Thinking about taking the NBCOT OTR® Exam can seem overwhelming, but studying for the exam is even more daunting and anxiety-provoking! Luckily, there are many tips and resources out there to help you with the process. Here is a catch-all, synthesis of the 4-1-1 on how to properly study for the NBCOT OTR® Exam! Show
First of all, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to studying for this important test so let’s delve into ways to get started. I scoured the OT literature to find the best advice and this is what I found. Initially you will want to be systematic by learning all there is to know about the NBCOT OTR® Exam and gathering other helpful preparation resources. You will also want to get organized in order to maximize your preparation time. Caroline Polk, MS, AOTA Digital Manager and AJOT Managing Editor (2015) and Erin Killen, MS, OTR/L, a recent graduate (2017) recommend following these 4 simple steps. 1. Get the NBCOT® Exam HandbookGet a copy of the current NBCOT® Certification Exam Handbook and learn about the exam format, content, and scoring. Review all the resources that NBCOT® provides on its site. Be sure you understand the requirements and how to register for the exam. If you need an accommodation, leave plenty of time to pull together the paperwork. 2. Mentally Prepare for the StressIn a course exam, you know what the professor wants you to have learned. You have context on which to base your answer. The NBCOT® exam presents questions without any frame of reference. You could have a question on older adults in long-term care immediately followed by a question on school-based occupational therapy. The exam is based on entry-level practice: what an entry-level OTR® should know, as determined by NBCOT® surveys of entry-level practitioners. The focus is on applying what you know to clinical situations, not simple recitation of facts. Remember, this is a high stakes exam. A lot depends on your success! 3. Explore and Collect Your OT Study ResourcesKnowing what is out there to help you prepare will allow you to determine what works best for you. AOTA.org and NBCOT.org both offer resources to prepare for the exam. Try out TrueLearn’s occupational therapy practice questions—SmartBank. This question bank combines high-quality realistic practice questions, cognitive research, and individualized testing behaviors to guide learning and increase performance on high stakes medical exams. And the topics are mapped to the NBCOT OTR® exam content outline. There are many other resources on the Internet that appeal to all different types of studiers: flash cards, study guides, practice tests, etc. Take the time to explore these resources and find which ones best support the way you study, as they will be the most beneficial. 4. Create Your Study PlanBefore trying to jump into studying, make sure you have all of the necessary study materials, such as textbooks, printouts, notecards, pens, paper, and any other resources you may be using. Nothing will make you feel more prepared than having everything you need in one organized and easily accessible place. Once you have achieved those steps, then you can start preparing to study. A solid first move is to determine your knowledge gaps. Evaluate yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Here are some tips that will do the trick!
Once you have narrowed down what you need to focus on, you can create your study plan. The scope of OT is large, which makes it difficult to study all topic areas in depth. You may not need to spend as much time on areas that you are more familiar with. Follow these helpful how-tos from to get you on the right track (McGuire, 2014; Polk, 2015)! Decide when you want to take the exam, and map out a study plan, working back from that date. How Long Should You Study for the NBCOT OTR®?Many students begin to study in their last semester before graduation. Depending on when you want to test and how much review you need, 2 to 3 months maximum of steady, consistent effort should definitely be sufficient. Keep in mind that the longer you wait to take the exam, the less likely you are to remember the material you covered when you first started studying. A 5 Week Exam Study ScheduleEveryone’s study plan will differ based on their learning style preferences, personal schedule, and anticipated date to take the exam. Write down a plan for how you intend to spend each day. Here is an example of a weekly study plan from an actual student who prepped for the exam for 5 weeks.
NBCOT® Study TipsLook at your calendar and set aside time each week for studying. You know what time of day is most productive for you, so try to schedule your study sessions during that time. Short, intense study sessions generally produce better results; you want to be able to remember what you studied. Several 30- to 45-minute sessions per week tend to work better than one or two long blocks of study time. Write down your study “appointments” in an actual calendar. If you have to break an appointment, make it up during the week. Use a timer on your smartphone and if you stop early, add the remaining time to your next study session. Decide what you are going to do in each session. For example, people using the True Learn Exam Prep platform might take a short practice test on a specific topic, review topic outlines and other resources in areas that are weak, and then take another test on the same topic to see how their score changes. Whatever it is, set goals for yourself every day. Making specific, achievable goals will ensure that you are being productive with your days. If you are not able to achieve your daily goal for any reason, make that time up. Treat your test preparation as if it were your job. Tips for Using TrueLearn in Your Study PlanTo make learning easy and support long term retention the TrueLearn platform includes succinct and to-the-point Bottom Lines to improve contextual learning by reducing complex explanations into simple, easy to understand snippets—also known as the key learning point for each question. In addition, to make sure you don’t forget content on questions you got incorrect, TrueLearn interrupts what is known as the “forgetting curve” 3 days later by texting you that bottom line with our SmartTexts. The TrueLearn system also has the ability to learn the students’ testing abilities and provide support and guidance to how you can improve your learning and testing behaviors through their Smartcard feature. Take shorter practice tests so that you can absorb the information better. Practice tests that are 100 or 200 questions long will just tire you out. Build your testing endurance slowly–Remember, you don’t train for a marathon by running 26 miles every time you go for a run. 10 Additional Considerations to Help You Prepare
Tips and Advice from Former Test TakersTo help you keep going, below are some words of wisdom collected by actual students taken from posts from AOTA’s NBCOT® Exam Prep Info Center Facebook group (Lamoureux, 2015).
Exam Day is finally here–how to I get through it in one piece?I know it is easier said than done, but do whatever you need to do to try and relax on exam day. The day of the exam, do not crack open a book. Instead, choose something you enjoy–exercise, relaxed at Starbucks, anything to take your mind off the exam. Here are some strategies from OT students to give you a leg up during the exam! (Lamoureux, 2015):
Dealing with the Aftermath…After the exam, you may feel nervous and think you failed. There were some questions that you felt confident about and others you did not. You’ll be relieved to know that most students feel this way when walking out of the exam and end up passing with flying colors. You are not alone. Look at what other students had to say on Facebook about how they felt after the exam. |