How to use our course

If this is your first time taking the test or you scored a 420 or below on your last exam, we recommend that you work with our program for 8 weeks. We recommend studying one module per week and studying between 4-8 hours per day, 6 days a week.

Below is the suggested schedule.

• Day 1-3: Absorb all the content of the module you are studying. This includes reading all of the PasstheOT worksheets, listening to the audio recordings, and watching the videos posted. If you want to cross reference other material, you can certainly do so but make sure you follow along with the schedule.
• Day 4: Take the timed PasstheOT test. Your goal is to achieve a 75%. After you take the test, review the answers you got wrong.
• Day 5: Work with a PasstheOT tutor to go through the questions you got wrong and any areas of weakness. The tutor will test your critical thinking and go over interventions to make sure you know all the important material for that module.
• Day 6: Make flash cards of topics or questions that still confuse you and go over all areas of concern on this day. This is the day to refresh all material.

If certain modules are more difficult, (i.e., hands and splints), then you need to study more hours that week or work with a PasstheOT tutor for an additional hour. It is important not to push the material for that given module to the following week.

You are so close to passing the exam and with less then 10 points to the 450 score, passing has less to do with knowledge and more to do with breaking down questions, improving your critical thinking, and gaining a deeper knowledge of interventions. We recommend using our program for 4 weeks and going through 2 modules per week.

Below is the suggested schedule.

• Day 1-2: Absorb all the content of the module you are studying. This includes reading all of the PasstheOT worksheets, listening to the audio recordings, and watching the videos posted. If you want to cross reference other material, you can certainly do so but make sure you follow along with the schedule.
• Day 3: Take the timed PasstheOT test. Your goal is to achieve a 75%. After you take the test, review the answers you got wrong.
• Day 4-5: Absorb all the content of the next module. This includes reading all of the PasstheOT worksheets, listening to the audio recordings, and watching the videos posted. If you want to cross reference material that you currently have, you can certainly do so but make sure you follow along with the schedule.
• Day 6: Work with a PasstheOT tutor to go through the questions you got wrong and any areas of weakness from the last two modules. The tutor will test your critical thinking and go over interventions to make sure you know all the important material for that module.
• Day 7: Make flash cards of topics or questions that still confuse you and go over all areas of concern on this day. This is the day to refresh all material.

At end of each week, it recommended that you work with one of our personal tutors to go over only the material covered in the 2 modules that you just studied. If you get less than 75% on any of our quizzes, it is even more imperative that you work with one of our tutors.

Many students study for the OT exam by taking as many practice questions as possible. However, we believe it is important to become an expert on each topic and then taking a test on that topic to really reflect your abilities. Many students like to spend time reviewing all content, however we think this is a waste of time. We recommend going over information that you don’t know or keep getting wrong. If you are starting to read something that you know very well, skip it and move on. Don’t waste your time on things you already know, focus on the areas that are difficult for you. You can always jot down or make a flashcard on the material you need help remembering. If you feel you are week in a specific area, for example SCI, you might want to volunteer at a SCI clinic for a day for observation. By seeing a C6 SCI patient and observing their daily routines, you will be able to understand the diagnoses better and have an easier time with retention for answering questions on the exam.

Practice Tests

It is helpful to become comfortable with reading an exam question, identifying the stem of a question, and synthesizing the information to determine the best answer. I recommend taking one day to take a test and the next day to review your answers. If you don’t have time to answer 100 questions, try to take 50 or 100. By taking these tests, you are learning what areas you need to study up on more and the style of the test questions. Rather than focusing on your score, focus on what you know and what you don’t know. Reviewing your answers is one of the most important parts to studying for this exam. Focus and pay attention to WHY your answer is wrong. What are these questions telling you?

Specific material you don’t know (i.e., specifics about precautions, diagnoses, equipment)
Practice Domains you are unfamiliar with
Faulty reasoning/second guessing
Not taking enough time/taking too much time
Changing your answer and going against your first instincts
Study Environment
Minimize distractions: Create a study environment that is free of email, internet, phone, and other distractions. Set aside a specific area for study, whether it is an entire room or your desk or kitchen table, and study there most of the time. If you are tempted to get online or procrastinate, tell yourself you can do that at your next break.

If you are really tired or not focused when studying, the best thing you can do is take a break, change your environment, exercise, get some fresh air, and listen to a Pass the OT audio recording.

Mimic test conditions: As you work through practice questions, try to mimic test conditions by taking timed tests, not consulting your notes, and practicing your testing strategy.

Play to your strengths and address your weaknesses: Think about what type of learner you are.

Visual learners prefer learning using charts, pictures, diagrams, and videos
You might be most comfortable focusing on pictures and watching our videos.
Verbal learners prefer learning from words, whether written or spoken.
You might find repeating the words out loud or recording yourself speak outloud very useful.
Auditory learners prefer listening to reading or watching.
You might find our audio recordings very useful. Another idea would be to put long lists to music.
Kinesthetic or tactile learners tend to prefer a more physical style of learning, whether that’s doing an activity or handling materials.
You might want to get together with a study partner to review information on a given topic such as ROM or associating different physical positions of the hand and arm with different pieces of information can help you memorize what you need to know about the various disorders.

It is important to prepare your mind, body, and mental focus before this marathon of an exam.

Research states that Ginkgo biloba, Omega Fish Oil, and blueberries help with focus, clarity, and mental stamina.
Sleeping at least 6-8 hours every night will help create mindfulness so you don’t make careless mistakes or second guess your answers.
Exercising at least 3 times a week or doing some sort of physical movement can help get rid of test anxiety! Some yoga poses to practice are: tree, Seated Arm Stretch or Seated Twist, Legs up on wall and Forward Bends for 5-7 breaths before the test begins.

If you have test anxiety a brain dump exercise could be useful. This can be done by taking out a piece of paper or typing on a word document how you feel, where you are, how your body feels, or any other thoughts that your brain is holding onto. This “brain dump” will help to clear out all of the tasks and commitments that occupy the brain and limit its capacity. Then, find a quiet place to focus your attention on your breath or perhaps on an object. Here is a link to a guided meditation that could be useful. VIEW

When you are studying with a Pass the OT tutor there is a higher chance that most of the things you are uncertain about will pop up. As annoying or embarrassing as this might be, it goes without saying that it is better to focus on your weak points then your stronger ones. This way, there will be a much lower probability that the exam will catch you off guard.
It is often quite difficulty to understand every part of the OT exam. By working with a Pass the OT tutor, there is an expert to help you pay attention to the parts you missed and therefore fill in the gaps.
Tutoring will help promote critical thinking through new questions and explanations within discussions and debates. Thus, a tutoring session will ensures a much deeper learning of the material.
When you are alone, the temptation to procrastinate is incomparably larger than when working with a tutor. A tutor will hold you accountable, provide you with tasks to work on after the session, and make sure your studying efficiently and effectively.

A great way to take a break at the end of the day is by watching a movie related to Occupational Therapy. Here are some of the top movies we recommend. One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest, On Golden Pond, The Note Book, Away from Her, Cocoon, A Trip To Bountiful, Soul Food, Tuesdays with Morrie, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, My left foot, The Brooke Ellison Story, Chocola, What about Bob, As good as it gets, The Kings Speech, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Silver Linings Playbook, American Beauty, Girl Interrupted, The Butterfly Effect, Clockwork Orange, Cape Fear, Benny and Joon, Awakenings, Temple Grandin.

If you need accommodations, request it: If you have a physical or learning disability and need an accommodation such as extra time or special equipment to take the exam, be sure to allow plenty of time to make those arrangements. Here is a link for more information. http://www.nbcot.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=266&Item.