In this lesson, you will learn about:
- Who administers the OT Board Exam.
- The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
- The NBCOT’s mission and intention.
- The format of the NBCOT Exam.
- Resources to prepare for the NBCOT Exam.
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy or NBCOT is the national certification body for occupational therapy professionals in the United States. The mission of NBCOT is to serve the public interest by advocating client care and professional practice through evidence-based certification standards and the validation of knowledge essential for effective practice in occupational therapy. Currently, 50 states require NBCOT certification and licensing for occupational therapy state regulation. The primary purpose fo the NBCOT exam is to protect the public interest by certifying only those candidates who have the necessary knowledge of occupational therapy to practice. The NBCOT exams are administered by Prometric Testing Centers worldwide. They administer more than 7 million tests a year for other clients in addition to NBCOT. To be eligible to take the NBCOT exam, candidates must obtain an occupational therapy degree from an accredited program, agree to the terms, and submit an official transcript. Candidates will then receive a ticket or permission to take the test called an ATT, or Authorization to Test. With an ATT, candidates then have 90 days to take the OT Board Exam with a Prometric testing center.
Let’s talk about how the OT Board Exam is like. Content for the exams comes from the results of practice analysis studies. The categories tests include evaluation and assessment, analysis and interpretation, intervention management, and competency and practice management. Do not worry if this does not make sense to you right now. To become an OTR, you will take a computer-based exam that contains 170 multiple-choice items. These multiple choices may have three or four answer choices with only one correct answer. OTR candidates will also take a clinical simulation test or CST. Put simply CST is like a serious of scenarios that mimic real-world practice in the format similar to a group of true/false questions. You will have a specific amount of time to complete the test, with a clock available on the screen that you can show or hide. You can also highlight on the computer any text in the question prompt and refer back to it. A strikeout feature allows you to cross out answer choices you believe are incorrect. I believe you also still get a whiteboard to use as a scratch paper. You are allowed to take a break for the restroom as well. Since you will be testing with other candidates for other subjects, not just OT, you will be provided with headphones to minimize distractions. You can also jump back to previous questions and change your answers if you wish.
To prepare for the NBCOT, there are many resources available for purchase and for free. AOTA and NBCOT both offer official study preparation materials for a cost. There are free Youtube videos online and even a popular Facebook group to get study tips and support. I will do a plug for myself. My website OTDUDE dot com also has free study guides, practice quizzes, and tips to help you get started. I have attached some resources to this lesson as well.
Recently, I released a specific online course just for students studying and preparing for the NBCOT Exam – completely free, forever. This resource will be available for you when you need it to prepare in the future.