15 min read
Complete OT Interview Preparation

The Comprehensive
Occupational Therapy
Interview Guide

Master the formats, ethics, current issues and communication skills you need for OT program interviews, from recorded video interviews to panels.

6
Question Types
6
Competency Domains
15+
OT Topics
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1

What You're Really Preparing For

OT programs want to see that you understand occupation, and the people behind it.

Occupational therapy helps people do the everyday things that matter to them: dressing, working, cooking, playing, studying. OT interviews test whether you understand that focus, and whether you have the empathy, creativity and judgment to help clients pursue it.

Interview practices vary a lot. In Canada, some programs interview (McMaster, UBC, Manitoba, UQTR) and others rely on grades and Casper (Toronto, Western, Dalhousie). Where interviews exist, they can be very heavily weighted: McMaster ranks applicants 75% on interview and 25% on GPA, and Manitoba 50/50.

The question underneath every OT interview: does this person understand what occupational therapy is, and would clients feel heard by them?

In the US, most programs apply through OTCAS and many interview, sometimes with a writing sample.

2

What OT Interviews Actually Test

Formats vary. The qualities don't.

The Competencies Behind Every Question

Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada (2021)

Canada's 2021 competency document organises OT practice into six domains. Interview questions test early versions of them.

1
A. OT Expertise
Understanding occupation and enabling participation
2
B. Communication & Collaboration
Working with clients and teams
3
C. Culture, Equity & Justice
Inclusive, anti-oppressive practice
4
D. Excellence in Practice
Evidence and continuous learning
5
E. Professional Responsibility
Ethics and accountability
6
F. Engagement with the Profession
Contributing to OT's growth

Interviewers want to hear that OT is about meaningful activity, not just exercises or equipment. Know the difference between OT and physiotherapy, and be able to describe what you saw OTs do.

OT ethics often turns on autonomy and risk: a client who wants to go home alone, a family who disagrees, or limited resources. "Dignity of risk" is a core concept.

Domain C makes equity and justice central. Expect questions about accessibility, Indigenous health and serving diverse communities.

OTs work with physiotherapists, nurses, social workers, families and schools. Show you can share goals and roles.

Interview Formats by School

From each program's admissions pages

Formats change every cycle, so always confirm on your program's current page.

Canada

  • McMaster: an asynchronous Kira video interview; rank is interview 75% and GPA 25%. About 70 seats.
  • UBC: a verbal interview plus a written English test; Casper required.
  • Manitoba: a blind Zoom interview (April 24, 2027); final ranking is GPA 50% and interview 50%. 60 seats.
  • UQTR: the interview counts for 30%.
  • No interview: Toronto and Western (Casper required), Alberta, and Dalhousie (68 seats). Montréal, Laval and Sherbrooke use Casper.

United States

  • OTCAS costs $172 for the first program and $71 for each additional one.
  • Many programs interview; LSU Health, for example, pairs an interview with a writing sample.
  • Observation hours are common, often around 40.
  • ACOTE has not mandated the doctorate: it accredits both master's (161) and entry-level OTD (155) programs.
Know Your Format
  • Recorded: practise timed, one-take answers
  • Live: practise with a friend acting as a client
  • Know whether Casper counts and how heavily the interview is weighted
3

Universal Answer Framework

A repeatable structure for any prompt, plus the story method that powers your personal answers.

The Six-Part Answer Structure

Works for ethics, policy, teamwork and critical-thinking prompts

Occupational Therapy interviewers hear dozens of answers a day. The ones that stand out are not the longest or the most knowledgeable. They are the ones that are easy to follow: the interviewer always knows where you are and where you are going.

Use this structure as scaffolding, not a script. In an 8-minute MMI station you might spend 20 seconds on the roadmap and two minutes on the decision. In a short panel answer you might compress all six parts into four sentences.

The Six-Part Answer Structure
1
Introduction and Roadmap

Name the core tension in one sentence and say how you will approach it. "This is a conflict between respecting the client's choice to go home and the family's concern for safety. I'd want to understand the risks and what the client values first."

2
Perspectives and Stakeholders

Who is affected? The client, their family, you, your colleagues, the organisation, the wider public. Give each a fair hearing.

3
Principles or Analysis

Bring in the relevant principles: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity and fidelity (the AOTA Code of Ethics), or in Ontario, COTO's principles of minimizing harm and respecting autonomy. For policy prompts: evidence, cost, equity and access.

4
Decision

Commit to a clear course of action. Be specific about what you would do first, and use if-then logic for what you don't know yet.

5
Justification

Explain why your decision best balances the principles, and acknowledge what you are trading away. This is where most marks are earned.

6
Reflection

Close by connecting to occupational therapy: what this reveals about trust, consent, safety or access, or how you would prevent the situation next time.

Golden Tips
  • Ask a clarifying question when a prompt is genuinely ambiguous, then state your assumption and move on
  • Name the person in the scenario and refer to them by name; it keeps you client-centred
  • Gather information before acting. Most scenarios turn on facts you don't have yet
  • Escalate to the right person (your clinical supervisor, the care team, your regulatory college) instead of acting alone
Common Traps
  • Jumping to a verdict in the first ten seconds, before exploring perspectives
  • Moralising about a colleague or client instead of trying to understand them
  • Listing principles without applying them to the actual people in the scenario
  • Hedging forever. Interviewers want a decision, not a survey of options

STAR-L for Personal Questions

Turning experiences into evidence

Personal questions ("Tell me about a time…") are where applicants most often lose marks, usually by telling a long story with no point. STAR-L keeps you on track and makes the final lesson explicit.

STAR-L Method
1
Situation

One or two sentences of context: where, when, your role.

2
Task

What needed to happen, and why it mattered.

3
Action

What you did. Use "I", not "we". This should be the longest part.

4
Result

What happened. Be honest, including what didn't go well.

5
Lesson

What you learned, and how it will shape you as a occupational therapist. Make the link concrete.

A strong Lesson connects to the job: "I learned that the goal someone cares about, like cooking for their grandchildren, motivates far more than the exercise itself. That's the heart of occupational therapy."

Your High-Yield Story Bank

Four stories that adapt to dozens of questions

Most personal prompts can be answered with one of four well-prepared stories. Write yours below; they save to your browser so you can come back and refine them.

edit_note Your High-Yield Story Bank
Saved!

Prepare 4 high-yield stories that can be adapted across many questions. Click each card to expand and fill in your STAR-L details. Your entries auto-save to your browser.

military_tech Leadership Story Essential
group Teamwork Story Essential
bolt Conflict Resolution Story Essential
local_fire_department Adversity / Failure Story Essential
lightbulb Need More Story Ideas? Brainstorm Prompts

Click to expand and explore additional story topics. Think of specific examples from your life for each prompt.

fitness_center Core Competencies
Empathy & compassion Integrity Problem-solving Critical thinking Communication skills Professionalism Motivation to learn Self-directed learning Time management Maturity & self-awareness
track_changes Achievements & Decisions
Achieved a goal Greatest accomplishment Difficult decision Ethical dilemma Decision you regret Creative project Time you failed Breaking bad news Altruistic act
bolt Conflict Scenarios
Conflict with friend Conflict with family Conflict with supervisor Workplace disagreement Overcoming adversity Received criticism
public Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Commitment to equity Promoted diversity & inclusion Faced resistance to equity initiative Worked with disadvantaged population Showed cultural humility Collaborated across diverse teams Confronted bias or discrimination Challenged systemic inequities Demonstrated subconscious bias Self-directed EDII learning
sync "Anti-Stories" (Times You Struggled)
Time you did NOT communicate well Did NOT display teamwork Did NOT show integrity Did NOT display empathy Recognized a personal weakness Learned from a mistake
person Personal & Reflective
Your mentor Role model Words that describe you Strengths Weaknesses Something interesting about yourself Interesting class or experience Greatest development in occupational therapy Tell me a joke
4

The Six Core Question Types

Whether your program uses an MMI, a panel or a one-on-one interview, almost every question falls into one of these six types.

Why Occupational Therapy?

Asked everywhere

What it assesses

Whether you understand OT and chose it for informed reasons.

Example prompts

  • Why OT rather than physiotherapy?
  • What is "occupation"?
  • Describe something you observed an OT do.
  • Which practice area interests you most, and why?

How to approach it

  1. Start with a real experience.
  2. Explain occupation in plain language.
  3. Show you know the breadth (paediatrics, mental health, older adults, workplaces).
  4. Close forward-looking.
Golden Tips
  • Describe a specific client goal you saw an OT work toward
  • Know the difference between OT and PT clearly
  • Mention client-centred practice
Common Traps
  • "OT is like physio"
  • Only talking about helping people in general
  • No observation experience

Ethical Dilemmas

Autonomy, risk and resources

What it assesses

Whether you can balance a client's choices with safety, fairness and honesty.

Example prompts

  • A client wants to return home alone after a stroke, but their family believes it isn't safe.
  • Your manager wants you to see more clients by shortening sessions.
  • A client offers you an expensive gift.
  • A colleague bills for time they didn't spend with a client.

How to approach it

  1. Clarify facts and risks.
  2. Name the tension (autonomy vs safety).
  3. Explore options that reduce risk while respecting choice.
  4. Decide and justify.
Golden Tips
  • Use "dignity of risk": capable people may choose some risk
  • Look for ways to reduce risk (equipment, home supports)
  • Accurate billing and documentation are non-negotiable
Common Traps
  • Overriding a capable client
  • Ignoring real risk
  • Lecturing

Communication & Role-Play

Clients, families and teams

What it assesses

How you listen, motivate and handle emotion.

Example prompts

  • A client is discouraged and refuses therapy.
  • Explain to a family why their father needs a home assessment.
  • A parent is upset that their child needs OT at school.
  • A client is angry about waiting for equipment.

How to approach it

  1. Listen and acknowledge.
  2. Find what matters to the client.
  3. Link therapy to their goals.
  4. Agree on next steps.
Golden Tips
  • Ask about meaningful activities
  • Use the client's own words for goals
  • Check understanding
Common Traps
  • Pushing exercises without purpose
  • Jargon
  • Dismissing frustration

Teamwork & Collaboration

Shared goals

What it assesses

Whether you can collaborate across professions and with families.

Example prompts

  • The PT and you disagree on a discharge plan.
  • A teacher doesn't follow your classroom recommendations.
  • Describe a team conflict you resolved.

How to approach it

  1. Seek to understand.
  2. Focus on the client's goals.
  3. Find a shared plan.
  4. Escalate if the client is at risk.
Golden Tips
  • Respect other professions' expertise
  • Clarify roles
  • Document agreements
Common Traps
  • Turf battles
  • Blaming
  • Lone-hero answers

Critical Thinking & Policy

Access and equity

What it assesses

Whether you can weigh access, equity, cost and evidence.

Example prompts

  • Should employers fund workplace accommodations?
  • How should OT services reach rural or Indigenous communities?
  • Should AI be used to write therapy notes?
  • Is a cap on therapy funding fair?

How to approach it

  1. Define the question.
  2. Weigh considerations.
  3. Take a position.
  4. Answer the counter-argument.
Golden Tips
  • Bring in accessibility law and equity
  • Use one or two accurate facts
  • Acknowledge trade-offs
Common Traps
  • Invented statistics
  • No position
  • One-sided answers

Personal & Character

Resilience and growth

What it assesses

Self-awareness through real experiences.

Example prompts

  • Tell us about a time you failed.
  • Describe a time you adapted to someone's needs.
  • How do you manage stress?
  • What would a friend say is your biggest weakness?

How to approach it

  1. Pick a story.
  2. Use STAR-L.
  3. Own mistakes.
  4. Connect to OT.
Golden Tips
  • Creativity and adaptability are OT strengths: show them
  • Caregiving and disability-support work make strong stories
  • Keep to time in recorded formats
Common Traps
  • Fake weaknesses
  • Rambling
  • No lesson
5

Go Above and Beyond

What makes an OT answer memorable.

Show You Know the Profession

Specific, accurate detail

  • Models: the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP) was published in 2022.
  • Licensing: Canada's NOTCE introduces a new blueprint from September 2026; the 2024 pass rate was 93.41%.
  • Workforce: CIHI counts 21,963 OTs in Canada. BLS projects 15% US growth with a median pay of $100,330.
  • Degrees: in the US, both master's and OTD programs remain entry routes.

Reflect, Don't Just Report

Turn observation into insight

  • Describe a client goal and how the OT approached it
  • Say what surprised you
  • Say what you'd want to learn

"I expected exercises. Instead the OT asked what the client missed most. It was gardening, so therapy happened at a raised garden bed."

Use Ethics Precisely

Know your codes

The AOTA Code of Ethics (2025) sets out six principles: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity and fidelity. Ontario's College of Occupational Therapists (COTO) adopted a new Code of Ethics in 2026 built on learning and doing better, minimizing harm and respecting autonomy. CAOT's code was revised in 2018.

Things That Backfire
  • Describing OT as physio
  • Overriding client choices
  • Uncertain statistics
6

OT Topics & Ethics You Must Understand

The ethics and current issues OT interviewers expect you to discuss.

The Ethics Frameworks

AOTA in the US, provincial colleges in Canada

Beneficence

Act for clients' wellbeing.

Nonmaleficence

Avoid harm.

Autonomy

Respect clients' right to decide.

Justice

Fair, inclusive access.

Veracity

Be truthful.

Fidelity

Keep commitments and treat colleagues fairly.

These are the six principles of the AOTA Code of Ethics (2025), whose core values are altruism, equity, freedom, justice, dignity, truth, prudence and advocacy. In Ontario, COTO's 2026 Code is built on three principles (learning, knowing and doing better; minimizing harm; respecting autonomy) and six values: accountability, collaboration, humility, integrity, respect and transparency.

Ethics in Practice

What is it? The idea that capable people have the right to take reasonable risks to live the life they value. COTO is developing guidance on it.

Why it matters: The most common OT ethics prompt: a client wants to go home, and others think it's unsafe.

Angles to consider

  • Assess capacity and the actual risks
  • Explore ways to reduce risk (equipment, supports, check-ins)
  • Respect the client's informed choice

Practice prompt

A client wants to return home alone after a stroke, but their family believes it isn't safe. What do you do?

What is it? Clients and funders rely on accurate records. Billing for services not provided is misconduct.

Why it matters: Tests integrity under workplace pressure.

Angles to consider

  • Document accurately
  • Speak to the colleague
  • Escalate if it continues

Practice prompt

A colleague bills for time they didn't spend with a client.

What is it? The 2025 AOTA Code asks practitioners to acknowledge AI use in documentation.

Why it matters: A new, practical ethics topic.

Angles to consider

  • Efficiency vs accuracy
  • Client privacy
  • Transparency

Practice prompt

Should OTs use AI to draft therapy notes?

What is it? Accepting significant gifts can compromise the therapeutic relationship.

Why it matters: Common in long-term client relationships.

Angles to consider

  • Value and intent
  • Cultural context
  • Organisational policy

Practice prompt

A long-term client offers you an expensive watch.

Current Issues

What is it? The Accessible Canada Act (2019) aims for a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

Why it matters: OTs are experts in removing barriers to participation.

Angles to consider

  • Workplace accommodations
  • Universal design
  • Who pays?

Practice prompt

Should employers be required to fund workplace accommodations?

What is it? The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action 23 and 24 call for more Indigenous health professionals and for training in Indigenous health issues in health-profession schools.

Why it matters: Domain C of Canada's competencies centres culture, equity and justice.

Angles to consider

  • Cultural safety
  • Community-led services
  • Workforce representation

Practice prompt

How can OT services be culturally safe for Indigenous clients?

What is it? Medicare uses a KX modifier threshold ($2,480) above which therapists must confirm services remain medically necessary.

Why it matters: Funding shapes how much therapy clients receive.

Angles to consider

  • Cost control vs client need
  • Documentation burden
  • Equity

Practice prompt

Is a threshold on therapy funding fair to clients?

7

Delivery, Mindset & Practice

How you say it matters as much as what you say. These habits are trainable in a few weeks.

Sounding Like a Future Occupational Therapist

Calm, clear, person-centred

Interviewers are, in effect, asking: would a client trust this person to help them get back to the life they want?

  • Pace: slow down by about 20% from your normal speed; nerves speed everyone up
  • Plain language: explain "occupation" as everyday activities that matter to the person
  • Pauses: a two-second pause before answering reads as thoughtful, not unprepared
  • Ownership: say "I would", not "you could maybe"
  • Warmth: smile at the start and when it fits; it's part of good care

Virtual Interviews

Many programs interview online

  • Put the camera at eye level and look at it when you speak, not at the interviewer's face
  • Light your face from the front; sit with a plain background
  • Use a wired connection if you can, and close every other app
  • For recorded (asynchronous) interviews, practise answering to a camera with no one reacting
  • Do a full mock on the same device, in the same room, at the same time of day

Managing Nerves

Practical techniques

  • Box breathing between stations: in 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4
  • Reset ritual: after a station that went badly, leave it behind; each station is scored separately
  • Reframe: the interviewer wants you to do well. They are looking for reasons to admit you
  • Sleep and food the day before matter more than one more hour of practice

A Four-Week Practice Plan

From first draft to interview-ready

  1. Week 1: Read this guide. Write your four stories. Learn the six-part structure.
  2. Week 2: Answer two prompts a day out loud, timed. Record yourself and watch it back.
  3. Week 3: Do at least three full mock interviews with feedback (friends, mentors, Sandbox).
  4. Week 4: Review OT topics and your target programs' interview formats. Light practice only in the final two days.

Most improvement comes from watching recordings of yourself. It's uncomfortable, and it works.

8

Preparation Checklist

Work through this before your interview.

Know Your Interview

Interview or no interview at each program
Format and weighting confirmed
Casper requirements
Observation hours documented

Frameworks

Six-part answer structure
STAR-L stories
Six competency domains
Your jurisdiction's code

OT Topics

What occupation means
OT vs PT
Dignity of risk
Honest billing
AI in documentation
Accessibility
Indigenous health
Therapy funding limits

Practice

10+ recorded answers reviewed
3+ mock interviews
Two client role-plays
A clear "Why OT?" answer

Final Words

OT programs want people who see the whole person and what matters to them.

Show them you understand occupation, and the people behind it.

More Resources

Continue your preparation with these helpful guides

OT Interview PrepPractice with AI feedback
OT Q-BankQuiz yourself on the key topics
OT Topics GuideEthics and current issues deep dive

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