When Do NBCOT OTR Results Come Out? The Scoring Calendar and the 2026 Year-End Blackout

Your OTR result doesn't arrive at the test center or the next morning. NBCOT scores every exam and releases results in batches on the dates of its scoring calendar, so the day you test decides the day you find out.

How NBCOT releases OTR scores

NBCOT's Scoring page and the 2026 calendar, checked on October 27, 2026, set these rules:

• Fixed release dates. Scores are released on the dates shown on the calendar. In 2026 nearly every release falls on a Thursday
• The three-day rule. To get your result on a given release date, you "MUST take your exam a minimum of three days before that score release date." The calendar's own example: test by the Monday before a Thursday release. NBCOT says there are no exceptions
• Where to look. Results appear in your MyNBCOT account, under Application History, and NBCOT emails you when your result is posted
• Dates can move. The calendar says release dates are "subject to change without notice," and that a delayed score is posted as soon as possible

Why the wait? NBCOT's Foundations page says it runs score verification and quality control checks after each administration before sending an official report. NBCOT's pages don't give a time of day for releases. What the score means is in the passing score guide.

Remaining 2026 NBCOT score release dates

The 2026 release dates you can still test for as of October 27 (the October 29 release needed a test by Monday, October 26), with the latest test date worked out from the three-day rule (Passy's arithmetic, except the December 19 date, which NBCOT states):

Two things stand out. The calendar has no release on Thursday, November 26, so anyone who tests from November 17 through November 30 waits for December 3. And the final 2026 release moves to a Tuesday.

The 2026 year-end blackout and the first 2027 test dates

NBCOT's Scoring page sets out the 2026 year-end schedule:

• Last test day of 2026: December 19. Candidates must test by then to be included in the final 2026 release on December 22
• Testing blackout: December 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027, for annual maintenance. Nobody can test during this period
• Testing resumes: January 4, 2027
• Office closure: NBCOT is closed December 24, 2026 through January 3, 2027 and reopens January 4, 2027
• Application deadline for an ATT before the closure: to guarantee an Authorization to Test before the office closes, your application must be complete, including payment and an official final transcript or DVF, by Thursday, December 17, 2026

The notice doesn't say that Authorization to Test windows are extended for the blackout. If your 90-day window runs through late December, plan your appointment for the open days. NBCOT had posted no 2027 scoring calendar as of October 27, 2026, so the first 2027 release date isn't known yet. If you're aiming for January, check the Scoring page again in December, and see the OTR exam at a glance, including its note on testing in 2027.

Are there fixed NBCOT exam dates for 2026 or 2027?

No. There are no national test dates. NBCOT's Schedule page says the exam "is offered daily at hundreds of test centers," and the Foundations page says you can schedule any day of the week during the business hours of the test center you choose. What limits your dates:

• Your Authorization to Test. It's valid for 90 days, and you must test within its dates
• Booking lead time. The handbook says you must schedule at least one day ahead. Same-day appointments aren't available
• Changes. You can reschedule or cancel up to 48 hours before the appointment
• Seats. Open appointments vary by test center, so a practical approach is to book as soon as you have your ATT

NBCOT's pages announce no change to the OTR outline or format for 2027, so unless it announces one, a test in 2027 follows the same 2022 content outline as now. When you know your window, you can match a 30-, 90- or 180-day OTR prep window to your ATT dates. Checkout isn't open yet.

What can delay an OTR result

Three situations push a result past the scheduled date:

If you're testing on a DVF, NBCOT's Degree Verification Policy asks you to send the official transcript as soon as it's available. The application guide explains when the DVF route makes sense.

Getting your OTR result to a state board

A passing result doesn't reach your state on its own. NBCOT's Score Transfer page says every state except Hawaii requires a Score Transfer to issue a license. If you order it before the exam, NBCOT sends it electronically within 2 to 3 business days of your exam being scored. If you order it afterward, it goes within 2 to 3 business days of the request. One transfer is free if you add it to your application, and each additional one is $35.

A Score Transfer isn't a license application. You still apply to your state board separately, as NBCOT's handbook stresses.

Picking an OTR test date that fits your deadline

Work backward from the date you need a result, for a job start or a license application:

1. Find the release date you need on NBCOT's scoring calendar.
2. Subtract three days to get your latest test date, and allow a few more in case your preferred center is full.
3. Check your ATT window and the year-end blackout.
4. If you're testing on a DVF, add the time your registrar needs to issue the final transcript.
5. Count back your study weeks. The free OTR study planner builds a schedule from your exam date and daily study time.

If your result comes back below 450, the retake guide explains the waiting periods, which also run around the blackout. For the final weeks, you can plan a last full rehearsal with the 180-question OTR mock exam planned at launch.