Occupational therapist candidates are all getting ready for the upcoming national board examination. Passing this examination is a turning point to every candidate, not only because they can now have their certificate and license, but are also called professionals who are promoting health care and helping people with their well-being while participating to their daily activities and occupations.
The NBCOT® initiates tests such as the OTR for individuals who wanted to become a registered occupational therapist and COTA exam to those students who are willing to become certified occupational therapy assistants. Both are working together with the utmost of their potentials treating their clients.
Defining responsibilities
- Registered Occupational Therapist
After devoting four years studying at the master’s level, you are privileged to take the OTR examination, and passing it would mean you can now be engaged in all your client’s assessments. You have now the responsibility of producing intervention plans, making progress notes, discharging patients who are presenting advancements in the therapy, and indeed, you can also provide medicines to your patients.
These professionals use a client-centered approach in assessing the effect of the cognition, wellness, psychosocial factors, physical disabilities, and medical conditions in the occupation of the individual.
- Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
You have the advantage to take the COTA exam after finishing a two-year associate’s degree. Progressing through the NBCOT® exam, you, as a certified assistant, might have a higher workload than the registered occupational therapist because the OT requires you more paperwork. Thus, you need the supervision of the OTR before practicing your profession.
Responsibilities of a certified occupational assistant include; following therapy plan made by the registered OT, conducting interventions following the occupational therapist’s objectives. You have to jot down daily notes about what you have performed with the client and what was going on with the therapy. Thus, as a COTA, you don’t have the duty to finish the assessment or even about the discharging paperwork because it is the duty of the OTR.
Hence, you will perform all these duties and responsibilities if you can pass the NBCOT® examinations. Given as a well-known test established by the national boards are with an exceptional level of difficulty, that requires students to recall all their past lessons and study extensively.
While learning for the said tests, study guides and exam prep courses are accessible throughout the web to guide you while you study.
Board Preppers– This site developed review courses to assist you to attain success through the board examination. They have their long-term objective to help as many certified and licensed professionals as they get to prepare for their upcoming licensure examinations.
They offer a comprehensive 60-hour review and an extensive study of 3 days that are helping hundreds of people over the nation to pass the boards. The course includes question and answers with rationale, detailed review, anxiety, and time management, and also test-taking strategies.
TherapyEd– A great helping site that offers rigorous review course for two days that will guide and help you to concentrate on preparing for your examination. They provide the program for occupational therapist wannabe across the nation, whether taking the test as a first-timer or a repeater.
PasstheOT– Preparing for the exam, PasstheOT since 2013 provides the most efficient and reasonably priced preparation guide for the OTR and COTA examinations. Their exam course and one-on-one private tutoring assisted dozens of learners passing the national board examination for the occupational therapist.
These mentioned above serve just as your guide to prepare for the upcoming examinations. Thus, it is best to start within yourself all the things you need to recognize and think before taking the exam. Assisting you with your study preparations, here are some tips for effective studying:
Assess Yourself– Question yourself first before starting to establish your study plan. It is better, to be honest with yourself with the things you understand and don’t, what is your way to grasp the learnings effectively, or how you want things to happen.
Hold on to things that help you learn– Individuals learn differently, may it be through watching videos and listening to music; flashcards, study guides, notes, charts, and outlines. You can hold on to these things as long as it is helping you out with your study.
Motivation– Studying may become boring most, especially if you have long and extensive exam contents. Thus, it is a must always to motivate yourself to pursue harder into reaching your goals and passing your examination.
Takeaway
In summary, taking an examination is not an easy thing to do, yet, studying may become tedious, and you can lose your interest along the way. Above all, there are review courses that can help you get your focus to preparing for your examinations and assisting you to get your goals of becoming a licensed professional.
It may be a tough ride taking up the examinations, but always remind yourself that most of the worthy achievements are difficult to reach. Hence, be patient and do your best on your exams!