Factors predicting competence as assessed with the written component of the Canadian Physiotherapy Competency Examination

Little is known about the predictors of success on the written component of the Physiotherapy Competency Examination (PCE), the requirement for licensure in most Canadian jurisdictions. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between educational factors and the performance of Canadian educated physical therapists (CEPTs) and internationally educated physical therapists (IEPTs). An anonymized database composed of 24 sittings of the examination from the years 2001 to 2004 was used. Pearson correlation analyses and regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between educational factors and scores. ANOVA was used to compare differences in scores between candidate groups. CEPTs, first-time writers, and candidates writing in their year of graduation had the highest pass rates. The performance of both CEPTS and IEPTs does not appear to decline for any candidate writing beyond the first year post-graduation. The novel finding that the performance of candidates did not decline with increasing years postgraduation warrants further study. Other future research initiatives should include additional demographic and educational factors and address the relationship between performance on both components of the PCE and actual clinical practice.