The National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapist administer examinations to student candidates for taking up the Occupational Therapy Registered (OTR) exam and also the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant examination; which is a prerequisite before you can practice your profession.

As a national certification body, they commit to maintain tests that are valid, fair, and reliable assessment. NBCOT observes well-established processes for the determination of the examination content, as well as the completion of a practice analysis study.

Practice analysis study. For the certification, using of practice analysis study is essential to establish a clearly defined set of domains, tasks, and associated statements of knowledge necessary to fulfill the tasks responsibilities following the standards required for certification.

NBCOT strives to establish that as an entrance-level occupational therapist, an individual has the knowledge necessary to perform tasks that are critical to safe and competent practice.

Taking a high stakes exam needs a lot of preparation, and the best way to do it is to register and take part in prep courses available on the internet:

TherapyEd. This program has a two-day intensive course review that will help direct and focus your preparation to help you pass the exam, whether you take the test as a first timer or a repeater. The course emphasizes the development of critical reasoning skills in the examination context. Active learning is highlighted involving practices in interpreting and answering multiple choice, and practice questions to help assess the weaknesses and strengths of individuals.

The 8th edition of TherapyEd’s Review & Study Guide for the NBCOT exam contains a complete content review, multiple choice, and clinical simulation test items up to date for the new examination format, complete rationale, diagnostic practicals, and diagnostic results to help modify your study plan.

Occupational Therapy course manual by TherapyEd provides information on the NBCOT exam, successful testing principles, study tips, and review of the contents in the vital areas. Study strategies, a self-assessment guide, training questions, and a self-paced practice quiz including test items on clinical simulation.

Pass the OT. You can access their program through pass the OT website, and they offer one-on-one tutoring to test takers that enhances students with the right study material, proven testing strategies, and challenging quiz questions. Through a comprehensive approach, it supports critical thinking and clinical reasoning. You can also easily monitor and review the progress of every student through their program.

Their course divided into eight modules comprising the most frequently seen vital topics in the NBCOT exam and structured with;

- 1800 questions of timed or untimed with rationale

- Evaluation test with analysis of strengths and weaknesses

- Games, 40 videos, and 30 charts on all essential topics

- Mini-quizzes

-Clinical Simulations, and highlighted material for studying

- Comprehensive exam for finals

- Accessibility via phone, tablets, laptop or personal computers

- Purchasing of tutoring is available in supplementing the program

St. Catherine University. Initiated the first OTA program in the year 1964, making it the first university to provide an online OTA facility that combines online and practical curriculum. Their plan is basing on a blended learning model consisting of 80% online while the other 20% is for on-site curriculum. The program’s duration depends on the student’s academic background and their choice or curriculum.

Their program includes:

- Online courses that enable you to learn at times and in places that best suit your needs, but also you need to complete it in a set timeframe

- Twelve skill labs that enable students to apply their knowledge in the six core areas of occupational therapy practice.

- Seven hundred twenty hours of monitored fieldwork that helps candidates practice their training in a real-world environment.

- 7-week study plan of NBCOT prep coaching program that guides students to prepare for the examination and becomes certified after graduation.

Board Preppers. They have their long-term goal of helping as many licensed medical professionals prepare for their national licensing examination, as the graduate require. Board Preppers use different sources of titled books, specialized study guides, specific practice examination, and exam preparation review guides, flashcards, and other components that help students adequately prepare for the NBCOT exam questions.

Their program for the OTA exam will genuinely prepare students collaboratively and engagingly. Board Prepper’s online classes are informal in format to keep candidates interested and motivated, in combination with an interactive webinar format.

Review preparation courses will also cover Neurological systems, Musculoskeletal, Pulmonary, Cardiac and Vascular, Integumentary, and many more. Preparing for the examination, they will review essential topics such as terminology, words you should know, and true to life examples.

Takeaway

NBCOT examinations require perseverance and willingness amidst the plenty of items you needed to answer with a time ticking for you to finish. Overthinking about the exam would not lead you to the right approach of taking it, so instead of doubting about yourself if you can do it, practice yourself through study prep, and exam prep mentioned above to achieve your ultimate goal and that is to pass and ace the test.