How
were the questions developed in the student version of Online
Advantage?
Over 20 item writers generated the questions used in Online Advantage.
The item writers were invited participants who were selected based
on their clinical expertise. The diverse group of item writers
includes a mix of academic faculty and full time clinicians with
a variety of advanced degrees and clinical specialization. Great
care was taken to make sure there was adequate representation
in each of the systems (musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary,
integumentary) and non-systems areas (patient care skills, physical
agents, education, administration, research).
Item writers were given explicit instructions including a training
manual to ensure that submitted questions were consistent with
the style and format of the questions utilized on the National
Physical Therapy Examination. Once created each examination was
subjected to a minimum of three months of beta testing by physical
therapy students from academic programs throughout the United
States. [back]
Is Online Advantage designed to
be consistent with the recent changes in the National Physical
Therapy Examination?
Online Advantage is designed to be consistent with recent examination
changes including the transition to sections of 50 questions,
the addition of graphically enhanced items, and a scheduled break
between sections two and three. Our goal is to provide students
with the most realistic testing experience possible in order to
better prepare students for the National Physical Therapy Examination. [back]
How many students have utilized
the student version of Online Advantage?
To date over 2,300 students have utilized the student version
of Online Advantage. This is important since the established mean
score in each of the clinical practice and content outline areas
is based on an extremely diverse group of students from academic
programs throughout the United States. Online Advantage was introduced
in 2005 and has quickly been adopted by many physical therapy
programs. [back]
What methods can I use to purchase
the student version of Online Advantage?
The student version of Online Advantage must be purchased through
our web site www.scorebuilders.com
using a credit card. [back]
Is there a recommended passing
score for the examination?
There is not an established uniform “passing score”
for the examinations since the circumstances in which students
elect to take the examination are very different. For example,
some students take the examination up to nine months prior to
graduation, while others take the examinations after graduation.
The most relevant factor to consider when deciding on the relative
strength of an examination score is the mean examination score
for all candidates. This number, which is constantly updated based
on student performance, reflects the relative difficulty of the
established examination. Ideally, a score of greater than or equal
to the mean represents a strong score. Students’ scores
typically range from 110-170 or 55-85%. [back]
What percentages of students using
Online Advantage pass the National Physical Therapy Examination
on the first attempt?
Many academic programs anecdotally report a moderate to strong
positive relationship between Online Advantage scores and National
Physical Therapy Examination scores. It is important to note,
however, that students should avoid determining their readiness
for the actual examination based on a single practice examination. [back]
Is it desirable for students to
take more than one Online Advantage examination?
Many students will take one Online Advantage examination early
in their preparation and another examination much closer to their
actual examination date. The rationale is that the first examination
serves as a pre-test to establish a baseline and identify areas
requiring remediation. The second examination then serves as a
post-test to determine the amount of progress and the relative
degree of preparedness for the actual National Physical Therapy
Examination. [back]
Is there a discount offered when
students purchase both examinations available in the student version
of Online Advantage?
Students can save $10 when the two examinations are purchased
at the same time. The discounted price for the two examinations
is $60. [back]
If I purchase both examinations
will I have to take the examinations within the same 30-day period?
The 30-day periods are independent of each other and will not
begin until the student begins each of the respective examinations. [back]
How long will students have to
access their individual data?
Students will have access to their individual data for 30-days
once they initiate taking the examination for the first attempt.
They can print their performance analysis summary at any point
during that period and review both their first and second attempts
throughout the course of the 30-days. [back]
If the 30-day period inadvertently
expires, is there any way to gain additional access to the examination?
Online Advantage allows students to purchase an additional 15-day
access period if necessary. [back]
Is the summary data from “all
candidates” based solely on the students’ first attempt
or does it also include data from the second attempt?
Performance data for “all candidates” is based solely
on data obtained from the students’ first attempt. If students
retake the same examination it is important to recognize that
their ability to recall specific items from the examination will
artificially inflate their actual score. As a result, the data
from the second attempt is not utilized when determining summary
data for “all candidates.” [back]
Do students need to take the examination
in a single sitting?
Students are encouraged to take the examination in a single sitting
since this most closely resembles the format utilized on the actual
National Physical Therapy Examination. It is possible, however,
to exit the examination if necessary. When exiting Online Advantage
all question data will be automatically preserved. [back]
Can students print out the examination
questions?
Online Advantage is designed to be an interactive web-based study
tool and therefore does not permit students to print out the examination.
The program allows students to print their performance analysis
summary and have full online access to the examination questions
and explanations an unlimited number of times within the 30-day
period. [back]
Can students take an examination
more than once?
Online Advantage permits students to take each examination a maximum
of two times. Students should recognize that the second attempt
is typically a poor measure of mastery since students have already
been exposed to the questions. It is critical, however, for students
to utilize the performance analysis section of Online Advantage
multiple times in order to review correct and incorrect questions
and to determine individual strengths and weaknesses. [back]
Can students purchase the academic
version of Online Advantage?
Students are not permitted to purchase the academic version of
Online Advantage. This restriction substantially reduces the potential
of students being exposed to examination items in advance and
increases the meaningfulness of obtained examination scores. [back]
My academic program will be using
the academic version of Online Advantage as a comprehensive final
examination. Would it be useful to prepare for the examination
by taking one or more of the examinations from the student version
of Online Advantage?
Taking an examination from the student version of Online Advantage
is an excellent method to prepare for the academic version. The
rationale is that the first examination serves as a pre-test to
establish a baseline and identify areas requiring remediation.
The second examination (i.e., academic version) then serves as
a post-test to determine the amount of progress and the relative
degree of preparedness for the actual National Physical Therapy
Examination. Students electing to adopt this strategy should make
sure they leave ample time between the two examinations in order
to engage in designated remediation activities. [back]
Are the questions utilized in the
academic version of Online Advantage the same as the questions
utilized in the student version?
The academic and student versions of Online Advantage are completely
distinctive products that utilize independent examination questions.
The academic version consists of one examination and is designed
solely for the use of academic programs choosing to offer a comprehensive
examination to their graduating students. The student version
of Online Advantage consists of two examinations (each sold separately)
and is designed to assist students with their preparation for
a comprehensive examination or the actual National Physical Therapy
Examination. [back]
Are the questions utilized in your
review books or review courses the same as the questions utilized
in the student version of Online Advantage?
Each of our products utilizes independent examination questions. [back]
Do the questions utilized in Online
Advantage change each year?
An item analysis is performed annually on each of the examinations.
As part of the process selected items are removed and new questions
are added. Items are also removed and added to make sure the questions
remain consistent with changes in the examination content outline.
On average 10-30 questions will be replaced annually in each of
the examinations. [back]
Do the examinations consist of
200 or 250 questions?
The National Physical Therapy Examination consists of 250 questions,
offered in five sections of 50 questions. 200 of the examination
questions are scored items, while 50 of the questions are pre-test
items used for possible inclusion as scored items in a future
examination. Since a student’s maximum attainable score
on the actual examination is 200, all Online Advantage examinations
consist of 200 questions offered in four sections of 50 questions. [back]
Is Online Advantage designed to
serve as a web-based review course?
Online Advantage is a web-based comprehensive testing program
and is not designed to serve as a review course. Our two-day review
course, PTEXAM: On-Campus Review Course, is a comprehensive workshop
that allows students to examine all elements of preparing for
the National Physical Therapy Examination. In 2006, Scorebuilders
offered a record 78 review courses at many of the finest physical
therapy programs in the United States. Additional information
on our review courses is available in the Courses
section of our web site. [back]
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