Studying for the NBCOT® exam can be extremely difficult to do on your own. Often students feel discouraged, lost, afraid, and overwhelmed by the material which causes them to fixate on unnecessary details, over analyze, and second guess themselves. Typically, students in occupational therapy programs are high-achieving and goal-oriented independent learners. But the NBCOT® exam is not a typical final exam or chapter test. It is comprehensive. It requires students to reach out of their comfort zone, to think outside the box, and to use critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. It also requires students to believe in their knowledge and education, to apply it to clinical situations, and to answer exactly what is being asked in an ethical and professional manner. Will there be more than one correct answer? Probably, but what is the BEST answer? Students must think which response best answers what is being asked–which one applies to the OT practice framework.
Therefore, it is incredibly beneficial for students to have someone who they can ask questions to, explain difficulty material, bounce ideas off of and explain to them what these concepts look like in real life, which makes the information that they are learning actually palpable so that they can relate to it and apply it. That is where a tutor comes in. Below are some of the benefits of a tutor.
A tutor for the NBCOT® exam can act as a coach, a cheerleader, a sounding board, and even at times a therapist. They can guide a student through a difficult maze through the use of relevant and relatable examples. Our tutors genuinely care about our students, they want them to develop the clinical reasoning and knowledge of the material, and will put together a game plan that will not only help alleviate anxiety, but at the same time boost self confidence to ensure the students will be ready to take on the challenges.
Our tutors want the content to be as approachable as possible. For example, with the Rancho Los Amigos Levels, instead of just drilling the student on the details of the level, they can describe what the experience is like for a patient at a certain level, saying something funny like, “At Rancho level seven, you meet and you never forget them These patients make your job really hard when they don’t want to work with you.” By introducing humor or sharing with their student personal experience, a tutor can create a strong mental image that will stay with the student.
The tutors at Pass the OT genuinely care about their students and their future success on this exam. “It is such a highlight in my day when I hear that one of my students passed”, says tutor Erika. “Being able to guide my students, make recommendations of what to focus their studies on, and help them break mental barriers is such a rewarding feeling.” Another one of their tutors Kim might have said it best, “We are someone you can vent to, we want you to know that we have your back”. You’re gonna love being an OT. Welcome. We look forward to helping you earn your license and to hopefully having you as a colleague in our wonderful field.
Why working with a tutor can be so effective
Tutors hold students accountable for keeping up with reading and studying, while guiding and supporting them throughout the process. They have the knowledge and experience to help students prepare for this exam. After all, they took and passed it themselves.
Tutors are not like professors in college, who must teach several students at once. Although educators may be wonderful resources, there is not always enough time to work with all students as much as they need. Tutors, on the other hand, work 1:1 with students and make learning personalized. Studying alone can be challenging, but tutors have the skills to acknowledge problem areas and come up with effective solutions, so that students can better comprehend key information.
Successful tutors have both relevant experience and the ability to apply real-life scenarios. This often helps the student to engage more fully and therefore achieve greater outcomes. NBCOT® exam-takers who hire a tutor simply have higher success rates. PasstheOT.com offers 1:1 tutoring sessions as well as group tutoring sessions for students who prefer studying with others. No matter what your learning style is, our tutors and their diverse range of experiences will help you accomplish your NBCOT Exam goals.
In short, the benefits of tutoring:
- Tutoring sessions are completely student centered and one-on-one.
- Tutors will help make complex material easy to understand
- Can put together a game plan that will not only alleviate anxiety but also boost self confidence and ensure you are ready to take the exam.
- Develop your clinical reasoning and discuss interventions, since 50% of the test is intervention based.
- Can create strong mental images by sharing personal examples of their work experiences.
- Make recommendations on how to better focus your studys
- Tutors will help you break down questions especially when two answer choices are correct
- Tutors will hold you accountable and keep you on track
- Point out problem areas and come up with effective solutions so you study more efficiently
- Gauge how you are doing and provide you with homework to study with on your own
- Filter what material is important such as child development and not so important such as Glasgow Coma Scale make sure you are ready to take the test
- Better use of time while encouraging self-directed student learning
To learn more about Pass the OT’s incredible tutors, please visit https://passtheot.com/purchase-tutoring/
