OTED® Frequently Asked Questions

Primary Source means that the document is sent to NBCOT directly from the respective agency (e.g., College or University Registrar, Government Ministry, etc.) in a sealed envelope with the official seal or stamp of the school/agency over the folded flap(s).

**Please note: Documentation submitted to NBCOT must include the OTED applicant’s full name.**

The documents that must be sent primary source are:

• Official, final transcript(s)
• Verification of Academic Credential Form (VACF), if applicable
• National Government Recognition documentation
• Program Director Form
• Course syllabi reflecting content taught at the time coursework was completed. (This should be uploaded into the online OTED application. NBCOT also requires the primary source version.)
• Verification of OT License, Registration, or Certification, if applicable

Yes. Your university or agency may send primary source documents to NBCOT using a secure electronic platform. Primary source documents sent via secure electronic platform to NBCOT must adhere to the same requirements as primary source documents sent via postal mail (i.e., signature of an authorized signatory, official university or agency stamp, and logo). The following secure electronic platforms have been used by agencies and universities in the past to send primary source documentation on behalf of OTED applicants: Parchment Services, Escript, Studentclearingouse, RNP, HEAnet, and DocuSign.

The Official Final Transcript MUST include ALL of the following:

• Name of the institution awarding the occupational therapy degree
• Candidate’s name and social security OR student identification number
• Listing of all courses completed and required for the degree
• Identification of the major (i.e., occupational therapy)
• Type of degree awarded (i.e., bachelor’s or master’s)
• The date on which the degree was awarded/conferred. The degree must have been awarded. Transcripts with a pre-dated graduation date will not be accepted.
• The registrar’s signature (a stamped signature cannot be accepted), and the official university stamp or seal

If the transcript does not contain all of this information, the candidate will be notified by NBCOT that the application cannot be processed until the information is received OR the candidate has the college/university registrar complete and submit the Verification of Academic Credential Form VACF (supplementary form).

If the OTED applicant’s transcript contains the information that is being requested on this form, the form does not have to be submitted. Otherwise, the Verification of Academic Credential Form MUST include ALL of the following:

To be completed by the OTED applicant

• First, middle, and last name
• Any previous name(s)
• Date of birth
• Daytime and evening phone numbers
• Applicant’s signature

To be completed by the College/University Registrar

• Name of College/University
• College/University mailing address
• College/University Registrar’s daytime phone and fax numbers
• OTED applicant’s name
• Date the degree was conferred
• OTED applicant’s occupational therapy academic credential/degree awarded
• Registrar’s signature and job title (A stamped signature cannot be accepted.)

The National Government Recognition documentation is not an OTED form. It is a document that the ministry of health OR the agency in the country of education that approves OT schools to issue OT degrees would provide to NBCOT on the applicant’s behalf confirming that the applicant has graduated with the OT degree at the time the school was approved to grant OT degrees.

The government agency or ministry of health must send NBCOT a letter on agency letterhead that confirms your university was approved to grant OT degrees at the time you graduated. The letter must have an official stamp or seal and be signed by an authorized signatory.

OR

An attested copy of an official final degree certificate issued by the government-recognized occupational therapy program from which you have graduated. The attested copy must contain the following items:

• a signature of an authorized signatory of the university (Vice-chancellor, Registrar, etc.) stamped signatures will not be accepted
• name of college/university
• university logo or letterhead
• the date the degree was conferred
• the degree name (i.e., occupational therapy)
• the type of degree (i.e., bachelor’s or master’s)
• the applicant’s name
• the official university stamp or seal
• reference the government entity that has recognized the university to grant OT degrees.

If you ever held an occupational therapy license/registration to practice OT anywhere in the world, you must verify all active and expired license(s) as a requirement of the OTED process. You must complete the applicant portion of the OTED Verification of License, Registration, or Certification Form and forward it to the licensing agency. The licensing agency must complete the remaining portion and submit directly to NBCOT. You must complete individual forms for each license(s) you ever held.

The coursework's date must be posted to the official course descriptions and syllabi. In addition to uploading these documents, a primary source copy of the descriptions and syllabi will also need to be provided by the institution or universities occupational therapy department program director.

Please have your university’s authorized signatory place an official stamp and signature on the first and last page of the syllabus that is being submitted to NBCOT on your behalf.

NBCOT must receive the original and translated versions of your transcripts and syllabi. All documentation that needs to be translated must be submitted by a certified translator and mailed directly to NBCOT. We must receive the translated version and the untranslated version from the translator. Also, the untranslated version must be submitted from the universities of your bachelor’s and master’s degrees and sent directly to NBCOT.

If your school has an authorized translator and is going to send the translated transcript and syllabus to NBCOT, please have a university official provide a letter on university letterhead confirming that the documents have been translated by a university translator and are true and accurate. This letter will need to be signed by an authorized signatory (i.e., Dean, Registrar, or Vice Chancellor) and have the official university stamp or seal.

Academic coursework which includes content on how to frame a research question, data analysis, and other components of the research standards must be submitted in support of the standards. Course descriptions, course syllabi, and transcripts will need to be provided for all academic coursework. OTED applicants will no longer be able to submit a research document (project, thesis, or paper) as part of the initial application.

It is recommended that you obtain detailed documentation from the university that states how the standard was met and in what academic course. You may wish to contact your school to see if they are able to provide the following:

• Academic syllabi that demonstrates or shows that the research standards were met

If one or more of the research standards have not been met, the applicant will have the opportunity to upload their research document as part of their application (for additional review).

No. NBCOT permits graduates of U.S. entry-level master’s degree in occupational therapy programs to apply for the NBCOT Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR®) certification examination. Because this is an entry-level examination, only academic preparation is assessed in determining exam eligibility. Since the OTED review determines academic comparability to the U.S. entry-level master’s degree in occupational therapy educational standards, the OTED review is conducted on this same premise.

OTED applicants with deficient standard(s) after the initial review are able to submit additional documentation (for those standard(s) deemed deficient). Some standards require the completion of academic coursework only. This is noted with each deficient standard.

It is recommended that the applicant obtain detailed documentation from the university that states how the standard was met and in what academic course. The applicant may wish to contact the school to see if they are able to provide the following:

Additional academic documentation that demonstrates the learning of the content pertaining to the deficient standards. This may include class notes, fieldwork/internship seminar log, PowerPoint lectures used to deliver instructions, lecture handouts, etc. This documentation needs to be on official university letterhead, signed by the program director and academic dean verifying its content and sent as primary source documentation.

NOTE: The document should identify the NAME of the applicant. A letter from the program director stating that the deficient standards were met during schoolwork or fieldwork will not suffice. NBCOT needs substantial documented evidence.

The standard(s) must be met through academic instruction and not through fieldwork placement alone.

Other standards can be completed through academic coursework and/or professional development. This too is noted with each deficient standard.

In the case of professional development, the following documentation must be uploaded into the OTED application:

• Course syllabi (which must include an assessment component)
• Certificate of Completion

NOTE: A minimum of 7 hours of completed coursework is required for physical agent modalities (PAMs) (can be one or more courses to meet the minimum hour requirement).

For further detail, please refer to the Guidelines for Completing Additional Coursework for OTED Review (PDF).

No. Because they are considered core courses, NBCOT reviews documentation reflecting coursework completed at an academic institution to fulfill the educational standards that pertain to these requirements.

No. NBCOT does not preapprove OT curricula. Since OTED reviews are conducted individually and usually a combination of coursework from various schools and/or professional development is assessed in the OTED review, NBCOT cannot provide an OTED determination without a formal OTED review being conducted.

No. Only individuals who have an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) degree from an accredited OTA school in the U.S. are eligible to take the COTA examination.

Once the OTED application is approved, the applicant will receive written electronic confirmation of the approval notice. This is not an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter. Included in this notice is an OTED ID, which the applicant will need to enter to complete the online certification examination application through the MyNBCOT account. NBCOT highly recommends that the applicant review the Exam Handbook in advance of completing the online OTR examination application.

Your OTED approval is valid for seven (7) years from the date of approval, which means you must take and PASS the exam within the 7 year period or you will need to reapply to the OTED process, pay the fee, and resubmit documentation for review.

An exam candidate can take the certification exam for the second and third time after 30 days from the date of the previous exam attempt. The candidate can take the exam for the fourth through sixth times after 60 days from the date of previous exam attempt. The candidate can take the exam for the seventh time or higher after six months from the date of the previous exam attempt.

Please reset your password by clicking this link: https://www.nbcot.org/account/forgotpassword

Your documents are likely too large. We recommended that you break the document down in size to no more than 20-30 pages per attachment (no larger than 20 MB).

No, this must be completed by the OTED applicant. The primary source version should be sent by the school directly to NBCOT on the OTED applicant’s behalf via postal mail or via a secure electronic documentation transfer method.

Yes, all OTED applicants are subject to the NBCOT Candidate/Certificant Code of Conduct. NBCOT has purview over all individuals who have applied for OTED to take the NBCOT Certification Examination for OTR.

Once the OTED application fee has been paid and the applicant has started the application process, there is no application refund. Requests for refunds will not be accepted or honored. Please make sure you are able to provide all of the required documentation before you click the Payment button:

• Official, final transcript(s)
• Verification of Academic Credential Form (VACF), if applicable
• National Government Recognition documentation
• Program Director Form
• Course syllabi reflecting content taught at the time coursework was completed. (This should be uploaded into the online OTED application. NBCOT also requires the primary source version if that course syllabi year is not already on file with NBCOT.)
• Verification of OT License, Registration, or Certification Form, if applicable
• Professional Practice History Form

The OTED application remains active for a total of three (3) years from the date the orange “begin” button is clicked to start your OTED application. If the application remains incomplete or deficient beyond three years, the application will expire. Your application could be considered for an extension for an additional fee.

Yes, you may apply for OTED if you have a bachelor’s degree in OT with a master’s degree in a related field. Please email international@nbcot.org to determine whether your master’s degree in a related field meets OTED eligibility criteria.

No. This is because many post-graduate diploma programs are not at the master’s degree level.