Sample Interview Questions for Physical Therapy

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Students are encouraged to book an advising appointment for a mock interview to prepare for interviews, but you can also use these questions for self-study. You can book your advising appointment on campusBRIDGE.

You can also partner with a friend and they can ask you a sample question while you answer to practice interviewing.

  1. Tell us why you are interested in this position.
  2. Tell me about a rehab plan you’re particularly proud of and what made it effective.
  3. Describe a time you had to adjust your communication style to meet a patient’s needs.
  4. What’s an example of feedback you received from a patient that influenced your practice?
  5. Tell me about a time you adapted an assessment or treatment plan to better align with a patient’s goals or lived context. What was the outcome?
  6. Describe a complex patient case where your initial approach didn’t work as expected. What did you change and why?
  7. Share an example of how you helped a patient understand their condition or recovery process in a way that changed their behaviour.
  8. Describe a time you had to explain movement or pain concepts to a patient who was anxious or skeptical.
  9. How do you assess whether a patient truly understands their rehab plan?
  10. Can you share an example of how you balanced hands-on manual therapy with active rehabilitation for a patient?
  11. Walk me through a time you designed a home exercise program that significantly improved patient adherence.
  12. Describe a situation where a patient struggled to follow their rehab plan. How did you address it?
  13. Give an example of how you collaborated with another provider (e.g., chiropractor or massage therapist) to improve patient outcomes.
  14. Describe a time there was a difference of opinion within the care team. How did you handle it?
  15. How have you integrated feedback from colleagues into your clinical practice?
  16. Can you share an example of how you balanced clinical care with contributing to the business or sustainability of a practice?
  17. Tell me about a difficult patient interaction and how you maintained trust.
  18. Tell me about a skill you’ve actively worked to develop since becoming registered. Why that one
  19. Describe a time you sought out mentorship or additional learning to improve your clinical effectiveness.
  20. Where do you see your practice evolving in the next few years, and how have you been preparing for that?
Updated January 2026 with the assistance of ChatGPT