Hand Therapy Resource Center

The Hand Therapy Resource Center is a website sponsored by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC) and is an online community with social networking capabilities for therapists studying for the CHT examination or therapists who want to increase their knowledge about hand therapy. The Hand Therapy Resource Center includes:

• Practice Test Questions
• Hand Therapy Flashcards
• Online Study Resources
• Tools to Organize Your Study Plan
• Online Study Groups
• Networking features such as blogs, forums and interactive articles

Click here to subscribe to the Hand Therapy Resource Center

Preparation Tips
Feeling anxious about taking the certification exam? Here are some tips from CHTs to help you prepare…

• Organize a timeline & plan your approach to review.
• List study topics.
• Review the test blueprint for the six knowledge domains.
• Use the Preparation Materials to guide your choice of study materials.
• Group topics together and place them on a study timetable to create a study schedule to focus your studying efforts. If you are working with a group, assign topics for review at each meeting.
• Try to set aside time each day, rather than studying for several hours at a time.
• Although HTCC does not endorse specific study groups, it does encourage group study for exam preparation.

Use Flash Cards
About three-quarters of the candidates used flashcards in their study. Although there are commercial sources for flash cards, therapists noted the value in them was related to writing them out and reviewing them at every opportunity.

Tips for using flashcards:

• Organize them by topic
• Carry them with you and refer to them frequently
• Use them in conjunction with your study group
• An excellent way to learn anatomy
• Use them to write test questions and have friends and family quiz you

Join a Study Group
Studying in a group can be invaluable in preparing for the exam. Analysis of test results indicates that candidates who studied in a group performed slightly better on the Hand Therapy Certification Examination than those who were not in a study group. Individuals share their strengths as well as identify their weaknesses; difficult concepts often become clear as each member offers questions and discussion; and the psychological support that members receive from each other during exam preparation helps test performance.

Tips for study groups:

• Contact other therapists in your area to find others interested in starting a study group. (Groups of three to six people have been shown to be the most effective.)
• Set ground rules related to meeting times, study timetables and individual responsibilities of the group members before you get started.
• Prepare a master list of major articles and divide it up among the members of your study group; each member can write a synopsis of the article to share.
• Study with fellow therapists who are as serious and committed to academic excellence as you are.

How to Find a Study Group
HTCC posts information submitted by therapists who are organizing study groups. The Hand Therapy Certification Commission as an organization does not approve nor endorse specific test preparation courses or study groups.

Click here to view established study groups

Click here to post information about a study group