How to Study for the NCTRC Exam

This is easily a top three most commonly asked question across recreational therapy pages. Like many questions, the answer is not clear cut and it really depends on a variety of factors. Some undergraduate programs simply prepare the student better than others. Some students are stronger than others. Some students have test taking anxiety. There's no one-size-fits-all way to prepare for the exam, but I am going to give you my recommendation. 

First, you must understand the test. According the NCTRC, the exam has a limit of three hours (180 minutes), and consists of 120 multiple choice questions. Some of these questions have three answer options and others have four. You are allowed to mark questions to return to and review. 

It is also important to know that NCTRC offers testing accommodations. If you are someone who has received accommodations in the past or feel you may be entitled to accommodations visit the NCTRC testing accommodations guidelines. 

Before you have a meltdown, know that 84.5% of test takers pass. These are good odds. If you were going into a sporting event and someone told you that your team had an 84.5% chance of winning, you would be excited! So do not panic, but do prepare!

Before we dive into what materials to study, it's important to talk about study and test taking strategy. Knowing the content doesn't help if you can't recall the content when it's time to answer it in a specific multiple choice testing format. 

I would recommend studying for two weeks and 90 minutes per day prior to your planned exam date. 

When I say studying, I do not mean simply reading materials that will be mentioned in this article. I recommend using active studying strategies such as flash cards.

• Flash cards

There are a ton of digital flash card apps now that make it easy to create your own flash cards. Though, you may want to try the old school pencil and paper method if you think writing down the concepts helps you memorize better than typing on your phone or computer. There are also a variety of pre-made flashcards on websites such as Quizlet. The problem is you can't guarantee the validity of the content because anyone can make Quizlet cards, this is why I recommend creating your own. When using flashcards to study it is important to attempt to answer the card aloud every. single. time. When you read the front of the flashcard and passively flip it over you are not developing an understanding of a question/concept and the answer. Say an answer aloud even if it is incorrect. If it is incorrect, go find the correct answer and do it again. If you're interested in strategies beyond flash cards click here.

  Aside from flash cards the NCTRC provides a practice exam that is readily available online. 

• Practice exam

Doing well on the practice exam does not guarantee you will pass, but it's a good sign. It's also a great tool to gauge your pacing. The actual NCTRC exam is 120 questions and three hours, the practice exam offers 90 questions. This means if you are finishing the practice exam in 135 minutes or less you are on pace to complete the full exam within the allotted three hours. I recommend taking a practice test before you begin studying to gain a better idea of what you need to study. I would then take another practice test after your first week of studying, and two more before taking your exam. During each practice exam make sure to note any question you are not 100% sure on and review that content after your exam. 

If you are REALLY concerned that you may not pass, Norma Stumbo has published a study guide and practice questions. It's well known that she has contributed to many test questions for the actual exam, but it's important to note that this study guide is now six years old and the test has surely changed some. The guide is also pricey but you may be able to find it used. 

In my opinion the most overlooked aspect of the NCTRC exam is that many test takers do not have a good strategy for taking a multiple choice exam. When answering multiple choice question the test taker must choose the best answer. This often means there will be another good answer. It is imprortant to select the answer that most applies to the question. There may be other answers that could be applicable in niche scenarios, but not in the most general sense. I will give an example of my strategy below using a question directly from the NCTRC practice exam. 

Question: 

Why are norms used in the interpretation of standardized assessment scores? 

A. Identifies leisure participation choices

B. Establishes the intensity of problem behaviors

C. Identifies whether a client can perform a specific task

D. Compares a client to a reference group with similar characteristics

First, try to answer the question without even reading any of the given responses. This will give you a reference to see if any answers are close to your original thought. Second, read through all the answers and eliminate those which are surely incorrect. For example, the question simply mentions "standardized assessment." Recreational therapists assess a variety of things, and it doesn't mention anything about specifically assessing leisure, so I know that  A. Identifies leisure participation choice is not applicable. This same thought process also eliminates C. Identifies whether a client can perform a specific task. What if we are assessing a client's feelings? This has nothing to do with ability to complete a task. This is also not applicable. This leaves us B, and D. Both are applicable, as we know that assessment scores can be compared to references to see how a client's behaviors may compare, but that is also too specific. The question is asking generally about standardized assessments, and generally norms are used to compare a client to a reference group, so D is the correct answer.

Good luck! Before landing that big first job don't forget to read How to Negotiate My Salary!