The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) is hosting a regional item writing workshop for the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE). Additional details will be provided to interested individuals upon receipt of your application and resume or CV.

Purpose

Item writers support their profession by helping to ensure that candidates taking NPTE examinations receive sound, high-quality questions that reflect a broad range of practice.

Target Audience

Practicing physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.

Applicants must be licensed with a minimum of 2 years of experience and in good standing with their state board. Consideration is given to selecting item writers from diverse ethnic backgrounds and practice settings. Applicants do NOT need to have previous item writing experience.

Workshop

Item writers participate in a training workshop that covers item-writing theory, the development of items that test higher-order thinking skills, and specific item-writing techniques. All item writers will be trained by experienced staff and colleagues in the art of developing test questions. The weekend training session prepares item writers to write high-quality, psychometrically sound items that are later reviewed by an independent panel of content experts for possible inclusion in the NPTE item bank.

During the training workshop, participants will be assigned to work with an item writer coordinator who is a physical therapy professional with extensive experience in item writing. The coordinator will be your mentor and will assist you as you continue to produce items for the exam after the workshop.

As an item writer, participants will:

• Work with other physical therapy professionals to contribute to the creation of the NPTE.
• Share knowledge and expertise of the profession with colleagues.
• Gain experience in the construction of multiple-choice questions.
• Learn from and with colleagues in a low-pressure, fun environment.

Expectations

Apart from active participation in the training workshop, an item writer is expected to:

• Write 20 examination questions.
• Dedicate the time and effort necessary to produce high-quality, psychometrically sound items.
• Apply the concepts presented during the training to the development of each item.
• Agree to uphold the confidentiality of the exam
• Have access to a computer and the Internet.

Reimbursement and Meeting Expenses

As a small token of appreciation, the FSBPT provides a $200 stipend for completion of 20 items written and approved into the item bank.

FSBPT reimburses mileage to and from the meeting location up to 50 miles, and will provide breakfast and lunch during the workshop. Regional workshops are budgeted for local participants. Applicants residing greater than 50 miles from the workshop location will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Questions

For questions about becoming an item writer, please email volunteer@fsbpt.org and reference the Des Moines Regional Workshop in your subject line.