FSBPT Lowers NPTE Passing Score!

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FSBPT Board Adopts A New PT NPTE Passing Score

In previous Newsflashes, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy announced that it would conduct a review of the PT National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) passing standard. The review has been conducted. As part of this process, an expert panel of 12 physical therapists was convened to perform a criterion-referenced standard-setting procedure. The panel's findings supported the creation of a lower passing standard.

The Board also considered recommendations from its Technical Advisory Panel, who evaluated the standard review study. The Technical Advisory Panel concluded that the standard study was carried out in a manner consistent with professional guidelines in the conduct of standard setting and standard review meetings. The panel also concluded that sufficient evidence existed to support the Federation’s adopting the results of the Standard Review Panel. These results, along with stakeholder feedback, were considered in making the decision.

Based on these findings and recommendations, the Federation Board of Directors voted at its May 12, 2005 meeting to lower the passing standard for the NPTE for physical therapists. FSBPT implemented the new passing score on May 12, 2005, the date of the Board's decision.

All PT candidates testing on or after May 12, 2005 will be scored on the new standard. There will be no change to PT candidates' scores for examinations administered prior to May 12, 2005, meaning that PT candidates testing prior to May 12, 2005 will be scored on the standard that was in place at the time of administration.

Source: FSBPT
www.fsbpt.org/index.asp

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Frequently Asked Questions about the change to the PT NPTE Passing Standard


What happened after the Standard Review Panel was conducted?
After the Standard Review Panel was conducted the results of the panel were reviewed by the Federation’s Technical Advisory Panel. The recommendations of the Standard Review Panel and the Technical Advisory Panel were reviewed the Federation’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors then decided that the passing score on the PT exam should be lowered effective May 12, 2005.

Will candidate scores prior to May 12, 2005 be rescored using the new standard?
No. Candidate scores for test dates prior to the new passing standard being adopted will not be rescored. The previous standard was judged in multiple reviews to be sound and established with procedures that met industry standards. Therefore, scores on the previous standard are valid and will not be adjusted.

What is the new passing standard?
The new standard is 0.95 logits on the NPTE-PT logistic scale, 0.15 logits lower than the previous standard of 1.10. It is not meaningful to talk about the actual change in raw score as there are multiple forms of the exam and each has a different raw score. The equated passing score will remain 600.

Does the new standard apply to the NPTE for Physical Therapist Assistants?
No. The change to the standard is only for the NPTE for Physical Therapists. In assessing the need for a NPTE Physical Therapy Standard Review Panel, the FSBPT Board of Directors evaluated many factors. In evaluating these factors, it was determined that the PTA exam did not warrant a panel review at this time.

Is the NPTE for Physical Therapists easier to pass now?
The scale score to pass the examination is still 600. You now have to answer fewer questions correctly in order to achieve a 600 scale score and therefore pass the examination.

If you have to answer fewer questions correctly in order to pass the examination, does that mean it’s easier to pass?
Since every candidate performs differently on the examination, whether the examination is easier is subjective. The objective measure is that fewer questions will have to be answered correctly in order to achieve a passing score of 600.

With the new standard, what is the difference in how many questions have to be answered correctly to pass?
Test forms are equated on the basis of the IRT ability scale rather than the raw number correct scale therefore the magnitude of the change will be different for different forms. Since the Federation will not be making changes to scores based on the previous standard, the changes in the raw scores for different forms of the examination will not be publicized.

With the new standard, how many questions have to be answered correctly to pass the examination?
The number of questions that have to be answered correctly varies depending on which form of the examination you take. The passing score will continue to be equal to a scale score of 600.


Source: FSBPT
www.fsbpt.org/index.asp