DUBOIS – Graduates in the 2009 class of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program at Penn State DuBois achieved 100 percent success on their first career step after college. Faculty in the OTA Program say the class of 10 OTA majors had a 100 percent pass rate on the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBOCOT) Exam this spring.
“This examination is required at the end of the student’s OT education and certifies them nationally to practice as an OTA,” said LuAnn Demi, instructor and coordinator of the OTA Program. “The national average on the exam is around 80 percent, so we are very proud and happy to report that our students far exceeded the national average.”
According to the NBOCOT, the test evaluates the OTA’s ability to formulate treatment plans to meet the needs of specific clients according to their physical conditions and occupational needs. They are also tested on their ability to gather information on the client’s needs and priorities in addition to the evaluation of their professional standards and quality in practice.
The NBOCOT website explains their mission, saying, “NBCOT serves the public interest by developing, administering, and continually reviewing a certification process that reflects current standards of competent practice in occupational therapy. We also work with state regulatory authorities, providing information on credentials, professional conduct, and regulatory and certification renewal issues.”