A step-by-step guide for candidates preparing for the BOC exam BOC Exam Candidate Handbook Effective for March/April 2019 - January/February 2020 Exam Windows Version 1.3 Published January 2019 page 2 Board of Certification Attn: Credentialing Services 1415 Harney St, Ste 200 Omaha, NE 68102 Email: Exam@bocatc.org Website: www.bocatc.org Office: (402) 559-0091 Toll Free: (877) 262-3926 Fax: (402) 561-0598 Attn: Credentialing Services Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm CT Friday hours: Memorial Day-Labor Day 8:30am -3:00pm CT Board of Certification The Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) was incorporated in 1989 as a not-for-profit credentialing agency to provide a certification program for the entry level athletic training profession. The BOC establishes both the standards for the practice of athletic training and the continuing education requirements for BOC Certified Athletic Trainers (ATs). The BOC also works with state regulatory agencies to provide credential information, professional conduct guidelines and regulatory standards on certification issues. The BOC also has the only accredited certification program for ATs in the United States and has mutual recognition agreements with Canada and Ireland. BOC Vision: The BOC exists so that healthcare professionals worldwide have access to globally recognized standards of competence and exceptional credentialing programs that support them in the protection of the public and the provision of excellent patient care. BOC Mission: To provide exceptional credentialing programs for healthcare professionals to assure protection of the public. BOC Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Fairness, Transparency, Service About Us page 3 Glossary page 4 Introduction page 6 Exam Eligibility Students/Graduates of a CAATE Accredited Program page 7 ARTI and CATA Certified Individuals page 7 Discrimination Statement page 7 Determining Eligibility page 7 Application Process page 8 Registration Process page 10 Accommodation Requests page 10 Confirmation for Exam page 12 Exam Day page 13 Exam Security and Confidentiality page 17 Scoring and Results page 18 Rescheduling an Exam page 20 Cancellation of an Application/ Failure to Appear/Appeal of Exam Fee Forfeiture page 21 Retaking the Exam page 23 Completing the File for Certification page 24 Preparing for the Exam page 26 BOC Certification and the ATC® Credential: Ongoing Responsibilities page 28 Appendices page 32 Table Of Contents Table of Contents page 4 Glossary ADA Americans with Disabilities Act ARTI Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland BREAKDOWN ON 4 BUSINESS DAYS FOR RESCHEDULING/CANCELLING The BOC must receive the written request from the candidate no later than 5:00pm CT (UTC-6:00) on the following: Saturday or Sunday the previous Tuesday Friday the previous Monday Thursday the previous Friday Wednesday the previous Thursday Tuesday the previous Wednesday Monday the previous Tuesday BOC Board of Certification, Inc. BUSINESS DAYS Monday through Friday excluding holidays CAATE Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Scantron BOC’s professional testing vendor CATA Canadian Athletic Therapists Association ECC Emergency Cardiac Care EXAM APPLICATION PROCESS Complete AT101-Exam Application-Step 1 Complete AT102-Exam Application-Step 2 Testing DayWritten Request Due Step 1 Step 2 Glossary page 5 EXAM REGISTRATION PROCESS Register: Candidate logs on to BOC Central™ to register for exam Pay: Candidate pays for exam Schedule: Candidate logs in to Scantron website to schedule exam site/date/time EXAM WINDOW Specific dates when a candidate may sit for the exam GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID This is a requirement for admittance into the BOC exam. With few exceptions, it must meet all of the following requirements: • Be an original document; photocopied documents and electronic images are not acceptable • Be valid; expired documents (bearing expiration dates that have passed) are not acceptable • Bear your full name exactly (excluding accents) as it was when registering for the exam • Include a recent, recognizable photograph • Include your signature (the name and signature on the ID document must match) • School ID will NOT be accepted BOC OFFICE HOLIDAY CLOSURES LEGAL NAME The first and last name (including any suffix such as Jr, Sr, I, II, III, etc.) as it appears on a valid, government issued photo ID (i.e., driver’s license, passport, state issued ID) NATA National Athletic Trainers’ Association PD Program Director Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Good Friday: April 19 Memorial Day: May 27 Independence Day: July 4 Labor Day: September 2 Thanksgiving: November 28-29 New Year’s Day: January 1, 2020 Martin Luther King Day: January 21 Glossary Winter Holidays: December 24-25 page 6 In order to attain certification, an individual must graduate from an athletic training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in no less than 2 academic years or meet the eligibility requirements for ARTI or CATA certified individuals and pass the BOC exam. If the program is in the accreditation process, candidates must be enrolled in the program during the semester of the site visit. A current list of CAATE Accredited Programs is available on the CAATE website at https://caate.net. Application and completion of the BOC certification program is voluntary. This handbook has been developed for individuals who are candidates for certification or reinstatement as Athletic Trainers. As such, it contains information on eligibility requirements, the application process, BOC certification, ongoing responsibilities to maintain certification and a variety of other important topics. Candidates are responsible for becoming familiar with its contents and using it in completing the certification process. Introduction Introduction page 7 Certification Exam Eligibility I Students/Graduates of a CAATE Accredited Program Candidates who are enrolled and/or registered in their final semester/quarter prior to graduation are eligible to sit for the BOC exam. Qualified candidates for the BOC exam must have received confirmation on their exam application by the Program Director recognized by the CAATE that they have earned or will earn their bachelor’s or master’s degree. Candidates who graduated with a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a CAATE (previously JRC-AT) accredited program in 2003 or later meet the education requirements for the BOC exam. II ARTI and CATA Certified Individuals In 2014, Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland (ARTI) joined the BOC and the CATA in a Mutual Recognition Arrangement. The arrangement allows BOC Certified Athletic Trainers, CATA Certified Athletic Therapists and ARTI Certified Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists the opportunity to write/take each other’s certification exams, thereby removing barriers for certified professionals to possibly obtain employment in another jurisdiction. In order to qualify as a candidate for the BOC exam, an individual certified by either ARTI or CATA must be confirmed on the BOC exam application by an official from ARTI or CATA. The ARTI or CATA certified individuals must also hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. For instructions on how to complete the BOC exam application as an ARTI Certified Athletic Rehabilitation Therapist or as a CATA Certified Athletic Therapist, see Apply for Exam on the BOC website. III Discrimination Statement The BOC does not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, gender, color, age, disability, religion, sex (including sexual harassment), national origin, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law ordinance or regulation. IV Determining Eligibility Applications are reviewed by BOC staff to determine candidate eligibility. Candidates must use their legal name* when completing the application. All candidates are required to have an email address. Candidates have 1 year to complete the application process once started. Failure to successfully complete the application process within this time frame will require submission of a new application meeting all current fee and eligibility requirements. *Candidates with more than 1 last name listed on their government issued photo ID must have the same last names reflected on the exam admission ticket. This includes any suffix such as Jr, Sr, I, II, III, etc. Certification Exam Eligibility page 8 Application Process A. Creating a Personal Profile in BOC Central™ 1) Entering the Candidate’s Name Correctly When creating a personal profile in BOC Central™, it is critical that candidates enter their name exactly as it appears on their valid, government issued photo ID (acceptable IDs include driver’s licenses, passports and state issued IDs). The BOC exam admission ticket will use the name provided by the candidate in the Personal Information section in BOC Central™. On exam day, candidates will be asked to produce their valid, government issued photo ID. The first and last name* on the photo ID must match exactly the first and last name on the roster. If the name on the photo ID does not match the name on the roster, the candidate will not be permitted to take the exam and will be considered a No Show. School IDs will not be accepted. *Candidates with more than 1 last name listed on their government issued photo ID must have the same last names reflected on the exam admission ticket. This includes any suffix such as Jr, Sr, I, II, III, etc. 2) Name Change Requests Candidates who have a change of name (e.g., due to marriage) are required to notify the BOC by logging in to BOC Central™ and completing the Name Change Request Form. In addition, the original or notarized copy of the legal document indicating change of legal name must be mailed to the BOC. The original document must contain the official raised seal of the department issuing the document or a stamp that clearly is an original and not a photocopy (e.g., Department of Vital Statistics). The signature and title of the department representative must be present. Mail the documentation to: Board of Certification Attn: Certification Records 1415 Harney St Ste 200 Omaha NE 68102-2250 B. Completing Step 1 Candidates complete Step 1 of the exam application. Once Step 1 is approved by the appropriate personnel (Program Director for candidates of a CAATE accredited athletic training program*, CATA for CATA Certified Athletic Therapists and ARTI for ARTI Certified Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists), candidates complete Step 2 and pay the application fee. V Certification Exam Eligibility page 9 The BOC processes applications within 1-2 business days. Candidates receive an email from the BOC once their application has been approved. Meeting exam deadlines is the candidate’s responsibility. If it is getting close to the exam application deadline date and the candidate has not yet received an email from the BOC indicating Step 1 of the application has been approved, the candidate should contact the appropriate person ( i.e. Program Director, ARTI or CATA) and remind them of the upcoming application deadline. *If the Program Director of a CAATE accredited athletic training program refuses to confirm Step 1 of the exam application to allow a candidate to sit for the BOC exam, the student may submit an official transcript with degree, date of degree and a written request for the BOC to confirm Step 1 of the application. The BOC will review the official transcript to confirm graduation from a CAATE accredited program and approve Step 1 of the exam application without the Program Director verifying that the student was/is in the program. For more details on submitting an official transcript, see page 24 - Documentation Required to Complete File for Certification. C. Approved Application Once a candidate’s eligibility is approved, the candidate will be notified via email and will be able to register for the exam when the exam registration window opens. Candidates with an approved exam application are expected to comply with the BOC Standards of Professional Practice at all times. Candidates have 1 year from their application approval date to register and pay for the BOC exam. If a candidate has registered for the final exam window prior to their expiration date, the candidate must sit during that exam window; rescheduling is not an option. Failure to register, pay and sit for the exam within this time frame will require submission of a new application and retaking the exam. When submitting a new application, candidates must satisfy the current eligibility and fee requirements. D. Incomplete or Denied Application If an application does not meet eligibility requirements, the candidate will be notified via email. The notification will provide specific information regarding deficiencies with the application. Candidates who have a completed application to the BOC by 5:00pm CT (UTC-6.00) on the application deadline will be given the opportunity to resolve their deficiencies prior to the exam registration deadline date. E. Appeal of a Denied Application 1) If the BOC does not approve an application, the candidate can initiate an appeal via email, fax or mail. Appeals must be made in writing to Credentialing Services. The candidate is responsible for providing documentation to demonstrate the appeal should be granted. 2) Appeals must be received in writing via email, fax or mail at least 30 days before the exam registration deadline date for the exam window the candidate is requesting. Credentialing Services will review the appeal. The candidate will be notified in writing of the subsequent decision. Certification Exam Eligibility Exam@bocatc.org Fax: (402) 561-0598 Board of Certification Attn: Credentialing Services 1415 Harney St Ste 200 Omaha NE 68102-2250Next >