NBCOT Occupational Therapy Certification Appraisal Exam
Assessment Questions and Correct Answers with Rationales
Latest Updates 2024/2025
Cota: a service competent school-based cota is collaborating with an otr prior to the
initial evaluation of a student who has a developmental delay. Which part of the
student's evaluation is within the scope of practice for the cota to complete?
A. Determining the impact of social interactions on development
B. Documenting outcomes of unstructured parent interviews
C. Administering and scoring standardized handwriting assessments
D. Assessing fine motor patterns during classroom activities - correct answer c.
Administering and scoring standardized handwriting assessments
Rationale: administering and scoring standardized assessments are within the scope of
practice for a service competent school-based cota practitioner.
A client had a repair of the median nerve on the dominant upper extremity after
sustaining a work-related laceration of the wrist 6 weeks ago. The client has been
undergoing rehabilitation and resumed light work as a warehouse stocker several days
ago. During a follow-up appointment, the otr observes several blisters on the client's
index finger. What initial action should the otr take based on this observation?
A. Advise the client to file an incident report with the employer
B. Teach the client protective sensory re-education strategies
C. Contact the case manager to modify the client's job tasks
D. Recommend strategies for minimizing the use of the index finger - correct answer
b. Teach the client protective sensory re-education strategies
Rationale: it is important for the client to learn visual compensation techniques to reduce
secondary injury or trauma due to the loss of sensation.
, Cota: an inpatient who had a right cva one month ago is participating in a dressing
session. The patient is able to complete adaptive dressing when each article of clothing
is handed to the patient one at a time. If the clothing is placed on the bed to the left of
the patient, the patient is unable to initiate the dressing task without verbal prompts.
Which perceptual deficit does this represent?
A. Visual closure deficit
B. Unilateral neglect
C. Asomatognosia
D. Ideomotor apraxia - correct answer b. Unilateral neglect
Rationale: unilateral neglect is a perceptual motor impairment in which messages from
the hemiplegic side of the body are unable to be interpreted. It presents as ignoring the
affected half of the body or space.
Scenario: an otr attended a professional development activity on sensory integration
strategies for children with autism spectrum disorder. During the seminar, the
presenters discussed anecdotal evidence for the use of nutritional supplements to
improve sensory processing. In researching the topic, the otr reads a peer-reviewed
article that indicates a correlation of 0.01 (r = 0.01) between the use of a specific
nutritional supplement and sensory processing skills. The otr is uncertain if nutritional
supplements are within the professional standards of practice for the occupational
therapy profession.
Mc1: which organization should the otr contact for obtaining the most up-to-date
resources for resolving this uncertainty?
A: national board certification in occupational therapy (nbcot)
B. National autism association (naa)
C. American council on occupational therapy education (acote)
D. American occupational therapy association (aota) - correct answer d. American
occupational therapy association (aota)
Rationale:the american occupational therapy association (aota) publishes the standards
of practice for occupational therapy and the reference manual of official documents of
Assessment Questions and Correct Answers with Rationales
Latest Updates 2024/2025
Cota: a service competent school-based cota is collaborating with an otr prior to the
initial evaluation of a student who has a developmental delay. Which part of the
student's evaluation is within the scope of practice for the cota to complete?
A. Determining the impact of social interactions on development
B. Documenting outcomes of unstructured parent interviews
C. Administering and scoring standardized handwriting assessments
D. Assessing fine motor patterns during classroom activities - correct answer c.
Administering and scoring standardized handwriting assessments
Rationale: administering and scoring standardized assessments are within the scope of
practice for a service competent school-based cota practitioner.
A client had a repair of the median nerve on the dominant upper extremity after
sustaining a work-related laceration of the wrist 6 weeks ago. The client has been
undergoing rehabilitation and resumed light work as a warehouse stocker several days
ago. During a follow-up appointment, the otr observes several blisters on the client's
index finger. What initial action should the otr take based on this observation?
A. Advise the client to file an incident report with the employer
B. Teach the client protective sensory re-education strategies
C. Contact the case manager to modify the client's job tasks
D. Recommend strategies for minimizing the use of the index finger - correct answer
b. Teach the client protective sensory re-education strategies
Rationale: it is important for the client to learn visual compensation techniques to reduce
secondary injury or trauma due to the loss of sensation.
, Cota: an inpatient who had a right cva one month ago is participating in a dressing
session. The patient is able to complete adaptive dressing when each article of clothing
is handed to the patient one at a time. If the clothing is placed on the bed to the left of
the patient, the patient is unable to initiate the dressing task without verbal prompts.
Which perceptual deficit does this represent?
A. Visual closure deficit
B. Unilateral neglect
C. Asomatognosia
D. Ideomotor apraxia - correct answer b. Unilateral neglect
Rationale: unilateral neglect is a perceptual motor impairment in which messages from
the hemiplegic side of the body are unable to be interpreted. It presents as ignoring the
affected half of the body or space.
Scenario: an otr attended a professional development activity on sensory integration
strategies for children with autism spectrum disorder. During the seminar, the
presenters discussed anecdotal evidence for the use of nutritional supplements to
improve sensory processing. In researching the topic, the otr reads a peer-reviewed
article that indicates a correlation of 0.01 (r = 0.01) between the use of a specific
nutritional supplement and sensory processing skills. The otr is uncertain if nutritional
supplements are within the professional standards of practice for the occupational
therapy profession.
Mc1: which organization should the otr contact for obtaining the most up-to-date
resources for resolving this uncertainty?
A: national board certification in occupational therapy (nbcot)
B. National autism association (naa)
C. American council on occupational therapy education (acote)
D. American occupational therapy association (aota) - correct answer d. American
occupational therapy association (aota)
Rationale:the american occupational therapy association (aota) publishes the standards
of practice for occupational therapy and the reference manual of official documents of
