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Oregon Occupational Therapy — Requirements & Free Practice

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Occupational Therapist License

License to practice occupational therapy in Oregon issued by the Occupational Therapy Licensing Board under ORS 675.210 to 675.340.

Licensing authority: Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board · Application information

Licensure without examination (endorsement) as an occupational therapist under ORS 675.270
Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Background Check
Fingerprint-based background check through the state vendor Fieldprint
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification, or 30 points of continuing education within the last two years
Eligibility
Current NBCOT certification (O.T.R. or C.O.T.A.), or proof of current licensure in another state, the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory whose licensure standards the Board considers equivalent (ORS 675.270(1)); ORS 675.270 lets the Board license without examination, but the Board requires all applicants to pass the Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Pain Management
Complete the Oregon Health Authority Pain Management Commission pain management course before licensure
Verifications
Official license verifications sent from every state where the applicant has been licensed and worked; the Board looks up NBCOT certification directly
Initial licensure by examination as an occupational therapist

All of the following:

Background Check
Fingerprint-based background check through the state vendor Fieldprint
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification, or 30 points of continuing education within the last two years
Education
Completed an educational program in occupational therapy recognized by the Board (ORS 675.240(1)(a)); foreign-trained applicants must have been found eligible for and pass the NBCOT certification examination
Fieldwork
At least six months of supervised field work (ORS 675.240(1)(c)); documented military experience the Board finds substantially equivalent may satisfy it
National Exam Scores
Arrange for NBCOT to transfer NBCOT OTR examination scores to the Oregon Board; new graduates have official transcripts sent by the school
Pain Management
Complete the Oregon Health Authority Pain Management Commission pain management course before licensure
Unlicensed Over Three Years
An applicant unlicensed for more than three years must complete a Board-approved re-entry program or retake the NBCOT examination (see the re-entry route)
Reinstatement of a lapsed Oregon occupational therapist license
Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification or 30 points of CE, plus the cultural competency hour and the OHA pain management module
Fees
Renewal fee plus $50 delinquent fee
Law Ethics Exam
Required when the returning applicant has been unlicensed in Oregon for over two years
Status
License must be in Lapsed status; late renewal may not be granted more than three years after expiration, and an Expired license requires a new application (ORS 675.290)
Unlicensed Over Three Years
If not licensed in any state for three years or more, the re-entry route applies
Limited permit (90 day temporary license) for an occupational therapist applicant awaiting NBCOT examination results

All of the following:

Eligibility
Completed the educational and field work requirements and received eligibility (Authorization to Test) for the NBCOT certification examination without yet having results; or practicing in another country as a graduate of a WFOT-approved school with NBCOT eligibility (OAR 339-010-0040(2)-(3))
Fee
$25 permit fee
Law Ethics Exam
The Limited Permits page lists transcripts, NBCOT Authorization to Test letter, fingerprint background check and the OHA pain management course and does not name the Law/Ethics exam, while the Law/Ethics Exam page states: 'All applicants must take and pass the Oregon Ethics/Law exam before they can receive their new license.'
Once Per Applicant
Available only once; not renewable; not issued to anyone who has taken and failed the certification examination; must be surrendered immediately on failing
Supervision
Practice only under at least routine supervision by an Oregon-licensed occupational therapist on file with the Board
Temporary non renewable license for a military spouse or domestic partner licensed as an occupational therapist in another state (OAR 339 010 0045)
Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Documents
Marriage certificate or domestic partnership registration and the official active duty military order
Eligibility
Married to or in a domestic partnership with an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces assigned to an Oregon duty station; licensed and in good standing in another state or territory; at least one year of active practice within the last three years; no discipline related to negligence, incompetence, alcohol or drugs
Fee
$99
Law Ethics Exam
OAR 339-010-0045 as reproduced on the Applications page lists its qualifications without naming the Law/Ethics exam, while the Law/Ethics Exam page states: 'All applicants must take and pass the Oregon Ethics/Law exam before they can receive their new license.'
Validity
Valid until the earliest of two years from issuance, the end of the member's Oregon service, or expiry of the other-state license; non-renewable
Licensure of a formerly licensed occupational therapist unlicensed in any state for more than three years (re entry)

All of the following:

Applicability
Applicants who passed the NBCOT examination more than one year ago and have been unlicensed for more than three years
Background Check
Fingerprint-based background check through the state vendor Fieldprint
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification, or 30 points of continuing education within the last two years
Pain Management
Complete the Oregon Health Authority Pain Management Commission pain management course before licensure
Reentry Alternative
Instead of retaking and passing the NBCOT examination within the previous year, the applicant may complete a Board-approved re-entry program (ORS 675.240(1)(e)/675.250(1)(f); OAR 339-010-0016(2))
Biennial renewal of an Oregon occupational therapist license
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification or 30 points of CE within two years, plus one hour of cultural competency CE and the OHA pain management module
Deadline
Renew on or before May 31 of each even-numbered year with the renewal application and fee (ORS 675.290)

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Occupational Therapy Assistant License

License to assist in the practice of occupational therapy under the supervision of an occupational therapist in Oregon, issued under ORS 675.210 to 675.340.

Licensing authority: Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board · Application information

Licensure without examination (endorsement) as an occupational therapy assistant under ORS 675.270
Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Background Check
Fingerprint-based background check through the state vendor Fieldprint
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification, or 30 points of continuing education within the last two years
Eligibility
Current NBCOT certification (O.T.R. or C.O.T.A.), or proof of current licensure in another state, the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory whose licensure standards the Board considers equivalent (ORS 675.270(1)); ORS 675.270 lets the Board license without examination, but the Board requires all applicants to pass the Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Pain Management
Complete the Oregon Health Authority Pain Management Commission pain management course before licensure
Supervisor
An Oregon-licensed occupational therapist supervisor must be on file with the Board before practice (OAR 339-010-0035)
Verifications
Official license verifications sent from every state where the applicant has been licensed and worked; the Board looks up NBCOT certification directly
Initial licensure by examination as an occupational therapy assistant
Background Check
Fingerprint-based background check through the state vendor Fieldprint
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification, or 30 points of continuing education within the last two years
Education
At least 18 years of age and completed the academic requirements of an occupational therapy assistant educational program recognized by the Board (ORS 675.250(1)(a)-(b)); foreign-trained applicants must have been found eligible for and pass the NBCOT certification examination
Fieldwork
At least two months of supervised field work (ORS 675.250(1)(d)); documented military training or experience the Board finds substantially equivalent may satisfy education or field work
National Exam Scores
Arrange for NBCOT to transfer NBCOT COTA examination scores to the Oregon Board; new graduates have official transcripts sent by the school
Pain Management
Complete the Oregon Health Authority Pain Management Commission pain management course before licensure
Supervisor
An Oregon-licensed occupational therapist supervisor must be on file with the Board before practice (OAR 339-010-0035)
Unlicensed Over Three Years
An applicant unlicensed for more than three years must complete a Board-approved re-entry program or retake the NBCOT examination (see the re-entry route)
Reinstatement of a lapsed Oregon occupational therapy assistant license
Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification or 30 points of CE, plus the cultural competency hour and the OHA pain management module
Fees
Renewal fee plus $50 delinquent fee
Law Ethics Exam
Required when the returning applicant has been unlicensed in Oregon for over two years
Status
License must be in Lapsed status; late renewal may not be granted more than three years after expiration, and an Expired license requires a new application (ORS 675.290)
Unlicensed Over Three Years
If not licensed in any state for three years or more, the re-entry route applies
Limited permit (90 day temporary license) for an occupational therapy assistant applicant awaiting NBCOT examination results
Eligibility
Completed the educational and field work requirements and received eligibility (Authorization to Test) for the NBCOT certification examination without yet having results; or practicing in another country as a graduate of a WFOT-approved school with NBCOT eligibility (OAR 339-010-0040(2)-(3))
Fee
$25 permit fee
Law Ethics Exam
The Limited Permits page lists transcripts, NBCOT Authorization to Test letter, fingerprint background check and the OHA pain management course and does not name the Law/Ethics exam, while the Law/Ethics Exam page states: 'All applicants must take and pass the Oregon Ethics/Law exam before they can receive their new license.'
Once Per Applicant
Available only once; not renewable; not issued to anyone who has taken and failed the certification examination; must be surrendered immediately on failing
Supervision
Practice only under at least routine supervision by an Oregon-licensed occupational therapist on file with the Board
Temporary non renewable license for a military spouse or domestic partner licensed as an occupational therapy assistant in another state (OAR 339 010 0045)
Oregon Law/Ethics Exam
Documents
Marriage certificate or domestic partnership registration and the official active duty military order
Eligibility
Married to or in a domestic partnership with an active member of the U.S. Armed Forces assigned to an Oregon duty station; licensed and in good standing in another state or territory; at least one year of active practice within the last three years; no discipline related to negligence, incompetence, alcohol or drugs
Fee
$99
Law Ethics Exam
OAR 339-010-0045 as reproduced on the Applications page lists its qualifications without naming the Law/Ethics exam, while the Law/Ethics Exam page states: 'All applicants must take and pass the Oregon Ethics/Law exam before they can receive their new license.'
Validity
Valid until the earliest of two years from issuance, the end of the member's Oregon service, or expiry of the other-state license; non-renewable
Licensure of a formerly licensed occupational therapy assistant unlicensed in any state for more than three years (re entry)
Applicability
Applicants who passed the NBCOT examination more than one year ago and have been unlicensed for more than three years
Background Check
Fingerprint-based background check through the state vendor Fieldprint
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification, or 30 points of continuing education within the last two years
Pain Management
Complete the Oregon Health Authority Pain Management Commission pain management course before licensure
Reentry Alternative
Instead of retaking and passing the NBCOT examination within the previous year, the applicant may complete a Board-approved re-entry program (ORS 675.240(1)(e)/675.250(1)(f); OAR 339-010-0016(2))
Supervisor
An Oregon-licensed occupational therapist supervisor must be on file with the Board before practice (OAR 339-010-0035)
Biennial renewal of an Oregon occupational therapy assistant license
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
Current NBCOT certification or 30 points of CE within two years, plus one hour of cultural competency CE and the OHA pain management module
Deadline
Renew on or before May 31 of each even-numbered year with the renewal application and fee (ORS 675.290)

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

OTR exam

Format
Three- and four-option single-response multiple-choice items and six-option multi-select scenario sets
Exam questions
180 items
Examination outline
  • Domain 1 — Evaluation and Assessment: Acquire information regarding factors that influence occupational performance on an ongoing basis throughout the occupational therapy process. (23%)
    • Task 1: Identify the influence of development and lived experience; body functions and body structures; values, beliefs, and spirituality; and identity on occupational performance.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Impact of typical development and aging on occupational performance, health, and wellness across the life span.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Expected patterns, progressions, and prognoses associated with conditions that limit occupational performance. Examples include signs and symptoms of disease; stages of disease; secondary complications.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Impact of body functions and body structures on occupational performance. Examples include cognitive impairments; congenital anomalies.
    • Task 1 knowledge 4: Influence of lived experiences and identity on occupational performance. Examples include history of trauma and adverse childhood events; socioeconomic status; gender, race, culture, religion.
    • Task 2: Assess a client’s functional skills, roles, prioritized needs and wants, and performance context to evaluate their occupational performance.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Resources and considerations for acquiring information about the client’s current condition and occupational performance. Examples include referrals; client records; developmental history; Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans; theoretical approach and frame of reference.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Administration, purpose, indications, advantages, and limitations of standardized and nonstandardized screening and assessment tools. Examples include criterion-referenced tests; norm-referenced tests; client and caregiver interviews; observation.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Internal and external factors influencing a client’s engagement in occupation. Examples include roles, habits, routines, and rituals; environmental context; family and social supports; medication side effects and interactions; mental health.
    • Task 3: Perform an activity analysis to determine the influence of task demands, current conditions, performance skills, and context on occupation.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Task requirements, steps to task completion, and task demands across contexts or settings.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Personal and environmental factors that facilitate or inhibit task completion or occupational engagement. Examples include compensation patterns; role of performance context; influence of current conditions.
  • Domain 2 — Analysis, Interpretation, and Planning: Formulate conclusions regarding client needs and priorities to develop and monitor an intervention plan throughout the occupational therapy process. (23%)
    • Task 1: Synthesize assessment results to determine eligibility for services and establish a client-centered intervention plan.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Interpretation and analysis of quantitative assessments. Examples include statistical terminology; scoring; limitations of scores; client reactions to testing.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Interpretation of qualitative findings. Examples include occupational profile; outcomes of needs assessment; results from interviews or observations.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Integration and application of quantitative assessment results and qualitative findings to guide critical decision-making and prioritize needs.
    • Task 2: Collaborate with the client, the client’s relevant others, occupational therapy colleagues, and other professionals using a client-centered approach and therapeutic use of self to manage occupational therapy services.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Roles and responsibilities among interprofessional teams when coordinating client care and providing services. Examples include referral to and consultation with other services; interprofessional communication methods; scope of practice.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Processes for managing interprofessional intervention plans. Examples include Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans; discharge plans; transition plans; palliative and hospice care plans.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Client-centered approaches and considerations for coordinating occupational therapy services. Examples include therapeutic use of self; advocacy; frequency/duration of intervention; level of service delivery.
    • Task 2 knowledge 4: Factors used to prioritize intervention goals and activities in collaboration with the client and family, teacher, caregiver, and relevant others. Examples include client-reported outcomes; level of support required; context of service delivery; progress toward goals.
    • Task 2 knowledge 5: Strategies for addressing and enhancing health literacy with the client and relevant others. Examples include caregiver training; teaching-learning models; methods for making health information accessible; informed decision-making; navigating challenges to professional expertise.
    • Task 3: Monitor and modify the intervention plan, approach, context, and goals on an ongoing basis using clinical reasoning.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Factors for determining and managing context and activities to meet individual and group intervention goals and objectives. Examples include client needs and priorities; response to intervention.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Strategies for monitoring the effectiveness of individual and group interventions. Examples include client-reported outcomes; reevaluation results; progress toward goals.
    • Task 3 knowledge 3: Clinical decision-making for assessing and adapting the intervention plan and prioritizing goals based on client response to intervention. Examples include physiological changes; behavioral reactions; emotion regulation; developmental needs.
    • Task 3 knowledge 4: Precautions or contraindications associated with a client’s condition or stage of recovery. Examples include postsurgical precautions; vital signs; laboratory values; suicidal ideation.
  • Domain 3 — Select and Manage Interventions: Select and implement interventions for managing a client-centered plan throughout the occupational therapy process. (38%)
    • Task 1: Incorporate preparatory techniques, activities, and modalities as an adjunct to interventions to promote healing and enhance engagement in occupation-based activities.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Considerations for selecting, preparing, and adapting the intervention technique to support optimal engagement and promote goal achievement. Examples include client condition; client safety.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Considerations for selecting, preparing, and adapting the intervention environment to support optimal engagement and promote goal achievement. Examples include ensuring privacy during telehealth sessions; equipment safety; line management.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Indications, contraindications, and precautions associated with wound management and maintaining skin integrity. Examples include stage of wound healing; prevention and management of pressure ulcers.
    • Task 1 knowledge 4: Indications, contraindications, precautions, and clinical application of superficial thermal agents. Examples include dry whirlpool; hot packs; cryotherapy.
    • Task 1 knowledge 5: Indications, contraindications, precautions, and clinical application of deep thermal, mechanical, and electrotherapeutic physical agent modalities. Examples include transcutaneous and neuromuscular electrical stimulation; biofeedback.
    • Task 2: Implement occupation-based strategies to support participation in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), health management, rest and sleep, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation across the life span.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Interventions for supporting leisure and play.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Methods for grading an activity, task, or technique based on level of development, client status, response to intervention, and client needs.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Considerations for facilitating individual and group participation in shared activities. Examples include group processes; group dynamics; group type and function.
    • Task 2 knowledge 4: Interventions to support cognitive, visual-motor, visual, and perceptual processing and sensory arousal. Examples include sensory modulation; proprioceptive input; vestibular strategies; low vision strategies.
    • Task 2 knowledge 5: Compensatory and remedial strategies for managing cognitive and perceptual deficits or developmental disabilities. Examples include graded cueing; chaining; metacognition; memory aids.
    • Task 2 knowledge 6: Adaptive and preventive strategies for supporting optimal engagement in occupation. Examples include use of technology/apps; joint protection; task simplification; energy conservation.
    • Task 2 knowledge 7: Intervention strategies and techniques used to facilitate oral motor skills for drinking, eating, and swallowing. Examples include hand-to-mouth patterns; mastication; adaptive utensils; positioning at mealtime.
    • Task 2 knowledge 8: Prevocational, vocational, and transitional services, options, and resources for supporting strengths, interests, employment, and lifestyle goals across the life span.
    • Task 2 knowledge 9: Strategies, techniques, and client-centered education to facilitate functional transfers.
    • Task 2 knowledge 10: Strategies for promoting wellness and mental health. Examples include relaxation; sleep hygiene; addiction management.
    • Task 3: Select and implement interventions for improving sensory, motor, neurological, and physiological status, considering client condition and current stage of recovery, to support occupational performance.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Methods for grading therapeutic exercise and conditioning programs consistent with indications and precautions.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Techniques for sensory and motor reeducation, pain management, desensitization, edema reduction, and scar management. Examples include manual edema mobilization; nerve gliding; neuromuscular reeducation; constraint-induced movement.
    • Task 3 knowledge 3: Techniques for promoting improved postural stability, dynamic balance, body mechanics, and breathing patterns during functional tasks.
    • Task 4: Select, fabricate, and modify orthotic devices, and provide training in the use of orthotic and prosthetic devices to support functional outcomes.
    • Task 4 knowledge 1: Types and functions of immobilization, mobilization, and restriction orthoses for managing specific conditions and congenital anomalies across the life span.
    • Task 4 knowledge 2: Types and functions of prosthetic devices for upper and lower extremity amputations.
    • Task 4 knowledge 3: Implications of anatomical, physiological, biomechanical, cognitive, and socioeconomic factors and healing principles for orthotic selection, design, fabrication, and modification.
    • Task 4 knowledge 4: Client-centered education and training methods for the safe and effective use of orthotic and prosthetic devices.
    • Task 5: Select assistive technology options, adaptive devices, mobility aids, and other durable medical equipment to enable participation in occupation.
    • Task 5 knowledge 1: Factors related to measuring, selecting, monitoring the fit of, and recommending modifications to seating systems, positioning devices, and mobility aids. Examples include equipment components; biomechanical considerations; usability and maintenance.
    • Task 5 knowledge 2: Types, characteristics, and features of high- and low-tech assistive technology and adaptive devices. Examples include interface options and processor parameters; equipment components.
    • Task 5 knowledge 3: Mobility options, vehicle adaptations, and alternative devices for supporting participation in community mobility. Examples include adapted driving controls; wheelchair tie downs; alternative transportation options; dynamic mobile standers; navigation apps.
    • Task 5 knowledge 4: Client factors influencing successful use and maintenance of assistive technology options, adaptive devices, mobility aids, and other durable medical equipment. Examples include developmental, physical, functional, cognitive, and mental health status; prioritized needs.
    • Task 5 knowledge 5: Client-centered education and training methods for successful use and maintenance of assistive technology options, adaptive devices, mobility aids, and other durable medical equipment.
    • Task 6: Recommend environmental modifications, while considering accessibility guidelines, standards, and legislation, to support participation in occupation consistent with client needs and status, task demands, and context.
    • Task 6 knowledge 1: Principles of ergonomics and universal design for identifying, recommending, and implementing features and reasonable accommodations in the workplace, home, and virtual and public spaces.
    • Task 6 knowledge 2: Processes and procedures for identifying, recommending, and implementing modifications in the workplace, home, and virtual and public spaces.
  • Domain 4 — Competency and Practice Management: Manage professional activities of self and relevant others as guided by evidence, regulatory compliance, and standards of practice to promote quality care. (16%)
    • Task 1: Employ evidence-based strategies and approaches to provide safe, effective, and efficient services relevant to individuals, groups, and populations.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Methods for locating, reviewing, interpreting, and critically appraising scholarly research to guide practice-relevant decision-making. Examples include defining a clinical question; determining the clinical bottom line.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Methods for applying continuous quality improvement processes and procedures to occupational therapy service delivery. Examples include program evaluation; outcome measures.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Evidence-based programming for advancing population health outcomes. Examples include aging in place; fall prevention; health and wellness; community support groups.
    • Task 2: Incorporate risk management techniques at the individual and practice-setting levels to protect clients, self, staff, and others from injury or harm.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Infection control procedures and universal precautions for reducing transmission of contaminants. Examples include PPE; isolation precautions; cleaning equipment.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Responses to adverse reactions, minor injuries, and emergency situations. Examples include minor burns and cuts; seizures; diabetic reactions.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Preventive measures for minimizing risk and promoting safety. Examples include proper body mechanics; safety data sheet (SDS); standard operating procedures; equipment maintenance; emergency preparedness; personal safety in the client’s environment.
    • Task 2 knowledge 4: Strategies and resources to prevent professional burnout. Examples include assessment of personal needs; self-advocacy regarding workload; stress management.
    • Task 3: Provide occupational therapy services in accordance with laws, regulations, state occupational therapy practice acts, and accreditation guidelines to protect consumers and meet applicable reimbursement requirements related to the service delivery setting.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Application of federal regulations, state practice acts, facility policies, and accreditation guidelines related to service delivery across occupational therapy practice settings. Examples include health care legislation; accreditation organizations; licensing and credentialing; supervisory role under state practice acts.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Influence of reimbursement policies and guidelines on occupational therapy service delivery.
    • Task 3 knowledge 3: Accountability processes and procedures for justifying, tracking, and monitoring outcomes. Examples include relevant practice terminology; documentation guidelines.
    • Task 4: Engage in professional development and competency assessment activities relevant to the job role, practice setting, scope of practice, and professional certification standards.
    • Task 4 knowledge 1: Methods for identifying, documenting, and monitoring service competency and professional development needs. Examples include competency self-assessment; mentoring.
    • Task 4 knowledge 2: Application of ethical decision-making and professional behaviors guided by the NBCOT Practice Standards and Code of Conduct.
Examination sources

Oregon Law/Ethics Exam

Provider
Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board
Format
Online open-book exam; results sent to the Board Director; a failed attempt may be retaken the next day
Examination outline
  • Questions 1-3: Licensing Board
    • ORS 675.310 Occupational Therapy Licensing Board
    • ORS 675.320 Powers of board; fees; rules
  • Questions 4-10: Licensing in Oregon
    • ORS 675.222 Employing unlicensed person prohibited
    • ORS 675.230 to 675.280 Application, qualifications, licensing without examination, license period
    • ORS 675.320(11) Limited permit requirements
    • OAR 339-005-0000 Fees
    • OAR 339-010-0005(b) Definitions (levels of supervision)
    • OAR 339-010-0040 Limited Permit
    • OAR 339-010-0023 License Renewals
  • Questions 11-15: Unprofessional Conduct
    • ORS 675.210 Definitions
    • ORS 675.300 Grounds and procedures for denial, refusal to renew, suspension or revocation of license
    • ORS 675.320 Powers of board; fees; rules
    • ORS 675.336 Civil penalties
    • OAR 339-010-0018 Name, Address and Telephone Number of Record
    • OAR 339-010-0020 Unprofessional Conduct
  • Questions 16-18: Supervision
    • OAR 339-010-0005 Definitions (supervision levels)
    • OAR 339-010-0035 Supervision of an Occupational Therapy Assistant
    • OAR 339-010-0055 Occupational Therapy Aides Tasks
    • AOTA Supervision Guidelines
  • Questions 19-20: Use of OT Aides
    • OAR 339-010-0055 Occupational Therapy Aides Tasks
  • Questions 21-22: Continuing Education
    • OAR 339-020-0000 Continuing Education Defined
    • OAR 339-020-0010 CE Requirements for Current Licensees
    • OAR 339-020-0015 CE on Pain Management
    • OAR 339-020-0020 CE Categories and Points
    • OAR 339-020-0025 CE in Cultural Competency
    • OAR 339-020-0080 CE Certification
    • OAR 339-020-0090 Waiver
    • OAR 339-020-0100 Mentorship between licensees for CE Credit
  • Questions 23-25: Miscellaneous
    • ORS 675.210 Definitions (scope of occupational therapy)
    • ORS 675.320(14) Rules defining the scope of practice
    • ORS 675.290 License renewal procedure; delinquent fee
    • OAR 339-005-0000 Fees
    • OAR 339-010-0005 Definitions (scope of practice)
    • OAR 339-010-0010
    • OAR 339-010-0015
    • OAR 339-010-0050(4) Occupational therapy services for children and youth in education: documentation
Examination sources

COTA Certification Exam

Format
Three- and four-option single-response multiple-choice items and six-option multi-select items
Exam questions
190 items
Examination outline
  • Domain 1 — Collaborate and Gather Information: Under the supervision of the OTR, acquire information on an ongoing basis regarding factors that influence occupational performance. (27%)
    • Task 1: Recognize the influence of development and lived experience; body functions and body structures; values, beliefs, and spirituality; and identity on occupational performance.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Impact of typical development and aging on occupational performance, health, and wellness across the life span.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Expected patterns, progressions, and prognoses associated with conditions that limit occupational performance. Examples include signs and symptoms of disease; stages of disease; secondary complications.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Impact of body functions and body structures on occupational performance. Examples include cognitive impairments; congenital anomalies.
    • Task 1 knowledge 4: Influence of lived experiences and identity on occupational performance. Examples include history of trauma and adverse childhood events; socioeconomic status; gender, race, culture, religion.
    • Task 2: Acquire information about a client’s functional skills, roles, prioritized needs and wants, and performance context to inform the development of and updates to an occupational profile.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Resources for acquiring information about the client’s current condition and occupational performance. Examples include referrals; client records; developmental history; Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Purpose, advantages, limitations, and service competency needs related to the administration of standardized and nonstandardized assessments and screening methods. Examples include criterion-referenced tests; norm-referenced tests; client and caregiver interviews; observation.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Internal and external factors influencing a client’s engagement in occupation. Examples include roles, habits, routines, and rituals; environmental context; family and social supports; medication side effects and interactions; mental health.
    • Task 3: Perform an activity analysis to determine the influence of task demands, current conditions, performance skills, and context on occupation.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Task requirements, steps to task completion, and task demands across contexts or settings.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Personal and environmental factors that facilitate or inhibit task completion or occupational engagement. Examples include compensation patterns; role of performance context; influence of current conditions.
    • Task 4: Collaborate with the client, the client’s relevant others, occupational therapy colleagues, and other professionals using a client-centered approach and therapeutic use of self to provide quality occupational therapy services.
    • Task 4 knowledge 1: Roles and responsibilities among interprofessional teams when coordinating client care and providing services. Examples include referral to and consultation with other services; interprofessional communication methods; scope of practice.
    • Task 4 knowledge 2: Processes for supporting interprofessional intervention plans. Examples include Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans; discharge plans; transition plans; palliative and hospice care plans.
    • Task 4 knowledge 3: Client-centered approaches and considerations for coordinating occupational therapy services. Examples include therapeutic use of self; advocacy; frequency/duration of intervention; level of service delivery.
    • Task 4 knowledge 4: Factors used to prioritize intervention goals and activities in collaboration with the client and family, teacher, caregiver, and relevant others. Examples include client-reported outcomes; level of support required; context of service delivery; progress toward goals.
    • Task 4 knowledge 5: Strategies for addressing and enhancing health literacy with the client and relevant others. Examples include caregiver training; teaching-learning models; methods for making health information accessible; informed decision-making; navigating challenges to professional expertise.
    • Task 5: Monitor the intervention plan, approach, context, and goals on an ongoing basis, in collaboration with the OTR, using clinical reasoning.
    • Task 5 knowledge 1: Factors for determining and managing context and activities to meet individual and group intervention goals and objectives. Examples include client needs and priorities; response to intervention.
    • Task 5 knowledge 2: Strategies for monitoring the effectiveness of individual and group intervention. Examples include client-reported outcomes; reevaluation results; progress toward goals.
    • Task 5 knowledge 3: Clinical decision-making for prioritizing goals and implementing modifications to the intervention plan based on client responses, under the supervision of the OTR. Examples include physiological changes; behavioral reactions; emotion regulation; developmental needs.
    • Task 5 knowledge 4: Precautions or contraindications associated with a client condition or stage of recovery. Examples include postsurgical precautions; vital signs; laboratory values; suicidal ideation.
  • Domain 2 — Select and Implement Interventions: Implement interventions, under the supervision of the OTR, in accordance with the intervention plan and level of service competence to support client participation in areas of occupation throughout the occupational therapy process. (55%)
    • Task 1: Incorporate preparatory techniques, activities, and modalities as an adjunct to interventions to promote healing and enhance engagement in occupation-based activities.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Considerations for selecting, preparing, and adapting the intervention technique to support optimal engagement and promote goal achievement. Examples include client condition; client safety; theoretical approach and frame of reference.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Considerations for selecting, preparing, and adapting the intervention environment to support optimal engagement and promote goal achievement. Examples include ensuring privacy during telehealth sessions; equipment safety; line management.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Indications, contraindications, and precautions associated with wounds and maintaining skin integrity. Examples include stage of wound healing; prevention and management of pressure ulcers.
    • Task 1 knowledge 4: Indications, contraindications, precautions, and clinical application of superficial thermal agents. Examples include dry whirlpool; hot packs; cryotherapy.
    • Task 1 knowledge 5: Indications, contraindications, precautions, and clinical application of deep thermal, mechanical, and electrotherapeutic physical agent modalities. Examples include transcutaneous and neuromuscular electrical stimulation; biofeedback.
    • Task 2: Implement occupation-based strategies to support participation in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), health management, rest and sleep, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation across the life span.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Interventions for supporting leisure and play.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Methods for grading an activity, task, or technique based on level of development, client status, response to intervention, and client needs.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Considerations for facilitating individual and group participation in shared activities. Examples include group processes; group dynamics; group type and function.
    • Task 2 knowledge 4: Interventions to support cognitive, visual-motor, visual, and perceptual processing and sensory arousal. Examples include sensory modulation; proprioceptive input; vestibular strategies; low vision strategies.
    • Task 2 knowledge 5: Compensatory and remedial strategies for managing cognitive and perceptual deficits or developmental disabilities. Examples include graded cueing; chaining; metacognition; memory aids.
    • Task 2 knowledge 6: Adaptive and preventive strategies for supporting optimal engagement in occupation. Examples include use of technology/apps; joint protection; task simplification; energy conservation.
    • Task 2 knowledge 7: Intervention strategies and techniques used to facilitate oral motor skills for drinking, eating, and swallowing. Examples include hand-to-mouth patterns; mastication; adaptive utensils; positioning at mealtime.
    • Task 2 knowledge 8: Prevocational, vocational, and transitional services, options, and resources for supporting strengths, interests, employment, and lifestyle goals across the life span.
    • Task 2 knowledge 9: Strategies, techniques, and client-centered education to facilitate functional transfers.
    • Task 2 knowledge 10: Strategies for promoting wellness and mental health. Examples include relaxation; sleep hygiene; addiction management.
    • Task 3: Implement interventions for improving sensory, motor, neurological, and physiological status, considering client condition and current stage of recovery, to support occupational performance.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Methods for grading therapeutic exercise and conditioning programs consistent with indications and precautions.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Techniques for sensory and motor reeducation, pain management, desensitization, edema reduction, and scar management. Examples include manual edema mobilization; nerve gliding; neuromuscular reeducation; constraint-induced movement.
    • Task 3 knowledge 3: Techniques for promoting improved postural stability, dynamic balance, body mechanics, and breathing patterns during functional tasks.
    • Task 4: Select, fabricate, and modify orthotic devices, and provide training in the use of orthotic and prosthetic devices in order to support functional outcomes.
    • Task 4 knowledge 1: Types and functions of immobilization, mobilization, and restriction orthoses for managing specific conditions and congenital anomalies across the life span.
    • Task 4 knowledge 2: Types and functions of prosthetic devices for upper and lower extremity amputations.
    • Task 4 knowledge 3: Implications of anatomical, physiological, biomechanical, cognitive, and socioeconomic factors and healing principles for orthotic selection, design, fabrication, and modification.
    • Task 4 knowledge 4: Client-centered education and training methods for the safe and effective use of orthotic and prosthetic devices.
    • Task 5: Integrate assistive technology options, adaptive devices, mobility aids, and other durable medical equipment into the intervention to enable participation in occupation.
    • Task 5 knowledge 1: Factors related to measuring, selecting, monitoring the fit of, and recommending modifications to seating systems, positioning devices, and mobility aids. Examples include equipment components; biomechanical considerations; usability and maintenance.
    • Task 5 knowledge 2: Types, characteristics, and features of high- and low-tech assistive technology and adaptive devices. Examples include interface options and processor parameters; equipment components.
    • Task 5 knowledge 3: Mobility options, vehicle adaptations, and alternative devices for supporting participation in community mobility. Examples include adapted driving controls; wheelchair tie downs; alternative transportation options; dynamic mobile standers; navigation apps.
    • Task 5 knowledge 4: Client factors influencing successful use and maintenance of assistive technology options, adaptive devices, mobility aids, and other durable medical equipment. Examples include developmental, physical, functional, cognitive, and mental health status; prioritized needs.
    • Task 5 knowledge 5: Client-centered education and training methods for successful use and maintenance of assistive technology options, adaptive devices, mobility aids, and other durable medical equipment.
    • Task 6: Implement environmental modifications, while considering accessibility guidelines, standards, and legislation, to support participation in occupation consistent with client needs and status, task demands, and context.
    • Task 6 knowledge 1: Principles of ergonomics and universal design for identifying, recommending, and implementing features and reasonable accommodations in the workplace, home, and virtual and public spaces.
    • Task 6 knowledge 2: Processes and procedures for identifying, recommending, and implementing modifications in the workplace, home, and virtual and public spaces.
  • Domain 3 — Uphold Professional Standards and Responsibilities: Uphold professional standards and responsibilities by achieving service competence and applying evidence-based interventions to promote quality in practice. (18%)
    • Task 1: Employ evidence-based strategies and approaches to provide safe, effective, and efficient services relevant to individuals, groups, and populations.
    • Task 1 knowledge 1: Methods for locating, reviewing, and interpreting scholarly research to guide practice-relevant decision-making. Examples include applying the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) model; identifying best evidence.
    • Task 1 knowledge 2: Methods for contributing to continuous quality improvement processes and procedures related to occupational therapy service delivery. Examples include program evaluation; acquiring information to measure outcomes.
    • Task 1 knowledge 3: Types of evidence-based programming for advancing population health outcomes. Examples include aging in place; fall prevention; health and wellness; community support groups.
    • Task 2: Incorporate risk management techniques at the individual and practice-setting levels to protect clients, self, staff, and others from injury or harm.
    • Task 2 knowledge 1: Infection control procedures and universal precautions for reducing transmission of contaminants. Examples include PPE; isolation precautions; cleaning equipment.
    • Task 2 knowledge 2: Responses to adverse reactions, minor injuries, and emergency situations. Examples include minor burns and cuts; seizures; diabetic reactions.
    • Task 2 knowledge 3: Preventive measures for minimizing risk and promoting safety. Examples include proper body mechanics; safety data sheet (SDS); standard operating procedures; equipment maintenance; emergency preparedness; personal safety in the client’s environment.
    • Task 2 knowledge 4: Strategies and resources to prevent professional burnout. Examples include assessment of personal needs; self-advocacy regarding workload; stress management.
    • Task 3: Provide occupational therapy services in accordance with laws, regulations, state occupational therapy practice acts, and accreditation guidelines to protect consumers and meet applicable reimbursement requirements related to the service delivery setting.
    • Task 3 knowledge 1: Application of federal regulations, state practice acts, facility policies, and accreditation guidelines related to service delivery across occupational therapy practice settings. Examples include health care legislation; accreditation organizations; licensing and credentialing.
    • Task 3 knowledge 2: Influence of reimbursement policies and guidelines on occupational therapy service delivery.
    • Task 3 knowledge 3: Accountability processes and procedures for justifying, tracking, and monitoring outcomes. Examples include relevant practice terminology; documentation guidelines.
    • Task 4: Engage in professional development and competency assessment activities relevant to the job role, practice setting, scope of practice, and professional certification standards.
    • Task 4 knowledge 1: Methods for identifying, documenting, and monitoring service competency and professional development needs. Examples include competency self-assessment; mentoring.
    • Task 4 knowledge 2: Application of ethical decision-making and professional behaviors guided by the NBCOT Practice Standards and Code of Conduct.
Examination sources