AOTA Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the AOTA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 AOTA Exam Format at a Glance
📚 AOTA Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample AOTA Questions & Answers
1. A caregiver reports their child becomes dysregulated during bath time. The OT's BEST initial response is to:
The OT should conduct a sensory analysis of the routine and guide the caregiver with practical, evidence-based modifications.
2. What are principles of good documentation in AOTA?
Good documentation must be accurate, complete, timely, objective, and legible.
3. Postural background movements in sensory integration are therapeutically important because they:
Automatic postural background movements allow the nervous system to make subtle stabilizing adjustments so conscious attention can be directed to the task at hand.
4. When coaching caregivers on proprioceptive strategies, the OT explains that 'heavy work' activities are beneficial because they:
Heavy work activities deliver proprioceptive input through muscles and joints, which typically produces a calming and organizing effect on the nervous system.
5. When a caregiver expresses frustration that sensory strategies are not working, the OT should FIRST:
Reassessment and collaborative problem-solving are the appropriate first steps to identify why strategies are not achieving the desired effect.
6. What is scope creep in AOTA project management?
Scope creep adds requirements without formal evaluation, causing schedule delays and budget overruns.