COTA EXAM EXAMPLE QUESTIONS 1
(BUY THE BOOK) WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
Initial action for developing a discharge group? - ANS obtain prospective group members'
occupational profile and postdischarge goals and options.
Rationale: when developing any therapeutic group, first get any prospective members OT
profile.
Student w/ down syndrome and moderate intellectual disability does not each lunch during
lunch hour due to distractions. You should?
A. Schedule lunch to be in classroom to limit distractions
B. Provide positive feedback for attending to eating at 10-minute intervals
C. Practice role playing lunching conversations in the classroom
D. Seat the student at a lunchroom table with one peer? - ANS D. seat at table with one peer
Rationale: allows for socialization without too many distractors.
On a bus at community integration group a member falls gets up and laughs says "good thing I
bounce well". you should?
A. cancel and go file an occurrence report
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,B. Ask the bus driver to radio an ambulance
C. continue activity and file report up return to group home
D. Continue activities and ask client if they are having symptoms - ANS C. continue and file
the report later upon return to group home.
Rationale: client is not injured and occurrence reports about minor events do not have to be
filed immediately. Reporting symptoms are important but documentation is more important
than the client's symptoms.
Restaurant employee with left humeral fracture. After cast removal Pt received OT. Pt has 3/5
tricep strength and full elbow rom. To increase elbow function in work-tasks, which activity is
most effective for the OTA to next include during intervention.
A. storing plates and glasses on shelves at chest height.
B. Wiping off a table while standing.
C. Carrying a tray of dishes from the table to the sink.
D. Wiping off a counter at chest height. - ANS A. storing plates and glasses on shelves at chest
height.
Rationale: Storing plates at chest height is a resistive activity against gravity. This is one of the
best ways to increase strength in a muscle to attain full elbow ROM.
Wiping tables at stomach level is gravity assisted so its wrong. Wiping counter at chest height is
gravity eliminated so yep thats wrong. carrying dishes is an isometric activity. Welcome to the
cota exam.
The family is very anxious about surgery, and they ask the OTA what to do. Which is the OTA's
best response?
A. Recommend the family follow surgical recommendations from the doctor.
B. Suggest preoperative course of intensive therapy, and static/dynamic splinting
C. Advice the family to review all of the information to make an educated decision.
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,D. Encourage the family to get a second opinion from another surgeon. - ANS C. Advice the
family to review all of the information to make an educated decision.
Pt recovering from lumbar surgery and must remain flat in bed during initial recovery. Pt wants
to read comic books. Which is the best adaptation for OTA to recommend?
A. page magnifier
B. Prism Glasses
C. Audiotapes of books of interest.
D. Large print books of interest. - ANS B. Prism Glasses
Rationale: Prism glasses bend light 90 degrees which enables a person to lay flat and read
anything resting on his/her lap. This way Pt can read their comics.
Pt with C3 spinal cord injury is participating in a community mobility group at a shopping mall.
Client expresses desire to return to rehab center due to a pounding headache. OTA notices
client is sweating profusely. Which should the OTA do first in response to this observation and
request?
A. Escort the client to outside of the mall to cool off in the fresh air.
B. Check the client's urinary catheter and collecting bag.
C. Call the rehab center's transportation department to relay the client's request.
D. Immediately activate the recline feature of the patient's tilt-in-space wheelchair. - ANS B.
Check the client's urinary catheter and collecting bag.
Rationale: Profuse sweating and headaches are signs of autonomic dysreflexia. This is an
extreme rise in BP caused by a noxious stimuli, which must be treated immediately by removing
the stimulus. A blocked catheter and overfilled urine bag are common precipitants to this
complication and could results in a medical emergency in persons with a spinal cord injury. The
patient should also be kept upright to help manage the rise in blood pressure.
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, An elementary age kid holds pencil with tightly held static tripod grasp. Which is the best
approach to improve his grasp?
A. perform all written work with a larger pencil and jumbo crayons on a horizontal surface.
B. Take a break every 15 minutes while writing to open and close the hand several times.
C. Practice moving coins from the fingertips to the palm and then from the palm to the
fingertips.
D. Write all written work on a vertical surface, such as an easel or classroom wall board. -
ANS C. Practice moving coins from the fingertips to the palm and then from the palm to the
fingertips.
Rationale: incorporation of finger-to-palm and palm-to-finger translations are in-hand
manipulation skills that address the dynamic use of the fingers. Everything else does not
address the issue or involves use of wrist elbow and shoulder movements rather than the
needed finger movements to improve the static tripod grasp to a dynamic tripod grasp.
Hospitilized adult with COPD discharge planning session. Pt says they want to exercise regularly
you should recommend?
A. Hospital wellness program's yoga group
B. Low-impact aerobics at local gym
C. Weight-lifting under direction of personal trainer
D. Jogging with friends at local park - ANS A. Hospital wellness program's yoga group
Rationale: yoga places least amount of stress on pulmonary and cardiac systems and the
hospital program will likely be overseen by trained professionals.
most effective group leadership style for OTA working acute psychiatric inpatient for clients
newly admitted to the unit?
A. Advisory.
4 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
(BUY THE BOOK) WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
Initial action for developing a discharge group? - ANS obtain prospective group members'
occupational profile and postdischarge goals and options.
Rationale: when developing any therapeutic group, first get any prospective members OT
profile.
Student w/ down syndrome and moderate intellectual disability does not each lunch during
lunch hour due to distractions. You should?
A. Schedule lunch to be in classroom to limit distractions
B. Provide positive feedback for attending to eating at 10-minute intervals
C. Practice role playing lunching conversations in the classroom
D. Seat the student at a lunchroom table with one peer? - ANS D. seat at table with one peer
Rationale: allows for socialization without too many distractors.
On a bus at community integration group a member falls gets up and laughs says "good thing I
bounce well". you should?
A. cancel and go file an occurrence report
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,B. Ask the bus driver to radio an ambulance
C. continue activity and file report up return to group home
D. Continue activities and ask client if they are having symptoms - ANS C. continue and file
the report later upon return to group home.
Rationale: client is not injured and occurrence reports about minor events do not have to be
filed immediately. Reporting symptoms are important but documentation is more important
than the client's symptoms.
Restaurant employee with left humeral fracture. After cast removal Pt received OT. Pt has 3/5
tricep strength and full elbow rom. To increase elbow function in work-tasks, which activity is
most effective for the OTA to next include during intervention.
A. storing plates and glasses on shelves at chest height.
B. Wiping off a table while standing.
C. Carrying a tray of dishes from the table to the sink.
D. Wiping off a counter at chest height. - ANS A. storing plates and glasses on shelves at chest
height.
Rationale: Storing plates at chest height is a resistive activity against gravity. This is one of the
best ways to increase strength in a muscle to attain full elbow ROM.
Wiping tables at stomach level is gravity assisted so its wrong. Wiping counter at chest height is
gravity eliminated so yep thats wrong. carrying dishes is an isometric activity. Welcome to the
cota exam.
The family is very anxious about surgery, and they ask the OTA what to do. Which is the OTA's
best response?
A. Recommend the family follow surgical recommendations from the doctor.
B. Suggest preoperative course of intensive therapy, and static/dynamic splinting
C. Advice the family to review all of the information to make an educated decision.
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,D. Encourage the family to get a second opinion from another surgeon. - ANS C. Advice the
family to review all of the information to make an educated decision.
Pt recovering from lumbar surgery and must remain flat in bed during initial recovery. Pt wants
to read comic books. Which is the best adaptation for OTA to recommend?
A. page magnifier
B. Prism Glasses
C. Audiotapes of books of interest.
D. Large print books of interest. - ANS B. Prism Glasses
Rationale: Prism glasses bend light 90 degrees which enables a person to lay flat and read
anything resting on his/her lap. This way Pt can read their comics.
Pt with C3 spinal cord injury is participating in a community mobility group at a shopping mall.
Client expresses desire to return to rehab center due to a pounding headache. OTA notices
client is sweating profusely. Which should the OTA do first in response to this observation and
request?
A. Escort the client to outside of the mall to cool off in the fresh air.
B. Check the client's urinary catheter and collecting bag.
C. Call the rehab center's transportation department to relay the client's request.
D. Immediately activate the recline feature of the patient's tilt-in-space wheelchair. - ANS B.
Check the client's urinary catheter and collecting bag.
Rationale: Profuse sweating and headaches are signs of autonomic dysreflexia. This is an
extreme rise in BP caused by a noxious stimuli, which must be treated immediately by removing
the stimulus. A blocked catheter and overfilled urine bag are common precipitants to this
complication and could results in a medical emergency in persons with a spinal cord injury. The
patient should also be kept upright to help manage the rise in blood pressure.
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, An elementary age kid holds pencil with tightly held static tripod grasp. Which is the best
approach to improve his grasp?
A. perform all written work with a larger pencil and jumbo crayons on a horizontal surface.
B. Take a break every 15 minutes while writing to open and close the hand several times.
C. Practice moving coins from the fingertips to the palm and then from the palm to the
fingertips.
D. Write all written work on a vertical surface, such as an easel or classroom wall board. -
ANS C. Practice moving coins from the fingertips to the palm and then from the palm to the
fingertips.
Rationale: incorporation of finger-to-palm and palm-to-finger translations are in-hand
manipulation skills that address the dynamic use of the fingers. Everything else does not
address the issue or involves use of wrist elbow and shoulder movements rather than the
needed finger movements to improve the static tripod grasp to a dynamic tripod grasp.
Hospitilized adult with COPD discharge planning session. Pt says they want to exercise regularly
you should recommend?
A. Hospital wellness program's yoga group
B. Low-impact aerobics at local gym
C. Weight-lifting under direction of personal trainer
D. Jogging with friends at local park - ANS A. Hospital wellness program's yoga group
Rationale: yoga places least amount of stress on pulmonary and cardiac systems and the
hospital program will likely be overseen by trained professionals.
most effective group leadership style for OTA working acute psychiatric inpatient for clients
newly admitted to the unit?
A. Advisory.
4 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
