Exam Bulletin - Occupational Therapist

Department of Veterans Affairs

Multiple Testing Departments. Please see list of Departments.

Exam Code: EX-2572

Examination Plans Included:

  • OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Bulletin Updates

  • Continuous filing dates have been added.

Classification Details

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST: $4,938.00 - $7,118.00 (A) per Month
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST: $6,907.00 - $9,700.00 (S) per Month
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST: $8,238.00 - $9,700.00 (U) per Month

View the OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST classification specification.

Application Instructions

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

  • 1/1/2026
  • 2/1/2026

Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) must be received or postmarked by the filing date indicated above. Applications postmarked, personally delivered or received via interoffice mail after the filing date will be processed in the next group.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

    2572

For OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-02572

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

You may apply by mail to:

  • Examinations Unit
    Department of Veterans Affairs
    Department of Veterans Affairs - Human Resources Division
    1227 O Street, Room 404
    Sacramento, CA 95814

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs
    Department of Veterans Affairs - Human Resources Division
    1227 O Street, Room 404
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00108288 - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Registration with the National Registry of the American Occupational Therapy Association or eligibility for such registration. (Applicants who have completed the academic training required for registration will be admitted to the civil service examination, but they must also have completed the required clinical training before they will be considered eligible for appointment.)

Position Description

00108288 - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

With cerebral palsied children: Teaches self-care activities, with particular emphasis on the requirements of neuromuscular reeducation; adapts activities as therapeutic exercises; makes hand splints; cooperates with the teaching and other technical staff in teaching special activities and assists in coordinating the total therapy and educational program; assists in instructing parents in the use of suitable activities and adapted equipment for the continuation of the treatments at home.

With mentally or physically ill and handicapped: Promotes acceptable social behavior in patients through the media of industrial arts and handicrafts such as ceramics, metal work, weaving, and painting; teaches self-care activities designed to promote improved mental and physical health; assists in planning and supervising the social, recreational, and work activities of patients.

With the therapeutic team, plans treatment goals to maintain or improve motivation, work approach, physical or emotional condition; utilizes recognized therapeutic techniques in working toward these goals with groups or individuals; assists in educating other personnel and volunteers to understand and cooperate in the physical and psychological objectives of the occupational therapy treatments; instructs them in carrying out assigned phases of the program; attends medical and administrative conferences; observes patients' reactions and progress and keeps clinical notes and records to be included in case histories and prepares reports; orders necessary equipment and supplies; cares for equipment and facilities.

Occupational Therapist is the entry-level occupational therapy class for State service.

In the Department of Corrections or at the Veterans Home, Occupational Therapists work as assigned with the psychiatrically or medically ill and handicapped, or socially maladjusted in a clinic or ward program including prevocational and recreational activities. Promotion is to the class of Senior Occupational Therapist.

Ability to establish and maintain cooperative interrelationships with individuals and groups; a sympathetic and objective understanding of the problems of mentally and physically handicapped persons; tact; patience; emotional stability; pleasing personality and neat personal appearance.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Supplemental ReportWith Application100%

Components that are due with your application will be scored and will count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items may result in disqualification or elimination from the examination.

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

Complete and submit the following items with your application. These will be scored and count toward your final examination result. Failure to submit these items will result in disqualification from the examination.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:
Theory and practice of mental and physical rehabilitation of mentally and physically handicapped persons; therapeutic techniques including arts and crafts, prevocational exploration and self-care activities commonly used in occupational therapy work, and skill in their application; basic pathology involved in diseases and injuries resulting in physical and mental handicaps and physical and psychological problems of the handicapped person; child growth and development; construction and use of special equipment.

Ability to:
Interpret occupational therapy treatments to staff, relatives, patients, and others; teach others; prepare reports and keep records to be included in case histories; analyze situations accurately and take effective action.

Eligible List Information

A Servicewide Open eligible list for the OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST Classification will be established for:

  • State of California

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Testing Departments

  • Department of Veterans Affairs
  • State of California

Contact Information

Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Examinations Unit
Department of Veterans Affairs - Human Resources Division
1227 O Street, Room 404
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2535

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of Veterans Affairs reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
In Person (see bulletin for details)
Alternate Application Process

While we recommend that you utilize your CalCareer Account to take advantage of all the tools available, you may choose to apply for this examination without using your account. In this case, print and complete the Exam Application Package Checklist and include it if you submit a hard copy application.

Exam Application Package Checklist

Blank Application Form (STD678)

Accommodation Request (STD679)