My Honest Take on the NBCOT Study Materials I Used (After an 8-Day Intensive)
- Rachel Nation
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
If you’ve been following along, you already know this wasn’t my original plan.
I did create a 28-day study schedule that included TherapyEd, AOTA, OT Miri, OT Exam Prepper, and Mometrix Flashcards… but long story short, life happened, and I ended up doing an 8-day intensive study sprint (about 10–13 hours a day).
This post is my honest, no-sugar-coating review of the materials I actually used and how they felt in real life, not just on paper.
TherapyEd
Pros: incredibly detailed, thorough, and clinically rich
Cons: a lot, sometimes too much
TherapyEd is information-dense. Like… overflowing. And honestly, I think that’s both its strength and its weakness.
I truly believe TherapyEd would be amazing if:
You have a 2–3 month study window (the more the better)
You’re someone who learns best through deep explanations
You’re preparing not just for NBCOT, but also thinking ahead to inpatient or acute care settings
For my situation, an 8-day sprint, it was simply too much information for the NBCOT context. That said, if I had more time, I 100% would’ve used it more. It doesn’t hurt; it just requires time.
AOTA Materials (My Main Framework)
This was my primary resource.
Compared to TherapyEd, AOTA felt more like an organized outline or structured skeleton of what you need to know. On its own, it can feel a little bare, but that’s actually why I liked it.
Here’s how I used it:
AOTA = framework
When something felt thin → I Googled or checked TherapyEd or other resources, then added my own notes
I layered information on top of AOTA instead of drowning in everything at once
For my brain, this made studying feel cleaner, calmer, and more organized.
OT Miri & OT Exam Prepper (Best Supplements, Hands Down)
If I had to pick two supplements, these would be it.
OT Miri
Simplifies concepts
Helps you actually understand instead of just memorizing
Great for when things feel overwhelming or abstract
OT Exam Prepper (podcast+PDFs)
AMAZING for charts, stages, categories, and comparisons
Very memorization-friendly
Perfect for reinforcing patterns NBCOT loves to test
Neither is fully comprehensive, and that’s okay.
They shine when used together and paired with a solid framework (like AOTA).
Mometrix Flashcards
Mixed feelings here.
The content is good, but similar to TherapyEd, it can feel too detailed for something meant to be a “flashcard.”
That said…
They were very helpful when:
I was in the car
Walking around
Feeling anxious because I wasn’t “actively studying” 😅
So yes, helpful, but not my core study tool.
NBCOT Practice Exams
I didn’t use their full study pack, but I did use the practice tests, and I’m really glad I did.
After taking the actual exam, I can honestly say:
👉 NBCOT practice exams represent the real test format the best.
If your goal is to:
Get familiar with question style
Understand how things are asked
Reduce test-day shock
This is a must.
So What Did I Actually Use?
Main framework: AOTA
Supplements: OT Miri + OT Exam Prepper
Support tools: TherapyEd (selectively), Mometrix (on-the-go), NBCOT practice exams
A Note About Resources & Reuse
One thing I want to be very honest about:
Resources are limited.
Once you reuse practice questions too many times, you start memorizing answers, not concepts. That’s not helpful.
In the prep binder I’m building, I go into much more detail about:
how to rotate resources
when to stop using certain tools
how to avoid false confidence
My Raw Study Schedule (Important Disclaimer)
Below is the link to my raw study schedule.
Please know:
This version has formatting inconsistencies
Some page numbers are off
It is not polished
This is shared for people who:
Need a kickstart
Feel completely lost
Just want a reference or framework
👉 Please use it as a guide—not a rulebook.
The refined, organized, and experience-based version will be included in my NBCOT prep binder.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next post 🤍
SOLI DEO GLORIA.
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