NHS Occupational Therapist 2026-2027 : 1000 MCQ with Answers

There is no single national NHS Occupational Therapist exam with one common paper, syllabus, or pass mark. Entry usually involves completing an approved occupational therapy degree, meeting Health and Care Professions Council registration requirements, and applying through an NHS recruitment process.

You normally need an approved degree in occupational therapy or an equivalent recognised qualification. To practise in the UK, you must usually register with the Health and Care Professions Council, and individual NHS roles may also specify experience, professional skills, or additional requirements.

The process varies by vacancy and may include an application form, shortlisting, values-based questions, clinical scenarios, and an interview. Some employers may also use a presentation, written task, or practical assessment, so candidates should read the job description and person specification carefully.

Common topics include assessment and goal setting, clinical reasoning, risk management, safe handling, falls prevention, rehabilitation, equipment selection, wheelchair seating, discharge planning, and safeguarding. You should also revise communication, consent, confidentiality, equality, multidisciplinary teamwork, and evidence-based occupational therapy practice.

Questions may cover a patient at risk of falling, unsafe transfers, pressure damage, reduced cognition, swallowing concerns, a stroke-related functional problem, or difficulties completing daily activities. Explain how you would gather information, identify risks, involve the patient and team, choose appropriate interventions, and review outcomes.

Difficulty depends on the level of the post, the service, and the assessment format used by the employer. Strong preparation in clinical reasoning, professional standards, patient safety, communication, and applying knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios is generally more useful than memorising isolated facts.

Review the vacancy details, NHS values, relevant professional standards, and core occupational therapy interventions. Practise structured answers using real placement or work examples, and rehearse scenarios involving safety, prioritisation, consent, multidisciplinary working, and functional goals.

Because there is no single national NHS Occupational Therapist examination, official past papers are not generally available in the way they are for school or university exams. You can instead practise clinical scenarios, interview questions, case studies, and questions based on the competencies listed in the job advert.

NHS vacancies are advertised throughout the year, and each post has its own closing date, eligibility criteria, and recruitment timetable. Check NHS Jobs and individual health service employer websites regularly, and allow time to prepare evidence for every essential and desirable requirement.

You should understand risk assessment, safe moving and handling, falls prevention, pressure area care, equipment checks, infection prevention, safeguarding, documentation, and escalation of concerns. Occupational therapy decisions should be person-centred, proportionate to risk, and reviewed when the patient's condition or environment changes.