The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT ) is the national certification body for occupational therapy professionals within the U.S.

There are a couple of things you should do to pass the NBCOT COTA exam before taking it. You have four hours to take the COTA exam. You’ll be able to take breaks, although your time doesn’t stop.

There are 200 multiple-choice questions. If you allow a question unanswered, it’ll not count towards your overall score. You can return and answer questions as long as you’re within some time limit. So don’t worry if the answer doesn’t come to you directly. You’ll skip the problem and go back to that.

It’s $40 cheaper to apply for the exam online rather than mailing in a paper application. You can apply online through NBCOT.

You need a score of 450 or higher (out of a total of 600) to pass. But if for some reason you don’t, you’ll sit for the exam again in 45 days. There’s no limit on the amount of times you’ll take the exam.

To be deemed eligible to take a seat for the NBCOT certification exam, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Obtain a physical therapy degree that meets the current entry-level degree requirements: OTR candidates must graduate with an entry-level occupational therapy degree from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy (OT) program COTA candidates must graduate with an entry-level occupational therapy degree from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program
• Submit an official final college or university transcript that indicates the date of graduation and degree title OR the Interim Degree Verification Form (IDVF). Any candidate who submits an IDVD won’t have their exam pass/fail status or exam results released until NBCOT has received an official final transcript from the candidate’s college/university that confirms the degree date and title.
• agree to abide by the NBCOT Practice Standards and Code of Conduct. Effective January 1, 2020, if eligibility requirements change within the future and therefore the exam candidate has not attained certification, the candidate has three years from the date of graduation to require the exam under the above eligibility requirements.

The secret is to organize yourself mentally to take a seat for the exam. Don’t overthink and work yourself up about it. You ought to be studying four to 6 weeks beforehand for a minimum of two to 3 hours per day. Plan out your study strategy. Start by taking nbcot practice exams to check where your focal points should be, then tailor your approach to hit those systematically.

There are several nbcot practice exams, free flashcards, and free COTA exam prep materials out there for you to use.

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The NBCOT offers free practice exams in the form of self-assessment tools. This can assist you in identifying areas and topics to specialize in as you develop your study strategy. Some nbcot practice exams offer you free flashcards to help you study. They supply you with the answers and evidence of the proper and wrong choices.