Remember, that is a first attempt pass rate. Examinees are allowed to retake the exam in 45 days resulting in high 90's pass rates when school rates are considered in total. Statistics like test preparation time after program completion are also important to consider. My wife studied for hundreds of hours to take the MFT exam after grad school, which is a pretty good comp for difficulty compared to the NBCOTE. Doing hours with a USC grad, I found out important practical work in pediatrics, a small part of the exam, are given plenty of attention in the USC program. Pass rates are important but it is not the end of
your career if you fail the first time you take the NBCOTE. Of course you want to pass the exam but you most of all want to be able to PRACTICE Occupational Therapy. Something USC grads are known for being able to do.
When a school gets down into the 70% first time pass rate range, it's accreditation retention is threatened. That is when you will see schools implement strategies to aid NBCOT examination success. Once they are in the high 80's, they might choose to focus on other essential aspects of OT that may not easily be tested on a multiple choice test.
