Admit it or not, examinations are every student’s dreaded school event. You need more time to spend looking back to your past lessons than checking for your social media accounts, studying contents related to the subjects than on how to make vlogs for your cosmetics tutorials.
Reviewing for the test needs a lot of patience and motivation, especially to those students who wanted to become occupational therapist professionals. They have to take a comprehensive exam established by the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy.
How is NBCOT® working?
Known to most occupational therapists, NBCOT® in the United States is a national certification body for occupational therapy professionals. The board is liable for establishing the Occupational Therapy Registered and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant examinations, which are both taken by students who meet specific standards and requirements for the test. The certification given to these individuals by the NBCOT® serves as an assurance that these people who are engaged in the occupational therapy profession have undergone assessments and achieved a standard level of knowledge.
How are the tests formatted?
OTR examination consists of 170 multiple choice items with four and three options and 3 Clinical Simulation Test (CST) items. Each of these CST problems comprised of three main parts that are the Opening Scene- this involves the overall background data about a scenario based on the practice that sets the scene for the whole issue of CST. The Sections- a collection of four parts, each with a header for the chapter. Lastly, the Response options and feedback that involves a list of possible alternatives that may be considered by the OTR in reaction to the header issue.
The OTR test is also composed of four domains of knowledge: Evaluation and Assessment, Analysis and Interpretation, Intervention Management, and Competency and Practice Management.
On the other hand, the COTA examination consists of four and three options with a single response, and six option multiple select items that have six possibilities for the answers while only three of which are correct answers. These are all accumulated in a total of 200 item test.
How are the tests administered?
The NBCOT® administration procedure complies with the relevant sections of the Uniform Employee Selection Guidelines (EEOC, 1978). Exams are held at Prometric testing facilities throughout the year and are accessible at various places in each state.
Applications can be presented online and paid for by credit card through My NBCOT® internet portal or by finishing a paper request. Timing instructions provided in the candidate’s Authorization to Test Letter of the candidate, and these candidates must have the required documentation to have the permit to the test, and NBCOT® has check-in services at all test sites that use biometrics to check if they are permitted to take it.
Modular workstations provide students proper space to take the examination, while proctors are monitoring the processing time to time within the testing room.
How to score the test?
Recorded on a standardized test scale are total performances ranging from 300 to 600. An overall scaled score of at least 450 is needed to pass the Occupational Therapy Registered (OTR) and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) certification exam.
The NBCOT® exams are criterion-referenced that to pass the examination, a candidate must obtain a result equal to or above the lowest possible passing score. The passing standard based on the outcomes of the applicant throughout the exam. Pass-fail choices based solely on the total e amount of correctly answered test questions, and there is no domain-level passing standard.
Through participant’s online accounts, they can view their results and evaluate their outcomes. Candidates who passed the examinations will receive a letter of congratulations and an official NBCOT® certificate and wallet card.
NBCOT® Study Tools
Taking up the NBCOT® examinations, there are study tools available across the internet to help students prepare for the exams. Given such incredible privilege, candidates use these tools that are intended using the validated domain, task, and knowledge statements on which the certification examination based.
Included in these study tools are mini and practice tests that provide instant feedback and rationales that students can quickly assess their answers. Study guides with test-taking strategies and more practical questions also included that can help candidates with tests simulations and exercise the exam’s pacing to lessen the pressure when answering the actual one.
Takeaway
In a nutshell, although the NBCOT® exam somehow feared by most of the students, this board certification helps train competent individuals that practice standards of knowledge for the occupational therapy profession.
These details given above can guide students most especially to those who are interested and qualified for the NBCOT® examinations. Study tools are helping tools that provide exercises and guides to achieve the most wanted scenario of each candidate, that is to pass the tests.
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