NBCOT Plan

Domain 03: Select and Manage Interventions: practice questions

5 original questions · 5 editor-approved · every choice explained.

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Blueprint-mapped questions with full rationales for every choice.

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Domain 03: Select and Manage InterventionsDifficulty 3/5

A client with C6 tetraplegia wants to feed themselves independently. Which equipment matches the available movement?

  1. AA weighted utensil with a non-slip mat to reduce tremor during feeding
  2. BA standard fork with a wrist cock-up orthosis to stabilise the wrist
  3. CA universal cuff with a built-up-handle utensil, using tenodesis grasp
  4. DA mobile arm support with a standard lightweight utensil and plate guard
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. C6 provides wrist extension and tenodesis but no functional grasp, so a universal cuff holds the utensil for the client. A wrist orthosis blocks the very extension that tenodesis depends on.

  • B — Immobilising the wrist eliminates the tenodesis pattern the client relies on.
  • D — Mobile arm supports address proximal weakness, which is not the deficit at C6.
  • A — Weighted utensils address tremor, which is not the presenting problem.
Domain 03: Select and Manage InterventionsDifficulty 2/5

Which activity is an occupation-based intervention rather than a preparatory method?

  1. APassive range of motion to the shoulder to maintain joint mobility
  2. BApplying a moist heat pack to the forearm before a treatment session
  3. CTen minutes of therapy-putty exercises to strengthen the finger flexors
  4. DMaking a sandwich in the kitchen using the client's own adapted knife
Show answer and rationale

Correct: D. An occupation-based intervention uses the meaningful activity itself as the treatment. Putty, passive range of motion and modalities are preparatory methods that get the client ready for occupation.

  • C — Putty exercise is a preparatory method targeting a component.
  • A — Passive range of motion is preparatory and not client-directed occupation.
  • B — Thermal modalities prepare tissue rather than engage occupation.
Domain 03: Select and Manage InterventionsDifficulty 3/5

A client uses a wheelchair and cannot enter their bathroom. Which modification should the OTR evaluate first?

  1. AWidening the doorway to the clear width a wheelchair requires
  2. BReplacing the tub with a roll-in shower and a hand-held sprayer
  3. CAdding a raised toilet seat to reduce the height of the transfer
  4. DInstalling a vertical grab bar beside the toilet for transfer support
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. If the wheelchair cannot pass the doorway, nothing inside the room can be used. Access precedes every in-room modification.

  • D — A grab bar is useless if the client cannot get into the room.
  • B — A roll-in shower is inaccessible behind a too-narrow doorway.
  • C — Seat height does not address the access barrier.
Domain 03: Select and Manage InterventionsDifficulty 3/5

A client is issued a resting hand orthosis. Which instruction belongs in the wearing schedule?

  1. AWear it continuously for two weeks to maximise the positioning benefit
  2. BFollow a graded schedule with skin checks after each period of wear
  3. CWear it only during therapy sessions when the therapist can observe it
  4. DRemove it whenever it feels uncomfortable and resume the next day
Show answer and rationale

Correct: B. Orthotic wearing schedules are graded, with skin inspection after each wearing period to catch pressure areas early. Continuous wear risks skin breakdown and stiffness; therapy-only wear defeats the purpose.

  • A — Continuous wear without inspection risks pressure injury.
  • C — Wearing it only in sessions provides no therapeutic dosage.
  • D — Discomfort needs assessment and adjustment, not indefinite removal.
Domain 03: Select and Manage InterventionsDifficulty 2/5

Which method best confirms that a caregiver can safely perform a transfer technique at home?

  1. AHave the caregiver demonstrate the transfer and correct any errors observed
  2. BExplain the technique verbally and ask whether the caregiver has questions
  3. CShow a video of the technique and confirm the caregiver watched it fully
  4. DProvide written instructions with photographs of each step of the transfer
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Return demonstration — teach-back in performance form — is the only method that verifies the caregiver can actually do the task safely. Written, verbal and video instruction supports it but does not confirm competence.

  • D — Written material does not verify performance.
  • B — Absence of questions is not evidence of ability.
  • C — Watching a video does not establish skill.

Primary references

  1. Certification Exam Handbook (2025) — National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22