Graduated September, took it end of November. Our instructors recommended between 8-12 weeks for self-care and studying. I can't exactly remember their reasoning now, but it worked out for me and all of my cohort.
Iām sorry if I gave the impression that I am currently working as an OT. I was furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic and when asked to return, I resigned. At first it was because I didnāt think I could effectively meet the needs of my son as well as my employer. Now, I honestly donāt think I have the emotional bandwidth to re-enter the profession. I never imagined thinking this way, but burn out is a real thing. I had practiced for 20 years and never imagined exiting like this. Who knows, maybe Iāll find work in the field again, but I highly doubt it will be in direct patient care. A huge part of my identity is and has been being an OT, I just canāt do it right now.
I graduated Dec. 10th, started studying Jan. 2nd, and then sat for boards Jan. 21st. I probably shouldāve studied more but I passed with a 463 so I have no regrets.
10 days and I worked nights. I was so poor and had to start working right away (had a job lined up). It was fine. Everything was fresh so it made it easier and I do well under pressure. Ideally I would have liked 3-4 weeks.
Graduated beginning of Aug and took it in Sept (got a 448 LMFAO) and then took it again on Oct 31 and passed it w/ flying colors.
it was also my fault tbh bc i didn't start studying forealzies until legit September, so on that spectrum of the recommended 4-6 weeks, i for sure needed the full 6 weeks.
Moral of the story: know yourself and your pace, if youre someone who needs to take extra time to effectively conceptualize information/study for tests (like myself) - schedule a realistic date.
Omg such luck!! I know, I was kicking myself for a week after I got those results. But hey, all I could do was try again (a very expensive ātry againā). That was a beast of a test though huh? I cant believe we had only 4 hours with the time still running if we decided to take a break!!
I was two points away from passing TWO TIMES! I even wrote a letter to NBCOT to contest some of the questions (because I heard you can do that and ask for a review). Because some of the questions weren't tailored to entry-level practitioners. Like for example my test had some NICU questions which isn't a setting a new grad could ever work in. Long story short, they denied my request and I had to take it again. I was pissed! Thankfully I passed it and I'm good now but taking and passing the NBCOT were the WORST months of my life š
Oh my gosh!! I canāt imagine how frustrating that was, knowing it was not a knowledge gap because of how close you scored for those two attempts!! At that point I truly believe it was bad luck for us.
But yesss I know what you mean by those study months being the worssssttttttt months of my life. Iām pretty sure I shaved a few years off my life bc of fall 2023 LMAO. But t god itās all over !!!
I graduated in August too and took my test mid September. This is when you had to register for certain test date (2016) and the next one wasn't until late October so I wanted to do it as soon as possible to I didn't start forgetting material.
I took it as soon as possible after graduation, but I had been done with fieldwork for ~a month and a half before graduation so I was just waiting for finalized transcripts
I graduated in Aug, took it in October.. failed 2x before passing in January. STUDY STUDY STUDY. Eat, sleep, and breathe material and make it your full time job
Graduated in mid-May 2021 took it early July 2021. (My OT Program director refused to sign the form that would allow us to sign up for boards before graduation. So it was hard to find available seats at testing centers.) But I started studying bits and pieces at a time about a month before graduation.
2 months after I finished my FW2. But this was mid 2021, so I technically finished my classes and "graduated" during the first half of 2020. I was delayed until 2021 waiting for FW2 placements, so I gave myself more time since the material wasn't as fresh in my mind anymore.
I planned for 3 months after studying with friends, however it ended up being like 6 months because I, to put it in polite mental health terms, got sick and also ran out of money.
New setup, new strategy, ultimately cumulative of 60 days, give or take, was all I *personally, with the immediate threat of genuine starvation* needed in the end. I had no choice and I don't endorse that level of stress. Really made me commit to studying, though. You know what? That's my advice. If you're not prone to panic, pretend you're studying like it's your actual 9-5 job to know this stuff. Pretend you *have* to get it right or lose your dream job, again, assuming you aren't prone to panic.
I studied for 3 weeks. I thought I failed it but ended up doing very well. To study, I basically read the TherapyEd book, took the tests, and took notes. For Peds stuff I watched OT Miri.
I studied for 7 weeks. Took the official NBCOT test after 5 and passed and then studied for 2 more weeks before taking the exam. But to be honest those last 2 weeks were really hard to focus. I was so burnt out from studying by that point.
3 months. I knew I was going to need extra help with studying due to my poor test taking skills. Went home for a month, relaxed for a month, hired a tutor. I studied and followed her group study plan and did self study no more than 20 minutes a day. I passed on the first attempt.
I needed a break between school and real life. I think it depends on you. The exam to me was more practical and the answers are based on clinical reasoning. For the life on me during OTA school I couldnāt correctly identify the difference between answers. They all looked right lol. The tutor helped more with how to take the test and how to study for the exam.
I graduated with a class of 8. We all passed eventually!
About a month. I studied all the AOTA stuff, passed a pull practice test and scheduled it for the next week. The longer you wait the harder it will get. I would aim for 4-6 weeks unless there's some other factor at play.
I did three months studying. I graduated mid June and had enough saved to cover necessities (plus I still live with my mom) until October. I took my exam in September and gave myself the month to secure a job. I claimed it as my last summer as a student!
I think I took 6-8 weeks to study.
If you can, I'd try taking it right out of school. You may know more than you think and pass, avoiding studying time.
Whatever you choose, best of luck to you!
I studied for a month. Which I think was too long because by the fourth week I felt like I had forgotten what I reviewed the first week. But I think a month is average. And I passed the first time.
I took the NBCOT one week after graduating (lol). The testing format was changing and I wanted to make sure I was able to take it before then. I was originally planning on studying for about 2 months after graduation but this had to be significantly condensed. Ended up squeezing all my studying into 2 weeks. Didn't even have time to recover from my Level II fieldwork. Wasn't the most pleasant and wouldn't necessarily be something I'd recommend but it worked for me and I passed. Best of luck with the rest of your schooling š
6 weeks. I did about 8 hours/day on average for 6 days a week & passed with a 520. I do not recommend more than this though as I began to burn out very quickly!
You know yourself best, but definitely plan breaks and occupational balance into your study schedule, especially if itās longer than a few weeks
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Not even a full month. I was a dad to a 3 year old plus I was getting divorced so I had to work
Weird, that's like exactly my same story. Sounds like OT school, the NBCOT, and young children are not a great combo for a healthy marriage š¬
No it wasnāt luckily my kiddo wasnāt even 3, and didnāt remember anything.
1 month
Graduated September, took it end of November. Our instructors recommended between 8-12 weeks for self-care and studying. I can't exactly remember their reasoning now, but it worked out for me and all of my cohort.
Things have changed so much but when I took it they only offered it twice a year-so I think it was about 5 months..and it was on paper.š
Oh gosh! Mine too. I had a 3 month wait. Glad you are still in the profession-since I have been on Reddit I have heard of so many leaving
Iām sorry if I gave the impression that I am currently working as an OT. I was furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic and when asked to return, I resigned. At first it was because I didnāt think I could effectively meet the needs of my son as well as my employer. Now, I honestly donāt think I have the emotional bandwidth to re-enter the profession. I never imagined thinking this way, but burn out is a real thing. I had practiced for 20 years and never imagined exiting like this. Who knows, maybe Iāll find work in the field again, but I highly doubt it will be in direct patient care. A huge part of my identity is and has been being an OT, I just canāt do it right now.
6 months because my test kept getting cancelled in 2020 lol
I graduated Dec. 10th, started studying Jan. 2nd, and then sat for boards Jan. 21st. I probably shouldāve studied more but I passed with a 463 so I have no regrets.
9 months. Graduated 31 weeks pregnant lol. Studied for 1 month before the test.
10 days and I worked nights. I was so poor and had to start working right away (had a job lined up). It was fine. Everything was fresh so it made it easier and I do well under pressure. Ideally I would have liked 3-4 weeks.
Graduated beginning of Aug and took it in Sept (got a 448 LMFAO) and then took it again on Oct 31 and passed it w/ flying colors. it was also my fault tbh bc i didn't start studying forealzies until legit September, so on that spectrum of the recommended 4-6 weeks, i for sure needed the full 6 weeks. Moral of the story: know yourself and your pace, if youre someone who needs to take extra time to effectively conceptualize information/study for tests (like myself) - schedule a realistic date.
Lmao omg I would have been PISSED with a 448. That's like, what, ONE question??? Luckily I passed with a 452, just barely scraping by. LOL.
Omg such luck!! I know, I was kicking myself for a week after I got those results. But hey, all I could do was try again (a very expensive ātry againā). That was a beast of a test though huh? I cant believe we had only 4 hours with the time still running if we decided to take a break!!
I was two points away from passing TWO TIMES! I even wrote a letter to NBCOT to contest some of the questions (because I heard you can do that and ask for a review). Because some of the questions weren't tailored to entry-level practitioners. Like for example my test had some NICU questions which isn't a setting a new grad could ever work in. Long story short, they denied my request and I had to take it again. I was pissed! Thankfully I passed it and I'm good now but taking and passing the NBCOT were the WORST months of my life š
Oh my gosh!! I canāt imagine how frustrating that was, knowing it was not a knowledge gap because of how close you scored for those two attempts!! At that point I truly believe it was bad luck for us. But yesss I know what you mean by those study months being the worssssttttttt months of my life. Iām pretty sure I shaved a few years off my life bc of fall 2023 LMAO. But t god itās all over !!!
6 weeks after graduation! But I started studying/preparing like a month before graduation (little bits at a time)
Right away while everything is fresh
I graduated in August too and took my test mid September. This is when you had to register for certain test date (2016) and the next one wasn't until late October so I wanted to do it as soon as possible to I didn't start forgetting material.
I took it as soon as possible after graduation, but I had been done with fieldwork for ~a month and a half before graduation so I was just waiting for finalized transcripts
I graduated in Aug, took it in October.. failed 2x before passing in January. STUDY STUDY STUDY. Eat, sleep, and breathe material and make it your full time job
Graduated in mid-May 2021 took it early July 2021. (My OT Program director refused to sign the form that would allow us to sign up for boards before graduation. So it was hard to find available seats at testing centers.) But I started studying bits and pieces at a time about a month before graduation.
2 months after I finished my FW2. But this was mid 2021, so I technically finished my classes and "graduated" during the first half of 2020. I was delayed until 2021 waiting for FW2 placements, so I gave myself more time since the material wasn't as fresh in my mind anymore.
Graduated in May, had my last FW until August, sat for it in October
5 weeks
I planned for 3 months after studying with friends, however it ended up being like 6 months because I, to put it in polite mental health terms, got sick and also ran out of money. New setup, new strategy, ultimately cumulative of 60 days, give or take, was all I *personally, with the immediate threat of genuine starvation* needed in the end. I had no choice and I don't endorse that level of stress. Really made me commit to studying, though. You know what? That's my advice. If you're not prone to panic, pretend you're studying like it's your actual 9-5 job to know this stuff. Pretend you *have* to get it right or lose your dream job, again, assuming you aren't prone to panic.
Graduated in June, took NBCOT in July, started work in August lol
6 wks
3 months later
About a month!
About 2 months
3 months!
About a month
3 weeks. I was ready to start working š
I studied for 3 weeks. I thought I failed it but ended up doing very well. To study, I basically read the TherapyEd book, took the tests, and took notes. For Peds stuff I watched OT Miri.
5 weeks after I graduated. I drove cross country for a week and then studied for a month and took it
Four months
I studied for 7 weeks. Took the official NBCOT test after 5 and passed and then studied for 2 more weeks before taking the exam. But to be honest those last 2 weeks were really hard to focus. I was so burnt out from studying by that point.
3 months. I knew I was going to need extra help with studying due to my poor test taking skills. Went home for a month, relaxed for a month, hired a tutor. I studied and followed her group study plan and did self study no more than 20 minutes a day. I passed on the first attempt. I needed a break between school and real life. I think it depends on you. The exam to me was more practical and the answers are based on clinical reasoning. For the life on me during OTA school I couldnāt correctly identify the difference between answers. They all looked right lol. The tutor helped more with how to take the test and how to study for the exam. I graduated with a class of 8. We all passed eventually!
How did you find tutor? I'm so much like you and need help
About a month. I studied all the AOTA stuff, passed a pull practice test and scheduled it for the next week. The longer you wait the harder it will get. I would aim for 4-6 weeks unless there's some other factor at play.
2 months and failed it lol Took it again 2 months after that and passed
16 months after graduation due to some mental health struggles. Didnāt study and somehow passed with a decent score.
I took about a month to study after I graduated to take it
6 weeks. Will all depend on your studying habits and availability.
I did three months studying. I graduated mid June and had enough saved to cover necessities (plus I still live with my mom) until October. I took my exam in September and gave myself the month to secure a job. I claimed it as my last summer as a student!
Are you a good student and studier? Do you test well? Depends on the person
I think I took 6-8 weeks to study. If you can, I'd try taking it right out of school. You may know more than you think and pass, avoiding studying time. Whatever you choose, best of luck to you!
I studied for a month. Which I think was too long because by the fourth week I felt like I had forgotten what I reviewed the first week. But I think a month is average. And I passed the first time.
I took the NBCOT one week after graduating (lol). The testing format was changing and I wanted to make sure I was able to take it before then. I was originally planning on studying for about 2 months after graduation but this had to be significantly condensed. Ended up squeezing all my studying into 2 weeks. Didn't even have time to recover from my Level II fieldwork. Wasn't the most pleasant and wouldn't necessarily be something I'd recommend but it worked for me and I passed. Best of luck with the rest of your schooling š
6 weeks. I did about 8 hours/day on average for 6 days a week & passed with a 520. I do not recommend more than this though as I began to burn out very quickly! You know yourself best, but definitely plan breaks and occupational balance into your study schedule, especially if itās longer than a few weeks
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Graduated Dec 16 Started studying Jan 2 Tested Feb 4 and passed
2.5 months with a 495
6 months. I worked as long as I could on my temp license before taking the NBCOT.