National Radiologic Technology Licensure Examination Performance: Predicting Success using Discriminant Analysis

This study was designed to identify variables that might be used as predictors for success on the national Radiologic Technology licensure examination. The census sample consisted of 2,036 graduates of a baccalaureate Radiologic Technology program in 2016, 2017, and 2018 from 24 higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. The investigators examined 12 variables to determine their predictive value for the national Radiologic Technology licensure examination success. Grades in all year levels of Radiologic Technology course were the four best predictors. Results of the discriminant analysis identified seven significant predictor variables leading to successful classification of 99.9 percent of all the passing graduates and 99.8 percent of the failing graduates in the national Radiologic Technology licensure examination. The use of this discriminant function to identify high-risk students has the advantage of early identification of failing. The large amount of 92 percent variance in the national RT licensure examination accounted for in this study may substantiate the claim of high accuracy of the discriminant function used. This is the first study to discriminate passing from failing graduates in the national RT licensure examination based on the selected predictor variables and the astounding precision of classifying graduates is a remarkable result for HEIs included in the analysis.