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. 2020 Jul/Aug;74(4):7404345020p1-7404345020p10.
doi: 10.5014/ajot.2020.037622.

Predicting Student Success on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® Examination

Amy L Kurowski-Burt  1 , SueAnn Woods  2 , Shay M Daily  3 , Christa L Lilly  4 , Brian Scaife  5 , Diana Davis  6
Affiliations

Predicting Student Success on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® Examination

Amy L Kurowski-Burt et al. Am J Occup Ther. 2020 Jul/Aug.

Abstract

Importance: A predictive tool to support academic and practice outcomes for occupational therapy students is needed for use in advising students.

Objective: To determine whether characteristics of academic and professional behavior across cohorts could indicate the likelihood of student success in passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® examination.

Design: Causal-comparative research.

Participants: Master of occupational therapy students (N = 315; eight cohorts).

Measures: Demographics, college entrance exams, grade point average, program benchmarks (i.e., specific course grades, fieldwork grades, Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam scores), licensure exam.

Results: Baseline and in-program characteristics were used to determine success; for each unit increase in the success score, the odds of passing the exam were 4.11 (95% confidence interval [2.23, 7.60]).

Conclusions and relevance: Case studies that have used this success score suggest that additional resources and targeted interventions could be allocated to help students at highest risk of not passing the licensure exam.

What this article adds: Using a predictive tool to support student success can enable more effective academic advising throughout an occupational therapy program and result in positive outcomes on the licensure exam.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Success Score Calculator (A) for a student who earned a borderline score of 17 and was considered at risk but passed the NBCOT exam, (B) for a student who earned a score of 20 and was predicted to pass the NBCOT exam, and (C) for a student who earned a score of 16 and was identified as at risk (and failed the NBCOT exam on the first attempt). Note. ACT = American College Test; GPA = grade point average; NBCOT = National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy; OTH 540 = Level II Fieldwork I; OTKE = Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. (2018). 2018 Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) Standards and Interpretive Guide (effective July 31, 2020). (March 2020 Interpretive Guide version.) Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/EducationCareers/Accredit/S...
    1. American Occupational Therapy Association. (2018). How to get a license. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/Advocacy-Policy/State-Policy/Licensure/How-To.aspx
    1. American Occupational Therapy Association. (n.d.). Philadelphia Region Fieldwork Consortium Level 1 Fieldwork Student Evaluation (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/∼/media/Corporate/Files/EducationCareers/Educators/...
    1. Avi-Itzhak T. (2015). Ability of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy practice test to estimate the probability of first-time pass status on the national certification exam. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(Suppl. 2), 6912185080 10.5014/ajot.2015.015024 - DOI - PubMed
    1. College Board. (2018). Guide to the 2018 ACT®/SAT®concordance. Evanston, IL: College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Retrieved from https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/guide-2018-act-sat-concord...