Essential NBCOT Prep: Must-Know
Practice Questions.
An OTR employed at a university-based hospital hand therapy clinic is completing a
research proposal investigating the effectiveness of copper tooling versus therapy putty
for increasing pinch strength of patients attending the clinic. Which step should the OTR
take NEXT as part of research process?
A. Perform a small pilot study on similar subjects.
B. Obtain informed consent from the subjects.
C. Initiate the data collection procedures.
D. Submit the proposal to the facility review board. -
\D. Need research approval before any research can be done. Obtain informed consent
from subjects is the next step. There is no need for A, and C would be the last step of
the options.
An OTR is facilitating a group for clients diagnosed with a polysubstance use disorder.
During the first group session, the OTR describes how trigger events and irrational
thinking can lead to substance misuse. Which theoretical model does this approach
exemplify?
A. Cognitive-behavioral
B. Psychodynamic
C. Motivational
D. Human occupation -
\A. The cognitive behavioral approach assumes that a person's cognitive function and
beliefs influence their behavior, and that by helping a person dispute their irrational
thoughts, they will be empowered to change their behavior (Bruce & Borg, 2002).
B. focuses on the value and the uniqueness of a person and states that a person is an
expert on their lives and has insight. This frame of reference also believes that behavior
is influenced by the conscious as well as the unconscious mind. Self-actualization, self-
identity, adaptation and self-awareness are important to this frame of reference,
basically this frame of reference wants to get to the bottom of a person's behavior and
how that behavior affects their occupational performance.
An OTR is planning a group for clients who have mild-moderate cognitive decline
secondary to Alzheimer's disease. One of the group goals is for the clients to follow
directions to complete a tile picture frame. The OTR plans to use a directive leadership
style during the group. Which strategy illustrates the use of this group leadership style?
A. Inform the clients of the expected end product by showing them a completed frame at
the start of the group.
,B. Provide examples of three different framing materials and give general guidelines for
how the items could be used.
C. Show the clients several pictures of completed frames and allow each client to
decide which frame to make.
D. Place the project materials on the table and ask the clients to design a simple picture
frame from materials provided. -
\A. is the option that demonstrates directive characteristics. The other options display
instructive behaviors, but also provide the clients with autonomy.
C. is a Laissez-faire approach, which allows clients to have initiative to determine the
process.
An 8-year-old student has fluctuant muscle tone and delayed postural responses due to
cerebral palsy. The student has met all Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals
and is performing school tasks at age level. After receiving weekly school-based OT for
the past 5 years, the student is discharged from OT with recommendations for annual
assessments. However, the student's parents are questioning why OT has been
discontinued. What explanation should the OTR provide to the student's parents?
A. Students who have received services in the public school system for 5 consecutive
years are no longer eligible for OT.
B. Students with physical disabilities are eligible for ongoing OT only if they are having
difficulty with curriculum-based tasks.
C. The student's physical disabilities are not severe enough to warrant additional OT
services.
D. Progress has plateaued and the student will no longer benefit from OT services -
\B. because the student has met all IEP goals and is performing school tasks at age
level.
An adolescent-age student has athetoid cerebral palsy and has been participating in
school-based OT since pre-school. After transitioning to the sixth grade in a new school,
the teachers report the student is not using assistive devices, is sullen, and does not
interact with peers. What INITIAL action should the OTR take in response to the
teachers' reports about this student?
A. Revise the IEP goals to focus on student preferences.
B. Establish new goals to work toward self-sufficiency.
C. Develop a transition plan for promoting autonomy.
D. Complete an evaluation using a top-down approach. -
\D. Top-down approach focuses on client-centered approach, and is more holistic vs a
bottom up focuses on smaller components of an occupational performance
It is not B and C because the prompt does not state the client is having difficulty with
being autonomous or self-sufficiency. It is not A because you need to understand the
client's concerns before you revise the IEP goals.
, An OTR is evaluating the effectiveness of an OT home program for clients who have
been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Which qualitative measure would be MOST
BENEFICIAL to use as part of this evaluation process?
A. Retrospective record reviews to measure the percentage of clients who attained
occupation-based goals
B. Semi-structured interviews in order to gather information from the clients about their
current functional level
C. Occupational role checklists administered at the start and then several months after
completion of the program
D. Standardized, norm-referenced or criterion-referenced occupation-based
assessments -
\B. is the only qualitative study. All other options are quantitative.
An OTR has completed an initial evaluation of an 18-month-old child who has
hypotonicity. The child's mother reports the child does not crawl and resists being
placed in a hands and knees crawling position. During the evaluation the child is able to
maintain head control, roll, and sit unsupported for several minutes. After the OTR
places the child in a crawling position, the child is able to maintain the position for about
30 seconds. The child does not spontaneously initiate locomotion. What statement
accurately reflects the child's current motor skills?
A. The child exhibits tactile hypersensitivity that impacts the child's ability to maintain
postural stability.
B. The child has decreased postural stability for completing developmentally appropriate
gross motor tasks.
C. The child has the ability to initiate transitional movement patterns and achieve
developmentally-appropriate locomotion.
D. The child has the p -
\B. by 18 months, a child should be able to stand and initiate locomotion.
It is not A. because there is no evidence of patient being hypersensitive during other
assessments.
It is not C because prompt states patient is unable to spontaneously initiate locomotion
It is not D because the client is below age-appropriate level in motor abilities
An occupational therapist is working in an outpatient orthopedic clinic. During the
patient's history the patient reports, "I tore 3 of my 4 Rotator cuff muscles in the past."
Which of the following muscles cannot be considered as possibly being torn?
A: Teres minor
B: Teres major
C: Supraspinatus
D: Infraspinatus -
Practice Questions.
An OTR employed at a university-based hospital hand therapy clinic is completing a
research proposal investigating the effectiveness of copper tooling versus therapy putty
for increasing pinch strength of patients attending the clinic. Which step should the OTR
take NEXT as part of research process?
A. Perform a small pilot study on similar subjects.
B. Obtain informed consent from the subjects.
C. Initiate the data collection procedures.
D. Submit the proposal to the facility review board. -
\D. Need research approval before any research can be done. Obtain informed consent
from subjects is the next step. There is no need for A, and C would be the last step of
the options.
An OTR is facilitating a group for clients diagnosed with a polysubstance use disorder.
During the first group session, the OTR describes how trigger events and irrational
thinking can lead to substance misuse. Which theoretical model does this approach
exemplify?
A. Cognitive-behavioral
B. Psychodynamic
C. Motivational
D. Human occupation -
\A. The cognitive behavioral approach assumes that a person's cognitive function and
beliefs influence their behavior, and that by helping a person dispute their irrational
thoughts, they will be empowered to change their behavior (Bruce & Borg, 2002).
B. focuses on the value and the uniqueness of a person and states that a person is an
expert on their lives and has insight. This frame of reference also believes that behavior
is influenced by the conscious as well as the unconscious mind. Self-actualization, self-
identity, adaptation and self-awareness are important to this frame of reference,
basically this frame of reference wants to get to the bottom of a person's behavior and
how that behavior affects their occupational performance.
An OTR is planning a group for clients who have mild-moderate cognitive decline
secondary to Alzheimer's disease. One of the group goals is for the clients to follow
directions to complete a tile picture frame. The OTR plans to use a directive leadership
style during the group. Which strategy illustrates the use of this group leadership style?
A. Inform the clients of the expected end product by showing them a completed frame at
the start of the group.
,B. Provide examples of three different framing materials and give general guidelines for
how the items could be used.
C. Show the clients several pictures of completed frames and allow each client to
decide which frame to make.
D. Place the project materials on the table and ask the clients to design a simple picture
frame from materials provided. -
\A. is the option that demonstrates directive characteristics. The other options display
instructive behaviors, but also provide the clients with autonomy.
C. is a Laissez-faire approach, which allows clients to have initiative to determine the
process.
An 8-year-old student has fluctuant muscle tone and delayed postural responses due to
cerebral palsy. The student has met all Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals
and is performing school tasks at age level. After receiving weekly school-based OT for
the past 5 years, the student is discharged from OT with recommendations for annual
assessments. However, the student's parents are questioning why OT has been
discontinued. What explanation should the OTR provide to the student's parents?
A. Students who have received services in the public school system for 5 consecutive
years are no longer eligible for OT.
B. Students with physical disabilities are eligible for ongoing OT only if they are having
difficulty with curriculum-based tasks.
C. The student's physical disabilities are not severe enough to warrant additional OT
services.
D. Progress has plateaued and the student will no longer benefit from OT services -
\B. because the student has met all IEP goals and is performing school tasks at age
level.
An adolescent-age student has athetoid cerebral palsy and has been participating in
school-based OT since pre-school. After transitioning to the sixth grade in a new school,
the teachers report the student is not using assistive devices, is sullen, and does not
interact with peers. What INITIAL action should the OTR take in response to the
teachers' reports about this student?
A. Revise the IEP goals to focus on student preferences.
B. Establish new goals to work toward self-sufficiency.
C. Develop a transition plan for promoting autonomy.
D. Complete an evaluation using a top-down approach. -
\D. Top-down approach focuses on client-centered approach, and is more holistic vs a
bottom up focuses on smaller components of an occupational performance
It is not B and C because the prompt does not state the client is having difficulty with
being autonomous or self-sufficiency. It is not A because you need to understand the
client's concerns before you revise the IEP goals.
, An OTR is evaluating the effectiveness of an OT home program for clients who have
been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Which qualitative measure would be MOST
BENEFICIAL to use as part of this evaluation process?
A. Retrospective record reviews to measure the percentage of clients who attained
occupation-based goals
B. Semi-structured interviews in order to gather information from the clients about their
current functional level
C. Occupational role checklists administered at the start and then several months after
completion of the program
D. Standardized, norm-referenced or criterion-referenced occupation-based
assessments -
\B. is the only qualitative study. All other options are quantitative.
An OTR has completed an initial evaluation of an 18-month-old child who has
hypotonicity. The child's mother reports the child does not crawl and resists being
placed in a hands and knees crawling position. During the evaluation the child is able to
maintain head control, roll, and sit unsupported for several minutes. After the OTR
places the child in a crawling position, the child is able to maintain the position for about
30 seconds. The child does not spontaneously initiate locomotion. What statement
accurately reflects the child's current motor skills?
A. The child exhibits tactile hypersensitivity that impacts the child's ability to maintain
postural stability.
B. The child has decreased postural stability for completing developmentally appropriate
gross motor tasks.
C. The child has the ability to initiate transitional movement patterns and achieve
developmentally-appropriate locomotion.
D. The child has the p -
\B. by 18 months, a child should be able to stand and initiate locomotion.
It is not A. because there is no evidence of patient being hypersensitive during other
assessments.
It is not C because prompt states patient is unable to spontaneously initiate locomotion
It is not D because the client is below age-appropriate level in motor abilities
An occupational therapist is working in an outpatient orthopedic clinic. During the
patient's history the patient reports, "I tore 3 of my 4 Rotator cuff muscles in the past."
Which of the following muscles cannot be considered as possibly being torn?
A: Teres minor
B: Teres major
C: Supraspinatus
D: Infraspinatus -
