How long does it take to become an occupational therapy assistant?
BLS states that associate’s degree programs for occupational therapy assistants generally require 2 years of full-time study, plus several months of fieldwork. Some programs are at the bachelor’s level; no official length for those was published on the pages checked. After graduation, the NBCOT COTA exam is offered daily.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
The program
BLS’s occupational therapy assistants and aides page states: “Occupational therapy assistants typically need an associate’s degree from an accredited program, although some bachelor’s degree programs also are available.” It also states: “Associate’s degree programs generally require 2 years of full-time study and include coursework in subjects such as anatomy, psychology, and kinesiology. In addition to taking coursework, occupational therapy assistants must complete several months of fieldwork to gain hands-on work experience.”
ACOTE’s U.S. school directory lists OTA Associate and OTA Baccalaureate programs. ACOTE states: “There is NO mandate regarding OTA associate-degree-level education.” ACOTE’s public pages checked on November 10, 2026 did not state a program length, so this site does not give one for baccalaureate OTA programs. Ask the program, and confirm its status in the ACOTE directory.
Exam: NBCOT COTA
Unlike the NPTE’s fixed test dates, NBCOT’s Schedule your exam page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “The NBCOT exam is offered daily at hundreds of test centers.” It also states: “Once your application is approved, you can schedule your exam. You will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter by email and in your MyNBCOT account.”
Timing points on NBCOT’s Apply for your exam page:
- The page has a heading that reads “Exam applications are valid for three months”.
- On transcripts: “After you apply for the exam, you must have your school send your official final college/university transcript.” It also states: “Transcripts are reviewed in the order they are received. This process can take up to 10 business days and may take longer during busy times.”
- On the Degree Verification Form (DVF): “If you use this form when applying for the exam it must be within six months of your anticipated graduation date and within the same calendar year of graduation.” It also states: “Your exam results are not released until we receive an official final transcript from your college/university.”
On scores, the schedule page states: “Exam scores are released according to the scoring calendar. If you want your exam result on a specific scoring date, you MUST take your exam a minimum of three days before that score release date.” The calendar itself did not render in a plain read of the page on November 10, 2026, so this site does not list score dates. Check them on NBCOT’s exam page.
Exam fees are on NBCOT’s apply page; this site does not copy them.
License
NBCOT’s Get Certified page states: “Certification is not the same as licensure.” How long a state or territory takes to issue a license is set by that board. This site does not list board processing times. Start from the state and territory directory.
After you certify
NBCOT’s certification renewal page states that if you complete your certification renewal requirements by your scheduled renewal date, you will be granted Active in Good Standing certification status for another three years. See renewal and CE.
BLS describes occupational therapy aides separately: “Training may last several days or a few weeks.” That is the aide job, not the OTA/COTA path.