The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) is responsible for regulating its registrants to serve the public interest. Established under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007, CRPO aims to:
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- Protect and serve the public interest.
- Foster confidence in professional regulation.
- Regulate in a transparent, principled, proportionate, unbiased, and proactive manner.
- Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in the delivery of psychotherapy services.
- Enhance access to psychotherapy services within the system.
The Registration Examination
In order to fulfill the requirements for registration as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), all Qualifying registrants are required to pass the Canadian Professional Standard for Counselling and Psychotherapy (CPSCP): Entry to Practice Competency Assessment (commonly referred to as the “Registration Examination”). The Exam assesses a practitioner’s knowledge of various key entry-to-practice competencies and their information-gathering and decision-making skills in a variety of typical scenarios and simulations. You may find it helpful to review the Entry-to-Practice Registration Examination Resource Manual.
Conditions for Completing the Registration Examination
There are specific timelines associated with the Registration Examination.
- The first attempt at the Exam must be made no later than 24 months following the date that a complete application for registration as a Qualifying registrant, and fee, are received by the College. There will be at least one sitting of the Registration Exam each year (but usually there are two, one in the spring and one in the fall).
- A candidate must successfully complete the Exam in no more than three attempts.
- In the event of two failed exam attempts, the third and final attempt is permitted only after the Qualifying registrant has completed upgrading activities, if any, required by a panel of the Examination Committee. The third attempt must be made no later than five years after the date of application for registration in the Qualifying category, unless additional time is permitted by the Examination Committee, in exceptional circumstances.
Qualifying registrants are permitted a maximum of five years from the date that a Qualifying certificate of registration is issued by the College in which to satisfy ALL the requirements for registration as an RP (completing clinical experience and passing the Exam).
A registrant who fails the Exam has the right to appeal to the Examination Committee. Grounds for appeal are limited solely to the question of whether the process followed in sitting the examination was fair. Should a candidate require an extension to the stated time frames in which to write the Registration Exam, as a result of an unforeseen circumstance, they can lodge an appeal to the Examination Committee. Common exceptions may include parental leave, family emergencies and serious illness.