CTCMPAO

Pan-Canadian
Examinations
Application Guide
Modif ied Date: May 2024
 CTCMPAO PAN-CANADIAN EXAMINATIONS APPLICATION GUIDE

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 3
EXAMINATION APPLICATION PACKAGE .......................................................................................................... 3
REGISTRATION EXAMINATIONS – PAN-CANADIAN EXAMINATIONS .............................................................. 3
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE................................................................................................................................ 4
EXAMINATIONS FEES ........................................................................................................................................... 4
ELIGIBILITY ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
EXAMINATION POLICIES .................................................................................................................................. 7
Incomplete Applications .............................................................................................................................. 7
Accommodation for Special Needs or Medical Requests ........................................................................... 7
Withdrawal from the Examinations/Cancelling the Examinations ............................................................. 7
Absence from an Examination ..................................................................................................................... 7
Examination Results .................................................................................................................................. 8
Examination Rewrites .................................................................................................................................. 8
Examination Appeals ................................................................................................................................... 8
College Registration ..................................................................................................................................... 8
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE PAN-CANADIAN EXAMINATIONS............................................................................ 8
1.Register for College Portal ................................................................................................................... 8
2.Complete the Application Form .......................................................................................................... 9
3.Personal / Contact Information ........................................................................................................... 9
4.Education Program .............................................................................................................................. 9
5.Supervised Clinical Experience ............................................................................................................ 9
6.Additional Education Programs ......................................................................................................... 10
7.Assessment of Competency .............................................................................................................. 10
8.Application Documentation............................................................................................................... 11
9.Application Declaration ..................................................................................................................... 11
10. Examination Application Fee Payment ......................................................................................... 11
NEXT STEPS..................................................................................................................................................... 11
IMPORTANT INFORMATION .............................................................................................................................. 12
Access to Records ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Application Documents that are not in English or French .......................................................................... 12
Inability to Provide the Requested Documentation ................................................................................. 12
Privacy ........................................................................................................................................................ 12
Questions ................................................................................................................................................... 12

Note: This document will be updated as necessary; for the most recent version, please check our website.
INTRODUCTION
The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (the College) is a
governing body established by the government of Ontario, under the Regulated Health Professions Act,
1991 (RHPA) and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006 (TCM Act). The College regulates the practice
of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture in the public interest.

The law in Ontario requires that any person who does the following must be a registered member of
College:
▪ Performs the following controlled acts authorized to the profession:
1. Performs a procedure on tissue below the dermis and below the surface of a mucous
membrane for the purpose of performing acupuncture.
2. Communicates a TCM diagnosis identifying a body system disorder as the cause of a
person’s symptoms using TCM techniques.
▪ Uses the protected title(s) and/or designation(s) “Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner” (“R.
TCMP”) and/or “Acupuncturist” (“R. Ac”).
▪ Holds him/herself out as a member of the College.

The College views unauthorized practice very seriously. Performing the controlled acts, using the
protected titles and/or holding oneself out as a member of the College without being registered are
significant offences and can result in prosecution and fines.

If you have any questions regarding becoming registered with the College, please forward your questions
to Registration staff at:
Telephone: 416.238.7359
Toll-free: 1.866.624.8483
Email: [email protected]
Mail: 705-55 Commerce Valley Drive West
Thornhill, ON L3T 7V9

EXAMINATION APPLICATION PACKAGE

Please review the Examination Application Package BEFORE completing the Application for the Pan-
Canadian Examinations. The following documents are included in the Examination Application Package:
1. The CARB-TCMPA Candidate Handbook
2. CTCMPAO Pan-Canadian Examinations Application Guide
3. Entry-Level Occupational Competencies for the Practise of Traditional Chinese Medicine in
Canada (2018)
4. Registration Regulation, made under the TCM Act, 2006

REGISTRATION EXAMINATIONS – PAN-CANADIAN EXAMINATIONS

To be considered for General class of registration you must meet the requirements for registration as
outlined in Ontario Regulation 27/13, (the “Registration Regulation”), made under the TCM Act.
Successful completion of the registration examinations is one of the requirements for registration in the
General class.

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The Pan-Canadian Examinations are the approved entry-to-practice examinations. This guide provides
information about how to apply to write the Pan-Canadian Examinations by using the online
application form available on the College Portal.

The Pan-Canadian Examinations are administered by the Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies for
Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CARB-TCMPA).

The College determines who is eligible to sit the Pan-Canadian Examinations. For example, to confirm
that you are eligible to write the exam, the College will consider your educational program, supervised
clinical experience and whether you have the necessary competencies that meet the requirements of the
Registration Regulation . For more information, please see the Eligibility Section.

The Pan-Canadian Examinations include the following two examinations:

1. Pan-Canadian Entry-level Examinations for TCM Practitioners (the “TCM Practitioners
Examination”); and
2. Pan-Canadian Entry-level Examinations for Acupuncturists (the “Acupuncturists Examination”).

Each examination consists of two components:

1. Multiple-choice component; and
2. Clinical case-study component.

EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
The examinations are offered twice a year, in April and October. The schedule for each exam
administration will be available on the College website approximately four months before the
examination date.

EXAMINATIONS FEES
There is an application fee and an exam fee for the Pan-Canadian examinations. The exam fee is required
after your application has been approved. The application fee is non-refundable. Both fees are subject
to change. Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information.

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to write the Pan-Canadian Examinations you must meet the following eligibility
requirements.
1. Education Requirements
The examinations applicant must have successfully completed a post-secondary program in
traditional Chinese medicine that,
• in the case of a traditional Chinese medicine program, consists of at least four years of
full-time education, or education that is of equivalent duration, and
• in the case of a traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture program, consists of at least
three years of full-time education, or education that is of equivalent duration. (s. 9(1)
Registration Regulation)

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 Full-Time Education
The Registration Regulation further defines the full-time education program as a program that
consists of:
• At least 480 hours per year of classroom theoretical instruction; or
• At least 620 hours per year of practical instruction; or
• Some combination of the two where, for every hour of classroom theoretical instruction
that is less than 480 hours, there must be a corresponding increase of 1.3 hours in the
number of hours of practical instruction.
For example:

Completed Completed Required practical hours to make up the

Year Theory (Hours) Practical (Hours) gap of theory hours

1 300 200 (480-300) x 1.3 = 234

Year 1 would not qualify as a full-time education program. This is due to the fact that when
180 (the amount by which the theory component is deficient) is multiplied by 1.3 it amounts
to 234. Therefore, in order to qualify as a full-time education program, the practical hours
must amount to at least 234 hours. However, there were only 200 practical hours; as such,
Year 1 does not qualify as full-time education.

Classroom theoretical instruction refers to education/learning which takes place in a classroom

or through guided independent study, in which students develop knowledge and thinking skills,
beliefs and values, which enable them to demonstrate relevant entry-level competencies as listed
in the Entry-Level Occupational Competency Profile.

Practical instruction refers to education, in which students work directly with an experienced
practitioner and a simulated patient, to develop hands-on abilities which enable them to
demonstrate relevant entry-level competencies as listed in the Entry-Level Occupational
Competency Profile.

2. Supervised Clinical Experience

The examinations applicant must have successfully completed a program of clinical experience in
the profession that,
is structured, comprehensive, supervised and evaluated and which consists of at least 45
weeks of clinical experience involving 500 hours of direct patient contact. (s. 9(1)
Registration Regulation)

The supervised clinical experience can be obtained either as a part of an applicant’s formal
education program or separately, so long as it meets the requirements outlined above. However,
if the supervised clinical experience is obtained as a part of an applicant’s formal education, the
hours of instruction must be in addition to those hours counted towards meeting the educational
requirement. In other words, one cannot use the same hours of instruction to satisfy the formal
education requirement and the supervised clinical experience requirement.

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 The supervised clinical experience must involve 500 hours of direct patient contact with the
individual communicating a traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and performing acupuncture
pursuant to the TCM Act. A program of clinical experience in the profession must be structured,
comprehensive, supervised and evaluated.

Direct patient contact experience refers to shared supervised clinical activities or solo supervised
clinical activities involving direct patient contact. In supervised clinical training, students work
directly with patients in a setting designed to provide patient care. Students must be supervised
throughout their clinical education, in a manner that facilitates their development of clinical
abilities while ensuring that patient care is safe, effective and ethical.

Observation hours and simulated practice hours may not be included towards meeting the
supervised clinical experience requirement. Clinical observation hours refer to activities where
applicants have no active involvement. Simulated practice refers to activities using standardized
or simulated patients and case conferences with clinical supervisors. Case conferences refer to
discussions between the applicant and the applicant’s clinical supervisor related to a specific
patient.

Applicants are required to ensure that supervision is performed by qualified members of the
College. For more information, please refer to the College’s Supervision Policy.

3. Competency Assessment
The competency assessment is used to determine whether applicants have the necessary
knowledge, skills and judgment to safely practise the profession as members of the College.

Unlike approval of an education program, the competency assessment focuses on the cumulative
competencies applicants have obtained through formal education and post-graduate and
continuing education studies.

To assist you with understanding of the competency assessment process, the College has
developed the Guidelines for Evaluation of Applicant’s Traditional Chinese Medicine and/or
Acupuncture Education or a Substantially Equivalent Education Program and Assessment of
Competency. These guidelines will be used to assess whether you are able to demonstrate
through your completed learning/educational program, that you have the required entry to
practice competencies (listed in the Entry-Level Occupational Competency Profile).

Applications must be approved for a candidate to be deemed eligible to take the registration
examinations. The eligibility criteria are subject to change. The candidate’s eligibility to sit for an
examination does not guarantee that:
• the candidate will be eligible to sit subsequent examinations; or
• the candidate will be eligible to register with the CTCMPAO (when applying for registration with
CTCMPAO, the Candidate will be asked to meet additional registration requirements, and may be
asked to submit additional documentation. For more information, please see the CTCMPAO
website).

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EXAMINATION POLICIES

Incomplete Applications
Applications submitted without all required information and supporting documentation prior to
the application deadline cannot be processed, and you will not be eligible to write the exam. To
take a subsequent examination, you will be required to re-apply. Your eligibility to take a
subsequent examination will be evaluated against the criteria that are in place at the time the
new application is submitted.

Accommodation for Special Needs or Medical Requests

The CARB-TCMPA will provide reasonable special accommodations for candidates with special
needs, a religious reason that prevents them from writing on the scheduled examination date, or
for other medical situations deemed appropriate by the organization.

If you have medical needs that require you to bring special materials into the examination room
(e.g., medication or an asthma inhaler), you must seek approval prior to the examination.

If you require an accommodation, or have special medical needs to take the examination, please
complete the Accommodation Request Form and if applicable the Accommodation Verification
Form. Once completed, submit the form(s) to [email protected] by the given
deadline.

Withdrawal from the Examinations

Requests to withdraw from the examinations must be made in writing and be received by the
College before the withdrawal deadline, to obtain a partial refund of the Examination Fee. The
Application Fee is non-refundable. If withdrawal requests are NOT received by the withdrawal
deadline, no portion of the examination fee will be refunded.

If you withdraw from the examination or you do not take the examination you applied for, you
will NOT be automatically eligible to take subsequent examinations. You will be required to re-
apply. Your eligibility to take subsequent examinations will be evaluated against the criteria that
are in place at the time the new application is submitted.

Absence from an Examination

Candidates who do not arrive on time to take the examination, and who do not cancel or
withdraw their registration are considered a ‘no-show’ and will forfeit the examination fee.
Should they wish to take the examination at a later date, they will be required to re-apply and
pay the examination application and registration fees again.

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Examination Results
Approximately eight weeks after the examinations, results will be sent to candidates by mail
and/or via the College’s secured online Portal. Examination results will NOT be communicated
over the telephone or through any other channel.

Examination Rewrites
Candidates have a maximum of four attempts to successfully complete the Pan-Canadian
Examinations. To retake the examinations, a candidate who has failed an attempt will be
required to complete and submit a new application that will be evaluated according to any
policies that may be in place at that time.

Candidates who fail the examination three times will not be permitted a fourth and final attempt
until they complete further education or training, or combination of education and training,
required by a panel of the Registration Committee.

A candidate who is required to undertake further education or training or the combination of

education and training as directed by a panel of the Registration Committee must:
• Submit the completed details of his or her proposed learning activities, in conjunction
with a description of the teacher/mentor/supervisor’s qualifications, to the College for
approval before starting further education or training.
• Upon receiving approval, successfully complete the proposed program before the
examination application deadline.
• Submit a request and proof of completion of the program to the College Registration
Committee for approval to repeat the examination.

For more information, please review our Fourth Exam Attempt Policy.

Examination Appeals
An appeal is a request by an examination candidate for reconsideration of the candidate’s
examination result. If a candidate believes a failed result of an examination was due to an illness
on examination day, personal emergency, or procedural irregularities they may appeal their
result. For more information, please refer to the Examinations Appeals Policy.

Registration with the College

Candidates who successfully complete the Pan-Canadian Examinations, are not automatically
registered with the College. Successful completion of the registration examinations is only one
of the requirements for registration with the College. Candidates must also submit a General class
application and meet other registration requirements listed in the Registration Regulation,
including successfully completing the Safety Program Test and the Jurisprudence Course Test. For
more information about the registration process, please see our website.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE PAN-CANADIAN EXAMINATIONS

1. Register for College Portal

To complete the online application form, you will first need to setup an account on the College’s
Portal. To do this, click “Click here to Register” on the Sign In section of the College website, then

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 complete and submit the Portal Access Registration Form. Within two business days you will
receive an email with an invitation code and instructions on how to redeem the invitation code.

2. Complete the Application Form

Once you have access to the Portal you can begin your examination application. All application
forms can be found under “My Applications” on the registration dropdown menu. From there,
you will click on “Pan-Canadian Examination” and then choose either the R. Ac or R. TCMP
application.

3. Personal / Contact Information

As part of your application, you will be required to provide your name, date of birth, address,
email address and phone contact information. The name used to register for an examination
must match the name on the valid ID that will be presented at the examination center.

CTCMPAO will use your email address to communicate with you electronically during the
examination process (for example, to provide you with updates on your examination application
and to advise you when your examination results are available).

Your email must be a unique email address and cannot be shared with another applicant or
member of CTCMPAO. To ensure that you receive College updates, please provide an email
address that you check on a regular basis.

Changes to Contact Information

Candidates must inform the College of any changes to their name and address information.

4. Examination Location
You will need to select your first and second choice from among the list of available test centre
locations. The final location for your exam will be based on preference and availability, and details
will be communicated to you after you have been approved to sit the exam.

5. Education Program
Name of Program, Program Start and Graduation Date, and Level of Education
The information you enter must be consistent with the information listed on your education
documents. If the information on your education documents is inconsistent or incorrect, please
contact your school to have them correct your documents.
Institution
If you completed your TCM education outside of Canada, please select “Other”.
Yearly Education Breakdown
Please provide the number of hours spent each year in theoretical training, practical training, and
clinical training. It is recommended that you contact your school for this information before you
begin the application process.

6. Supervised Clinical Experience

Click “Add Experience” and enter the required information relating to your supervised clinical
experience. The clinical experience must not have taken place before the start of your post-
secondary education related to TCM or TCM acupuncture. Applicants who complete formal
education in Ontario are required to ensure that supervision is provided by qualified members of
the College as per the College’s Supervision Policy.

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 As part of your application, you must provide an original letter from an educational
institution/supervisor confirming successful completion of:
• at least 45 weeks of clinical experience in the TCM profession; and
• at least 500 hours of direct patient contact

The letter must include a detailed description of the supervised clinical experience, showing the
number of clock hours in direct patient contact and number of weeks spent in clinical
training/experience. The letter must include the name and the registration number of the
supervisor (if applicable).

7. Additional Education Programs

This section will provide a summary of the education you have entered so far. If you have
completed multiple education programs, click “yes” to add additional education programs. You
will then be asked to provide detailed information (see step 5 above) for your additional
programs.

8. Assessment of Competency
To complete this section, click “Add Competencies” and enter the courses from your academic
record/transcripts that correspond to the selected competency area. You will also need to
indicate the total hours of practical instruction and/or theoretical instruction spent in each
competency area. You should reference your detailed course curriculum to determine which
courses corresponded to each competency and the hours of each course. If applicable, you may
list courses under more than one competency area.

For more information on the entry level competencies, please refer to the Entry-Level
Occupational Competencies for the Practise of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Canada.

Please ensure the information provided in this section matches your education documents. The
College will refer to the Education Equivalency Guideline to assess your learning/education
program and supervised clinical experience. You may add a course into more than one
competency area.
For example:
Name of courses that specifically addressed
Core Competencies Total hours
the competencies identified in each area
TCM FOUNDATIONS TCM Theory of Introduction 102 (300 hours) 744 hours
▪ Apply fundamental knowledge Course 2 (200 hours)
of Traditional Chinese Medicine Course 3 (244 hours)
principles in diagnosis and
treatment

9. Application Documentation
Upload all the supporting documentation listed in the checklist below. Documents that have
already been submitted to the College will not need to be submitted again.

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 • Proof of Identification (e.g., driver’s licence, passport, or a validation of identity signed by
legal counsel)
For Graduates of a TCM or TCM Acupuncture program in Canada, the following documents
must be sent directly from the education institution to the College:
o An official, final transcript of academic record
o A program completion letter or a copy of degree or certificate
o An original letter from the education institution/supervisor confirming successful
completion of 500 hours of direct patient contact within 45 weeks of clinical
experience in the TCM.
o Detailed curriculum or courses outlines of the TCM program, certified by the
program, including a detailed list of courses and a description of the content of each
course completed, and the total number of hours for each course completed.
For Graduates of a TCM or Acupuncture program outside of Canada
o In addition to the documents listed above, internationally educated applicants must
submit a credential evaluation and authentication report with a course-by-course
evaluation from the World Education Service.

10. Application Declaration

Check the box to indicate that you have read and understand the declaration. Once you click the
next button, you will not be able to go back and edit the information, so please be sure you have
entered all required information.

11. Examination Application Fee Payment

The final step will ask for payment of the application fee. Your application will be complete and
submitted to the College once this fee is processed. You will be asked for payment of the
examination fee once College staff reviews your application and confirms you are eligible for the
exam.

NEXT STEPS
1. There are a limited number of candidates who can be accommodated at each examination.
Seating capacity is limited. You are not guaranteed a seat at the examination by submitting your
examination application prior to the deadline date. Please check your confirmation letter to be
sure that you are accommodated to take the examination on the specified date.
2. Once your application has been submitted, College staff will review your information. You will be
advised of your eligibility via email after the review has been completed.
3. Approximately 2 to 3 weeks prior to the examination date, eligible exam candidates will be
emailed a booking confirmation.
4. After writing the exam, candidates will be notified of their results approximately eight weeks
from the date of the exam.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Access to Records
In accordance with the Health Professions Procedural Code, Schedule 2 to the RHPA, upon written
request, the College will provide you with a photocopy of your application materials. You must submit
the following service fee with your written request:
▪ $50.00 per request, which includes copies of the first twenty-five pages, and
▪ $1.00 per page thereafter.

For more information, please review our Access to Records Policy.

Application Documents that are not in English or French

Documents submitted for registration examination purposes that are not in English or French must be
accompanied by a certified translation. To find a certified translator in Ontario, contact:
Mail: Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario
1 Nicholas St. Suite 1202
Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7

Telephone: 613.241.2846 Toll-free: 1.800.234.5030

Email: [email protected] Website:www.atio.on.ca

If you are outside of Ontario, please contact your local directory for certified translators. For
those outside of Canada or the USA, you may also find assistance at a Consulate or Embassy. For
more information, please review our Translation Policy.

Inability to Provide the Requested Documentation

While in some cases this may pose a challenge, in the majority of cases applicants will be able to
obtain the requested documentation. If you believe that the documentation is unobtainable,
please review the Alternative Documentation Policy.

Privacy
The personal information collected on the exam application form is used by the College for its
regulatory purposes (e.g., the registration and identification of the College registrants and for the
administration of the College programs) and to develop and provide aggregate or de-identified
statistical information for human resource planning and demographic and research studies. It is
collected under the authority of the RHPA, the Health Professions Procedural Code, the TCM Act
and the regulations and by-laws made under the authority of these statutes. The College does not
sell this information, nor does it provide the information to commercial entities in a format that
facilitates mass marketing.

Questions
If you have any questions regarding the exam application process, please forward your questions
to Registration Staff at:
Telephone: 416.238.7359 Toll-free: 1.866.624.8483
Email: [email protected]
Mail: 55 Commerce Valley Drive West Suite 705 Thornhill ON L3T 7V9

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