While I'm job-hunting, I realized that the completing the NBCOT certification and licensure (for New York State) were two separate processes, which got a bit confusing. Thus, I decided to share the steps I took to complete the application to take the exam AND registration to obtain the license. At the time of writing, the information I provided below is accurate, and I did not encounter any problems. I hope you will find the information helpful and that everything goes smoothly for you as well.
Successfully completed your final fieldwork? Check.
Successfully completed all your coursework? Check.
Graduated? Check.
Congratulations on completing your OT program, which is a big accomplishment! There's one BIG final step to take.
This is the goal you've been working towards: taking AND passing the NBCOT exam!
1. Licensure Process (NB: for New York state only)
- Obtained a passport-sized photo of myself
- Had Form 1 notarized by teller at my bank
- Initial Registration Fee: Check was made payable to New York State Education Department
- Notarized Form 1, passport photo, AND initial registration fee were mailed out to:
New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
P.O. Box 22063
Albany, NY 12201
- Completed TWO copies of Form 2 and submitted both to my program (in person) to have them fill out the rest and mail out
- Included with one Form 2, one envelope was addressed to:
New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Occupational Therapy Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
2. Certification Process:
- Downloaded the Academic Credential Verification Form (ACVF) from
www.nbcot.org since I planned on taking the exam before my official graduation date (as stated on my diploma)
- Submitted the ACVF to my program (in person) for them to complete and mail out
- Submitted my NBCOT Certification Exam application on
www.nbcot.org
- Online Exam Application Fee plus NY Initial Score Report: Check was made payable to NBCOT
- Printed receipt and check were both mailed out to:
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
Attn: Certification Examination
12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150
- Printed my Authorization to Test (ATT) letter that was sent to me via e-mail
- Selected my testing location and scheduled day and time to take the exam on
www.prometric.com
3. FINAL Official Transcripts (ordered after official graduation date)
- Transcripts were ordered electronically through my student online account
- One paper transcript was sent to:
NYSED Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Occupational Therapy Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
518-474-3817 x270
- One e-transcript was sent to NBCOT via e-mail:
transcripts@nbcot.org
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Preparing for the Exam:
It is really up to you to decide the length of time you want to spend preparing for the exam. Everyone is different. Some are comfortable taking it soon after they graduate or successfully complete their final fieldwork. Others may spend a month or more preparing for it. (I took TWO months, but it was worth taking the extra time to study!)
I highly recommend that you attend a review course that may be offered by your program, possibly for free or at a discount rate. I used Rita Fleming-Castaldy's
National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam: Review and Study Guide (6th Edition) and attended TherapyEd's NBCOT Preparation Course. For more information, go to
http://www.therapyed.com/nbcot.htm#otreg
This helped structure my study time and target some areas that I needed to focus on.
Another helpful resource is AOTA's NBCOT Online Exam Prep (used after I took the NBCOT and before I found out that I passed). It has over 900 practice questions and 77 Clinical Simulation scenarios. One con is the price tag, but it is REALLY useful and can help you target your weaker areas. For more information, go to
http://nbcotexamprep.aota.org/
What really made the difference is creating my own study guide. Also, redoing the practice questions and spending time to understand why I answered questions incorrectly helped tremendously. Don't forget to review class notes and/or textbooks when necessary.
Stay focused, but remember to make time for yourself! :)
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On the Day of the Exam
1. Get a good night's sleep and eat well.
2. Bring a printed copy of your ATT letter and 2 forms of government-issued ID's with you.
3. Arrive early to your testing site because the signing in process can take a while.
4. Don't bring a lot of stuff. Everything goes into the locker except your 2 ID's and locker key.
5. You will be fingerprinted (electronically), have a metal detector scanned and your clothing checked to ensure you don't have any "illegal" items on you. You will sign and write the time in a log book.
6. They will provide you with two dry-erase boards and dry-erase markers. Do use them!
7. Make sure you are comfortable and complete the tutorial so you know what to do.
8. Take 2-3 quick water/bathroom breaks, but remember that the clock doesn't stop. As you leave, your fingerprint is checked and you sign out. When you return, fingerprint is checked, you are scanned and clothing checked, and you sign in.
9. Be VERY careful with the Clinical Simulation section because you can't change your answer choices. Also, don't select answer
choices that you're unsure of since you WILL be penalized for choosing
the wrong action.
10. Budget your time wisely and do your best not to overthink it. You can go back to tackle the tough multiple-choice (MC) questions. Also, you may use the remaining time to review your answers.
11. Feeling tired and/or feeling that you don't know or remember anything is perfectly normal after spending 4 hours taking an intense exam. Relax because you did your best... and you earned it!
**Remember, you've come this far and successfully completed the OT program. Thus, you have what it takes to pass the exam. The most important thing is that you effectively and efficiently use your time to prepare for it.
Good Luck! You got this!**
***It you didn't pass the exam the first time: it's okay to feel upset, but you shouldn't be discouraged. This is the opportunity to focus on areas that you can improve on and retake the exam. There's no shame. Keep your head up and remember that you worked too hard to give up at this point!***
