditation status, effective preparation and assessment tools mutually benefit stakeholders. The study utilized binomial logistic regression to analyze data from 112 physical therapist assistant graduates from accredited programs in the United States. Data were collected using the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale and the Academic Practice Exam Assessment Tool scores via Microsoft Teams Forms. The logistic regression analysis indicates a predictive correlation between Form A of the Practice Exam Assessment Tool and first-attempt success on the National Physical Therapy Examination for the Physical Therapist Assistant, and the logistic regression model correctly classified 90% of cases overall, with a sensitivity of 95.6% and a specificity of 53.8%. It is recommended that further research examine self-efficacy, practice cumulative high-stakes examinations, and best practices for remediation at various stages of the physical therapy curriculum. In addition, future research should explore the review courses, study materials, and individual preparation habits between the time following graduation and taking the licensure examination.
