In this issue:
As many of you know, due to COVID-19 there were multiple disruptions to the spring NPTE administrations. Fortunately, we are happy to report that most PTA candidates had a much better experience this summer. (We are still compiling data for the PT exam.)
Here are some of the comments we received:
We know how important it is for your students to sit for the NPTE. If they run into any issues please have them contact us at examregistration@fsbpt.org or call 703-739-9420.
Based on actual numbers through September and estimated numbers for the 2020 October exam, we have seen about a 4% reduction in PT exams and a 14% reduction in PTA exams compared to 2018 and 2019. While this is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unsure why PTA students have decided to postpone their exams at a much higher rate than PT students. We will continue to monitor numbers as candidates schedule into 2021.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss this or have thoughts to share.
Tests Given
FSBPT is delaying the revision of the NPTE Content Outlines for both the PT and PTA examinations for one year. The revision process was due to start in 2021 with Practice Analysis Task Force Meetings, during which the practice analysis data are reviewed and a new content outline will be proposed.
However, after consulting with the Exam Committee Chairs and the Technical Advisory Panel, we determined that these meetings would be difficult to hold virtually and the feasibility of holding face-to-face meetings in 2021 is still unknown. This means the Practice Analysis Task Force meetings will likely occur in 2022, with 2023 being used to communicate the new Content Outlines. NPTE content will reflect the new Content Outlines in 2024.
Several other factors weighed into this decision. First, our yearly ongoing data collection affords the Exam Development Committees (EDCs) the chance to make minor modifications to the Content Outlines, such as dropping content that has become outdated. Similarly, the EDCs can instruct item writers to write items to new topics that will be on the NPTE and add topics within the Content Outline given adequate notification to candidates and educators. Second, the EDCs felt that the current content outline structure could be maintained through 2023, given the practice analysis data. Lastly, the Technical Advisory Panel encouraged FSBPT to take some time to think through how the Practice Analysis Task Force meetings could be conducted virtually in case the pandemic precludes in-person meetings after 2021.
If you are interested in participating in the task force meetings, please contact us at volunteer@fsbpt.org. We also encourage you to learn more about the practice analysis process.
Because of the pandemic, some schools have had to change their graduation dates.
Unless your graduation date will be delayed more than ninety days, there should be no impact on when you can validate the graduation for your cohort. FSBPT’s system allows schools to validate graduation up to 150 days before graduation. In addition, the NPTE Policies allow students to sit for the NPTE up to ninety days before graduation. Please note, even if your state allows students to sit for the test more than ninety days before graduation, the FSBPT policy is still ninety days before graduation.
For the purposes of calculating the ninety and 150 days, FSBPT uses the following standard: the student has completed the program (both didactic and clinical) and is eligible for graduation, versus the degree conferral date, which can be significantly after the student actually completes all program requirements.
If you have any specific questions about your cohort, please email schools@fsbpt.org. If you would like to extend your academic PEAT, please contact peat@fsbpt.org.
As we've previously announced, FSBPT has cancelled all in-person meetings in 2020.
Instead, FSBPT is providing some educational content that would normally occur during the Annual Meeting via a series of webinars throughout the year. While cancelling the in-person meeting was not an easy decision, we are as excited about the quality of our webinar series as we have been about our in-person meetings. Many of the topics, from telehealth to AI, are also relevant to educators. Please take a look at the lineup, register for upcoming webinars, mark your calendars, view past webinars, and look out for more details.
The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is asking for your assistance in updating information about textbooks used by accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs in the U.S. We are requesting documents that include all textbooks used within the current curriculum. We hope to receive all responses by October 1, 2020.
Why is FSBPT making this request? FSBPT maintains a reference library for developing test questions to be used on the National Physical Therapy Examinations (NPTE). We want to ensure that this library reflects textbooks currently in use in accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs across the nation, and ask for your assistance in updating this information. FSBPT previously surveyed PT and PTA programs in 2015 to obtain this textbook information. Through this new survey, we would like to capture changes in textbook use since 2015. With your help, the results will be used to ensure that the textbooks used to support the development of the NPTE exams are reflective of those used in PT and PTA programs. The results will also be made available as a resource for educators who are looking for alternative or additional textbooks to be used in their programs.
Will this information be shared? Yes, the results of the survey will be posted on FSBPT's website and will be free to access. The results will consist of a complete list of textbooks, along with the number of PT and PTA programs using the books. Information from each school will be treated as confidential. No individual school or state will be identified, as some states only have a few programs and their schools would be easily identified.
What information is needed?
However, any additional information included in an existing document will also be accepted. Please include your program information on all documents as well.
What formats are accepted? FSBPT appreciates the effort taken and understands the time necessary to complete this request. In order to make this process as easy as possible, we will accept textbook information in a variety of formats. You will have the option to upload files that contain your program's textbook information (e.g., syllabi, master lists, bookstore lists for students, etc.). You will also have the option to enter all textbook information into a text box manually, if preferred.
We greatly appreciate your participation, and taking the time to provide us with the invaluable information needed. Please contact Ashley Ray at (703) 299-3100 ext. 219 or aray@fsbpt.org if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
FSBPT introduced the Retake Information section to the Performance Feedback Reports last year to help unsuccessful NPTE candidates better understand their NPTE scaled score and their chances of passing a subsequent attempt. The Retake Information section provides “normative” information from historical scores of candidates who scored in the same ten-point range as the candidate and on the same attempt number. This feedback comes in the form of the expected range of possible scores on the next attempt and the percentage of candidates who pass on the next attempt.
We break scores down this way for a couple of reasons. First, a candidate’s score is expected to improve with each subsequent attempt on the NPTE, up to about six attempts. But that improvement is less with each subsequent attempt. Similarly, the percentage of candidates who pass on their next attempt drops given the same score on each successive attempt. So a PTA candidate scoring around 580 on their first attempt might be expected to improve their score by about thirty points on the next attempt and have about a 75% chance of passing. But a candidate who scores 580 on their third attempt, is only likely to improve their score five to ten points and only about 40% of those candidates would pass their next attempt.
Of course, these averages represent a wide range of possibilities. Some candidates put forth a great deal of effort into preparing for their next attempt, get help from faculty, and use evidence-based techniques for preparing. Others might put forth less effort or use techniques that are not as effective at increasing their knowledge of the content covered by the NPTE or improving their test-taking skills. Additionally, we know scores can be affected by factors outside of the candidate’s control, like being sick on the exam day. That is why we present the historical ranges of scores for the bottom 10%, bottom 25%, top 25% and top 10% of subsequent NPTE scores along with the average. We want to make sure candidates are not relying too much on the average and that they see that their next attempt could, sometimes, result in a worse score. Our hope is that knowing that will motivate unsuccessful candidates to work harder and use techniques that are more effective.
We encourage educators who are helping unsuccessful candidates prepare for a future NPTE attempt to use this information. Please provide us with feedback on how we might make it more useful.
Item writing for the NPTE is a great way to gain expertise in crafting multiple-choice questions, share your knowledge of the profession, work with and learn from colleagues, and have fun! FSBPT is currently holding Basic Item Writing Workshops virtually through WebEx due to COVID-19. Participants produce seven items during the workshop followed by an additional thirty-three items in the months following the workshop. All in-person Regional Item Writing Workshops have been postponed until further notice due to COVID-19. We will share updates on 2021 workshop dates and locations in the coming months.
If you or someone you know would like to be a participant in a Basic or Regional Item Writing Workshop, apply online at www.fsbpt.org/Volunteer.aspx or send an inquiry to volunteer@fsbpt.org.
Visit the FSBPT website for information on a range of topics.
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If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you! FSBPT (703) 299-3100 | FCCPT (703) 684-8406 (Call FSBPT unless otherwise noted after name)
Contact Person
Title
Topics
William A. Hatherill
Chief Executive Officer
FSBPT Issues
Susan Layton Rich Woolf
Chief Operating Officer Chief Professional Officer
General questions and feedback; research questions
Lorin Mueller, PhD
Managing Director of Assessment
Psychometrics, test development and construction
Christine Sousa
Managing Director of Exam Services
Exam administration issues, ADA
Jamie Nolan, FCCPT
Assistant Director of the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT)
Foreign educated graduates
Rhonda Collins
Administrative Assistant
School reports: schoolreports@fsbpt.org
Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT): peat@fsbpt.org
In the NPTE development process, subject matter experts (SMEs) are used on an ongoing basis in the development of new test questions and examination forms, as well as review of existing test questions. These individuals are all vetted and licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who are actively engaged in the profession and maintain licenses in good standing. SMEs are essential in providing content validity to the NPTE. They, along with the FSBPT assessment content staff, closely track changes in contemporary practice and evolving evidence-based physical therapy related to safe and effective patient care.
When areas with mixed scientific evidence arise or when guidelines change, FSBPT reviews test questions dealing with the topic at large and, when necessary, FSBPT makes updates. One such example was when the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology revised their blood pressure clinical practice guidelines in 2017. At that time, FSBPT identified all NPTE test questions in the item bank related to this topic and reviewed each item to determine what, if any, updates were required for each individual test question. We also reviewed all NPTE test questions to be administered in the near future to determine if any key changes would be necessary based on the new guidelines. In addition to all the work that took place internally, FSBPT also released an article in the Q4 2017 Faculty Newsletter that detailed this update and the measures FSBPT took to keep the NPTE current and educators informed.
A lot of test prep providers advise test-takers that if they don’t know the correct answer on an exam, to select “C” or the third option choice (NPTE options are numbered rather than lettered). In the early days of standardized testing, this might have been good advice. Item writers do tend to want to “bury” the correct answer between incorrect options. In order to avoid biased placement of correct answers at option 3, FSBPT randomizes the order of keyed responses internally. Prior to finalizing an examination form, a process called “key balancing” is completed to ensure any one response option isn’t much more common than any other on the NPTE and the number of correct answers for each response option is kept relatively equal across the four options. As always, NPTE candidates are encouraged to focus on their application of knowledge and skills related to physical therapy and not overly rely on generic test-taking strategies.
Item writing for the NPTE is a great way to gain expertise in crafting multiple-choice questions, sharing your knowledge of the profession, working with and learning from colleagues, and having fun! All item writers will be trained in the art of developing test questions, and meals are provided onsite during workshop hours. Workshops are held at locations where there is ample workspace as well as access to a library of resources. FSBPT holds Basic Item Writing Workshops at the FSBPT office in Alexandria, Virginia. Participants produce ten items during the workshop followed by an additional thirty items in the months following the workshop. The dates for the 2020 Basic Item Writing Workshops are below:
May 15–17, 2020 August 14–16, 2020
FSBPT also offers Regional Item Writing Workshops in various locations across the country. Participants in the Regional Item Writing Workshops produce twenty items during their two-month term. Because of budgeting considerations, regional workshops are intended for local participants; applicants residing more than fifty miles from the workshop location will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Locations and dates for Regional Item Writing Workshops in 2020 are below:
Tacoma, Washington: Postponed, Date TBD Berrien Springs, Michigan: May 31–June 1, 2020 Los Angeles, California: June 27–28, 2020 Austin, Texas: August 1–2, 2020
If you or someone you know would like to be a participant in a Basic or Regional Item Writing Workshop, apply online or send an inquiry to volunteer@fsbpt.org.
Chief Operating Officer Vice President