I've been an occupational therapy assistant student for two years and honestly thought I was well-prepared going into my first NBCOT attempt. I wasn't. Failed by 11 points. Second try I bumped my score but still missed by 4. I was devastated and seriously considered switching careers.
What changed for third time was ditching the thick review books and actually drilling with an OTA practice test every single day for six weeks. Not just answering questions — I wrote down every single one I got wrong and forced myself to explain WHY the correct answer was right before moving on. My weak spots were pediatrics and mental health, so I spent extra time there. I also found a study guide that broke down the domains by percentage weight, which helped me stop wasting time on low-yield content.
Has anyone else gone through multiple attempts? I want to share what worked and hear what exam tips others have picked up. Really hoping this thread helps someone who's where I was six months ago.