Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)
Posted Jun 8, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
You work under the supervision of the OTR. Tell me how you've handled it when you thought a plan of care needed to change.
What they are checking: Whether they know a COTA brings observations to the OTR rather than changing the plan on their own.
Tell me about a patient whose progress you were proud of. What did you do to help make it happen?
What they are checking: Whether they connect activities to what the patient actually wants to be able to do.
Tell me about a time you worked with nursing or physical therapy to solve a patient problem.
What they are checking: Whether they collaborate across disciplines instead of working in a silo.
What would you do
You'd be working inpatient, outpatient and in the Extended Care Center in Friendship. How would your approach change between a hospital patient and a long-term care resident?
What they are checking: Whether they can adjust goals and pacing across short stays and long-term living settings.
A patient refuses therapy today, saying they are too tired and it's pointless. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they can motivate without pushing past consent and then document and report the refusal.
In a small hospital you might have patients with very different needs in one day. How do you plan your day when the schedule keeps changing?
What they are checking: Whether they can stay flexible and organized in a rural site where one person covers a lot.
About the work
Walk me through how you'd work on a patient's lower body dressing after a hip replacement.
What they are checking: Whether they know hip precautions and adaptive equipment like a reacher, sock aid and long shoehorn.
How do you involve family members in a patient's therapy, especially before discharge home?
What they are checking: Whether they teach caregivers so gains carry over safely into the home.
What do you watch for during a session that would make you stop and get help?
What they are checking: Whether they know safety signs like vitals changes, dizziness, chest pain or confusion in fragile patients.
How do you document a treatment session so it supports the plan and holds up for billing?
What they are checking: Whether they write skilled, measurable notes rather than vague descriptions of activities.
What would you do to help a resident with early dementia stay as independent as possible with eating or grooming?
What they are checking: Whether they know practical cueing, setup and environment changes for cognitive decline.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Bellin Gundersen.