NBCOT Exam C 170 Q&A_2021/2022.
C1. An occupational therapist conducts a home evaluation for an individual who uses a wheelchair for
functional mobility. The only entrance to the home has five steps, a total of 35 inches in height. Which
ramp length should the therapist recommend the family have constructed to enable accessibility to the
home?
a 17.5 feet long.
b 35 feet long.
c 48 feet long. Correct Answer: b
C2. An occupational therapist works with a survivor of a house fire. The client has burns on both hands
that limit thumb mobility. The client identifies a personal goal of being able to pick up and hold cans to
enable independent shopping and meal preparation activities. Which movement of the thumb should
the goal statement include as the desired functional outcome?
a Carpometacarpal (CMC) palmar abduction.
b CMC extension.
c Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) flexion.
d Interphalangeal (IP) flexion. Correct Answer: a
C3. A person diagnosed with a mild neurocognitive disorder is evaluated by an occupational therapist.
The person demonstrates diminished memory skills, and the therapist determines that the individual is
able to live at home with supportive structure. The therapist collaborates with the person to identify
activities to include in a structured routine that enables their continued occupational performance.
Which activity is best for the occupational therapist to recommend to this individual?
a Cooking dinner.
b Doing laundry.
c Walking with a neighbor.
d Watching television. Correct Answer: c
C4. During an intervention session, a client complains of dry mouth due to prescribed medications. What
is the most effective strategy for the occupational therapist to suggest to the client to manage this side
effect?
Suck on ice.
Suck on hard candies.
Drink iced tea.
Sip water. Correct Answer: d
C5. An adult diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) over ten years ago experiences an exacerbation of
symptoms. The individual's principle complaint is decreased strength and endurance. The person can
ambulate short distances with a cane in the home and uses a wheelchair outside of the home. The client
asks for suggestions to enable independent performance of instrumental activities of daily living. Which
is the best positioning recommendation for the occupational therapist to suggest the person use during
meal preparation?
Sitting in the wheelchair with a tray table.
Sitting at the kitchen table.
Leaning against the counter while standing.
Leaning against a tall stool while standing. Correct Answer: b
,C6. An occupational therapist working in an acute care hospital provides OT services in a patient's room.
The patient has left hemiplegia and is unable to recognize the faces of family members when they enter
the room to visit or the items the family members bring for the patient. The family members become
upset by this behavior. Which deficit should the therapist explain to the family members as the most
likely reason for the patient's behavior?
Ideational apraxia.
Anosognosia.
Visual agnosia.
Asomatognosia. Correct Answer: c
C7. A restaurant employee incurred a fracture to the left humerus. After cast removal, the patient
received OT and now demonstrates fair strength (3/5) of the left triceps and full range of motion (ROM)
of the left elbow. Which activity is most effective for the occupational therapist to use during
intervention to increase elbow function that is needed to perform work-related tasks?
Storing glasses on shelves at chest height.
Wiping off a table while standing.
Carrying a tray of dishes from the table to the sink.
Wiping off a counter at chest height. Correct Answer: a
C8. A home care occupational therapist seeks to enhance an older adult's compliance with the OT
intervention program. After discussing the goals of the program with the person, which intervention is
most effective for the therapist to use?
Provide the individual with limited opportunities for practice of skills to decrease boredom.
Use multiple, variable instructions to ensure retention of new learning.
Integrate previously learned strategies into new activities to facilitate generalization.
Teach family members positive techniques to reinforce activity performance in the home. Correct
Answer: c
C9. In measuring the range of motion (ROM) of a client's elbow, the occupational therapist records a
flexion measurement of 145°. Which is most accurate for the therapist to document based on this
measurement?
Hypomobility.
Dysfunctional elbow ROM.
Hypermobility.
Normal elbow ROM. Correct Answer: d
C10. An individual is 5'11" and is of average weight for this height. Following a recent traumatic brain
injury (TBI), the person has flaccid hemiparesis and demonstrates poor righting and equilibrium
responses in standing. Which wheelchair is best for the occupational therapist to recommend for this
client?
A power wheelchair.
A light weight, standard size wheelchair.
A reclining, hemi-height wheelchair.
A one-arm drive, standard size wheelchair. Correct Answer: b
C11. An individual with a C3 spinal cord injury is participating in a community mobility group at a
shopping mall. The client expresses the desire to return to the rehabilitation center due to a pounding
,headache. The occupational therapist notices the client is sweating profusely. Which is the best initial
action for the therapist to take in response to this observation and request?
Check the client's urinary catheter and collecting bag.
Call the rehabilitation center's transportation department to relay the client's request.
Escort the client to outside of the mall to cool off in the fresh air.
Immediately activate the recline feature of the patient's tilt-in-space wheelchair. Correct Answer: a
C12. An occupational therapist works with an individual recovering from traumatic brain injury who
demonstrates behaviors consistent with Level VII of the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive
Functioning Scale. The client is a resident in a transitional living program. Which is the most important
focus for the therapist to include in the client's intervention plan?
The provision of a high degree of environmental structure to decrease confusion and ensure safety.
The development of strategies to accurately and safely complete IADL with minimal assistance.
The development of adaptive techniques to accurately and safely complete BADL with moderate
assistance.
The provision of maximum assistance to accurately and safely complete IADL. Correct Answer: b
C13. An occupational therapist who is a driver rehabilitation specialist provides on-the-road evaluation
for an individual recovering from a right cerebrovascular accident (CVA). The individual is right dominant
and has regained sensorimotor functions in the affected extremity. Which is most important for the
therapist to assess during the on-the-road evaluation?
Tactical aspects of driving.
Operational aspects of driving.
Ergonomic aspects of driving.
Social aspects of driving. Correct Answer: a
C14. An occupational therapist evaluates a person who complains of persistent wrist pain after painting
a house three weeks ago. The patient demonstrates signs and symptoms consistent with de Quervain's
tenosynovitis. Which assessment measure should the therapist use to confirm the diagnosis?
Finkelstein's test.
Phalen's test.
Froment's sign.
Craig's test. Correct Answer: a
C15. During an OT group, a person receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments complains
about short-term memory loss. Which should the therapist do in response to the client's stated
concerns?
Provide cues to facilitate engagement and compensate for memory loss.
Immediately contact the psychiatrist to inform them of this symptom development.
Advise the person to inform the psychiatrist of this symptom development.
Reassure the person that short-term memory loss is a typical response to ECT. Correct Answer: a
C16. An ambulatory older adult with hemiparesis and presbycusis is moving in with their family. The
family hires an occupational therapist to provide information to help them maintain the older's
functional ability in the home. Which should the occupational therapist recommend?
Remove knobs from the stove when the elder is home alone.
Speak directly, clearly and slowly to the elder.
Add bright color strips to the edge of each stair tread.
, Provide lists of the sequence of routine tasks. Correct Answer: b
C17. An occupational therapist provides caregiver education to the spouse of a client with Alzheimer's
disease and a secondary diagnosis of left cerebrovascular accident. The client is dependent on a
wheelchair for mobility and has been deemed cognitively incompetent. The spouse reports that the
client becomes restless at meal times, consistently undoes the lap belt, and tries to get up from the
wheelchair. The spouse reports that the need to constantly say "sit down" is personally exhausting and
often increases the client's agitation. Frequently, neither one eats dinner. Which is the most effective
recommendation for the therapist to make to the spouse?
Allow the spouse to get up when restless and provide dinner to the client at a later time.
Use a wheelchair lap tray to serve several smaller meals to the client at intervals throughout the day.
Hire a home care attendant to assist the client at meal times and provide some respite to the spouse.
Use a wheelchair lap tray to serve the client large meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Correct Answer:
b
C18. An occupational therapist accepts a job in an after-school program. The program provides services
for adolescents at risk for mental health problems due to their history of being survivors of child abuse.
The therapist decides that an activity group to elicit the adolescents' thoughts and feelings in a safe
atmosphere would be instrumental to their recovery. Which group would be most relevant for the
therapist to design?
A task-oriented group.
An instrumental group.
A topical group.
A thematic group. Correct Answer: a
C19. A carpenter incurred a short below-elbow amputation. The client plans to return to work. Which
components would be most important for the occupational therapist to recommend for the client's
prosthesis?
A fixed-elbow socket and a lightweight Teflon-coated terminal device.
A cable-driven elbow socket and a heavy-duty serrated grid terminal device.
A fixed-elbow socket and a heavy-duty serrated grip terminal device.
A cable-driven elbow socket and lightweight Teflon-coated terminal device. Correct Answer: c
C20. An individual with schizophrenia experiences hallucinations. Which action should the occupational
therapist take when the individual begins to actively hallucinate during an occupational therapist project
group?
Redirect the individual's attention back to the project.
Provide tactile reassurance to the individual.
Verbally reassure the individual that the hallucination is not real.
Use humor to divert the individual's attention away from the hallucination. Correct Answer: a
C21. A fifth-grade student is having difficulty self-feeding and frequently spills beverages. The student
has nonspastic cerebral palsy resulting in fluctuating muscle tone and poor motor control. Which is best
for the occupational therapist to recommend the student use to improve independence in self-feeding
and minimize spillage?
A sippy cup.
Both hands to hold the cup.
A cup with a handle.
C1. An occupational therapist conducts a home evaluation for an individual who uses a wheelchair for
functional mobility. The only entrance to the home has five steps, a total of 35 inches in height. Which
ramp length should the therapist recommend the family have constructed to enable accessibility to the
home?
a 17.5 feet long.
b 35 feet long.
c 48 feet long. Correct Answer: b
C2. An occupational therapist works with a survivor of a house fire. The client has burns on both hands
that limit thumb mobility. The client identifies a personal goal of being able to pick up and hold cans to
enable independent shopping and meal preparation activities. Which movement of the thumb should
the goal statement include as the desired functional outcome?
a Carpometacarpal (CMC) palmar abduction.
b CMC extension.
c Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) flexion.
d Interphalangeal (IP) flexion. Correct Answer: a
C3. A person diagnosed with a mild neurocognitive disorder is evaluated by an occupational therapist.
The person demonstrates diminished memory skills, and the therapist determines that the individual is
able to live at home with supportive structure. The therapist collaborates with the person to identify
activities to include in a structured routine that enables their continued occupational performance.
Which activity is best for the occupational therapist to recommend to this individual?
a Cooking dinner.
b Doing laundry.
c Walking with a neighbor.
d Watching television. Correct Answer: c
C4. During an intervention session, a client complains of dry mouth due to prescribed medications. What
is the most effective strategy for the occupational therapist to suggest to the client to manage this side
effect?
Suck on ice.
Suck on hard candies.
Drink iced tea.
Sip water. Correct Answer: d
C5. An adult diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) over ten years ago experiences an exacerbation of
symptoms. The individual's principle complaint is decreased strength and endurance. The person can
ambulate short distances with a cane in the home and uses a wheelchair outside of the home. The client
asks for suggestions to enable independent performance of instrumental activities of daily living. Which
is the best positioning recommendation for the occupational therapist to suggest the person use during
meal preparation?
Sitting in the wheelchair with a tray table.
Sitting at the kitchen table.
Leaning against the counter while standing.
Leaning against a tall stool while standing. Correct Answer: b
,C6. An occupational therapist working in an acute care hospital provides OT services in a patient's room.
The patient has left hemiplegia and is unable to recognize the faces of family members when they enter
the room to visit or the items the family members bring for the patient. The family members become
upset by this behavior. Which deficit should the therapist explain to the family members as the most
likely reason for the patient's behavior?
Ideational apraxia.
Anosognosia.
Visual agnosia.
Asomatognosia. Correct Answer: c
C7. A restaurant employee incurred a fracture to the left humerus. After cast removal, the patient
received OT and now demonstrates fair strength (3/5) of the left triceps and full range of motion (ROM)
of the left elbow. Which activity is most effective for the occupational therapist to use during
intervention to increase elbow function that is needed to perform work-related tasks?
Storing glasses on shelves at chest height.
Wiping off a table while standing.
Carrying a tray of dishes from the table to the sink.
Wiping off a counter at chest height. Correct Answer: a
C8. A home care occupational therapist seeks to enhance an older adult's compliance with the OT
intervention program. After discussing the goals of the program with the person, which intervention is
most effective for the therapist to use?
Provide the individual with limited opportunities for practice of skills to decrease boredom.
Use multiple, variable instructions to ensure retention of new learning.
Integrate previously learned strategies into new activities to facilitate generalization.
Teach family members positive techniques to reinforce activity performance in the home. Correct
Answer: c
C9. In measuring the range of motion (ROM) of a client's elbow, the occupational therapist records a
flexion measurement of 145°. Which is most accurate for the therapist to document based on this
measurement?
Hypomobility.
Dysfunctional elbow ROM.
Hypermobility.
Normal elbow ROM. Correct Answer: d
C10. An individual is 5'11" and is of average weight for this height. Following a recent traumatic brain
injury (TBI), the person has flaccid hemiparesis and demonstrates poor righting and equilibrium
responses in standing. Which wheelchair is best for the occupational therapist to recommend for this
client?
A power wheelchair.
A light weight, standard size wheelchair.
A reclining, hemi-height wheelchair.
A one-arm drive, standard size wheelchair. Correct Answer: b
C11. An individual with a C3 spinal cord injury is participating in a community mobility group at a
shopping mall. The client expresses the desire to return to the rehabilitation center due to a pounding
,headache. The occupational therapist notices the client is sweating profusely. Which is the best initial
action for the therapist to take in response to this observation and request?
Check the client's urinary catheter and collecting bag.
Call the rehabilitation center's transportation department to relay the client's request.
Escort the client to outside of the mall to cool off in the fresh air.
Immediately activate the recline feature of the patient's tilt-in-space wheelchair. Correct Answer: a
C12. An occupational therapist works with an individual recovering from traumatic brain injury who
demonstrates behaviors consistent with Level VII of the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive
Functioning Scale. The client is a resident in a transitional living program. Which is the most important
focus for the therapist to include in the client's intervention plan?
The provision of a high degree of environmental structure to decrease confusion and ensure safety.
The development of strategies to accurately and safely complete IADL with minimal assistance.
The development of adaptive techniques to accurately and safely complete BADL with moderate
assistance.
The provision of maximum assistance to accurately and safely complete IADL. Correct Answer: b
C13. An occupational therapist who is a driver rehabilitation specialist provides on-the-road evaluation
for an individual recovering from a right cerebrovascular accident (CVA). The individual is right dominant
and has regained sensorimotor functions in the affected extremity. Which is most important for the
therapist to assess during the on-the-road evaluation?
Tactical aspects of driving.
Operational aspects of driving.
Ergonomic aspects of driving.
Social aspects of driving. Correct Answer: a
C14. An occupational therapist evaluates a person who complains of persistent wrist pain after painting
a house three weeks ago. The patient demonstrates signs and symptoms consistent with de Quervain's
tenosynovitis. Which assessment measure should the therapist use to confirm the diagnosis?
Finkelstein's test.
Phalen's test.
Froment's sign.
Craig's test. Correct Answer: a
C15. During an OT group, a person receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments complains
about short-term memory loss. Which should the therapist do in response to the client's stated
concerns?
Provide cues to facilitate engagement and compensate for memory loss.
Immediately contact the psychiatrist to inform them of this symptom development.
Advise the person to inform the psychiatrist of this symptom development.
Reassure the person that short-term memory loss is a typical response to ECT. Correct Answer: a
C16. An ambulatory older adult with hemiparesis and presbycusis is moving in with their family. The
family hires an occupational therapist to provide information to help them maintain the older's
functional ability in the home. Which should the occupational therapist recommend?
Remove knobs from the stove when the elder is home alone.
Speak directly, clearly and slowly to the elder.
Add bright color strips to the edge of each stair tread.
, Provide lists of the sequence of routine tasks. Correct Answer: b
C17. An occupational therapist provides caregiver education to the spouse of a client with Alzheimer's
disease and a secondary diagnosis of left cerebrovascular accident. The client is dependent on a
wheelchair for mobility and has been deemed cognitively incompetent. The spouse reports that the
client becomes restless at meal times, consistently undoes the lap belt, and tries to get up from the
wheelchair. The spouse reports that the need to constantly say "sit down" is personally exhausting and
often increases the client's agitation. Frequently, neither one eats dinner. Which is the most effective
recommendation for the therapist to make to the spouse?
Allow the spouse to get up when restless and provide dinner to the client at a later time.
Use a wheelchair lap tray to serve several smaller meals to the client at intervals throughout the day.
Hire a home care attendant to assist the client at meal times and provide some respite to the spouse.
Use a wheelchair lap tray to serve the client large meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Correct Answer:
b
C18. An occupational therapist accepts a job in an after-school program. The program provides services
for adolescents at risk for mental health problems due to their history of being survivors of child abuse.
The therapist decides that an activity group to elicit the adolescents' thoughts and feelings in a safe
atmosphere would be instrumental to their recovery. Which group would be most relevant for the
therapist to design?
A task-oriented group.
An instrumental group.
A topical group.
A thematic group. Correct Answer: a
C19. A carpenter incurred a short below-elbow amputation. The client plans to return to work. Which
components would be most important for the occupational therapist to recommend for the client's
prosthesis?
A fixed-elbow socket and a lightweight Teflon-coated terminal device.
A cable-driven elbow socket and a heavy-duty serrated grid terminal device.
A fixed-elbow socket and a heavy-duty serrated grip terminal device.
A cable-driven elbow socket and lightweight Teflon-coated terminal device. Correct Answer: c
C20. An individual with schizophrenia experiences hallucinations. Which action should the occupational
therapist take when the individual begins to actively hallucinate during an occupational therapist project
group?
Redirect the individual's attention back to the project.
Provide tactile reassurance to the individual.
Verbally reassure the individual that the hallucination is not real.
Use humor to divert the individual's attention away from the hallucination. Correct Answer: a
C21. A fifth-grade student is having difficulty self-feeding and frequently spills beverages. The student
has nonspastic cerebral palsy resulting in fluctuating muscle tone and poor motor control. Which is best
for the occupational therapist to recommend the student use to improve independence in self-feeding
and minimize spillage?
A sippy cup.
Both hands to hold the cup.
A cup with a handle.
