How to Approach the BOC Certification Exam

Presenter

Jill W. Dale, MS, ATC, LAT Past Chair of BOC Exam Development

Committee

Orthopedic & Sports Therapy Associates, LLP

Elmira, NY

Objectives

Understand the BOC exam format/navigation

Review item development

Review each item type on the exam

Understand how each item is scored

Where to find useful information on the BOC website pertaining to the exam

Study resources for the exam

How Are Items Developed??

• Questions are developed by a committee made up of ATs (Item Writers)

• Questions are developed to assess knowledge on subject matter that aligns & correlates to the five domains of athletic training in the RD/PA 6th edition ( Each question must be classified to RD/PA)

• Each question is referenced to 2 separate published sources

• Each question must adhere to the BOC Style Guide

Domain % of Questions on

Exam

Injury/Illness Prevention and Wellness

Protection 25

Clinical Evaluation and Diagnosis 22

Immediate and Emergency Care 19

Treatment and Rehabilitation 22

Organizational and Professional Health and

Well‐being 12

Exam Question % By Domain

• Questions go through a review process by a separate group of Athletic trainers to assure that - – Each question is entry level – Clear & concise – stem, correct response & distractors – EBP review

• Questions are validated by a panel of independent ATs for

– importance – criticality – relevance

• Questions are eligible as experimental items

How are the Items Developed?

Exam Format

• The exam will contain a combination of 175 scored and un-scored (experimental) items. –Multiple Choice –Multi-Select MC – Focused Testlets –Drag and Drop –Hot Spot

• Candidates will not know which items are experimental.

Exam Format

• You can go forward and backward, flag items throughout the entire exam.

• Candidates will have a total of four (4) hours to complete the exam.

• Your responses are not permanent until you select “submit exam” to end your exam

Sample Exam Driver

1. Multiple Choice (4 option or 5 option)

2. Multi-Select Multiple Choice

3. Drag and Drop

4. Hot Spots

5. Focused Testlets

Question Types All examples can be found in the BOC sample exam

Multiple Choice (5 option)

Multiple Choice (4 option)

Multi Select

Items With pictures

Hot Spot

Drag and Drop

Focused Testlet (Scenario/Question 1)

FT Question #2

FT Question #3

FT Question #4

FT Question #5

Question #5 Attachment

Scoring FAQs

• Multiple Choice, Hot Spot – Zero or 1 (Correct or Incorrect)

• Multi-select, Drag and Drop – Zero to 1, partial credit, can’t go into negative points

• Focused Testlet (FT) – Each item in FT scored independently

Submit Exam

• The BOC website

• The Candidate Handbook

• The Exam Development and Scoring Document

• Style Guide

• The Reference List

• NATA Position Statements

• RD/PA

• The Sample Exam / Self Assessment Exams

• Coursework and Classwork

How Can Students Prepare for the Exam?

BOC Website - www.bocatc.org

Candidates Section

Life after the BOC Exam

this is just the mid-point of

the certification process

What Happens After Passing the BOC Exam??

• 2 -4 weeks after the last exam window, you will receive an email from the BOC

• Log into BOC Central™ to see updated status

Certification

Eligible for Certification

OR

Certified

Maintain Certification

• Once your certification is complete, you can begin accumulating CEUs

• CEU reporting is due every 2 years

• 50 CEUs, which must include at least 10 Evidence Based Practice (EBP) CEUs

Questions??

Thank You!!