Document Type (Journals)
Original Research
Abstract
To enter practice as an occupational therapist, one must complete an occupational therapy program at an accredited institution and then pass a national certification exam. This exam is called the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam. Individuals can take the exam more than once to achieve a passing score but must pay a fee each time. Not passing the first time can lead to stress, increased costs, and delayed entrance into the profession. Thus, being a first-time passer is ideal. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to identify variables impacting first time pass rates of occupational therapy master’s students. Variables found to be significantly higher in the first time pass group compared to the multiple attempts group include high school grade point average (hsGPA), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, whether or not the student earned an A in high school chemistry or biology, whether or not the student took high school physics, undergraduate college GPA, whether or not the student earned an A in certain occupational therapy intervention courses, and percentage correct on the Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam (OTKE). Results of this study can inform occupational therapy programs’ admissions standards and help educators better prepare and support students throughout the entire curriculum to facilitate first time success on the NBCOT exam.
Biography
Amy Brzuz, OTD, OTR/L is an associate professor of occupational therapy at Gannon University. Her research interests include interprofessional education, international fieldwork, and program outcomes.
Julia Hawkins-Pokabla, OTD, OTR/L is an associate professor of occupational therapy at Gannon University. She pursues research in a variety of areas including pediatric feeding difficulties and international fieldwork.
David Prier, PhD is a professor of mathematics at Gannon University. His research interests include discrete mathematics, number theory, statistics, and collaborative interdisciplinary work.
Declaration of Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Recommended Citation
Brzuz, A. L., Hawkins-Pokabla, J. M., & Prier, D. (2024). Variables Impacting First Time Pass Rates of MSOT Students. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 8 (4). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2024.080411
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