Prepping for the BOC Exam: How Soon is Too Soon?

We get tons of questions from athletic training about when to start preparing for the Board of Certification (BOC) exam). In most years, we advise students to hold off on any test prep until their first year in the program is in the books. Why? Well, in your first year you should be soaking in everything that you are learning in your classes, clinical experiences, and time spent with your teams. This is your primary job -to learn. So, is now the right time to get started preparing for the BOC exam?

It very well could be right now, but that remains an individual decision. You won’t find any easy answers here, but you will find the questions and competing factors you should be considering as you navigate the best times for you to prepare and take the BOC exam

When is your brain ready for the BOC Exam?

Succeeding on the BOC depends not only on knowing your anatomy and special tests, but also on staying focused, keeping your cool, and making good decisions over the course of a four-hour exam. One view of when to take the test is when you’ve acquired both the academic skills and the maturity to make the test easier and less stressful.

At this point, you’re not likely to be learning much new anatomy, but you are learning new clinical skills and specific athletic training-related knowledge…