You’ve passed your classes and completed your clinical affiliations. There's only one thing standing in your way to becoming a full-fledged occupational therapist: the NBCOT!
Just the mention of it sends chills down your spine. When should I take it? How do I pass it? What resources should I study from?
Class Notes and Textbooks
Your class notes and textbooks contain valuable information on each topic in occupational therapy. After all, these are the building blocks of your knowledge and they comprise some of the many resources from which professors pull their content.
NBCOT Study Guides
There are a large number of study guides available and you have probably heard of them all. The list includes, but is not limited to TherapyEd, Johnson, and The Official NBCOT Study Guide. TherapyEd is probably the most well-known study guide and it is a great resource for reviewing content when coupled with study materials such as class notes or course textbooks.
Study Questions
You've studied the material and it’s time to put that knowledge to the test. Similar to study guides, there are a wide variety of study questions available. Here is a list of what I thought were the most helpful.
- Castle Practice Test
- The questions from Castle are very good in helping to understand how the questions are worded and will give you a clear idea of what to expect on test day.
- The Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam (OTKE)
- Like the Castle Practice Test, this will also give you a clear idea of how the questions will be structured. There is a fee for this exam and your program director has to register you.
Here are other resources that offer practice exam questions.
- AOTA’s NBCOT Exam Prep
- TherapyEd
- Caryn Johnson’s Occupational Therapy Examination Review Guide
- Castle’s Content-Based Practice Questions
School-Hosted Review Sessions
There are often schools that will host a review session, for a price. Some sessions may span several days and even provide review materials. These are, of course, another great study resource. Check with local occupational therapy programs to see if they are hosting NBCOT review sessions.
By integrating these resources and the study tips in this article, you will be well-equipped to pass the boards! Good luck!
