Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination Updates

Effective July 31st, 2013, internationally educated occupational therapists must meet one of the following minimum criteria to be considered eligible for the OTR® certification examination.

1. Completion of an Entry-Level Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from a government authorized and/or WFOT approved college or university occupational therapy educational program AND a Post Professional Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy**  OR


2. Completion of an Entry-Level Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from a government authorized and/or WFOT approved college or university occupational therapy educational program**

** In addition to the master’s degree requirement in occupational therapy, applicants must complete NBCOT’s Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED) review to determine comparability to current US occupational therapy entry-level standards. Additional coursework may be needed to satisfy requirements.

All internationally-educated occupational therapists approved for exam eligibility under current OTED eligibility standards must take and pass the OTR® certification examination prior to July 31st, 2014 if they do not hold an occupational therapy master’s degree deemed comparable to a U.S. entry-level accredited master’s degree in occupational therapy.

Key Deadline Dates:

• July 2011 – Eligibility change announced


• January 1, 2013 – Deadline for bachelor’s degree only applications received for processing. The only new applications that will be accepted after January 2nd, 2013 will be from candidates who hold a master’s degree in occupational therapy.


• July 31, 2013 – All bachelors’ applications that were previously received must be complete – all requirements fulfilled and no outstanding documents. Incomplete applications have been closed.


• July 31st, 2014 – Those applicants who have completed and been approved through the OTED process and do not hold a master’s degree will be able to test up through July 31st, 2014. Testing after July 31st, 2014 will require the applicant to have a master’s degree in occupational therapy.

For more information about the new online OTED Application and how to apply be sure to watch the NBCOT OTED Initial Application Instructional Video.

Applicants who have already applied and wish to meet deficient standards should view the instructional video NBCOT OTED Additional Review.

Inquiries related to the OTED process should be directed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .