How to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant in CA

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Occupational Therapy Assistant Education Requirements in CA

The path to becoming an occupational therapy assistant typically starts with an OTA associate degree program.

To be eligible to take the certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) — which is a requirement for licensure in California — you must graduate from an ACOTE-accredited program. (ACOTE stands for the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.) OTA programs usually take about two years to complete, though some programs are shorter. For example, American Career College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program can be completed in as little as 20 months.

As part of your program, you will take general education courses as well as courses focused on occupational therapy subject matter (e.g., conditions commonly treated in OT, occupational therapy principles and therapeutic techniques) and you will need to complete a certain number of supervised practice hours in the field. At American Career College, OTA students must complete 700 hours of fieldwork prior to graduation.

Taking Your COTA Certification Exam

To become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) and be approved to work in California, you will need to pass the COTA certification exam administered by the NBCOT.

As previously mentioned, you are eligible to take the exam if you graduated from an ACOTE-accredited program in the United States. If you graduated from a program outside of the U.S., you will need to apply for the Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED) process. You can find more information about the OTED process on the NBCOT website.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Certification: Applying for the Exam

Here are a few things you should know before applying for the COTA certification exam:

If you are a first-time test taker, you are advised to read the NBCOT Certification Exam Handbook prior to applying for the exam.
You will need to create a MyNBCOT account prior to applying online for the certification exam.
The cost of the exam is $515 for first-time test takers, or $385 if you are reapplying.

You can submit a paper application; however, this will cost you more ($555), and it will increase your processing time.

You will need to answer character review questions and undergo a background check.

If you are taking the exam for the first time, you must request an official final transcript or a degree verification form (DVF) from your school and have the documentation submitted to the NBCOT. It is important to initiate this process only after you have completed your exam application, as initiating it beforehand can cause delays.

The DVF will only be used if you are not able to obtain your official transcript in time due to the transcript release schedule of your school. Click here to learn more about NBCOT’s degree verification policy.

You can request test accommodations if needed.

Your exam application will be valid for 90 days, so be sure to schedule your exam date within that time frame.

At ACC, we cover the cost of your initial exam and study tools for your board exam as well as your AOTA and OTAC membership.

What Is on the COTA Exam?

Starting on January 2, 2024, the COTA exam will be updated to reflect new content outlines that are based on the NBCOT’s 2022 practice analyses.

The exam format will include 180 test items, which include a mix of three- and four-optionsingle-response, multiple-choice items and six-option, multi-select scenario sets. Test takers will be given four hours to complete the exam.

The exam content will include:

Collaborate and Gather Information – 27%

These questions test the prospective COTA’s ability to acquire information on an ongoing basis concerning factors that influence occupational performance.

Select and Implement Interventions – 55%

These questions test the prospective COTA’s ability to implement interventions (under the supervision of a registered occupational therapist) in alignment with the intervention plan and level of service competence in order to support client participation throughout the occupational therapy process.

Uphold Professional Standards and Responsibilities – 18%

These questions test the prospective COTA’s ability to uphold professional standards and responsibilities through the achievement of service competence and the application of evidence-based interventions in order to promote quality in practice.

More information about what is on the exam is available in the latest COTA Examination Content Outline. If you are taking your COTA exam prior to January 1, 2024, you should follow the previous content outline instead.

Learn more about ACC's Occupational Therapy Assistant program

Available in Anaheim

View full program details

How to Get Your Occupational Therapy Assistant License in California

To work as an OTA in California, you must obtain your occupational therapy assistant license from the California Board of Occupational Therapy, which falls under the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Here’s what you need to know about the process of applying for an OTA license in California:

You can submit your application on the California Department of Consumer Affairs website, or you can request a paper application by emailing cbot@dca.ca.gov.

There will be an application fee of $50 along with a $49 fee for fingerprinting (does not apply to Live Scan submissions).

You will have to undergo a criminal background check.

It will take about three to four weeks for your application to be processed.

You will be notified in writing if your application is approved.

If you do not have previous experience working as an occupational therapy assistant within the past five years, you must fulfill one of the following requirements in order to be licensed as an OTA:

Show proof of passage of the NBCOT examination.

Show proof of completion of 40 hours of continuing education or professional development units within the past two years.

Getting Started on Your OTA Education

Take the first step to becoming a certified occupational therapy assistant by enrolling in an OTA program today!

American Career College's OTA program is accredited by ACOTE, which means you’re eligible to take the national COTA certification exam upon graduation, and the program can becompleted in 20 months.

Our program is taught in a blended format with both online classes and in-person instruction at our Orange County campus in Anaheim, California.

Learn more about ACC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program!