OT630 Missed Class - NBCOT Exam and Licensing

Although I was disappointed to have missed the lecture on the NBCOT exam, I feel very comfortable with the information I have received from my classmate’s notes, the in-class handout, and the resources on Blackboard.

Before this class, my biggest question about the NBCOT exam was “how should I study for the exam and when should I plan on doing this?” I feel that this question was thoroughly answered – I should plan on studying for about 6 weeks, 4-8 hours per day (like a full-time job). The how is a bit more complex – I will need to create a study plan including dates/weeks, topics, resources on those topics, and practice questions. I like the example schedule on Blackboard and plan on using that as a template to create my own. Before I make the schedule, I would like to look through some practice questions/exams and see what areas I feel need the most energy. The topics of concentration may also depend on how secure I feel after my fieldwork rotations at the burn unit (focus on physical dysfunction and wound care) and an inpatient psychiatric hospital (focus on mental health, group therapy).

In terms of licensing, my concern was that I plan to practice in Virginia, so will it complicate things to take the NBCOT exam in Tennessee? The answer is no, the NBCOT can be taken anywhere and I can choose to send my results to the Virginia licensing board. Using the resources on Blackboard, I discovered that in Virginia, I can practice as an “OT-License Applicant” for 6 months after graduation or until I receive my NBCOT scores, whichever comes first. It is recommended that I apply for my Virginia license when I register for the NBCOT exam.

I have saved all of these resources in my “important documents” folder and am excited to begin this process after fieldwork. I found the resources and notes from this lecture to be very informative! They have eased my anxiety about the NBCOT and licensing process.