COTA Exam Format

The COTA examination consists of single-response multiple-choice items and six-option multi-select items.¹ 

• The single-response multiple-choice items contain a stem and three or four possible response options.
• Of the response options presented, there is only one correct or best answer.
• Candidates receive credit for selecting the correct response option. Points are not deducted for selecting incorrect response options.
• The six-option multi-select items include a question stem followed by six possible response options.
• Of the options provided, three are correct responses and the other three are incorrect responses.
• The candidate must select three response options.
• Candidates receive credit for selecting the correct response options.
• Points are not deducted for selecting incorrect response options.

Layout

• Candidates are allotted a period of four hours to complete the examination.
• The COTA examinations consist of 200 multiple-choice items based on the exam content outline.
• Multiple choice items include the single-response items in which the candidate selects the single BEST option, as well as multi-select items in which the candidate must select the three BEST options out of six options.
• Multiple-choice and multi-select items are presented one at a time to the candidates.
• Some of the items include a picture or chart that contains information needed to answer the question.
• During the examination, candidates can highlight text in the stem of an item that they deem important.
• A strikeout feature is also available to help candidates visually eliminate response options.
• Candidates can flag items for review and change their item responses as testing time allows, or until they submit the examination for scoring.
• If time runs out before a candidate reviews the flagged items, the selected response(s) will be submitted for scoring.
• No credit will be given to flagged items that have no response option(s) selected.

At the start of the examinations, candidates have the option of taking a tutorial about the functionality of the test screens. Time spent on the examination tutorials is not deducted from the four-hour test clock. Details on the features of the computer, as well as additional functionality of the exam, can be viewed by accessing the online tutorial.

Please note that candidates can revisit the tutorial at any time during the exam; however, the exam timer will continue to run.

Links

Examples of multi-select items

COTA Exam Tutorial

1. NBCOT. (n.d.). Foundations of the NBCOT Certification Examinations. Retrieved from https://www.nbcot.org/en/Educators/Foundations[↩]