Occupational Therapy

National Board Certification

National Certification Exam

Once you complete your professional and graduate coursework and required fieldwork hours, you will:

• Receive your Master of Science degree in OT
• Become eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam* (Visit www.nbcot.org for exam dates.)

Upon passing the NBCOT exam, you are:

• Given the designation "Occupational Therapist, Registered" (OTR)
• Eligible for licensure and practice in most states

Please note that many states require initial credentialing by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) as a part of licensing eligibility. While information regarding testing will be provided prior to graduation, the student is responsible for completing all necessary paperwork, arranging all testing, and payment of any and all fees relative to the NBCOT examination. Study guides, examinations and seminars are available through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) and other groups, however, the Program does not recommend any specific one. Students are responsible to seek out study aids and resources as necessary and will be expected to incur any and all costs related to such resources.



*A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. There is a pre-qualification process for people who have had a felony to be screened before going into an OT program to see if there are obstacles to being certified. There is a fee for the process. Interested parties can contact NBCOT and ask for the Investigations Program Manager.

Alvernia University NBCOT Certification Results:

Performance of graduates of the Occupational Therapy program, for the three most recent calendar years (2012, 2011, and 2010), on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination was as follows:

First Time Test Takers:

Year	Number of Program Graduates	Number of First-time Test Takers	Number of First-time Test Takers Who Passed the Exam	Percentage of First-time Test Takers Who Passed the Exam
2010	15	15	6	40%
2011	16	16	15	94%
2012	24	24	18	75%
Total 3-year	55	55	39	71%

Overall Passing (includes multiple attempts effective March 2013):

Year	Number of Program Graduates	Number of Program Graduates Who Took the Exam	Number of Program Graduates Who Passed on Their First Try or After Multiple Attempts	Overall Pass Rate of Graduates of the Program
2010	15	15	15	100%
2011	16	16	16	100%
2012	24	24	22	92%
Total 3-year	55	55	53	96%